Palm Desert Stumbles in 14-7 Loss to Palm Springs

The Palm Desert High offense couldn’t get on track in a penalty-plagued season opening 14-7 loss to cross-valley rivals Palm Springs. 

“We shot ourselves in the foot,” Aztec head coach Pat Blackburn said following the non-league game.  “We really beat ourselves.  I don’t know how many penalties they had, but we had a (way) lot more.”   

Palm Desert was penalized 10 times for 90 yards, while the visiting Indians were flagged 8 times for 42 yards.

Penalties played a key role in thwarting Palm Desert scoring opportunities.

A fourth quarter 25-yard scoring run by Tim Santa Maria was wiped off the board for a block in the back. With just over 2 minutes left, and the ball at the Palm Springs one-yard line, another offensive penalty pushed the Aztecs backwards. Palm Desert failed to score on either drive.

Aztec senior running back Santa Maria performed well, racking up 150 yards on 18 carries.  

Junior QB Joey Castelli got his feet wet behind the offensive line, completing 9 of 20 passes for 84 yards, with one TD and one interception. 

After a scoreless and defense dominated first half, both teams offense found a spark in he third quarter. 

Palm Springs first drive of the second half ended with a 7-yard scoring run from three sport star Nick King to put the Indians on the board.    Palm Desert countered with a drive of their own, capped by a 24-yard TD catch by Brad Knapp. 

Palm Springs would score again in the final minute of the third quarter as QB Dane Tiedeman found King again from 10 yards out to cap the
scoring. 

The Aztecs rallied for two good offensive drives in the final quarter, one ending on a questionable late fumble by Santa Maria at the
Palm Springs 25 yard line; the other as Castelli over threw Bo Miller in the end zone on a fourth down play with 2:36 remaining. 

The Aztecs will have a chance at revenge in a Desert Valley League game in Palm Springs on October 28th.

Palm Desert (0-1) takes to the road next week to face Apple Valley.