the Shadow Hills football Knights ran the gamut of emotions much like they ran the football Friday night — all over the stadium
Up 23-0 after just 11 minutes of their first round
CIF East Valley Division playoff matchup with visiting Brethren Christian (Huntington Beach)
staff and home crowd watched in horror as Brethren rode quarterback Jack McInally to 24 unanswered points and a 24-23 Warriors lead with just six minutes remaining
PHOTOS:Shadow Hills football wins first playoff game
Shadow Hills rediscovered the prowess of their opening quarter salvo and claimed a 31-24 victory
compliments of Isaiah Ortega-Dage’s third score of the night
“I think everybody in the stadium felt it,” Knights’ head coach Ron Shipley said of the dramatic momentum shift
I don’t know if we got a little confident in ourselves and started making mistakes
Some silly fouls and turnovers and all of a sudden: Bam
And as soon as you give a team some life they’re going to fight a little harder.”
turnovers and overconfidence fade with time
What remains for Shadow Hills is the realization of new history for the school
Friday’s victory marked the first-ever football playoff win for Knights
“We’ve come a long way and we’ve got some senior leadership,” said Shipley
You have guys that understand how to be leaders
And now we’ve got seniors that have been in the program and they’re understanding how to set the tone and it’s trickling down to our younger players.”
Though a suspect Knights’ defense yielded 325 aerial yards to McInally
the Shadow Hills run game was equally effective
Led by a game-high 173 grounds yards from sophomore Tony Williams (121 of which came in the second half)
the Knights accrued a team total 419 rushing yards on the night
run that hard and help seal the game for us it’s nice to see,” Shipley said of Williams
Shadow Hills (7-4) has now won four of their past five games and takes their postseason run to the CIF quarterfinals
where they’ll travel to play top-seeded Jurupa Hills (Fontana) next Friday night
So like that just plays into us beating the teams like
it's not that hard," said sophomore point guard Analiah Cardona.
The Lady Knights have swept their way through the first half of the Desert Empire League season
They're 5-0 with an average margin of victory of 50 points (that is NOT a typo)
We show like how much we actually love the game and how much we want to evolve as a team with each other and the game
everybody connecting in that matter as well," said sophomore star Skylah Archer
Shadow is well on their way to another league title
It'll be the 4th straight under head coach Timothy Britton who put it bluntly when asked about the ultimate goal for his team
That doesn't change," said Lady Knights head coach Tim Britton
It remains to be seen whether the Lady Knights can bring home a CIF championship this year but this program isn't going anywhere for a while
so we're happy to have that," said Britton
but we just have so much that we're learning still and that we're
developing as a whole team and individually
And I feel like we've got a good team for years to come," said Archer
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set the NBA record with three 50-point wins in one season
Now get a load of the Shadow Hills girls' basketball team
The Knights went 10-0 in the Desert Empire League with an average win of 51 points
That's how dominant and complete this year's Shadow Hills squad is
They outscored league opponents 718-204 this year
they averaged 71.8 points in league games and yielded 20.4 points per game
their three best players are all sophomores
"This group has a lot of talent and they're not even at their ceiling yet," head coach Timothy Britton said
"But probably their biggest strength is the chemistry
A lot of these girls have been together since fifth
seventh grade and a lot of that synergy is spilling out onto the court right now."
The team is led by a trio of sophomores whose playing styles complement each other perfectly
can score and distribute and don't leave her open from the 3-point line
More: CIF playoff pairings CIF-SS playoffs: Matchups and times for this week's basketball, soccer and water polo games
Skylah Archer is a smooth 6-foot player who gets her share of points in the paint
but she's more of a slashing forward type than a back-to-the-basket center
She can beat you in a lot of different ways
following in the footsteps of her talented sisters Carla and Victoria
Her biggest contibution is routinely defending the opponent's best player
like we don't leave each other's side," said Cardona of her fellow sophomore running mates specifically and the full team in general
and that's what makes it exciting for us to play together
We all work hard together behind the scenes and that helps us be the team that we are
a sharp-shooting senior transfer from Xavier Prep
Junior Alexis Chicas is another guard playing major minutes doing all the little things on the court
Freshman Julianna Reyes provides positive minutes off the bench
the 23-5 Knights have not been challenged much in league play
so they've made a concerted effort to step out of the desert and face traditional powers in higher divisions to test their mettle against the elite competition they will likely face this week when the CIF-SS playoffs start
Shadow Hills opens the Division 2AA playoffs at home against South Torrance on Thursday
considered among the top 20 teams in Southern California and the Knights lost by one
we like to test ourselves four or five times spread out during the year and play up so that when we do get to the playoffs there are no surprises," Britton said
adding that the rest of SoCal is starting to learn the name Shadow Hills
"I don't want to say we're getting a lot of compliments
but the remarks that we're getting are like 'You've got a nice team there.' So we're trying to keep a level-head about that
Cardona said those games against tough competition as well as last year's playoff run into the third round gives her confidence that the team is well-prepared for the postseason
"I feel like we learned a lot from last year's playoff
which will help us to be better for this year's playoffs," she said
"And playing these tough teams is perfect practice for what we might see at CIF
We're not going to see a team that's better than some of the teams we've already seen."
Shad Powers is a columnist for The Desert Sun
Tuesday's clash of the undefeated DEL softball titans between La Quinta and Shadow Hills was the game everyone's been waiting for
and it only took one batter for the Blackhawks to set the tone
La Quinta's Victoria Guzman slapped a roller down the line and the Knights' third baseman hurried her throw and sailed it over the first baseman's head
As the ball rolled into the right field corner
Guzman sped around the bases for a run and a 1-0 lead
The Knights made a few nervy errors and La Quinta was there to capitalize every time
The end result was a 5-0 win for the Blackhawks who drew first blood in the first of three games between the league's elite teams
"It was a very exciting game and there was a lot leading up to it and I was so proud of my team and I think everyone showed all their capabilities," said La Quinta starting pitcher Abbygail Varela
"This is all we've been practicing for so it just feels great to come out with the win
It was nerve-wracking but kept reminding myself to take deep breaths and have faith in myself."
