Rocklin forces 5 turnovers, blanks Bishop Manogue 33-0

Rocklin High School football coach Jason Adams said before Friday's game that he expected to learn a lot about his team against Nevada power Bishop Manogue. After four quarters of physical, hard-nosed football, the Thunder gave their coach plenty to like. Rocklin's defense forced five turnovers and held Bishop Manogue (0-4) scoreless in a 33-0 rout of the Miners in the Thunder's home opener. "We still have a ton of respect for that team," Adams said. "That team's going to win a lot of games up there. They've scheduled their tails off, so they're battle-tested. I really like what we got." The Thunder (2-0) had control of the game early, taking a 13-0 lead into halftime behind another strong performance from junior quarterback Parker Lively. Lively connected with James Pease on a 44-yard touchdown pass less than two minutes into the game, then threaded a pass into a tight window for Dominic Ramirez on a 5-yard score. Bishop Manogue had opportunities, but were unable to capitalize as the Thunder stood tall defensively. The Miners drove into the red zone in the second quarter before James Pease came up with an interception in the end zone to keep them off the board. Then, after Bishop Manogue opened the second half with another promising drive, Rocklin's defense delivered the play that broke the game open. A bad snap put the ball on the ground, and Damien Panteloglow scooped it up and returned it 68 yards to the Bishop Manogue 1-yard line. C.J. Taylor punched it in two plays later, extending Rocklin's lead to 20-0 with 7:22 remaining in the third quarter. From there, the Thunder kept coming. Gio Flores intercepted a pass and returned it 18 yards to the Bishop Manogue 29, setting up another Lively touchdown pass as Rocklin pushed its lead to 26-0. Luke May added a 39-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds remaining in the third quarter to cap the scoring. For Adams, the defensive performance was a product of the work his players have put in since the offseason. "I'm incredibly proud of them," Adams said. "They've worked their butts off, and high school football is about January lifting when nobody's around, and then you get this thing in early September where you get to put on a show. We're very proud of what we're doing on both sides of the ball. But defensively, there's a ton of pride in what we're doing." The Thunder have now allowed just seven points through their first two games. Adams credited defensive coordinator Brandon Bochi for the early success of the unit. "Our defensive coordinator is exceptional," Adams said. "I still find myself learning from him, and he's a good 15, 20 years younger than me. He's a student of the game. He's a great teacher, and our kids buy into what he's selling, and the rest of us are rallying around him and his leadership on defense." Taylor was one of several Rocklin defenders making plays throughout the night. On the defensive end he forced two fumbles and ran for 62 yards and a touchdown. Adams said the senior's effort extends well beyond Friday nights. "He's everywhere in our program," Adams said. "If you're in the weight room, you're like, 'Hey, who's the guy? That guy works really hard.' If we're doing change of direction, man, that guy works really hard. If we're playing defense, he works really hard." While the defense stole the show, Lively continued his impressive start as Rocklin's new varsity quarterback. The junior threw three touchdown passes for the second consecutive week, giving him six through his first two varsity starts. One of those came on a 5-yard strike to Dominic Ramirez in the second quarter, while another followed Flores' interception as Rocklin began to pull away in the third. Lively said the transition to varsity football has still come with a learning curve despite his early success. "There's definitely high expectations, but there's definitely been some welcome varsity moments," Lively said. "Last week, the first play was a rough one, but I think with the team we got, we can just battle with anyone." Lively said his chemistry with his receivers has been built through the work the group put in during the spring and summer. "It's just the chemistry of the guys," Lively said. "Not just football, but we'll go hang out. It's just the chemistry I got with the guys through the spring and through the summer that we worked on." Adams said Lively has the ability to make every throw and believes the junior will continue to improve as he gains experience. "He's an exceptional talent," Adams said. "I think he can make every throw. I believe he can make every throw, and he's going to continue to grow as a decision-maker." Through two games, Rocklin has outscored its opponents 79-7. Friday's game, however, may have provided the clearest indication yet of what Adams was looking to learn before kickoff. The Thunder know that they have an offense capable of putting up points, but against Bishop Manogue, their defense showed it can take over a game. Rocklin will remain at home on Friday to take on Northern Section power Pleasant Valley of Chico. BISHOP MANOGUE - 0 0 0 0 - 0 ROCKLIN - 6 7 20 0 - 33 Rocklin- Parker Lively 44 pass to James Pease (kick fail) Rocklin- Lively 5 pass to Dominic Ramirez (PAT good) Rocklin- C.J. Taylor 1 run (PAT good) Rocklin- Lively 4 pass to Cole Rogers (PAT fail) Rocklin- Luke May 39 run (PAT good)