SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sophomore Alexa Randall returned an interception 78 yards for a touchdown then enjoyed pass break-ups on two other defensive stops in the first half, but St. Francis surrendered 27 unanswered points after halftime in falling to Oak Ridge, 34-6, in Sierra Foothill League flag football action Tuesday evening.

The Troubadours fall to 2-7 overall and 1-2 in SFL play.  

Randall's pick six was the second of three interceptions, all within the first 13 minutes of the contest. Senior Zia Smith had the first, snaring an Ella Cottrell at midfield with more than 21 minutes left in the half. Reese Lieuwen picked off the third on the next possession after Randall's score.

However, Randall's interception came on the first Oak Ridge red-zone opportunity. After Ilyana Lampe's own takeaway and 32-yard runback negated Smith's efforts, junior Rachel Grothand and sophomore Laurel Smart moved the chains into SF territory. Cottrell hit Carly Short for a fourth straight completion, bringing the Trojans to the SF 5-yard-line. With a first-and-goal, Randall snared an attempt to OR senior Sofia Williams just in front of the goal line on her team's side of the end zone. The former tennis and current track & field star ran the ball nearly the full length of the field for the game's first TD.

Then on Oak Ridge's next series, Lieuwen picked off a second-and-25 attempt in front of the opposing bench, providing SF with another short field. However, like Smith's INT earlier, Lieuwen's play did not translate to Troubie scoring: the Trojans managed to stop Jade Abalateo on a fourth-and-short.

ORHS later took the lead when Ava Edwards streaked up the sidelines into the SF red zone, then Groth came up with back-to-back catches for the equalizing touchdown with 10 seconds before halftime. Smart hauled in the one-point conversion to give the Trojans a 7-6 halftime edge.

Unfortunately for St. Francis, Oak Ridge continued to finish scoring drives throughout the second half, while posting two interceptions of its own. The first, on Ava Melton's jump ball against Troubie junior Annie Swanson, erased the effects of one of the more spectacular offensive plays of the day: freshman quarterback Lola Fox found Tayli Paeu-Lindgren on a double-reverse flea flicker to start SF's first drive after the break.

Oak Ridge's second interception came on the next play after scoring its fourth touchdown. Siena Maher picked off the first pass of the series, giving her team a short field and the setting for a fifth score.

The varsity loss followed a 14-6 junior varsity setback at the hands of the Trojans. Like in the nightcap, SF trailed by just 7-6 at the break. Sophomore quarterback Jocelyn Villaflor found fellow 10th grader Ava Votaw wide open in the end zone for a 14-yard strike with 1:23 remaining in the first half.

But also like in the varsity game, Oak Ridge ended two different SF drives with interceptions – one by Holly DeMuri, and the second by Maddy Goda. Goda's pick thwarted a Troubie red zone chance after Mariko Palmieri's catch brought SF to the OR 19-yard line. Palmieri had 11 receptions in the game, while Chloe Aldrete paced the defense with seven deflaggings.

Tuesday's contest is the first of a three-game homestand for St. Francis, which hosts Granite Bay for a 4:00/5:00 doubleheader on Thursday. That event also features the annual Booster-Q barbecue for flag football, with the SF Booster Club providing free hot dogs and hamburgers for all guests from both teams.