La Quinta not only avoided the mistakes that plagued Shadow Hills in this one but made a handful of highlight-reel defensive plays to keep the Knights off the board
Varela finished with 10 strikeouts and yielded four hits
and importantly did not walk a batter in the win
She made a pair of great defensive plays herself
snaring a line drive and turning it into a double play and later stabbing another comebacker for a big out
Her teammates came through with solid defense all night including two defensive gems in particular to stymie potential Knights' rallies
a double by Annabelle Alvarez and an error put runners on first and third with two outs and Shadow Hills trailing 3-0
Amariah Rodriguez hit a long fly ball down the line in right field tailing into foul ground when La Quinta's Analia Jacobo made a long
Then the play of the game was turned in by La Quinta shortstop Valeria Balbuena in the top of the sixth with the game still in doubt
The Knights got a leadoff single from Samantha Perez and Shadow Hills star Nevaeh Walls ripped a ball up the middle
snagged the ball and got up and beat Perez to second base for a huge out
Varela then struck out the next two batters to end the inning
La Quinta added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth thanks to two more Shadow Hills errors and a sharp RBI single by Yahaira Figueroa
Varela struck out two more in the seventh and that was it
"Something that our team has spoken about all year is 'Leave it all on the field
no regrets,' and it truly showed up tonight," said La Quinta coach Brianna Luna
"Those diving plays are an example of that
and they made those plays when it counted the most."
Balbuena and Jacobo were also key parts of La Quinta's offense
a stolen base and scored two of the team's five runs
Shadow Hills entered the game with a 14-2 record and 8-0 in league play
and La Quinta was 15-2-1 and 7-0 in the DEL
who were led offensively by Alvarez with a single and a double off of Varela
Pitcher Ava Valenzuela pitched well in the loss
striking out seven and only yielding five hits
The Blackhawks understand there is still work to do with two more games against the Knights
The two teams will meet again Friday at Shadow Hills and then conclude the season against each other on May 6 at La Quinta
"It was very important to win the first one
and I think it sort of like sets the mood for the rest of the games," Varela said
but we have a positive vibe going into them."
but she likes the make-up of this year's Blackhawks squad
but I think we're a pretty scrappy bunch," Luna said
and tonight I really loved our energy on the field and in the dugout
We were very hype and I thought that propelled us through every single inning."
Shadow Hills High School and Desert Ridge Academy in Indio were briefly placed on a lockout for just one minute on Tuesday afternoon due to a nearby high-risk traffic stop
after deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office "quickly assessed" the situation and found no threats to students or staff
public information officer for Desert Sands Unified School District
Classes had just ended for the day when the incident happened off-campus
A sheriff's office spokesperson said deputies were dispatched to the 79-000 block of State Highway 111 in La Quinta at 12:24 p.m
for a possible dispute between a male and a female
"The reporting party advised witnessing the incident about half an hour before calling 911 and believed the male was possibly armed
The male and the female then left the location together in a vehicle," Sgt
Deputies later located and detained them near Jefferson Street and Avenue 39 in Indio
Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley
Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com
Students and faculty at Shadow Hills High School (SSHS) in Indio were hoping to present the musical "In the Heights" as their spring production
And with the help of a $25,000 grant from Anderson Children's Foundation (ACF)
The show opens April 2 at the school's Performing Arts Center and runs through April 5 under the leadership of Shadow Hills faculty members Thomas McMahon
"We are so appreciative of this Anderson grant," McMahon says
"It's really helped us elevate the quality of our show."
two-story NYC street corner set and upgrading its sound system with a new digital sound board
"'In the Heights' will be our first musical where each cast member is fitted with their own microphone," McMahon says
Anderson Children's Foundation (ACF) provides grant funding to organizations and nonprofits that serve children in the Palm Springs area
107 diverse programs were selected and more than $2 million was awarded
"The arts are a consistent funding priority for ACF," says Brianna Uhlhorn
"We always seek programs that continue to expose children to artistic expression
We're thrilled to give Shadow Hills High School the opportunity to present a production that highlights community
"I'm incredibly proud of these students," says David Dunn
theater and acting empower students to communicate in meaningful ways that help them prepare for their post-Shadow Hills years."
"In the Heights" tells the story of New York City's changing Washington Heights barrio
where residents are torn from deciding which traditions to follow and which to leave behind
It was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and further developed by a team of Hispanic composers and playwrights
The complex show has more than 20 musical numbers
"The kids are learning 'In the Heights' in less than ten weeks," McMahon said
They're pushing themselves and bringing their own personalities into their characters."
Collaboration is key to putting on a production like this
It's so fun to watch it all come together."
SHHS senior Pedro Trujillo examines his preparation
which he characterizes as "thrilling and nerve-wracking and fun."
who longs to move downtown and become a fashion designer
"Many of the characters of 'In the Heights' are starting new chapters in their lives
While Vanessa is fighting for what she wants
"she also has a way of showing people she cares
The anticipation is building at Shadow Hills High School for opening night
Tickets can be purchased with cash at the SHHS Performing Arts Center box office one hour before showtime. Advance tickets are available on the GoFan app and at gofan.co
Learn more about the Anderson Children's Foundation at andersonchildrensfoundation.org
Sergio Garcia enjoys writing about the good people that do great things in our community. Contact him at sergio071364@aol.com
DESERT HOT SPRINGS – The winner gets to play another day
That was all that was at stake Friday night as Desert Hot Springs and De Anza League rival Shadow Hills met
the Knights rolled up over 300 yards of rushing and rode a third quarter scoring blitz to a 31-21 playoff-clinching victory
“The key was the attitude of our team,” Shadow Hills coach Ron Shipley said
“After last week I was a little concerned coming into this week with their confidence and with their drive
They came into this game excited and did what they had to do to win.”
Shadow Hills scored on its initial possession when junior quarterback Michael Suarez blew up the middle and around the right end for a 58-yard touchdown run
senior T Armstrong rolled out and connected with wide receiver Ethan Martinez for a 66-yard touchdown to tie the game
Playing without Suarez who injured his leg early in the game
Shadow Hills again turned the ball over on downs
Desert Hot Springs marched down the field and took a 13-7 halftime lead on a 6-yard run from running back Roman Camacho
physical offensive line and we kind of let them take over,” Shipley said of his second half adjustment
“We went into halftime saying ‘you know we started the game running the ball well
we got to get back to that’ and from there we just kind of wore them out.”
and on the first play he raced up the middle and down the sideline 63 yards for the lead at 14-13
“I was excited to play tonight,” Suarez said with a beaming smile
and we knew that they (Desert Hot Springs) were hungry for a win so we had to step up.”
