5-0

4-1

3-2

2-3

1-4

0-5

4-0

3-1

2-2

1-3

0-4

For a championship game, the conditions were less than ideal for the Palmdale Falcons.  When a high school football team wins 12 straight games and marches their way into a CIF title game, a sloppy turf and a hostile crowd at the opposition’s home field are not usually part of the deal.  Throw in a relentless St Paul ground game, and it was too much for the Golden League champs to overcome, as they fell hard to the Swordsmen 42-14.

 

The vocal and sometimes hostile St Paul faithful were out en masse for this one, so it was definitely a playoff atmosphere for one team. What the Falcons could have used in such an atmosphere was a quick start. But it was the Swordsmen who got out of the gate quick, thanks to a handful of big Falcon errors.

 

Palmdale handed St Paul two first downs via penalty on the opening drive of the game – one of them as the Swordsmen lined up to punt.  That led to a beautiful 30-yard cut back run by big Aubrey Haynes to put the hosts up 6-0.  After Palmdale followed that with a 3-and-out, St Paul marched 81 yards, with Luis Garcia scoring from the 3-yard line for the 12-0 lead.

 

The Falcons finally got the ball back for their 2^nd possession at the start of the 2^nd quarter, but they fumbled it back to St Paul on their 1^st play from scrimmage.  After St Paul missed a field goal, Palmdale took over at their own 20, and drove to the Swordsmen 36-yard line before turning it over on downs.  Three plays later, Haynes had his biggest run of the night, a 59-yard dash around, through, and over several Falcon defenders to make it 19-0.

 

Their title hopes ticking away with each St Paul possession, the Falcons finally responded.  Brandon Mims had a nice return, and after a personal foul was tacked on, the Falcons had the ball at the St Paul 31-yard line.  On 2^nd down, Mims found Tony Castillo free up the right side, and Palmdale, now down 19-6, appeared poised to jump back in the game, knowing they would get the ball first in the 2^nd half.

 

That optimism took a blow when, with 33 seconds left in the half, the Falcons failed on an attempted onside kick, and St Paul was able to connect on a 40-yard field goal as time expired, giving them a 22-6 lead.

 

Any hope of a Palmdale comeback all but disappeared on their 2^nd possession of the 2^nd half.  Working from deep in their own end, the Falcons completed a swing pass into the right flat that led to a fumble, setting up the Swordsmen at the Palmdale 10-yard line. Haynes punched it in for his third score, widening the lead to 29-6.

 

Haynes added yet another score, this one a 13-yard run early in the 4^th quarter to make it 36-6.  Palmdale put together a 63-yard drive, with Marquell Jefferson doing the honors from 1 yard out.  Malcolm Culver’s two point conversion made it 36-14.  St Paul picked off a Mims pass late and turned that into their final touchdown of the night.