FOLSOM – On a chilly night over 100 miles from home, Archbishop Riordan’s historic season came to a sudden halt one week earlier than expected.

The previously unbeaten Crusaders appeared poised to advance into next week’s CIF state Division I-AA championship after a nearly flawless first half on offense in which Stanford-bound quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr. orchestrated six consecutive touchdown drives.

But the check engine light flashed following intermission Friday night as Riordan sputtered its way through a scoreless second half that saw Folsom rally to a 42-38 victory in a NorCal regional after BYU-bound star Ryden Lyons was lost to a shoulder injury late in the third quarter.

“It’s really hard for to put it into words,” Riordan coach Adhir Ravipati said. “I mean, I love this tea

See Full Page