SACRAMENTO—Disappointment trumped tear-shed as the Patterson High Tigers trudged off the Hughes Stadium turf Friday night.
There was nothing subtle about what Twelve Bridges of Lincoln, a new school and a nouveau Sac-Joaquin Section power, did to Patterson in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV final. The clock was wound in the fourth quarter of the Raging Rhinos’ 55-7 cakewalk.
“Getting a beat-down like that puts things in perspective,” Patterson coach Rob Cozart summarized. “We’re proud of what we’ve done, and knowing this will not define us.”
“This” was a lopsided loss clearly reflected by the final score. Twelve Bridges running back Braeden Ward, No. 2 on the section yardage list behind Oakdale’s Wes Burford, strafed the Tigers for 224 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries.
Seldom was the 185-pound Ward, who has rushed for nearly 2,400 yards and has scored 36 touchdowns, brought down by the first tackler. The ease of his 29-yard romp up the middle for the first touchdown—stiff-arming Patterson defenders over the final 10 yards while remaining upright—defined the night.
“I’ve heard people compare him to Cameron Scattebo,” said Twelve Bridges coach Chris Bean in reference to the great running back from Rio Linda, Sacramento State and now at Arizona State. “He does not go down after the first shot.”
Patterson (7-6) answered the Rhinos’ first TD with one of its own. The Tigers marched 73 yards in 13 plays and scored on quarterback Max Medina’s 1-yard run. But the game’s final 48 points belonged to Twelve Bridges (13-0) which more than affirmed its No. 1 seeding.
The Tigers, consensus underdogs, needed to be almost perfect. Instead, they undermined their chances with a slew of special teams mistakes. A 53-yard kickoff return by the Rhinos' Gavin Rappa, two poor punts and a punt blocked by Paul Risdal, escorted TB to three touchdowns for a 27-7 lead.
Medina, the junior lefty who’s quarterbacked Patterson since he was a freshman, extended plays and zigzagged through constant pressure. He completed 13 of 32 passes for 156 yards but was intercepted three times, sacked three times and sobered by several drops.
Jeremiah Lugo ended an admirable prep career by rushing for a team-leading 65 yards. What sabotaged the Tigers were a bundle of missed tackles and not much sustained offense. Again, Twelve Bridges had a lot to do with both issues.
“I’m going to miss my guys,” said Medina, who will remember the team’s 22 seniors. “They (Twelve Bridges) were the better team today... We did not come out the way we’re supposed to.”
When Patterson wasn’t burned by Ward, it was stung by 6-foot-4 quarterback Connor Flaherty, who connected on 10 of 13 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns. The Rhinos outgained Patterson 481-310.
This season marked only the third varsity campaign for Twelve Bridges football. All things changed when Bean switched himself and most of his staff from Lincoln High to the shiny new school not far away.
Incredibly, Twelve Bridges’ first two senior classes have compiled 25 wins and the school's first section title. The Rhinos also fueled their motivation tanks with memories of last year's heartbreaking loss to Casa Roble in the 2023 D-V title game.
“The team that lost right before us today (Bradshaw Christian)…I looked at the pain on their faces,” Bean said. "I said, ‘Not today.’ We did not want to feel that way again.”
Twelve Bridges' run sparked conjecture that has funneled down to one question: How did the Rhinos become so good so fast?
"We didn't have to build something that was already messed up," Bean said. "We got to set the foundation and our level of expectations from the very beginning."
Conversely, Patterson will remind itself of its 2024 accomplishments over time. The Tigers competed capably in their first year in the demanding Valley Oak League, earned a No. 2 seed and reached a section final. Left unchecked on their list was their own numbing loss to Escalon in the 2023 D-IV final, and all plans to win their first football section championship. For now, those things must wait.
“We tell our kids, ‘We want to play at least 12 games. We played 13," Cozart said. “And Max (Medina) comes back for another season, and that's even better."
Sac-Joaquin Section D-4 Final
Twelve Bridges 55, Patterson 7
Patterson 7-0-0-0--7
Twelve Bridges 13-21-21-0—55
1st Quarter
TB—Braeden Ward 29 run (Connor Frontiera kick)
P—Max Medina 1 run (Jared Carrete kick)
TB—Matthew Marquez 15 pass from Connor Flaherty (kick failed)
2nd Quarter
TB—Dylan Amos 25 pass from Flaherty (Frontiera kick)
TV—Ward 4 run (Frontiera kick)
TB—Ward 2 run (Frontiera kick)
3rd Quarter
TB—Dylan Amos 25 pass from Flaherty (Frontiera kick)
TB—Ward 4 run (Frontiera kick)
TB—Ward 2 run (Fontiera kick)
Records: Sonora 7-6, Twelve Bridges 13-0
