Palm Desert regains the flag, but more importantly wins first game of year over La Quinta
A flag is a nice trophy for a win in a rivalry game, but for the Palm Desert Aztecs on Friday night, the real trophy was just getting a win.
"It's just a win. The flag is just icing on the cake," said Palm Desert senior linebacker and running back Dawson Johnson after Palm Desert posted a 30-14 victory over rival La Quinta at Palm Desert High School. "Coming in 0-5, you may think we are defeated, but this is the happiest we've ever been. Even before this, we came in with total confidence."
The victory turned what has been a difficult season for the Aztecs into a 1-0 record in the Desert Empire League and an initial victory for Palm Desert under first-year head coach Rudy Forti. La Quinta, hampered by injuries at key positions including running back, dropped to 3-3 by falling in the DEL opener for both teams.
"It's always a tight game," said La Quinta coach Juan Ruiz of the Flag Game. "It doesn't matter what the records are. We knew it was going to be a battle, especialliy since we are on running back four, five and six."
After a scoreless first quarter, the game started to turn toward Palm Desert with some surprise help in the backfield. Johnson, a star linebacker for the Aztecs, saw playing time in the backfield along with Zackery Gibbs. Dawson took a short pass from A.J. Riviera and raced 62 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter. After the first of five La Quinta turnovers with a fumble, Palm Desert's Ryland Risk added a 31-yard field goal. When La Quinta fumbled the ensuing kickoff, it led to a 29-yard Risk field goal and a 13-0 halftime lead.
A quick strike score on a 40-yard pass from Rivera to Nicholas Dangleis in the first minute of the third quarter increased the Palm Desert lead to 20-0. When Dawson hit the La Quinta quarterback on the next drive, causing a fumble that was picked up by Jackson Bishop and returned 30 yards for a touchdown, the game was all but over.
La Quinta battled with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter on runs by Sebastian Osorio and Sean Jones, but the hole was too big for the Blackhawks on the night.
For Forti, the personnel changes were just part of the plan, he said.
"We always thought about getting Dawson in (the offensive backfield)," Forti said. "But we didn't want to do it the first five games. We wanted to keep everyone healthy. Dawson Johnson and Zackery Gibbs, the other running back in there with him, they bring a presence we didn't have before. Leadership, senior leadership, someone the boys on the offensive line and the receivers are going to listen to and really do what they are supposed to do when they tell them to do it."
The moment
Leading 13-0 and getting the ball to open the second half, Palm Desert took just two plays to extend the lead. The score came on a lofted 40-yard pass to Dangleis from Rivera, and with La Quinta struggling on offense, the 20-0 lead for Palm Desert seemed insurmountable.
The stars
Rivera completed six passes on the night for 168 yards and scoring strikes of 62 and 40 yards. Johnson caught three of the passes for 85 yards. Risk's two first-half field goals were followed by a 38-yard kick in the second half, and three extra points gave him 12 points for the night. For La Quinta, Osorio ran hard and managed 111 yards on 17 carries including a 3-yard touchdown run followed by a 2-point conversion run early in the fourth quarter.
The chatter
"To be honest with you, I know the kids love the flag, the school loves the flag," Forti said. "But we had it (before losing it in 2022) the last six years and they hung it on that wall and to be honest no one ever really paid attention to it anyway. So I told the boys this is an important game, it's a league game, and if we should win, the flag is just icing on the cake.
Johnson said he's been working out in the backfield in practice, but Friday was the night to put the idea into action. Johnson added that fans can expect to see him in the backfield more in coming games.
The takeaway
After a difficult preseason schedule and taking some big losses, Palm Desert had hoped to be ready for the DEL season. At 1-0 in league, the Aztecs might suddenly have something to say about the DEL title and the CIF-SS playoffs. Palm Desert still needs wins in two of its last four games to have a legitimate chance at the playoffs. For La Quinta, injuries have damaged the team's chances, and getting a first DEL win this year may depend on who is healthy.
What's next
Palm Desert will travel to take on another 1-0 DEL team, Xavier Prep, in the Kings of Cook Street rivalry on Friday. La Quinta will be at home to take on Palm Springs.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Desert snaps five-game skid by beating La Quinta for first win of season
