DAVIS, Calif. – Senior linebacker and co-captain Zia Smith posted two interceptions in each half while sophomore wideout Tayli Paeu-Lindgren caught two touchdown receptions, leading St. Francis to a 34-12 win over Davis in Sierra Foothill League girls' flag football play at Ron & Mary Brown Stadium Tuesday night.
The Troubadours improve to 2-5 for the year and open SFL play at 1-0.
Paeu-Lindgren collected a touchdown pass from Taylor Mitchell in the first half, then another from Jade Abalateo in the second. Natalia Zitelli ran for a 60-yard TD scamper while Abalateo ran more than half the field in yards after catch for the third SF score, resulting in an 18-6 halftime lead.
Smith had her second interception in the final seconds before the break, while both second-half picks came in Blue Devil red zone opportunities. She made the last-ditch stop on a 44-yard Davis run that ended on the SF 15-yard-line, then swooped in to snare the pass on the very next play. Then after the Blue Devils regained possession on an interception of their own and a return to the Troubie 10, Smith came through again. A roughing the passer penalty erased Reese Lieuwen's pass breakup and moved DSHS to the SF 5. One player later, Smith pounced on the next attempt to the corner of the end zone, and gave the Troubies possession with a mere nine ticks left in the game.
Meanwhile, St. Francis continued to add to its lead in the second half, despite surrendering a quick scoring drive in the first three minutes after the break. Paeu-Lindgren put the Troubies into Davis territory, first on a reception to the 32-yard-line, then again when her lateral to Nevaeh Gavino picked up another 11 yards. Quarterback Lola Fox hit Abalateo on a screen to get inside the 10, then Gavino hauled in another Fox pass across the middle for her first TD of the game.
St. Francis opted for a two-point conversion, with Paeu-Lindgren bringing down the pass to make it 26-12.
After stopping Davis on downs, the Troubies enjoyed a short field with 12:55 to go. Gavino appeared to score untouched for a 34-yard score, but she stepped out of bounds at the 11. Instead, Abalateo – now taking over behind center for Fox – found Paeu-Lindgren for her team's fifth TD of the game. Smith lined up at center for the two-point conversion, then caught Abalateo's pass in traffic for the successful try.
The Troubies' varsity win followed a 19-12 victory by the junior varsity in Tuesday's opener. Sophomore Ava Votaw scored the first touchdown on a sluggo in the first half, then freshman running back Mariko Palmieri nabbed the second. Quarterback Jocelyn Villaflor faked the handoff to Palmieri, but then found her again in the flat. The play resulted in a 42-yard touchdown strike, with 32 in YAC.
With SF clinging to a 13-12 lead, Villaflor helped seal the game in the final minutes. She hit Votaw for a first down and possession on the Davis 35. Villaflor then opted for a keeper on the first-and-15, evading two Blue Devil defenders to reach the end zone untouched. Davis broke up the 1-point try but the lead still held up. With one final possession, the Blue Devils could not advance farther than their own 29-yard line. Alyssa Becze came up with a big stop while Keanna Daneshvar and Elizabeth McNearney came up with double coverage on a pass that would have otherwise advanced Davis to the SF 30.
The SF jayvees are now 3-0 all-time against Davis: 18-0 at last year's Girls of the Gridiron tourney in Rocklin, 26-7 at Davis in SFL play five days later, then Tuesday's win.
