Posted: Oct 22, 2024
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Freshman Monet Zauner posted two interceptions, including one for a touchdown in the final minute of the first half, while Natalia Zitelli and Tayli Paeu-Lindgren also found the end zone in St. Francis' 20-6 win over Whitney in the varsity opener of a Sierra Foothill League girls' flag football doubleheader Tuesday night.
The Troubadours snapped a four-game losing skid to improve to 5-14 for the year and 4-9 in SFL play. The Wildcats slip to 11-9 for the year and 6-7 in league games.
Zitelli put St. Francis on the board with a 19-yard run on her team's first possession for a 6-0 start. Zauner pounced on a fourth-and-16 attempt with 0:53 left in the half, sprinted down the sidelines in front of the Wildcat bench, eluded a deflagging at the 40-yard line, then ran untouched the rest of the way for her second interception of the game and team-best 10th of the season. Paeu-Lindgren then added a two-point conversion when she elevated above Whitney's Kayla Mougeotte for what was essentially a one-handed grab, then sauntered across the goal line untouched.
After the 14-0 halftime lead, Paeu-Lindgren tacked on SF's third score with 15:32 to go in the second half, leaping up to snare a Lola Fox toss to the corner of the end zone.
Zauner's first interception came on Whitney's first series after the Zitelli touchdown, although the pick pinned SF so deep in its own territory that the offense went three-and-out. The Wildcats responded with a second red-zone opportunity, only to stall out on three straight pass breakups: two by Alexa Randall in the secondary, then another when Alina Uriarte swatted Lulu Im's fourth-and-goal attempt.
The pick six came on Whitney's next fourth-down conversion attempt. Gabriella Kamin had sacked Gianna De Santis for a three-yard loss, then hurried the Wildcat freshman for an incomplete pass to set up the fourth-and-long situation.
Whitney got on the board in the wake of an interception early in the second. DeSantis grabbed the tipped ball after Troubie Nevaeh Gavino and Wildcat Grace Berg went up for a pass at midfield. Senior Madi Allen finished a five-play drive with her receiving TD. Whitney dropped the one-point conversion but still cut the lead to one possession at 14-6.
This led to Paeu-Lindgren's touchdown on the ensuing SF series. Zitelli put the Troubies within striking range with her catch to the Whitney 10, then Fox connected with her towering receiver for the insurance score.
The two teams exchanged big defensive plays down the stretch to hold the score at 20-6 the rest of the way. Kamin blocked an Im pass on a third-and-15 to force Whitney to punt. Julia Ralls intercepted the very next pass and returned to ball to within the no-run zone at the goal line. However, that short first-and-goal came to an abrupt end. After Abbey Pavelchik stopped Mougeotte for a loss, Colleen Medina posted a key interception in the end zone for a touchback.
St. Francis caught a break on its next series when two penalties – one against Whitney and one for – afforded new quarterback Taylor Mitchell a chance to keep for a first down. Then facing a fourth-and-3 at the Wildcat 23, Mitchell and Taylor ran a gadget play that resulted in Paeu-Lindgren's grab at the 6-yard-line. Still, De Santis thwarted the Troubies' drive with an interception at her own 2-yard-line.
Whitney's secondary came through on one final SF red-zone chance in the final 23 seconds of the game. Ralls broke up a pass against Paeu-Lindgren, Mougeotte did similar on a pass to Jade Abalateo, then senior Natalia Takeuchi picked off the final attempt with no time remaining.
Zauner also pulled three Whitney flags to go with her pass defense. Randall and senior Zia Smith combined for nine deflaggings. Medina added a sack to her interception, while Lucia Vicio had a PBU to help the Troubies force Whitney to turn over on downs prior to the two-minute warning in the second.
Tuesday's doubleheader had an unusual format in that varsity went first, to ensure enough daylight on St. Francis' unlighted field. The Troubie junior varsity followed with a 21-12 heartbreaker to the Wildcats, watching a 6-0 halftime lead and a strong defensive effort flip into a two-possession loss.
The SF jayvees got on the board immediately thanks to Elizabeth McNearney's interception on the opening series. This set the stage for Jocelyn Villaflor's TD strike to Isabela Brenes on the Troubies' first offensive play. That 6-0 lead held up into halftime, with PBUs by Cassandra Salvucci, Charlie Blair, Keanna Daneshvar and Talia Luhrsen frustrating the Whitney passing game. Blair then grabbed an interception with 45 seconds left before the break.
Unfortunately for St. Francis, Whitney exploded for two touchdowns within the span of minutes of the second half. Freshman Diya Singh hauled in a 10-yard reception at the 16:22 mark, then Lilly Molloy added a pick six with 14:28 to go. Emerson Connor broke up the one-point try on the first TD, but Mercy Anderson made it 14-6 with her successful two-point conversion on the second.
The Troubies got one of the scores back, thanks to Villaflor finding Madison Trafican in the corner with seven minutes remaining. SF went for two, but missed on an open Trafican in the same spot, instead coming up short on a pass to Mariko Palmieri. But Whitney answered when Sofia George avoided three deflaggings on the first play of the next series. George later punched in the touchdown on a pitch at the two-minute warning, with Charlotte Burdette supplying the one-pointer.
St. Francis managed one final red-zone opportunity, thanks to Palmieri's grab on a fourth-and-7 then a catch over the middle on the Whitney 13. A roughing the passer call later gave the Troubies first-and-goal from the Wildcat 9, but three straight passes failed to find their targets before time expired.