The Eagles answered right back behind the legs of Armstrong
who scored on a 15-yard touchdown run to grab the lead back at 21-14 with the two point conversion
They moved down the field on the ground with an eight-play drive that was capped off with 7-yard run by junior Isaiah Ortega-Dage to tie the score at 21-21
forcing a punt and giving the ball back to their eager offense
And they wasted no time with a 58-yard touchodwn run on the first play by Ortega-Dage that gave Shadow Hills the lead for good
Desert Hot Springs coach Erik Perry was aware of the uphill battle his team was fighting all night
fresh bodies all over the place took a toll when we were playing nine guys both ways,” Perry said
Suarez finished with 151 yards rushing and two touchdowns
while running buddy Ortega-Dage ended the evening with 138 yards and two scores
who rushed for 90 yards and threw for 84 yards and accounted for two touchdowns
Shadow Hills improves to 6-4 overall and 3-2 in league and now prepares for the playoffs
The Knights made the playoffs last year for the first time
Some track meets are more important than others
and when Shadow Hills and La Quinta high schools meet
the stakes are typically a little more than just another track and field contest
While it's still just a head-to-head competition
and not a league matchup including the Desert Empire League's four other schools
Thursday's meet at La Quinta High served as a tune-up for two of the top track and field programs in the DEL
"We always look forward to these meets with La Quinta," Shadow Hills senior Julia Fernandez said
La Quinta dominated most of the track events
while Shadow Hills won most of the field events
La Quinta's cross country champions Luis-Fernando Martinez and Saveyra Guerrero each won the 3,200 and 1,600 meters
and Shadow Hills' Nate Williams won the boys' high jump and long jump
won both the boys' 100 (11.24) and 200 (22.78)
Hinchen said that they weren't his best times and that he didn't push himself too hard on Thursday
is to get to 10.7 in the 100 and 21.7 in the 200
"The whole reason I'm out here is to get faster for football," Hinchen said
I'm just working toward my goals and trying to improve my times by the end of the season."
Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network
the boys' varsity match is usually the grand finale with the girls' varsity match as the undercard
Shadow Hills and Palm Desert decided to switch that up and make the girls' matchup between two top-10 teams the showcase clash
a controversial moment that had the refs scrambling for the rulebook and it all came down to the final bout
6-ranked team in Division 1 39-36 in front of a large and loud crowd
We have a lot of respect for Palm Desert and there was a big crowd and we got to go last so it says a lot for girls' wrestling in the valley
This was a special night for us," said first-year Shadow Hills coach Patrick Marquez
it was decided by a few key bouts in which an athlete who wound up losing was able to hold strong enough to avoid getting pinned and preventing the opponent from getting the full six points
The Knights were able to do that a couple more times than the Aztecs
The final contest of the night was full of drama as Shadow Hills led 39-33 going into it
Had Palm Desert earned the pin (worth six points) in that match
it would have been a tie and the Aztecs would've won with the tiebreaker
It was Palm Desert's Mariah Nunez against Shadow Hills' Leilani Ioane
5-ranked wrestler at 235 pounds in the CIF-Southern Section and Ioane is the No
wrestled smart and never put herself in danger of being pinned
"We bumped her up and she had to face a really good wrestler in that one
and the effort she gave really helped us out," Marquez said of Ioane
"For her to go and give that kind of effort
The only reason the match came down to that climactic bout was because Shadow Hills was docked a point earlier in the match for a misconduct
A Knights wrestler competed having been bumped up two weight classes
which was brought to the referees attention by Palm Desert coaches as being improper
After a long delay that included referees sifting through the rulebook
which they had to do in the center of the mat where the only light was
and even calling the head CIF official on the phone
it was deemed that the Knights' wrestler had been inserted at an improper weight class
No points were taken off the scoreboard though as Palm Desert had won that match by pin
and the point almost became crucial because not only did it keep that final match of the night as a six-point disparity
it also would've been the reason the Aztecs would've won a hypothetical 39-39 tie because the first tiebreaker is "did either team have a misconduct in the match."
Marquez explained afterward that it was a mistake by him and it had to do with certain weight thresholds changing Jan
and with what my girl weighed in at I thought I could bump her to where she wrestled
It meant she was up two weight classes which you can't do
I made that same change and it wasn't a problem," Marquez said
After the long delay the action resumed with Shadow Hills leading 27-12 at that point
a pin by Naveena Enriquez at 140 and a pin at 145 by Isabella Perez launched Palm Desert into the lead at 30-27
The matchup at 155 proved to be another one of those crucial decisions
Palm Desert's Arianna Navarro won 5-0 to give Palm Desert three points and a 33-27 lead
but the ability of Shadow Hills' Giselle Romero to avoid the pin helped her team immensely
Shadow Hills' Alyssa Hernandez earned a quick pin in 20 seconds at 170 pounds to make it 33-33
Shadow Hills then got six points by forfeit at 190 and that set up the final bout with the Knights up 39-33
Palm Desert's Mia Navarro earned a pin at 100 pounds
Shadow Hills' Melanie Ahumada and Yocelyn Sandoval won by pin at 105 and 110 pounds
Palm Desert's Victoria Espinoza won by pin at 130 pounds
Shadow Hills' Lexi Sanchez won 10-1 at 125 pounds
This win by the Knights all but ensures them the Desert Empire League regular season title
The Aztecs are the top team in the Desert Empire League once again this year
Earning pins for the Aztecs on this night were Mark Ramirez (106)
Ayden O'Brien (157) and Kaiden Hogue (175)
Jacob Balladarez won his bout at 120 pounds 6-0
Shadow Hills won by pin in each of the three heaviest weight classes
Maximiliano Gutierrez (215) and Carlos Barreras (285)
INDIO – For much of the past three seasons
Shadow Hills might as well have been known as Little La Quinta
The Knights have always stood by the philosophy that when the running game isn’t working
Knights head coach Ron Shipley is a disciple of La Quinta’s power run system
having served as an assistant at the school for several years before becoming the athletic director and head coach at Shadow Hills
James Toland used the scheme to his advantage
carrying the ball 315 times en route to a sensational 2012 season
Shadow Hills used a running back by committee approach
trying to duplicate Toland’s production while taking the focus off one individual
relying so heavily on the run was not producing the results Shipley was looking for
What aerial assault Shadow Hills had wasn’t complementing the capable runners the Knights had in the backfield
“It was frustrating at times because we couldn’t click in the passing game,” quarterback Michael Suarez said
run’ and the passing game just didn’t work.”
