SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior wideout Caitlin Hafenstein scored a 60-yard reception touchdown and senior defensive back Elizabeth Barger picked off a pair of Thunder passes, but a late turnover on a first-and-goal kept St. Francis on the losing end of a 14-7 defensive battle with Rocklin in Sierra Foothill League flag football action Tuesday.
The Troubadours slip to 4-8 for the season and 2-6 in SFL play.
Hafenstein's TD came in the final minute after two dropped passes forced Rocklin to punt. Quarterback Emma Karamanoukian hit Hafenstein near the left sideline, then the soccer/track star scampered another 40 yards on her own to put SF on the board with just 15 seconds left. Annie Swanson hauled in the one-point conversion, tying the game at 7-7 going into the halftime break.
Unfortunately for the Troubies, they came up empty on four series after the intermission, including three on interceptions.
Barger had an interception on SF's first defensive series of each half, but neither converted to scoring. Her pick on a second-and-short in the first quarter put the Troubies at midfield, and a Tayli Paeu-Lindgren reception immediately moved the team into the red zone. Still, all four passing attempts failed to connect, with Ava Erickson coming up with a break-up against Hafenstein on the fourth-down conversion attempt.
The St. Francis defense came up with a goal-line stand to keep Rocklin off the board midway through the first half. Elise Mullican nearly completed a long touchdown pass from Robyn Nguyen, instead getting deflagged at the St. Francis 2-yard line. A fumbled snap moved the Thunder back a yard, then Lucee Manzano and Abbey Pavelchik came up with big stops on two Skyler Linehan attempts at the end zone, allowing the Troubies to take over on downs, albeit deep in their own territory.
St. Francis went three-and-out on the next possession, and Rocklin got on the board on its next series. Two catches by junior Abigail Schrader set up a touchdown by Angelina Abdelmessih with 1:44 left in the half, with Mullican grabbing the conversion to give the Thunder a 7-0 lead. Both the Troubies and Thunder traded possessions before St. Francis took over on its 20 with about 40 seconds left, setting the stage for the Hafenstein TD.
Barger's leaping interception early in the second also did not transfer to the points for SF, which immediately came up empty on three passing attempts before having to punt. Enter Caroline Wuelfing, who delivered key interceptions against the Troubies on each of the next two SF offensive possessions. The second proved to be the dagger: two passes to Nevaeh Gavino, another to Hafenstein and still another to Swanson gave the Troubies first-and-goal from the Rocklin 19. Then Wuelfing swooped in for her second pick with 1:53 left.
Linehan carried the ball three times in the final Rocklin series to largely down the clock.
Tuesday's setback is the third for the Troubies against the Thunder. SF lost by a 13-0 shutout on September 21, then fell again by a 31-6 final just two days later at the Girls of the Gridiron tournament.
St. Francis returns to action for a JV/varsity doubleheader at SFL leader Del Oro on Thursday. Game times are 7 p.m. for JV, 8 p.m. for varsity.
