ROCKLIN, Calif. – Emma Robinson and Ava Votaw scored on touchdown passes from quarterback Jocelyn Villaflor then freshman back Mariko Palmieri punched in an 11-yard run with just 1:15 remaining, lifting St. Francis to an 18-12 win over Whitney in the junior varsity opener of a Sierra Foothill League flag football doubleheader Thursday night.
The defense then forced the Wildcats to turn over on downs with 35 seconds left, helping preserve the Troubadours' second consectuve win. The SF jayvees are now 3-3 for the year and 2-0 in SFL play.
Following the JV, St. Francis varsity lost a 26-20 heartbreaker to its hosts. Senior Zia Smith scored a touchdown after the two-minute warning, but Whitney answered by converting a fourth-and-goal on the last play of the game. The Troubadours move to 2-6 for the year and even their league mark to 1-1.
The touchdown by Smith, normally a linebacker who has lined up on offense in recent games, completed a comeback from a 12-0 halftime deficit. Tayli Paeu-Lindgren and Natalie Zitelli each scored second-half touchdowns, while freshman Piper Bates scored a two-point conversion to pull SF to within a single possession of 20-14. Smith then evened the contest with 1:21 left.
The Wildcats marched their way to the Troubie red zone, then finally scored on a diving catch with just 3.9 seconds left.
Thursday's contest also represented the last for SF volunteer assistant coach Sophia Fahey. One of the defensive standouts on last year's inaugural Troubie team, the 2024 graduate returned to her alma mater to help head coach Quincy Cooper during the preseason and the first weeks of the season before starting her first year at Oregon State. In appreciation for her efforts, the team surprised her with a Gatorade full of water after the game.
Both programs return to action in a three-game homestand, starting with a Tuesday SFL doubleheader against Oak Ridge. Game times are 4 p.m. for JV, 5 p.m. from varsity from the St. Francis grass field.
