The Friday night lights were bright for the Folsom area this week, with all three local teams putting wins on the scoreboard as Vista del Lago broke through for its first victory of the season, Folsom remained unbeaten and Oak Ridge added another win on the road. Nearby Casa Roble was also under the lights in Orangevale, where the Rams faced a difficult night against Ponderosa.

For Vista, the win was the one the Eagles had been waiting for. After opening the season with losses to Granite Bay and Antelope, Vista put together its strongest performance yet, pulling away from Reed in the second half for a 42-23 victory at home and its first mark in the win column.

Folsom had a rockier road to victory in San Francisco. The Bulldogs threw three interceptions in the opening quarter against Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory but quickly erased the early trouble, scoring 35 unanswered points on their way to a 49-24 victory at Kezar Stadium. The win moved the defending state champions to 3-0.

Oak Ridge made it three wins for the area with a 28-21 victory over Crean Lutheran in Irvine. The Trojans jumped ahead 14-0 in the opening quarter, never surrendered the lead and held off the Saints in the fourth quarter to improve to 2-1.

Casa Roble rounded out the area action in Orangevale, where Ponderosa built a 43-7 halftime lead on its way to a 49-13 victory over the Rams. Cordova, meanwhile, had the week off after opening its season with two consecutive victories.

For the area’s programs, Friday brought several different storylines. Vista finally broke through, Folsom kept its perfect start intact, Oak Ridge came home with another victory and Casa Roble continued working through a difficult start as the season moves deeper into September.

Vista del Lago breaks through, pulls away from Reed 42-23

Vista del Lago broke through for its first victory of the season Friday night, overcoming an early deficit before taking control in the second half to defeat Reed 42-23 at home. The Eagles trailed twice during a competitive first half, but their offense continued to find answers while the defense repeatedly came up with fourth-down stops that eventually helped turn a five-point halftime advantage into a 19-point win.

The Eagles got their first win Friday. Photos: Dorie Anderson Photography

Reed struck first on its opening possession, moving quickly from its own 42 into Vista territory before scoring on an 8-yard run. The extra point gave the Raiders an early 7-0 lead. Vista answered on its first possession, moving from its own 31 deep into Reed territory before finishing the drive with a touchdown pass. The extra point tied the game at 7-7 midway through the opening quarter. Reed moved back in front on its next possession, reaching the Vista red zone before kicking a 32-yard field goal to make it 10-7.

The Eagles’ defense began making an impact late in the first quarter and into the second. Vista recorded a sack to help force a Reed punt, then later stopped the Raiders on downs after Reed began a possession at the Vista 34. The Eagles took over at their own 30 and quickly flipped the field with a long pass that reached the Reed 3-yard line. Vista finished the drive with a rushing touchdown, and the extra point gave the Eagles their first lead of the night, 14-10.

Reed answered again, driving into Vista territory and scoring on a 10-yard touchdown run. The extra point was missed, leaving Reed with a 16-14 advantage. Vista then mounted one of its most important drives of the first half, moving into Reed territory and converting twice on fourth down to keep the possession alive. The Eagles finished the drive with a touchdown pass and added the extra point to regain the lead, 21-16.

Vista’s defense delivered another key stop before halftime. Reed crossed midfield in the final minutes of the second quarter but was stopped on fourth down at the Vista 42. The Eagles took over and moved quickly the other way, completing a long pass to the Reed 22 with only seconds remaining. A field-goal attempt missed as the half ended, sending Vista into the locker room with a 21-16 lead despite five dropped passes that had stalled promising possessions earlier in the night.

Vista opened the second half with perhaps its most important offensive statement of the game. The Eagles took the kickoff and drove immediately into Reed territory, eventually scoring on a 22-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 28-16. Reed refused to go away, however, answering with a long run that helped set up a 15-yard touchdown run. The extra point trimmed Vista’s lead to 28-23.

From that point, the game belonged to the Eagles. Vista’s next possession stalled near midfield, but its defense prevented Reed from capitalizing. The Raiders drove from their own 15 all the way to the Vista 27 before the possession carried into the fourth quarter. Facing fourth down, Reed was stopped again, giving Vista possession and preserving the five-point advantage.

The Eagles responded with a long, methodical fourth-quarter drive. Vista moved from its own 27 across midfield and converted a fourth-down play at the Reed 27 to keep the possession alive. The Eagles eventually reached the red zone and scored on another touchdown pass, stretching their advantage to 35-23 with a little more than eight minutes remaining.

Reed’s next possession ended almost immediately. Vista forced another turnover on downs at the Reed 40, giving the Eagles a short field and an opportunity to put the game away. Vista marched to the 1-yard line and, after being stopped short on consecutive snaps, punched the ball across on fourth down for its sixth touchdown of the night. The extra point made it 42-23 with just over four minutes remaining.

The Eagles’ defense closed things out from there, forcing Reed to punt on its final possession. Vista took over near midfield, moved the ball inside the Reed 25 and ran out the remaining time to secure its first win of the season. Vista scored six touchdowns — four through the air and two on the ground — with three coming after halftime as the Eagles outscored Reed 21-7 over the final two quarters.

Reed turned the ball over on downs three times, including twice during a second half in which Vista steadily pulled away. The 42-23 victory marked Vista del Lago’s first win of the season after opening the year with losses to Granite Bay and Antelope, giving the Eagles a needed breakthrough at home and improving their record to 1-2. (Vista Game Photos to come)

Folsom shakes off early turnovers, rolls past Sacred Heart Cathedral 49-24

Folsom had to overcome an uncharacteristically rocky opening quarter Friday night, but once the Bulldogs settled in, the defending state champions steadily took control and rolled past Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory 49-24 at Kezar Stadium. The victory kept Folsom unbeaten at 3-0 following wins over Cardinal Newman and Mission Viejo to open the season.

The night certainly didn’t begin according to plan. Folsom was intercepted on its opening possession, giving Sacred Heart Cathedral the ball at the Bulldogs’ 30. The Fighting Irish quickly capitalized with a 19-yard touchdown pass and the extra point to take a 7-0 lead.

Folsom answered on its next possession. Starting with favorable field position, the Bulldogs moved inside the Sacred Heart Cathedral 10 before quarterback Brody Rudnicki found Arhian Acuna for a 5-yard touchdown pass. The extra point tied the game at 7-7.

The turnover problems continued for Folsom during the remainder of the first quarter. Sacred Heart Cathedral intercepted another pass near midfield and drove deep into Bulldogs territory before settling for a 33-yard field goal and a 10-7 advantage. Folsom was intercepted for a third time later in the quarter, but this time the Bulldogs’ defense supplied the response that changed the momentum of the game.

EJ Coleman recovered a fumble and r...

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