moving to more of a no-huddle scheme that allows for quick
the Knight have since won three of their last four to put them in contention for the De Anza League title
Shadow Hills can take another huge step toward that goal with a win Saturday at Big Bear (1:30 p.m
though a loss would eliminate them from league title contention
A dramatic change was needed to get Shadow Hills to this point
Despite two wins in those first four games
the one-dimensional offense stalled out on occasion and turned the ball over a dozen times
not having an efficient passing attack made doing so an uphill battle
“When we would get down by a touchdown or two
we’d just put our heads down,” senior tight end/linebacker Hiram Rodriguez said
Shipley also made a change at the quarterback position — inserting Suarez — and began putting more of a focus on the passing attack during practice sessions
The Knights also worked on pass protection
and worked more intently on individual pass catching and route running drills
2-1 De Anza) will have to first find a way to stop the potent option running attack of the Bears
they now have confidence they can do it with their evolving offense
“We know that’s a part of our offense that we have to improve if we’re going to be successful,” Shipley said
Shadow Hills hasn’t been blowing teams out
but the Knights now have a tighter grip on what they’re doing offensively and have been much more efficient when they have the ball largely due to the emergence of the passing game
the Knights have only turned the ball over four times
The touchdown-to-interception ratio has gone from 1-to-5 in the first three games to 8-to-1 in the last three
which has helped Suarez in gaining confidence from his coaches and teammates
“He’s done a lot of our offense,” sophomore lineman Isaac Gutierrez said of Suarez
and get the ball into our receivers hands and put them in position to score
Alex Lopez has transitioned from quarterback to running back
where his skill set makes him a threat to break runs for big yardage nearly anytime he touches the ball
Isaiah Ortega-Dage has moved from running back to receiver and become a featured target for Suarez with his 15 receptions for 308 yards and five touchdowns
In the no-huddle offense for five possessions last week against Desert Mirage
Each week the results seem to get better and better
During Shipley’s entire time at Shadow Hills
he has let the run dictate his team’s success
Yet now with the way things are currently progressing
it may be left to the newly rebuilt passing attack to guide the Knights to their first-ever De Anza League title
“It’s all coming together now,” Gutierrez said
INDIO – After Thursdays night’s De Anza League volleyball match
the Shadow Hills High School team was hoping to go dressed for Halloween as league champions
What the Knights got instead was the biggest scare of the season
VIDEO:Shadow Hills girls discuss DeAnza League volleyball win
Desert Mirage came onto the Knights’ turf and pulled out a few tricks to set the tone for a five-game slugfest
Shadow Hills earned the treats and paraded off as De Anza League winners for the second year in a row
“We really had a roller coaster tonight,” said Mesa
who would finish with a team-leading 14 kills to go with five aces
“We just lost our communication on some of the points and at the end we were able to come together.”
The victory gives the Knights a 9-0 mark in league play with one game remaining (against Yucca Valley)
“It feels great to be able to win this again,” said Mesa
and we really needed to finish what they started last year.”
Desert Mirage may have played its best game of the season
but have played well in tournaments to post a 15-9 overall record
They pulled out all the tricks against the Knights with a strong performance from Amaris Villasenor (15 kills)
Gracy Hernandez (20 kills) and key points from sophomore Marisol Ruiz along the way
the Rams climbed back to take the 8-7 lead
Desert Mirage chipped away and led by as many as five points before Shadow Hills closed the gap at the end
six aces) and Villasenor held off the comeback
Thalia Cantu served well and the Knights got some key hits from Castillo and Robertson (11 kills) to surge ahead
“We just needed to keep working as team,” said Castillo
who was solid at the net with five solo blocks and three kills
keep talking and that would get us closer.”
back and forth throughout with no more than a three-point swing either way
it went down to the wire and forced a fifth game
A couple of tips from Ruiz and extra effort at the net from Villasenor got the Rams back in it
The two squads battled through three deadlocks and numerous sideouts before Mesa closed it out with an ace
Knights’ coach Melissa Walker was elated by the finish and never knew what to expect out of this young group that continues to gain momentum
“I lost a lot of starters and came in with a brand new group,” she said
This is the first time we’ve gone five (games)
They started it and these girls had to make sure they continue it.”
Desert Mirage coach Errin Robinson was just as pleased with his team’s effort
“This team grinded it out and showed heart by pushing a premier team like Shadow Hills to five sets,” Robinson said
The Rams finish De Anza play with one game remaining against Big Bear
In the finish to the Desert Empire League girls’ soccer season
both Shadow Hills High School and La Quinta High had a chance to claim a share of the league title on Wednesday
But both missed out when they finished 100 minutes of action without a goal
The scoreless tie in overtime means that the Knights and Blackhawks will tie for second place in the DEL
The league title is the first for the Saints in girls’ soccer
Xavier Prep was unable to top Palm Desert on Wednesday
instead settling for a 2-2 tie in overtime
The tie left the door open for Shadow Hills and La Quinta to claim a share of the DEL title with a win
but neither could find that goal that would've given part of a league championship
Shadow Hills and La Quinta will be the top three seeds in the league when the CIF Southern Section playoff pairings are announced Saturday
“We wanted this win bad,” Knights goalie Taylor Boyles said
but we didn’t allow a goal and we didn’t let La Quinta finish in front of us.”
La Quinta (5-1-4) finished ahead of Shadow Hills (6-2-2) a year ago
Xavier Prep (6-1-3 DEL) navigated the regular season with poise
The Saints tied Palm Desert twice and lost only to Shadow Hills
while allowing just five goals in 10 league games
“Winning a league title would mean a lot to our program,” Saints head coach Ben Harris said on Jan
Not knowing that the Saints and Aztecs had tied in their game in Palm Desert
Shadow Hills and La Quinta changed possession
La Quinta nearly ended the game in overtime when the ball bounced high and nearly over Boyles’ outstretched left hand and into the net
But Boyles made that save and several others to maintain a clean sheet
“We’re playing well and are excited for whoever we play next.”
Shadow Hills and La Quinta have each been very good teams
The Knights and Blackhawks each allowed eight goals in 10 league games
Shadow Hills has four shutouts and La Quinta has five in those league games
with La Quinta scoring 55 goals in 18 games
Shadow Hills scoring 44 in 17 games and Xavier Prep scoring 28 in 18 games
A journal entry threatening to kill 15 students and 2 staff members was found at Shadow Hills Elementary about a month ago
Alpine Union School District says it was written last year by two ten-year-old girls at the school
“I'm absolutely terrified," said Joe Colston
"My daughter is now begging me not to go to school
Colston says he only recently learned of these threats through social media
they’ve failed us as parents and they're failing these kids,” Colston said
10News was able to obtain a letter sent out to parents from the principal of the school
It states that officers searched the two girls’ homes and determined the threats were not credible
The principal wrote in part: “Any type of threat
whether intended as a joke or made in any other context
Superintendent Rich Newman says the girls were suspended
He says staff also checks the girls’ backpacks every day
“I think expulsion is necessary," said Marty Bowman
whose daughter is enrolled in the district
"These kids need to see you just can’t do this stuff.”