The Troubadours snapped a four-game losing skid to improve to 5-14 for the year and 4-9 in SFL play. The Wildcats slip to 11-9 for the year and 6-7 in league games.
Zitelli put St. Francis on the board with a 19-yard run on her team's first possession for a 6-0 start. Zauner pounced on a fourth-and-16 attempt with 0:53 left in the half, sprinted down the sidelines in front of the Wildcat bench, eluded a deflagging at the 40-yard line, then ran untouched the rest of the way for her second interception of the game and team-best 10th of the season. Paeu-Lindgren then added a two-point conversion when she elevated above Whitney's Kayla Mougeotte for what was essentially a one-handed grab, then sauntered across the goal line untouched.
After the 14-0 halftime lead, Paeu-Lindgren tacked on SF's third score with 15:32 to go in the second half, leaping up to snare a Lola Fox toss to the corner of the end zone.
Zauner's first interception came on Whitney's first series after the Zitelli touchdown, although the pick pinned SF so deep in its own territory that the offense went three-and-out. The Wildcats responded with a second red-zone opportunity, only to stall out on three straight pass breakups: two by Alexa Randall in the secondary, then another when Alina Uriarte swatted Lulu Im's fourth-and-goal attempt.
The pick six came on Whitney's next fourth-down conversion attempt. Gabriella Kamin had sacked Gianna De Santis for a three-yard loss, then hurried the Wildcat freshman for an incomplete pass to set up the fourth-and-long situation.
Whitney got on the board in the wake of an interception early in the second. DeSantis grabbed the tipped ball after Troubie Nevaeh Gavino and Wildcat Grace Berg went up for a pass at midfield. Senior Madi Allen finished a five-play drive with her receiving TD. Whitney dropped the one-point conversion but still cut the lead to one possession at 14-6.
This led to Paeu-Lindgren's touchdown on the ensuing SF series. Zitelli put the Troubies within striking range with her catch to the Whitney 10, then Fox connected with her towering receiver for the insurance score.
The two teams exchanged big defensive plays down the stretch to hold the score at 20-6 the rest of the way. Kamin blocked an Im pass on a third-and-15 to force Whitney to punt. Julia Ralls intercepted the very next pass and returned to ball to within the no-run zone at the goal line. However, that short first-and-goal came to an abrupt end. After Abbey Pavelchik stopped Mougeotte for a loss, Colleen Medina posted a key interception in the end zone for a touchback.
St. Francis caught a break on its next series when two penalties – one against Whitney and one for – afforded new quarterback Taylor Mitchell a chance to keep for a first down. Then facing a fourth-and-3 at the Wildcat 23, Mitchell and Taylor ran a gadget play that resulted in Paeu-Lindgren's grab at the 6-yard-line. Still, De Santis thwarted the Troubies' drive with an interception at her own 2-yard-line.
Whitney's secondary came through on one final SF red-zone chance in the final 23 seconds of the game. Ralls broke up a pass against Paeu-Lindgren, Mougeotte did similar on a pass to Jade Abalateo, then senior Natalia Takeuchi picked off the final attempt with no time remaining.
Zauner also pulled three Whitney flags to go with her pass defense. Randall and senior Zia Smith combined for nine deflaggings. Medina added a sack to her interception, while Lucia Vicio had a PBU to help the Troubies force Whitney to turn over on downs prior to the two-minute warning in the second.
Tuesday's doubleheader had an unusual format in that varsity went first, to ensure enough daylight on St. Francis' unlighted field. The Troubie junior varsity followed with a 21-12 heartbreaker to the Wildcats, watching a 6-0 halftime lead and a strong defensive effort flip into a two-possession loss.
The SF jayvees got on the board immediately thanks to Elizabeth McNearney's interception on the opening series. This set the stage for Jocelyn Villaflor's TD strike to Isabela Brenes on the Troubies' first offensive play. That 6-0 lead held up into halftime, with PBUs by Cassandra Salvucci, Charlie Blair, Keanna Daneshvar and Talia Luhrsen frustrating the Whitney passing game. Blair then grabbed an interception with 45 seconds left before the break.
Unfortunately for St. Francis, Whitney exploded for two touchdowns within the span of minutes of the second half. Freshman Diya Singh hauled in a 10-yard reception at the 16:22 mark, then Lilly Molloy added a pick six with 14:28 to go. Emerson Connor broke up the one-point try on the first TD, but Mercy Anderson made it 14-6 with her successful two-point conversion on the second.
The Troubies got one of the scores back, thanks to Villaflor finding Madison Trafican in the corner with seven minutes remaining. SF went for two, but missed on an open Trafican in the same spot, instead coming up short on a pass to Mariko Palmieri. But Whitney answered when Sofia George avoided three deflaggings on the first play of the next series. George later punched in the touchdown on a pitch at the two-minute warning, with Charlotte Burdette supplying the one-pointer.
St. Francis managed one final red-zone opportunity, thanks to Palmieri's grab on a fourth-and-7 then a catch over the middle on the Whitney 13. A roughing the passer call later gave the Troubies first-and-goal from the Wildcat 9, but three straight passes failed to find their targets before time expired.
The two Troubie teams will close out the regular season on Wednesday in another unusual doubleheader. Varsity will lead off with a 4 p.m. SFL game against Folsom, then follow with a Senior Day tribute to its 2025 graduates. JV will follow with a game against Del Campo for as long as daylight allows.
