Northern California Clash: Rocklin Vs. Turlock

One of the best teams in the Valley versus one of the best teams in Northern California and the state will square off this Fall. Both teams are tough, loaded with college players and have had huge success in recent years. Up front, both teams have bullies with the likes of Rocklin’s [player_tooltip player_id="25321" first="Bobby" last="Piland"] and Turlock’s Sebastian Hilton and Cody Weaver, among others. There are also plenty of talented skill position players that will be big difference makers in this game. Below, we will preview and breakdown some of the top players that will go head to head within the next couple months. <hr />   Turlock Bulldogs RB, J.T Foreman II, 2023 Foreman is a North and South runner that plays behind his pads and looks for contact with the ball in his hands. He shows terrific contact balance and patience through the whole while also flashing sneaky lateral movement skills and short area quickness. He is a work horse back that will be a steady player for the Bulldogs this season. QB [player_tooltip player_id="25287" first="Beau" last="Green"], 2022 Green has one of the most talented arms in the entire state. Holding multiple FBS offers, he has not taken the field in Norcal since his Freshman season but has all the talent in the world and is a high level collegiate caliber player. He is a well put-together passer that can throw on the run and is a threat in the run game, while boasting a quick release and ability to throw into tight windows he throws receivers open and displays a very strong arm. QB, Cole Gilbert, 2023 Gilbert was the starter in the Spring 2021 season, and should battle it out with the talented Green through the summer. He too is very athletic for the position and can throw into tight windows, and is very smart while scanning the field and not forcing any bad throws. OL Sebastian Hilton, 2022 Hilton is a mountain of a player standing at over 6’5" and having good overall athleticism for his frame and mass. He is a mauler in the trenches and gets his hands on defenders quickly while finishing them off with good aggression and toughness. OL/DL Ashton Patterson, 2022 Patterson is a force on the interior and will be a plug on the defensive side of the ball. He is twitchy for his size while playing with strong hands at the POA and keeping a good base through out his block/destruction progressions. OL Cody Weaver, 2022 Weaver is another impressive lineman that will compliment the other two nicely and work to create lanes for the physical backs the Bulldogs have. Overall, this is a tough offensive line that plays with good physicality and punch off the LOS.   Rocklin Thunder WR [player_tooltip player_id="141905" first="Nathan" last="Kent"], 2022 Kent holds multiple Division 1 offers and is one of the fastest and most explosive players in the state. He is a true vertical threat that has strong hands and runs clean and precise routes while stacking defenders well and tracking the ball in traffic and running underneath the deeper shots. OL Brad Baur, 2022 Baur currently holds an offer from Cal Poly, and that shouldn't be his last. He has an ideal frame for the next level and does a good job at coming down on defenders with a nice punch and finish through the block progression while staying patient in pass protection. He has good bend for his size and can play inside or out in college, depending on the school and level. DE Kaiden Baker, 2022 Baker is a very active edge defender that is a natural bender off the edge and plays with a high motor and good toughness. He has heavy hands at the POA and understands pass rush angles/gap responsibilities well while having an explosive first step and good pad level. OL/DL [player_tooltip player_id="25321" first="Bobby" last="Piland"], 2022 One of the most explosive two-way players in the state, Piland will cause havoc for the bulldogs all night. He is tough, physical and nasty in the trenches while a true technician on both sides of the ball. He has a very explosive first step while stout against the run and twitchy in pass rush, he plays with heavy hands, nice extension and relentless pursuit backside. QB Kenny Lueth, 2022 Lueth has one of the strongest arms in the region and will be one of the top breakout players in Northern California this Fall. He is a pocket passer but can run effectively inside and out of the tackles and does a good job at keeping his eyes downfield while able to throw across his body/on the run and puts nice touch and velocity on the ball when needed. He is a FBS caliber player without a doubt. LB Derek Houston, 2023 Houston is one of the smartest and well rounded 2023 linebackers across all of Norcal. He started as a Sophomore on one of the best defenses in the state and did not disappoint. He is tough in the box, while also able to shock blockers and take good angles to ball carriers with nice closing speed and tackling ability both in space and in traffic. He is a FCS+ caliber prospect as well with a high IQ and should see college interest come his way. LB Teeg Slone, 2022 Slone currently holds one PWO offer from NAU and is very athletic at both OLB or SS. He is a strong open field tackler that can flip his hips and cover in space while scraping over the top and filling against bigger backs. TE/DE Peyton Smith, 2022 Smith is another two-way standout that will be one of the top players in the section this Fall. He has an ideal frame for the next level and is another prospect that should start to see his recruiting take off in the coming months as he is poised for a huge Senior season. OL Caden Brown, 2022 Brown is a collegiate caliber player that should draw D-III, NAIA and D-II interest this Fall. He is a technician in the trenches and wins with pad level and a consistent high motor.