Parents in the district say it’s not enough to ensure the safety of their kids
Bowman is worried his daughter could be a future target
“You're going to make these kinds of mistakes as a child
Colston decided to pull his daughter out of classes
He says she’ll finish her education through independent study
ALPINE, Calif. (KGTV) — Shadow Hills Elementary School was placed on lockdown Wednesday morning after a student found a bullet inside a classroom
according to the Alpine Union School District
the school district said the bullet was discovered in a fifth-grade classroom
The student who found it immediately brought it to their teacher
The San Diego County Sheriff's Office says a call from the school came in at 9:50 a.m.
deputies were on scene conducting a safety walk-through of the building
The Creekside Early Learning Center and Mountain View Learning Academy were both placed on lockdown as well
By 11:30 a.m., the lockdown was lifted, and the school day resumed as normal, according to an AUSD Facebook post
the district said the bullet had been brought to school by a student
"The student explained that during a recent camping trip
they came across the bullet and decided to keep it to show their family," the post said
"The bullet was kept in the student's pocket and was brought to school
all students' backpacks were searched "to ensure the safety and well-being of our entire school community," AUSD said
The sheriff's office will follow up with the family of the student who brought the bullet on campus
The district said the student's behavior was unacceptable and they'll face "serious consequences."
the district had asked them not to come to school
as doing so could disrupt the ongoing investigation and safety protocols
"We understand that this news may cause concern
but please be assured that we are taking every necessary measure to prioritize the safety and well-being of our school community," the district said
"We will keep you updated as the situation develops."
ABC 10News has sent a reporter to the area to gather the latest information
Xavier Prep won its first league title in girls' soccer this season
but that didn't give the Saints a more favorable first-round matchup in the CIF Southern Section playoffs
The full bracket for girls' and boys' soccer was announced Saturday
and the Saints find themselves in the same division as Shadow Hills and La Quinta
which finished narrowly behind Xavier Prep in the Desert Empire League
Turns out we could see those teams play each other again if two of the three make a run
Shadow Hills will play a first-round game at home
while Xavier Prep and La Quinta will start on the road
La Quinta and Xavier Prep could meet in the semifinals
but one of them would have to reach the final
for Shadow Hills to match up with either the Blackhawks or the Saints
Coachella Valley will host Temescal Canyon in Division 4
Indio will host San Gorgonio in Division 6
Desert Hot Springs will play at Rancho Christian in Temecula in Division 7
and Cathedral City will host Silver Valley in Division 8
All girls' games are scheduled for Wednesday
The headliner in the boys' brackets is Shadow Hills
The Knights will start on the road at Santa Margarita in Orange County
Shadow Hills has either tied or won 14 of its last 15 games
Rancho Mirage will host Beaumont in Division 3
La Quinta and Coachella Valley will hit the road in Division 4 against Indian Springs and Oak Park
and Desert Mirage will host Apple Valley in Division 5
All boys' soccer games are scheduled for Thursday
Check out the full playoff schedule for boys' and girls' soccer, boys' and girls' basketball, and water polo here
D7: Desert Hot Springs at Rancho Christian
Andrew John covers sports at The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network
Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com and find him on Bluesky @andrewjohn1.bsky.social
The Shadow Hills boys' soccer team reigned supreme in the Desert Empire League this year
and they were rewarded with multiple postseason honorees
The league's coaches convened and selected the 2025 All-DEL boys' soccer team
The league's offensive MVP was Shadow Hills senior Alejandro Cervantes
Cervantes was the offensive leader for a Knights team that went 8-1-1 to capture the league title
He led the Knights with 14 goals and added eight assists on the season
The league's coaches had a tougher time deciding on the DEL's best defensive player
They ended up with a three-way tie between Marco Sanchez of Rancho Mirage
Sergio Gomez of Shadow Hills and Zachary Chamberlain of La Quinta
All three contributed to the defensive effort on their respective teams
Rancho Mirage sophomore Derek Calixto was named the league's top goaltender
Shadow Hills coach Luis Gastelum earned Coach of the Year honors
Here is the full All-Desert Empire League team
Week 10 of the high school football season featured some big division matchups
Watch the Best Local Sports Show with Blake Arthur and Kenji Ito tonight at 11:00 p.m
(This story has been updates because a video was added)
On a scramble that looked like Pedro Trujillo was going to run
the Shadow Hills quarterback saw another possibility
I see Reef (Avergonzado) streaking along the backside," Trujillo said
"The linebackers had come down and the safety was on someone else
The result of the chaotic play and Trujillo's read of the La Quinta defense was a shotput 10-yard touchdown pass to Avergonzado that turned out to be the game-winning score in overtime in a critical 30-29 Desert Empire League win for Shadow Hills
More: Palm Desert football survives a late surge by Shadow Hills
The Knights took the lead 30-23 on the first possession of overtime on the Trujillo pass
but La Quinta fired back on its possession with a three-play drive
But rather than attempt a tying extra-point kick
La Quinta head coach Juan Ruiz gambled and decided to go for two points and the win
the Shadow Hills defense stopped Ruberg short of the goal line to spark a wild celebration
The home win kept Shadow Hills' hopes of a CIF-Southern Section playoff berth alive
with the Knights now 2-2 in the DEL and 6-3 overall
The loss was the first in four games for La Quinta in the DEL
with the Blackhawks falling to 7-2 overall
The overtime at 23-23 came after Shadow Hills rallied not once but twice in the second half to tie the game
Down 20-6 midway through the third quarter
Shadow Hills produced a long drive capped by an 11-yard scoring pass from Trujillo to Anthony Garcia
A short punt set up another Shadow Hills drive that stalled at the La Quinta 22
quickly shifted into a shotgun formation and Trujillo tossed a 22-yard touchdown to Noah Fajardo to tie the game at 20-20
La Quinta again took the lead on a 39-yard field goal by Roman Ansley midway through the fourth period
but Shadow Hills matched the three points on a 22-yard kick by Alexander Cervantes with 3:05 remaining
Cervantes also had a 44-yard attempt on the final play of regulation which came up short
Then came the overtime and a victory for Shadow Hills that head coach David Palmer thought his team could pull off even before the opening kickoff
"I know the (defensive) front that kind of works
Shadow Hills was burned for a 34-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter
and Shadow Hills struggled offensively to trail 14-6 at the half and 20-6 after a 24-yard pass from Ansley to Caleb Hartwell
"La Quinta is a beast," Palmer said. "Their 99 (defensive lineman Daniel Gabriel) is a monster. They can start with three rushers and they send four a lot. But we needed to get little wins to get the kids' confidence up. And those little wins caught up and they started being themselves and they started moving the ball."
