Rio Americano High School would have to dust off quite a few yearbooks to find the last time its football team had a zero in the loss column this deep into a season.

While other programs within the Raiders’ athletic department have seen their share of hot starts and playoff success, Rio’s football team hasn’t exactly sprinted out of the starting blocks.

But after a resounding 49-0 win over Burbank on Friday night at Del Campo High School, Rio Americano felt as if it were turning back the clock to 1994, the last time the Raiders went 4-0 to start a season.

The average gas price was about $1.11. Jeff Bezos launched Amazon.com as an online bookseller. The first PlayStation was unveiled and current Rio Americano head coach Reid Sanders was just 4 years old the last time the Raiders began with such a hot streak. Rio went 12-0 in 1994 before falling to Del Oro in the Sac-Joaquin Section championship game.

“We play hard,” said senior receiver Isaiah Langham, who transferred to Rio from Capital Christian. “I don’t think anybody on our schedule is better than us talent wise.”

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Sanders, in his second year as Rio’s head coach, said a switch has been flipped with his rejuvenated group.

“I think they just got tired of losing,” Sanders said. “I told them, ‘You guys are the ones who make that decision.’ They’re tired of being the doormat and the laughing stock of the league. Everyone thinks that when Rio is on the schedule, it’s an easy win. Enough was enough.”

The Raiders won Friday with tenacity in all facets of the game. Sophomore Trace Kloss had rushing scores of 19, 1 and 5 yards. Langham caught a 27-yard TD pass from Keilen Gilbert. Mac Hausman rumbled in for a 1-yard score and later kicked a 47-yard field goal. Backup QB Ryder Trantham tossed a 6-yard TD pass to Alex Wallace.

And that was just the offense.

Defensively, the Raiders had six takeaways, including two interceptions from Chase Carry and one each from Addison Mabry and Jason Gilbert. Rio also pounced on two fumbles on Burbank kick returns.

“My teammates, they’re hard. Animals,” said senior receiver Antonio Saucedo, who had some big punt returns for the Raiders. “Everyone’s counting us out. No one has faith in us. But we have faith in ourselves.”

On special teams, defensive end Chase Dinaburg blocked punts on back-to-back possessions, one of which resulted in a safety and a 35-0 halftime lead.

“Offense, special teams and defense,” said Langham. “It’s not just one part of our team. Everything’s just coming together.”

With Bee-ranked teams in Vista del Lago, Christian Brothers and a host of other tough Capital Athletic League teams looming, Sanders knows his team needs to stay on task if it expects to compete beyond the regular season.

“The biggest thing right now is fighting the complacency bug,” Sanders said. “This program hasn’t won much, so since we’ve had a little success, they think it’s just supposed to happen instead of realizing it’s from all the hard work we’ve put in.”

Trying to rebuild

It wasn’t too long ago that Burbank was the perennial standard-bearer within the Metro League. The Titans won five straight league championships from 2010–14 under John Heffernan and James Pale, now coaches at Elk Grove.

But in recent years, as the football season begins earlier in August than ever before, Burbank has seen a rapid decline in participation and has compiled just nine wins over the previous four seasons. The Titans have only 21 players on their varsity roster. Burbank wasn’t able to field a JV team last year until midway through the season.

“A lot of kids grew up wanting to play for coach Heff and coach Pale and be under their tutelage,” said second-year Titans coach Bryan Golder. “They’re very winning-oriented coaches, and when they left, it was tough.”

Golder, who had previous coaching stints at Lincoln of Stockton, Liberty Ranch and Mesa Verde, now looks to restore and renew that anticipation of suiting up at 3500 Florin Road.

“(Burbank) has a long history of tradition and high standards,” Golder said. “I think the program is heading in the right direction. This is Year Two, and the foundation has been laid now. Right now, it’s all about molding and shaping our program in a way we want it to be.”

Burbank bright spot

Models for this new Burbank mold include 6-foot-3 junior receiver/free safety Stephon Johnson, who Golder praised for his “blazing fast” speed and “great hands,” and 5-foot-9 senior cornerback Trevon Edwards.

“I can’t coach his speed and abilities. It’s all God-given,” Golder said of Edwards. “I love watching what Tre does on the field. Last year, he started coming into his own. This year, he’s found his lane. I hope some schools find him and he gets the opportunity to play cornerback at the next level.”

Johnson was one of the few bright spots for Burbank Friday, hauling in a leaping interception in the end zone. Matthew Robinson also stripped a fumble away from the Raiders to give Burbank some life late in the first half.

The Titans fell to 1-3 with the loss. They will begin Metro League play next Friday at defending CIF state champion Grant while Rio Americano hosts Capital Christian.