Zendaya showed up at Bulldog Stadium on Friday night, and it wasn't for a movie premiere or an awards show — it was to watch her nephew play linebacker. The Hollywood star was on hand to support EJ Coleman, a senior at Folsom High School who is committed to play for Washington State, as the Bulldogs squeezed out a 42-41 win over Del Oro that kept their season unbeaten.
Zendaya was at the game to support her nephew, according to sacbee.com, which reported she was spotted on the field with members of the school's cheerleading team. Coleman, a senior, is committed to Washington State, the outlet noted. Photos and videos of her visit quickly circulated on social media, drawing attention from students and fans alike.
The attention wasn't limited to local eyes. Footage of the visit also made the rounds on Facebook, where KCRA3 shared video of Zendaya in the crowd, and on X, where a fan account posted additional footage captioned simply as more of Zendaya at the Folsom High School football game.
A Nail-Biter That Lived Up to the Hype
While Zendaya's presence stole headlines, the game itself delivered plenty of drama on its own. Folsom escaped with a 42-41 victory over Del Oro on Friday night at Folsom High School, according to Folsom Times. The win came in the Bulldogs' final home game of the regular season and kept their unbeaten record intact, the outlet reported.
Folsom needed every bit of that late-game composure. The same report detailed how Rudnicki carried the ball into the end zone to extend the lead to 42-35 late in the fourth quarter, part of a surge that also included a two-point conversion. Del Oro answered with a touchdown with eight seconds left, but the extra-point attempt sailed wide left, preserving Folsom's one-point lead and the win.
Folsom's defense had a hand in sealing that finish, too. The Bulldogs' defense produced one of the game's important turnovers when EJ Coleman intercepted a pass from Del Oro quarterback Luke Taber, per the same Folsom Times account. On the other side of the rivalry, Del Oro's own program confirmed the outcome, with MaxPreps noting that the Del Oro varsity football team lost its game against Folsom High School by a score of 41-42 on Oct. 23.
A Program on a Roll — and Zendaya in the Stands
The nail-biter fits into a broader hot streak for Folsom this fall, and it's also drawn notice from statewide football watchers. On3.com included the Bulldogs in its California high school football rankings this week, writing that Folsom scored the go-ahead touchdown and converted a two-point conversion with about two minutes to play and held on after a late Del Oro touchdown in a 42-41 decision — corroborating the same dramatic finish described by Folsom Times.
For Zendaya, the Friday-night trip to Bulldog Stadium offered a rare, low-key moment away from the spotlight of her film career — even if the spotlight found her anyway. She was spotted on the field posing and interacting with the school's cheer squad, a detail that, paired with the viral reaction online, turned a regular-season rivalry game into a story that reached well beyond Folsom.
