Bradshaw, EG, Franklin, CO Win Playoff Openers/ PG, MT Is Done

Division I Playoffs - 

Elk Grove 55, Gregori 0
Franklin 41, Turlock 24
Cosumnes Oaks 62, Lincoln (Stockton) 27
Napa 26, Pleasant Grove 0
Oak Ridge 35, Monterey Trail 14

Division VI Playoffs -

Bradshaw Christian 49, Amador 15

This is an odd-numbered year and that means Bradshaw Christian is in line for another Division VI football championship in the Sac-Joaquin Section.

Much like the San Francisco Giants who have won three World Series Championships every other season over the past five years, the Pride have taken the D-6 banner in similar succession, in 2009, 2011 and 2013.

Their march to a prospective fourth championship in the last six years, and fifth title in the last seven seasons, got off to a good start Friday night with a big 49-15 win over No. 7-seeded Amador.

“Going in we knew this was going to be a football game and I thought they were one of the top four teams in our bracket,” head coach Drew Rickert said. “They were a good football team and they played in a tough league.” 

Kyle Wilburn takes advice from BCHS coach Drew Rickert

Traditionally a running team using a tight double-wing formation with the fullback directly behind the quarterback, Bradshaw kept the Buffaloes off balance with the accurate throwing of senior signal caller Kyle Wilburn. Rickert  said that may have been the first time any Bradshaw quarterback threw three TD passes in a game.

“Not that I remember,” he chuckled. “Maybe someone down the line, but that doesn’t happen very often. We knew all along we could do that, but all year we’ve been running the ball successfully and in our league games we got up quickly.”

The Pride ran out to a 35-7 halftime advantage.

“We got on them early and kept them down, which was nice,” Rickert said.

Wilburn had a TD pass to Phillip White, Jr., on the first play from scrimmage from 27 yards out after Quinton Brown returned the opening kickoff for Bradshaw to the Amador 27.

Wilburn then tacked on TD tosses of 65 yards to Trevoun Bobo and of 50 yards to Jared Knipe to allow the Sierra Delta League champions to cruise into this weekend’s semi-final match-up against Guistine, a 70-54 winner over Rio Vista. 

Bradshaw def. back Quinton Brown sees all open field after picking off a pass at his own 3.

Bradshaw also used a different defensive look that messed up the Buffalos’ offensive execution. The Pride moved around the defensive players and then lined everyone up a split second prior to the snap of the ball.

“We move around a little before we get to our spots to confuse the offense a little,” Rickert explained. “We don’t want to get set so they can see where we set up every time.”

Perhaps as a result, Buffalo quarterback Ben Griffin was picked off twice and both interceptions were returned for a TD. The first one came early in the second quarter when Michael Sinclair returned an interception 50 yards for a score. The second one was midway through the third quarter when Brown ended an Amador scoring threat by picking off Griffin at the Pride three yardline and returned the ball 97 yards for a TD.

“Anytime on defense that you score is huge,” Rickert said. “Mikey made a quick break on the ball and took that to the end zone. Then Quinton made a quick break on the ball and went 97 yards. That really pumps everyone up.”

Bradshaw, with the win, is now 12-4 in playoff games. Now the No. 2 seed in Division VI, the Pride will now take on the No. 3-seeded Guistine at the Bradshaw Christian football field at 7 p.m. on Friday.