Jesuit edges Rocklin in defensive battle

The Jesuit Marauders stunned visiting Rocklin on Friday night in Carmichael, scoring late to secure a 20-14 victory. Rocklin was on its heels early in the second quarter when Jesuit running back John Giovannettone ran for a 22-yard scoring dash to put the Marauders on top 7-0. Midway through the quarter, Brody Quinn scurried into the end zone to give Jesuit a two-score advantage. The Thunder finally broke through early in the fourth quarter when Gered Linder barreled over the goal line. After getting a stop, Rocklin's Reeve Slone connected with Conner Bow on a 51-yard touchdown to tie the score at 14 with just over six minutes to play. The Marauders responded with a clutch drive led by quarterback Teddy Rios, who found Stevie Hughes for a 41-yard touchdown strike in the final minute. The Thunder had one last chance with a hail Mary but was unsuccessful. Jesuit leaned on the ground game, piling up 223 yards behind Giovannettone, who ran for 102 yards and a touchdown. Quinn added 84 yards and a score. Rios complemented the run game with 65 yards passing. Slone threw for 154 yards and ran for a team-high 43 yards. Linder carried 11 times for 42 yards while Mason Cunningham added 34 yards on 12 carries. Defensively, Jesuit was relentless up front with three sacks and four tackles for loss. Demare Moragne led the Marauders with 10 tackles while Colton Dewar had an interception. Connor Kostecki anchored the Rocklin defense with 10 tackles. The Thunder (3-2, 0-2 SFL) will look to climb out of their early hole in league this Friday when they host rival Whitney (2-3, 0-1 SFL) in the annual Quarry Bowl.