Prep football: Twenty of the Sacramento area’s best and brightest returning quarterbacks
For decades, football programs required a sound running game and a stout defense to compete for a championship, especially in an era of three yards and a cloud of cleats, dust and debris.
In recent years, with most every Sacramento-area high school program competing on field turf, that general theme now includes this: quarterback play. It’s become a must. You either have a quarterback or you don’t, and that means you either have a chance to compete for a playoff berth, a league championship or much more, or you don’t.
As season openers loom on Aug. 17-19, The Bee offers a list of 20 area signal callers to look for. This list is specific to returning varsity starters.
Quarterbacks are each built and wired differently. Some are masterful in passing, or running, or a lot of both. Some run the spread offense. Some chuck it most every down. Others orchestrate the run-heavy veer or the wing-T, which requires deception and execution. Some are college prospects. Others may be in time as they grow and develop.
And some are ripe for ribbing. At Twelve Bridges High in Lincoln, the new school yet to graduate its first class in Placer County, the Ragin’ Rhinos have 6-foot-6 senior quarterback Whit Kruse. He’s an intriguing prospect, a nice young man, a good student and a team leader, and he is a young man of many nicknames.
Coach Chris Bean said of his long and lanky leader, “Red Rider will be out and about,” adding “we have all sorts of nicknames for that kid. It’s too easy.”
Other tags include “Kruse Missile.” The Kruse just cruises right along. On Friday, in a scrimmage against Del Oro, quarterback play was an intriguing storyline. Del Oro’s Caden Pinnick is one of the region’s superb athletes, a runner, passer and playmaker. You need one to survive any season of great expectations.
The other thing about quarterback play is there is no age limit. Several freshmen led varsity teams in 2022, including Walter Lewis of Highlands and Deakon Holden of Christian Brothers.
Holden split time with William Littlejohn in 2022 and both are in the running for the starting role now, coach Larry Morla said.
And there’s a transfer in the mix, one sure to impact the program he left and the one he’s now with. Marino Fragata passed for 3,528 yards and 46 touchdowns at Johnson a year ago, far and away school records, and is now playing at Division I Cosumnes Oaks of the Elk Grove Unified School District.
Rio Americano, on the fast track to improvement under coach Reid Sanders, has two quarterbacks battling for one job in Keilen Gilbert and Ryder Trantham.
Though this list features returning players, some of the top newcomers include sophomore Ryder Lyons of Folsom, who has received scholarship interest already, and Luke Alexander of Grant, the defending CIF state Division 3-AA champion.
Oak Ridge has two new quarterbacks looking to take over for graduated Bee All-Metro leader Maddox Varella in Bo Gordon and Joaquin Mercado-Graves. Rocklin has two battling for the starting job in 6-2 sophomore Reeve Sloan and 6-1 strong-armed Dallas Munn.
Jagger Beck, Sutter, 6-6, 205, Sr.
He won 10 games as the ace for a baseball team that won a CIF NorCal title. He aims to win at least that many now for the powerhouse Huskies, who are all about smash-mouth running, solid QB play and defense.
Connor Campbell, Casa Roble, 6-1, 170, Jr.
In passing for 2,261 yards and 32 touchdowns, Campbell proved he was ready for a Rams team that won the Golden Empire League and made a deep playoff run. Now, he’s really ready.
Brennan Collins, Mira Loma, 6-1, 180, Sr.
The wins were few, three in 2022, but the effort was there with Collins, who passed for 1,897 yards and 15 TDs while running for 539 yards and eight TDs as a one-man gang.
Josh Craycraft, Placer, 5-11, 170, Sr.
One must be crafty, smooth and effective to run the wing-T and JC fits the bill as he also passed for 1,460 yards and 16 TDs for a 10-1 team.
Cole Davis, Pleasant Grove, 6-2, 170, Jr.
He hails from a good football family and showed a lot of promise last fall with arm strength and effort, and he invites the challenge to elevate the program.
Kymani Fenika, Liberty Ranch, 6-2, 175, Sr.
Poised for a monstrous season as a dual threat, Fenika passed for 699 yards and eight TDs and ran for 633 and 12 for a 10-1 team.
Brody Fortunati, Vacaville, 6-2, 190, Sr.
Committed to Air Force, Fortunati first aims to lead his storied Bulldogs to their seventh consecutive league championship, and he’s a 4.0 student.
Marino Fragata, Cosumnes Oaks, 5-11, 175, Sr.
A year after firing 46 TD passes for a seven-win team at Johnson, “Reno” now settles in at CO with all sorts of skill guys to throw to.
David Hale, Elk Grove, 6-3, 175, Jr.
In the Herd’s option attack, Hale only fired four TD passes, but he ran for 646 yards and nine scores for the Delta League champs. He’s already better than his father of the same name, who was a quarterback on Valley’s 12-1 team of 1995.
Nick Harris, Granite Bay, 6-5, 205, Jr.
He looks the part of stout and sturdy after throwing three TD passes in limited time a year ago for a team that reached the section D-II finals.
Deakon Holden, Christian Brothers, 6-0, 155, So.
Slight of frame but big on ability, Holden passed for 806 yards and 18 TDs for a team that reached the section Division III finals. He shared QB duties with William Littlejohn, who passed for 16 TDs.
Austin Katapodis, Woodcreek, 6-4, 185, Sr.
AK passed for 835 yards and six TDs and ran for 203 yards and three scores for a 10-4 playoff team and is poised to elevate those numbers considerably.
John Koett, Vista del Lago, 6-1, 195, Sr.
After passing for 2,379 yards and 28 TDs, some will argue this is the region’s top passer, and maybe the best in school history, too.
Whit Kruse, Twelve Bridges, 6-6, 215, Sr.
He looks the part at his height, and he showed flashes of stardom in leading a new school deep into the playoffs, passing for 1,685 yards and 12 TDs.
Mitchell Labrado, Laguna Creek, 5-11, 170, Jr.
Improving by the week during a 7-3 campaign, Labrado passed for 1,034 yards, 11 TDs and has been named a team captain for 2023.
Matthew Larson, Valley Christian, 6-1, 170, Sr.
A third-year varsity starter, Larson has already passed for 1,855 yards and 24 TDs for the small-school program in Roseville, and he can play linebacker and other sports.
CJ Lee, Jesuit, 6-2, 170, Sr.
Fast, skilled and driven, Lee settled in nicely down the stretch last season for a playoff team, passing for 1,289 yards and 14 TDs. He is poised to double those figures.
Walter Lewis, Highlands, 5-10, 165, So.
The varsity stage wasn’t too big for him a year ago as he passed for 1,065 yards and 17 TDs with just three interceptions and ran for three scores for the Scots.
Dustin Philpott, Nevada Union, 5-11, 180, Sr.
He has passed for 1,466 yards and 17 touchdowns in his varsity stint and led the storied Miners into the 2022 playoffs. He expects a repeat.
Caden Pinnick, Del Oro, 6-1, 175, Sr.
Dynamic and fun, Pinnick looks up to cousin Stone Smartt, who led Del Oro to a CIF state title in 2016. CP passed for 1,679 yards and 22 TDs in 2022 in earning Offensive Player of the Year honors in the Sierra Foothill League.
▪ Who’d we miss? Send info on quarterbacks of note to jdavidson@sacbee.com. The Bee will run more lists of top receivers, tight ends, running backs, linemen and stoppers. Consider a subscription to follow all the action and insights.