Shadow Hills appeared to be kicking a field goal from the La Quinta 22
the Knights took holder Trujillo and shifted him back into a shotgun formation
He took the snap and lobbed a pass down the left sideline for Fajardo
who hauled in the football and easily scored the tying touchdown
The score gave Shadow Hills life in the game
Trujillo finished the night with three touchdown passes despite being hounded by a La Quinta defense that sacked him five times
with Brandon Peffers grabbing seven passes for 53 yards
Francisco Franco scored the first touchdown for Shadow Hills on a 13-yard interception return
and later made a key interception in the fourth quarter
Ruberg was the workhorse with 33 carries for 197 yards and two touchdowns
Ansley threw two touchdowns and kicked a go-ahead field goal in the fourth period
Payton Reynolds caught one of the touchdowns and had five catches for 81 yards
The chatter"This win represents a change in our culture," Trujillo said
we can take down the best teams in the valley
With a playoff berth likely out of the question if Shadow Hills had lost
the Knights put together their best effort of the year against a tough opponent
but the defense kept the Knights in the game
and things started to click in the passing game in the second half
Shadow Hills might now be a win away in the final week of the season from a CIF-SS playoff berth
La Quinta may have been stunned by the loss
and the team certainly hurt itself with small mistakes
including at least four defensive offside penalties
the Blackhawks can still grab at least a share of the DEL championship with a final-week win
but that will be in a traditional rivalry game against Palm Desert
Shadow Hills will be on the road next Friday to face Xavier Prep. La Quinta will be at home against Palm Desert with the DEL title on the line
the coaches and players at Shadow Hills High School knew there was a chance their football season was over
Shadow Hills in not only in the playoffs but headed to the second round of the Division 10 bracket
the Knights scored an impressive 27-14 victory over El Segundo in CIF-SS Division 10
leaving Shadow Hills one of the few desert teams still alive in the playoffs
there was any given time when we could have won every single game," Shadow Hills head coach David Palmer said after his team improved to 7-4
We can do this and do something that we haven't done at this school."
the Knights still drew a home game against El Segundo (6-5)
In what looked like a game of evenly matched teams
El Segundo took a 7-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and held it until the final minute of the half
That's when Shadow Hills quarterback Pedro Trujillo fired an 8-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Garcia for a 13-7 halftime lead
El Segundo didn't score again until the final minute of the game
highlighting a stellar defensive effort by Shadow Hills
This year we were lacking," Palmer said of a defense that was missing several key players
"We don't have the players we normally have
Shadow Hills moved the ball through the air and found just enough yards on the ground to maintain the lead
who scored the Knights' first touchdown on a one-yard run in the first quarter
added another 1-yard score at the end of the third quarter for a 20-7 lead
The Knights' final touchdown came on a 56-yard throw from Trujillo to Reef Avergonzado
bounced off a defender and outraced the rest of the defense for the score
We pulled through as a team," Avergonzado said
You just work hard and you get what you want."
Palmer had to admit after the playoff win that the Knights have perhaps surpassed his expectations for the season
"I knew they can do whatever they want when they want to
They proved against La Quinta they can do it anytime they want to
Trailing 7-6 and struggling to move the ball early
the Knights put together a 69-yard drive in nine plays
including catches of 23 and 24 yards by Avergonzado
Trujillo found Garcia at the front pylon for the score with just 23 seconds left in the half
The Knights were in control of the game after that
The starsTrujillo completed 18 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns
Avergonzado caught five of the passes for 142 yards and the later touchdown
while Garcia had five catches for 39 yards and a touchdown
Diaz' two scores were the highlights of a night that saw Shadow Hills gain just 50 yards on the ground
"The offense turned around and figured a way to move the ball," Palmer said of his team's struggles on the ground and difficulty moving the ball in the first half
and then we made our mistakes and then we came back and were stopping them."
many of those coming on a 79-yard drive for their first score and then a 72-yard drive for their final score in the closing minutes of the game
Despite mistakes like defensive offsides and procedure penalties at the wrong time
Shadow Hills controlled this game with a defense that put pressure on El Segundo quarterback Ryan Wiacek
forcing him to scramble much of the night to either throw the ball out of bounds or find receivers on short routes
The Knights also recorded four sacks and an interception by Francisco Franco
Trujillo led an aerial attack that was needed as El Segundo figured out how to shut down the Knights' running game
and the Knights have confidence heading into what should be tougher competition in the coming game
Anthony (Long Beach) in the CIF-SS Division 10 quarterfinal on Friday night
The Shadow Hills Knights season has come to an end after falling to St. Anthony 20-13 in the second round of the playoffs. Emotions were flowing after the loss as I got to catch up with the team. @KESQ @BlakeArthur24 @SHKnightsFB pic.twitter.com/o3ruqdO4m6
The Knights were the only local team to advance out of the first round after defeating El Segundo 27-14. Our local teams went 1-7 in the opening round of the playoffs
The Purple and Black went 7-3 in the regular season
the Knights received an at-large berth into the playoffs
With the Knights' loss in the 2nd round of the playoffs
the season is over for all of our local high school football teams
Stay with KESQ News Channel 3 for continuing coverage of local high school sports
[This story has been updated to add new information.]
Shadow Hills High School blew a chance to automatically qualify for the CIF Southern Section playoffs by losing to Xavier Prep on Friday
But it turns out that loss could be a good thing for the Knights
The CIF-SS postseason pairings were released Sunday
the fourth-place team in the Desert Empire League
made it as an at-large team in Division 10
That sets the Knights up with a home game in the first round and what could be a manageable path to a deep playoff run
La Quinta High, which lost to Palm Desert in the Flag Game rivalry on Friday
finished third in the DEL but will also host a playoff game on Friday
Shadow Hills got a home game and Rancho Mirage and us are going on the road," Palm Desert head coach Rudy Forti said
"We won and it feels like we got punished."
Shadow Hills was the only at-large team in the Coachella Valley to earn one of the highly-coveted and very few at-large spots
The rest had to automatically qualify by finishing in the top three in the DEL or Manzanita League or the top two in the Desert Valley and Sun Valley leagues
Knights head coach David Palmer said that coaches and players weren't even confident that they would sneak into the playoffs after Friday's loss
we weren't after the Xavier game," Palmer said
Shadow Hills (6-4) will host El Segundo (6-4) in Division 10
All playoff games are scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m
Here's how the rest of the pairings shook out on Sunday:
Who got the best draw?I think Yucca Valley got a great draw
sticking in Division 12 and opening the postseason with a home playoff game
Wilson is 9-1 but it's the softest 9-1 in the CIF-SS
The Wildcats have not beaten anyone rated even close to as high as the Trojans
The one team they played that was rated about the same as Yucca Valley
was looking out for Yucca Valley with this draw
I'm not at all saying that there was anything shady going on
I'm just saying that this is a favorable draw for the Trojans
who hung with Coachella Valley (D9) for a half and only lost by three to Rancho Christian (D8)
"I like the bracket," Yucca Valley head coach Jeremy Johnson said
"and we are thrilled that we're playing at home."
