Folsom defeated Cathedral Catholic to win the high school football state championship in California by a final score of 42-28 without starting quarterback Ryder Lyons. It was hard to see anything in the fog!
Not only was there some debate about whether the game should be played in these conditions, a very specific rule spoiled one of the coolest plays of the night.
I am not sure whether the controversial high school football ruling would’ve had an impact on the final score but it definitely changed the momentum. Was it the correct decision?
Folsom defeated Cathedral Catholic in the fog.
Friday’s CIF 1-AA state championship game was played at Saddleback College. Folsom High School traveled more than 450 miles south to Orange County to face Cathedral Catholic from San Diego.
The Bulldogs lost only one game in the regular season. They suffered a blowout loss on the road on the first weekend of September and never lost again. Five-star recruit and BYU commit Ryder Lyons drew criticism for how he acted during the crushing defeat so it was all business from that point forward.
Folsom won their next 11 games by a combined score of 457-185 to reach the state title game. Its opponent, Cathedral Catholic entered Friday at 11-2. The Dons lost twice on the road in October but rallied right back from the losing streak and ran through the playoffs.
Visibility at kickoff of the CIF championship was extremely low. The weather was insane— to the point that some fans and reporters questioned whether the game should be played.
The fog only got thicker as the game continued so the Bulldogs used the lack of visibility to their favor.
Tight end Elijah Tuua snuck out for easy jump pass touchdown to take a 28-7 lead in the first half. The defense never saw him!
Folsom up 28-7 at half. The fog in Folsom the last month is working!@BrodyRudnicki to @elijah_tuua https://t.co/cO2WPoCNHh pic.twitter.com/Ewu6H2lQn9
— Sac-Joaquin MaxPreps (@SacMaxPreps) December 13, 2025
Folsom ultimately went on to win its sixth state championship by a final score of 42-28. Backup quarterback Brody Rudinick accounted for six total touchdowns (two passing, four rushing) and went for over 300 yards from scrimmage. Lyons took the final knee to end the game and his high school career.
Brody Rudnicki leads his Folsom Bulldogs to the CIF Div. I-AA State Championship over Cathedral Catholic.
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) December 13, 2025
Hear from Brody, head coach Paul Doherty & Ryder Lyons, who bids farewell to high school football and very grateful for his time at Folsom as a 2x state champ.… pic.twitter.com/70HuWEvY8G
He missed the game with an injury suffered during the semifinals.
National high school football rules prevent hurdling.
Cathedral Catholic picked up what would’ve been a first down during the second half on a 10-yard scramble by the quarterback. However, the quarterback hurdled over a diving defender as he ran out of bounds to pick up a few extra yards and high school football officials took back the first down as a result.
Would’ve been a Cathedral Catholic first down.
— West Coast Preps Sacramento (@WCPSacramento) December 13, 2025
Instead, its a flag for hurdling pic.twitter.com/TJLO1OUdrI
High school football players are not allowed to hurdle. It is a national rule for player safety that results in a 15-yard personal foul penalty. There is an exception to the rule and it might’ve applied for the Dons.
The ball carrier cannot hurdle if the defender is trying to make the tackle with two feet on the ground. The ball carrier can hurdle if the defender contacts the ground with more than just his hands and feet.
It gets murky when a defender is diving or lunging. At what point is he no longer considered upright?
The goal of this rule is to prevent head/neck injuries but, in this specific instance, it caused more harm than good. Cathedral Catholic picked up an important first down that was immediately overturned because of an athletic move to extend the play. Is it time to reevaluate the rule on hurdles?