FOLSOM, Calif. – Freshman quarterback Lola Fox threw four touchdowns, including two to junior Nevaeh Gavino, Natalia Zitelli scored two TDs of her own, while Nassali Serwanga and Zia Smith each tallied "pick six" interception returns, leading St. Francis to a dominating 52-8 victory over Folsom in a Sierra Foothill League flag football game at Prairie City Stadium Tuesday.
The Troubadours snap a five-game losing skid to improve to 3-10 overall and 2-5 in SFL play.
The 52 total points stands as the second most in the program's young history, one shy of the 53 against Sacramento Charter on September 5. However, the 38 points after the 14-8 halftime represents the most the Troubies have scored in a half. Annie Swanson and Zitelli each scored on short TD strikes from Fox before the break, with Jade Abalateo connecting with Gavino for a two-point conversion before the break.
The high scoring output in the second half mostly came down to the nature of the scoring. In addition to the two pick six scores, interceptions from Alexa Randall and Abi Hall, plus a turnover on downs gave St. Francis a short field throughout the second half.
In fact, the first series was the only time the Troubies started on their own 20. Gavino snared a pass to convert a 4th-and-10, then catches by Swanson and Olivia Alvernaz marched the team to the Folsom 8. That's when Gavino made a leaping grab for the Troubies' first score after halftime, roughly three minutes into the half. Abalateo passed to Tayli Paeu-Lindgren, who tacked on additional YAC for another two-point conversion.
On the ensuing Folsom possession, Randall picked off a Mylee Barreras pass on a fourth-and-short, and returned the ball to the Bulldog 30. On the very next play, Zitelli scampered 30 yards to the end zone for a 25-second scoring drive and a 28-8 lead.
Then Folsom failed to get into SF territory, nearly throwing an interception to Abbey Pavelchik, and coming up short on a fourth-and-11. Yet again, the Troubies took over on the Bulldog side of the field. And yet again, they scored on the first play: a second Gavino grab, for the third TD of the half with 14 minutes still left to play.
Folsom enjoyed its best offensive series, despite two pass breakups by Abi Hall, plus a quarterback hurry and a tackle for loss from Gabriella Kamin. Molly Fremont made a shoestring catch for a first down and a Bulldog red-zone opportunity. Senior Abby Clark pulled a flag for a one-yard loss to the SF 10, but freshman Eva Serrano's grab moved the ball six yards closer to a Folsom TD.
That's when Serwanga, normally on the field as a pass rusher, snared an interception five yards deep into the end zone and ran it coast-to-coast for an 80-yard touchdown. With SF now leading 40-8, Zia Smith intercepted the first pass attempt of the next Folsom series and took it in, boosting the Troubie lead to 46-8 with more than four minutes remaining.
Senior linebacker Lucee Manzano almost had yet another interception on the first Bulldog pass after Smith's pick six, but could not hold on. Instead, she deflagged Tea Liberman and Ella Maclafferty for two short gains, forcing Folsom to a fourth-and-14. The Bulldogs had no choice but to convert – only for Hall to reach up and snare the pass for another Troubie takeaway.
With St. Francis on its own 35, oddly its worst field position since the start of the half, Taylor Mitchell took over behind center. Two players later, she fired to Colleen Medina, a pass rusher getting her first chance to play on the offensive side of the ball. Medina hauled in Mitchell's pass at midfield, then used her speed to finish her first career touchdown.
Perhaps the most impressive statistic for the Troubies was that the three quarterbacks – Fox, Mitchell and Abalateo – had only one incomplete pass for the entire game, including the various two-point conversions.
Tuesday's visit to Prairie City Stadium was a varsity-only date, as Folsom does not yet field a junior varsity squad. The SF varsity and JV return to action at home on Thursday for a 4 p.m. doubleheader with Davis.
