CONCORD — What once was unthinkable has become almost predictable. The De La Salle Spartans went 30 years without losing to a team from this half of the state. They have now lost four such games over the past year, the latest on their home field Friday night in all-too-familiar fashion.
Austin Mack, Folsom’s 6-foot-6, 215-pound quarterback, leaped over the goal line from a half-yard out on fourth-and-goal with 15 seconds left to give the visitors a 24-20 victory.
De La Salle had taken a 20-17 lead when its quarterback, Carson Su’esu’e, scored on an 11-yard run with 3:42 to go.
But the Spartans (3-2) were penalized for spinning the ball in the end zone, costing them 15 yards on the kickoff.
That made a difference as Folsom started its winning drive at midfield after Greco Carrillo’s big return.
Even worse for De La Salle, the point-after kick was blocked after a five-yard false start infraction.
“We battled, but what about the first half? And that’s the problem with us right now,” De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh said. “As coaches, we’ve got to find a way to get these guys to get more of an edge the entire game. We turn it on and we turn it off. That’s on us as coaches and that’s on them as our players. We’ve got to figure that out.
“Every time we had something open, somebody was screwing something up in the first half. We just don’t stream things together like we need to. When we get a stop, we don’t score right after. If we score, we don’t get a stop right after. We’re not a great team right now.”
CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 23: De La Salle’s Derek Thompson (62) reacts on the ground as Folsom quarterback Austin Mack (12) celebrates his two-yard touchdown run during the fourth quarter of their game at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. Folsom defeated De La Salle 24-20. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
The game eventually came down to one snap at the goal line. Just as it did in last season’s regional at De La Salle, Folsom made the big play. The Bulldogs stopped Zeke Berry on a two-point conversion play in a 28-27 victory last December. This time, Folsom’s offense got across the goal line to spoil De La Salle’s second-half comeback.
The winning play was improvised.
“We never rep that, we never practice that,” Folsom coach Paul Doherty said. “We try to keep the quarterback healthy. We try to give it to the running back.”
But assistant coach Jordan Banning had other ideas.
“In his usual fourth-down suggestion self, he said, ‘Hey, why don’t you take the 6-6 kid over the top? With a yard to go and two guys leading, I thought that was a pretty good chance,” Doherty said. “I was going to kick the field goal. But kids don’t want to do that. The program is for the kids.”
CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 23: De La Salle’s Derrick Blanche (22) is tackled by Folsom’s Slade Wilson (17) during the first quarter of their game at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Though the defenses dominated the first half, Folsom (4-1) took a 10-0 lead into the locker room.
The Bulldogs stuffed De La Salle’s ground attack with sideline to sideline speed and dominance between the tackles.
It was an ugly half of offense for the home team, which had only 93 years through two quarters.
“We can’t keep coming out like that,” Su’esu’e said. “It’s the same story on repeat. Something’s got to change — quick. We need some leaders to take charge, including myself.”
De La Salle marched across midfield on its first possession but stalled on downs at the 44.
Five plays later, Folsom had a 7-0 lead.
Mack connected with tight end Mason Norberg from 17 yards out for the touchdown that completed a 56-yard series.
The score did not change until Folsom drove from its 11 to the De La Salle 7 as Mack found a rhythm with his receivers, completing five passes on that series.
When De La Salle stopped Folsom at the 7, Jake Tremain kicked a 24-yard field goal to widen the visitor’s lead to 10-0 with 3:55 left before halftime.
De La Salle got a huge break to start the third quarter. After forcing a punt, a bad snap gave the Spartans the ball at the Folsom 14.
On the next play, Charles Greer scored to make it 10-7.
But Folsom responded with an 80-yard, 10-play drive that Donovan Maxey-Parler finished with a 19-yard touchdown run to widen the lead to 17-7.
De La Salle answered with a grinder of a series — 19 plays, 80 yards — to cut the margin to 17-14. Su’esu’e scored the touchdown from the 1.
After a three-and-out, De La Salle drove 52 yards for the go-ahead touchdown — all but the final 11 on runs by Greer.
Su’esu’e’s touchdown run made it 20-17.
But that only set the stage for another gut-wrenching De La Salle loss.
In its four losses to NorCal teams over the past year — to St. Francis, Folsom, Serra and Folsom again, with the last three on their own field — the Spartans have been outscored by a combined 11 points.
“It just seems like there is one thing going wrong on too many plays,” Alumbaugh said.
CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 23: Folsom players celebrate after defeating De La Salle during their game at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. Folsom defeated De La Salle 24-20. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 23: De La Salle quarterback Carson Su’esu’e (16) stands on the field as he watches the Folsom team celebrate after their game at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. Folsom defeated De La Salle 24-20. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 23: Folsom head coach Paul Doherty speaks to his players during a time out in the first quarter of their game at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 23: Folsom’s RJ Whitten (4) almost intercepts a pass intended for De La Salle’s Johnathan Guerrero (38) during the second quarter of their game at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