Johnson added that his team is in the same division as Banning
Coachella Valley and Desert Christian Academy also won their leagues yet will start the postseason on the road
Because Coachella Valley is playing the second seed in Division 9
it appears that the Arabs nearly fell to Division 10 and were one of the last two teams in the Division 9 draw following decisive wins over rivals Yucca Valley and Indio
Coachella Valley must travel an hour away against a team that held its own against the likes of Rancho Verde (D6) and Norte Vista (D8)
Coachella Valley held its own against Rancho Mirage (D8)
and handily beat a Xavier Prep team that tied Rancho Christian (D8)
I think the winner of that Coachella Valley at Great Oak game has a chance to make a run in Division 9
Offense was on display Thursday night as Shadow Hills outscored Palm Springs in a see-saw Desert Empire League game
using a 14-0 fourth quarter to pull out a 45-35 victory
only to see Palm Springs rally and take a 21-17 lead at the half
Both teams scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter
giving the Indians a 35-31 lead heading into the fourth
That's when the Knights' defense held strong
shutting down the Indians while the offense scored two more touchdowns for the win
The victory for the Knights was an important one in the league race as both teams entered the game 0-1 in the DEL
we've got a lot of things working well right now," Shadow Hills coach David Palmer said
"We've got a revamped offense this year and the kids love it
They're excited about the options and chances to make big plays."
running back JoJo Diaz and receiver Brandon Peffers all healthy and playing at the same time
the Knights can cause nightmares for the opposing defense
This offensive fireworks started with a big 60-yard touchdown pass from Trujillo to Peffers to give the Knights a 10-0 lead and that got everyone charged up for the rest of the night
JoJo Diaz added a 21-yard touchdown run later in the first half and they were off and running
Anthony Garcia had a rushing touchdown and a touchdown reception in the second half
The game was still in question late as Palm Springs had an opportunity on a fourth quarter drive while they were trailing 38-35
but the Knights' defense came up with a big fourth-down stop to thwart the drive
were trying to run out the clock with one final first down
and Trujillo was able to break free for a clinching touchdown that made it a 10-point final spread
"I was very proud of our defense for coming through like that," Palmer said
"They were getting beat up most of the night
but they came together and put a stop to their ground game and played the way we know they can play
They just had to believe that they can do that themselves."
It might be considered a bit of a surprising win when you consider the common opponent of Yucaipa
The Indians played their best game of the year in a 32-14 victory over Yucaipa
That came one week after Yucaipa defeated Shadow Hills 41-17
But these aren't the Knights of a month ago
It should also be mentioned that the Indians did lose one of their key players
a huge factor on offense and defense for Palm Springs
with quarterback Bishop Miller V at the helm and running back Jordan Johnson on the ground
Miller hit Davelle Johnson for a 20-yard score and Jordan Johnson ran in a pair of short touchdowns
there's a night where everything is working against the offenses
That was the case at Desert Hot Springs on Friday as Shadow Hills paid a visit
The two teams frequently rely on their defense
and both teams were missing major contributors to their offense game plan
The result was a grinder that was still tied 0-0 with under four minutes left in the game
Shadow Hills linebacker Noah Fajardo scored on a 3-yard touchdown run with 3:38 to go in the game
On previous trips into the red zone in the game
Shadow Hills saw a sack or a penalty or a turnover thwart the drive
they decided to just play it safe with some good old bully ball
a stout linebacker who hadn't carried the ball the entire game
They gave it to him again and it was one of those plays where his initial run was stacked up
but then his linemen and teammates kept pushing the pile forward
All 11 Desert Hot Springs defenders were pushing back
and the mass of humanity moved toward the goal-line for an 8-yard run down to the 3-yard-line
Shadow Hills coach David Palmer didn't need any signals to send in the game-winning play
He simply shouted from the sideline "Do it again
Same play!" Quarterback Pedro Trujillo handed it to Fajardo and he bulldozed in for the 3-yard score
"That was pretty much it," Fajardo said of his three-run winning surge
"We just kept running it straight ahead and when I crossed the goal-line
'We're going to win this game.' That's what I was thinking."
An interception by Brandon Peffers with 1:31 left gave the ball back to Shadow Hills
which also played a whale of a game with three interceptions
got the ball back one last time for the Golden Eagles with just under a minute left
"We just had to stick together as a defense and as a team," said Fajardo
who did most of his hard work on the defensive end all night
The Golden Eagles played with a lot of heart against the bigger Knights
It was their first loss of the season as they dropped to 3-1
Both teams were without significant players
Shadow Hills' leading rusher Jojo Diaz suffered a minor foot injury in practice on Thursday and sat out the game
Desert Hot Springs was missing Ozyas Crawford
defensive back and senior leader on the team
He is also expected back soon but could not go Friday night
whose team is in the middle of a second consecutive successful year
(Shadow Hills) has a lot of talent over there
Shadow Hills RB/DB: Aside from scoring the game's only touchdown
Fajardo was a beast from the linebacker spot
making sure-handed tackles all night and coming up with a key fumble recovery in the second half
Shadow Hills DB/WR: Peffers had a crucial late interception and seemed to always be around the ball defensively
And he contributed offensively with five catches for 51 yards
Desert Hot Springs DE: Flenor and the Golden Eagles offense made life difficult for Shadow Hills' passing game
getting pressure on the quarterback and knocking down passes
Flenor had two batted balls and two crucial sacks
one which took the Knights out of field goal position
Shadow Hills RB/LB: Pressed into duty to carry the ball
he had a crucial 19 yards as part of the game-winning drive
and he came up big all night from his linebacker spot with tackles for losses
RB: Thornton played a valiant game trying to find yards any way he could against the Knights
He finished with 77 yards rushing and 79 yards receiving mostly off of screen passes or ad-lib plays by quarterback Jaylen Turner
it was hard to get a read on both teams with some of the missing players on both sides
but it wasn't a secret going in that both of these teams are led by their defense
Despite the score staying 0-0 most of the game
the Knights really shut down the Golden Eagles
The Knights offense on the other hand was able to move the ball
getting inside the Desert Hot Springs 25-yard-line four different times
but every time (except one) either DHS came up with a big play
or the Knights shot themselves in the foot
Finishing drives is what the Knights will need to work on moving forward as the opponents get even tougher
I came away impressed by the heart and fight of the Golden Eagles
I thought Shadow Hills would overwhelm Desert Hot Springs with their size and strength in the trenches
and while the Knights did have that advantage
the Golden Eagles kept coming up with the big play
Jaymere Broach and Adolfo Garcia all had interceptions
I liked the ad-lib ability of quarterback Jaylen Turner
He can make something out of nothing with the best of them
Shadow Hills (3-1) will finish its non-league slate Friday with a home game against Patriot (Jurupa Valley)
Desert Hot Springs (3-1) plays at Big Bear on Friday
The offense that eluded the Xavier Prep Saints for most of the year showed up in full force Friday night
and in the process the Saints prevented the Shadow Hills Knights from grabbing one of the Desert Empire League's three automatic playoff bids
Now Xavier Prep head coach James Dockery hopes there might be an outside chance for his team to make the playoffs
“The last few weeks we’ve been really working on our offense
so there was a little bit of an adjustment period,” Dockery said after a 41-37 victory over Shadow Hills
More: Shadow Hills rallies twice, defeats La Quinta in overtime in DEL thriller
The Saints scored 34 points in the second half to improve to 2-3 in league and 4-5-1 overall. Shadow Hills, coming off a big overtime victory against La Quinta last week, needed a win to secure a CIF-SS playoff berth
the Knights dropped to 2-3 in league and 6-4 overall and will wait to see if they make the playoffs with an at-large bid
Dockery said his team’s offensive explosion shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone watching the team recently
we had more than 300 yards in offense,” Dockery said
“We just couldn’t find a way to finish some drives.”
