On Friday, Aug. 29, Jesuit High School Sacramento's varsity football team defeated the Rio Americano Raiders 35-0 in a lopsided game.

The game was a one-sided contest from the start.

"We won because of our energy, everybody had good energy," Kwanna Smith said. "We were focused on what was ahead of us."

Jesuit's defense set the tone early. Brayden Quinn '27 came up with a key interception which led to the first touchdown of the night. 

Jesuit's offense was relentless, with quarterback Teddy Rios '26 powering his way through Rio's secondary with a rushing touchdown, Smith finding his way into the end zone, and Stevie Hughes '26 catching two receiving touchdowns.

The team believes their win on Friday was due to their discipline and hard-work, something that will be crucial moving forward.

"Team effort [was great], especially the defense," Hughes said. "The defense was great all night, so they got to carry that with them [into the next game]."

The Jesuit Marauders are now 1-1, and look to build on this win when they play the Bellarmine Bells tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 5, at home under the lights.

Even though Rio didn't prove much of a challenge, Jesuit's cohesion and experience gives them the confidence needed in order to overcome the potential challenges they will face throughout the season.

"[The team] has continuity with each other as well as the ability to kind of right the ship when things go wrong," said Assistant Coach Eddie Ralph. "We've also been focusing on doing your job, [which means] being in the right spot, knowing what you're supposed to do, and what your role is on the team."

Friday's home-opener provides students a great opportunity to support the team on an exciting evening. 

"It's a really fun atmosphere to have [the game] on a Friday night," Coach Ralph said. "[The players] are really excited to come out and show out what we can do."