Before kickoff, the Grape Bowl had plenty to buzz about.
George Duenas was back at Lodi, and with his return came hope that a changing of the guard could follow arguably the worst season in program history just one year earlier.
Tokay didn't give that hope much time to breathe.
The Tigers took over from there
, dominating Lodi in all phases en route to a 48-23 rout Friday, Aug. 28, to claim the "Grape Bowl Champions" trophy in Week 0."These kids really earned it tonight," Tokay coach Collin Rhoads said. "We're building that winning culture, and we're looking to shock the league a little bit."
Coming off a season in which Tokay eclipsed eight wins for the first time in more than a decade, perhaps even more impressive was who helped the Tigers put
up 48 points.
In their first varsity games, junior quarterback Nico Sinigaglia threw four touchdowns while going 9-of-15 for 171 yards, with two finding junior Arian Khan, who hauled in five passes for 53 yards in his debut.
"We are a whole new team this year," Sinigaglia said. "We have a lot of new additions and new weapons, but we're gonna go after it this year."
And the new weapons didn't stop there.
Junior Mason Zeer received the first carries of his varsity career and turned 12 of them into 104 yards and two touchdowns.
"This just shows how hard we've worked," Zeer said.
There was something new — and old — taking shape on the other sideline.
With Duenas back came the return of the triple option he used at Lodi from 2018-2020, and the familiar offense showed flashes on the ground.
Senior quarterback Noah Villegas rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown, while senior running back Jon Reyes added 58 yards and another score. Through the air, however, the Flames managed just 24 yards.
"We controlled the line of scrimmage tonight," Rhoads said. "I felt like our offensive and defensive lines did awesome. We just played four quarters of football."
An answer and a statement
The question hung over Tokay without anyone needing to ask it.
How would the Tigers replace the SJAA Offensive Back of the Year after a school-record 1,656 rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns?
Outside the locker room, Tokay fans wondered. Inside it, the Tigers already believed they had the answer.
The first quarter started proving it.
Tight end Mason Addington punched in a 1-yard rushing touchdown, Zeer followed with a 7-yard score and senior running back Jayden Segura piled up 56 rushing yards on only five carries.
By the end of the first quarter, Tokay led 14-0 — and the answer was already there.
"Our offensive line made some nice holes for them," Rhoads said. "But those two, Jayden and Mason, are both freaking studs."
Sinigaglia added, "Those guys allow me to get outside the pocket and use my legs. It adds a whole new side to the game."
If the opening quarter provided the answer in the backfield, the second showed why Tokay believes it can "shock the league."
Lodi scored, and Sinigaglia responded. The junior quarterback froze the defense with play action before finding Khan for a 25-yard touchdown and a 21-8 lead.
The Flames scored again. Tokay responded again.
Lodi's next possession ended with the ball on the ground.
Tokay turned the mistake into points, with Sinigaglia connecting with Addington for an 11-yard touchdown reception.
"You guys saw it tonight," Rhoads said. "He's a playmaker."
The only thing slowing Tokay down before halftime seemed to be itself.
Three pass interference penalties helped Lodi turn a 35-16 deficit into a 35-23 game by the break, but the Tigers had otherwise controlled the first half, throwing for 152 yards and rushing for 116 more.
Exclamation point
Two second-half touchdowns put an exclamation point on everything Tokay had shown.
On fourth-and-4 from the Lodi 35, Tokay dialed up a double fly sweep. Zeer took the second handoff, found the opening and raced 35 yards for a touchdown that made it 41-23.
The final one came with an image almost too fitting for the night.
Sinigaglia connected with Khan for a 19-yard touchdown — his fourth touchdown pass and Khan's second touchdown catch.
Almost immediately after Khan secured the ball, the scoreboard went dark.
So, too, had Lodi's success on the ground. The Flames went from 165 rushing yards in the first half to just 27 in the second, while Tokay piled up 204 rushing yards of its own.
Maybe it was a telling sign. Maybe Tokay has found the answer to its rushing attack. Maybe "shock the league" isn't so far-fetched. And maybe last year's 8-3 season was only the start.
"We're gonna try to make the playoffs this year," Zeer said. "I think we can do it."
Sinigaglia added, "We stuck to what we wanted, and we got the win."
This article originally appeared on The Record: Tokay football routs Lodi in Grape Bowl behind breakout varsity debuts
