Week 1 | Rowland High School Football vs Wilson – Game Recap (41–10 Final)

September 01, 2025•2 min read

Rowland Raiders Dominate Season Opener, 41–10, Over Wilson Wildcats

Friday night lights returned to The Heights with a statement win as Rowland powered past Wilson, 41–10. Physical on the ground, opportunistic on defense, and sound on special teams—the Raiders put together a complete team performance to start 1–0.

Rowland High School Football blog recap: Raiders 41, Wilson 10.

Offense: Ground game sets the tone

Rowland piled up 312 rushing yards on just 24 carries (13.0 ypc).

• #8 CJ Carrillo (Sr., RB/DB): 6 carries, 143 yards, 1 rushing TD; added 45 kick-return yards and 73 return yards on top for 269 all-purpose yards.

• #6 Bryce Johnson (Sr., RB/DB): 10 carries, 129 yards, 2 rushing TDs.

• #4 Ethan Zepeda (Sr., HB/LB): 3 carries, 19 yards, 1 rushing TD.

Through the air, #7 Damien Arrieta (Sr., QB/DB/WR) was efficient: 2-for-2, 11 yards, 1 TD. #9 Jose Valadez (Sr., QB) also took snaps. The lone receiving score went to #1 Aidan Opatkiewicz (Sr., WR/DB/K) on a short TD grab. Team passing: 11 yards.

Team totals: 323 yards (312 rush, 11 pass).

Defense: Swarming and sure-tackling

Rowland’s defense stacked 71 total tackles and kept Wilson to ten points. #11 Frankie Trujillo (Sr., DL/OLB) led the way with 10 tackles (3 TFL), with strong support from #0 Elias Hayward (7), #1 Aidan Opatkiewicz (8), #5 Fabian Valdez (7), and #8 CJ Carrillo (6). The Raiders also recorded two interceptions and flipped field position all night.

Special Teams: Points and field position

#1 Aidan Opatkiewicz drilled four PATs, and #20 Taylor Wright (Jr., K/P) added one PAT to close the scoring at 41. Carrillo’s return work (45 KR yards plus a 73-yard return) kept Rowland on the front foot.

Scoring snapshot (by jersey #)

• #6 Bryce Johnson — 2 rushing TDs

• #8 CJ Carrillo — 2 total TDs (including 1 rushing; plus a 73-yard return score)

• #4 Ethan Zepeda — 1 rushing TD

• #1 Aidan Opatkiewicz — 1 receiving TD + 4 PATs

• #20 Taylor Wright — 1 PAT

Final word

This wasn’t just a win—it was Rowland Football on full display. Toughness, balance, and energy across all three phases. If Week 1 is any indication, Raider Nation has a lot to be excited about this season.

Players of the Game

Frosh/Soph: Brady Johnson

JV: Nathan Alvarado

Varsity: CJ Carrillo — A do-it-all performance with 269 all-purpose yards, 2 TDs.

🎥 Watch the Key Plays

Catch the highlight reel of this game right here ⬇️

Source

All stats and game details provided by MaxPreps.com.

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Rowland Football Media Team

The official media team for Rowland High School Football. Sharing weekly game recaps, highlights, and behind-the-scenes moments to showcase Raider pride and the Gold Standard on and off the field.