5 takeaways from Folsom versus Serra high school football (8-30-2025)

Thanks to more than 450 total yards and 7 touchdowns from 5-star QB Ryder Lyons, Folsom breaks a three-game losing streak to Padres

Ryder Lyons accounted for more than 450 yards to go with 7 touchdowns in a 56-42 win at Serra on Aug. 30, 2025. Here he's shown in a 2024 opener against Long Beach Poly. / Photo: Todd Shurtleff

UPDATED: 9-5-2025, 10:12 a.m.

The fourth time was the charm for the Folsom Bulldogs, who finally escaped with a 56-42 win over the Serra Padres on a hot Saturday (Aug. 30) afternoon in San Mateo in front of an approximated 5,000 fans. Here are five things we learned from a thriller that had an excess of big plays and star power:

1. Ryder Lyons is worthy of the hype

A 5-star recruit committed to BYU and a social media sensation with over 326,000 TikTok followers, Lyons was every bit deserving of the buzz that followed him in the leadup to Saturday's game. He completed 24 of 37 passes for 388 yards, ran 13 times for 67 yards despite aggravating an ankle injury in the second quarter, threw for four touchdowns and ran for three more. After the game, he was swarmed by kids hoping for photos, autographs and videos, drawing such a crowd that he was given a security escort out of the locker room.

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His third and final rushing touchdown, a 10-yard dash up the middle to put Folsom up 42-39 with 4:42 left, was a daring play in which he put aside the pain and gashed right through the heart of the Serra defense.

Ryder Lyons takes a water break during his team's resounding late comeback win over Serra / Photo by Ethan Kassel

2. Serra made a statement, even in defeat

It won't quite stand up to the thrill of last year's 22-21 win at Folsom, but the Padres showed that last year's 5-6 season is in the rearview mirror. A healthy Jeovanni Henley fueled a much more explosive offense, fellow junior Caleb Bandel looked polished in his first game at quarterback and Iziah Singleton (25 carries-126 yards) was difficult to bring down. While Serra's previous wins over the Bulldogs were reliant on controlling time of possession in the double wing "raider" offense, the Padres spent much of Saturday's game in the spread and looked comfortable doing so, going pound-for-pound against one of the best offenses in the entire state.

Longtime fans and affiliates of Serra's program had to love Charlie Walsh's 80-yard second-quarter touchdown. The younger of head coach Patrick Walsh's sons, Charlie became an icon on the sidelines at Serra during the 2016 NorCal Championship run, donning a Chewbacca suit on the sidelines that became a fixture for years. He had three catches for 101 yards, and the touchdown was the first of his varsity career.

"That was a really cool moment," Walsh said. "Sad we lost, but as a father, seeing your son burst through there ... I'm on this planet to be with my wife and my kids and the people I love. Football is great, but that's what it's all about."

3. Folsom's offense is more than deep bombs

While Lyons did throw 77- and 52-yard touchdowns to Ole Miss commit Jameson Powell, the Bulldogs were a remarkable 8-for-12 on third downs and converted their lone fourth down of the day. They had just three negative plays all day and never conceded a sack thanks to an offensive line anchored by USC commit Vlad Dyakonov.

4. Saul Marks is one of the best kickers in America

Serra's senior kicker, ranked 10th in his class by Chris Sailer Kicking, nailed a game-tying 53-yard field goal with 2:17 to go. It would have been good from 60, and even without the breeze at his back it would have had plenty of distance. He also hit a 42-yarder in the first quarter, made all four of his extra points and handled kickoff and punting duties. Unlike most Serra kickers, who moonlight at other positions, Marks has exclusively stuck to special teams since transferring from Stuart Hall, which plays 8-man football.

5. Great game: Both teams room to improve

While it was more polished than an ordinary Week 1 game, both teams are far from their final form, and both have massive tests ahead. Serra's remaining nonleague games are against De La Salle and St. John Bosco.

"I want to know what we've got and what we don't have," Patrick Walsh said. "If someone came down and said, 'you can go 7-3 for the rest of your career, and those seven wins are in the WCAL, I'd probably sign that contract.' I'm not trying to stack up easy wins. What we're trying to do is become WCAL Champions and CCS Champions and schedule the best, and then we'll know exactly where we are when we go face Valley Christian in four weeks. That's why we do this."

Folsom travels to Mission Viejo next week.

"If we're gonna get better, we have to keep playing programs better than ours," head coach Paul Doherty said. "We'll go down there and maybe we'll get our teeth kicked in, maybe we won't. I don't know."

Following the trip to Orange County, the Bulldogs host another WCAL team as Sacred Heart Cathedral, Doherty's alma mater, will venture to Prairie City Stadium.