While the playoffs might be a stretch for Xavier Prep
Dockery said the team still had plenty to play for Friday
some of those key seniors that have taken our program to the next level
We wanted to make sure our seniors went out win a win,” Dockery said
“That was more important to us than the playoffs.”
Dockery said the team had plenty of big moments from big players Friday
including two touchdowns and about 150 total yards for TJ Bosley
a touchdown and a key interception for Tyler Daft and a big night for McDanel
so our seniors played really well,” Dockery said
The Saints will now wait for the outside chance of a playoff berth knowing the team is playing its best football at the end of the season
we can get into the playoffs and keep it rolling,” Dockery said
“But that was a tough win and we will take them how we get them.”
the Shadow Hills girls' wrestlers earned a CIF-SS title
this time capturing the Northern Division crown with the highest point total during last weekend's meet in Adelanto
The Knights saw eight different wrestlers advance to the Masters Meet including a pair of CIF-SS champions
as Melany Ahumada won the crown at 100 pounds and Alisa Murillo was the champion and lower-weight MVP of the meet in rolling to the title at 110 pounds
the Shadow Hills girls won the team title in the Eastern Division
The Palm Desert boys' wrestlers also performed well grabbing second place in the Division 1 meet overall behind only superpower St
John Bosco which remarkably won 13 of the 14 weight classes
Sebastian Rodriguez at 138 pounds and Addiel Orozco at 144 pounds who all made it to the championship match before settling for second place
the only other desert CIF-SS champion in the boys or girls competition
She took home a CIF-SS title by working her way to a first-place finish at 170 pounds at the Northern Division meet including a pin in one minute in the championship match
Some other accolades from the CIF-SS meets:
Palm Desert girls: The Aztecs finished seventh overall as a team at the Northern Division meet which included second-place finishes for Victoria Espinoza at 130 pounds and a third-place finish from Mariah Nunez at 235 pounds
Shadow Hills girls: Along with champions Ahumada and Murillo
the Knights got a second-place finish from Leilani Ioane at 190 pounds and third-place finishes from Isabel Navarro at 115 pounds
Lexi Sanchez at 120 pounds and a fourth-place finish from Yocelyn Sandoval at 105 pounds
For Sanchez it was a great comeback story after missing her entire junior year with a severe knee injury
La Quinta girls: The Blackhawks finished sixth overall
an effort which included fourth-place finishes from Rori Rapan at 110 pounds and Breanna Beltran at 140 pounds to go with Aimes' championship
Indio girls: Over in the Eastern Division meet
Indio's Clarissa Gamboa put on a show finishing second place at 235 pounds
the only desert wrestlers to finish in the top four at any weight class in that division
Palm Desert boys: Joining the quartet of second-place finishers
the Aztecs also got fine performances from Gary Johnson who finished third at 126 pounds
Ayden O'Brien who finished third at 157 pounds
Johnny Overgaag who was fourth at 132 pounds and Caiden Hogue who was fourth at 175 pounds
La Quinta boys: Josiah Tessandore continued his strong year with a second-place finish at 157 pounds
He was joined by Slade Hanes who finished third at 113 pounds
Coachella Valley boys: The Arabs had five wrestlers advance to the Masters and all of them had top-four finishes at the D-3 meet
Angel Lavalley led the way with a third-place finish at 138 pounds
Ivan Camargo (165) and Jose Ibarra (175) all finished in fourth place
Indio boys: Leland Hodges was the lone Indio Masters qualifier and he finished in fourth place at 113 pounds
Rancho Mirage boys: Edward Ramirez cracked the top four at the CIF-SS Division 1 meet with a third-place finish at 120 pounds
Shadow Hills boys: Michael Bravo was the lone Knights wrestler to advance with a fine fourth-place finish at 120 pounds
47 total wrestlers advanced to the Masters Meet by claiming a top-eight finish at the CIF-SS meet
and that includes athletes from Shadow Hills
All of them will be heading to Sonora High School this weekend for the Masters Meet which will feature the girls in action on Friday and the boys in action on Saturday
The 47 Desert Wrestlers at Masters MeetBOYS' WRESTLERS
ALPINE (CNS) - Two students at Shadow Hills Elementary School are on suspension Friday after being suspected of making threats against a group of students and teachers
The sheriff's office was notified by the administration of Shadow Hills at 5:30 p.m
Thursday that threats were allegedly made by two students against students and teachers
Administrators said they identified the suspects and their parents were contacted by deputies and home safety checks were conducted
Deputies conducted a preliminary investigation and said the threats do not appear to be credible
Sheriff's deputies will conduct extra patrols of the school Friday out of an abundance of caution
There was history made when the Shadow Hills girls' flag football team set foot on the field Tuesday for a Division 3 CIF-SS playoff game against Patriot High
And the Knights made even more history when they stepped off the field
The Knights were hosting the first-ever CIF-SS flag football playoff game played in the desert
After a tense battle and a 19-18 victory over the visitors from Jurupa Valley
Shadow Hills became the first desert team to win a CIF-SS flag football playoff game
It's been a season of adversity with a lot of ups and downs," Shadow Hills coach Keith Rouzan said
referring in part to an injury to starting quarterback Vanessa Monaco who was putting up gaudy numbers
They believed if the defense could give the offense one more chance
A lot of smiles and a lot of cheering after the win."
who finished second to Indio in the Desert Empire League but were the only team out of the four that made the postseason to land a home game
the offense moved down the field confidently
with the drive ending on a pretty 24-yard touchdown pass by Alvarez to Xitlalli Fregoso
so after a touchdown you can choose to go for a 1-point PAT from the 5-yard line or a 2-point PAT from the 10-yard line
The Knights converted from the 5-yard line to go ahead 7-0
Ava Hyatt picked off a Patriot pass and sped down the sideline tip-toeing to stay in bounds the last 5 yards for a pretty 40-yard interception return
The PAT pass was no good and the Knights led 13-0
It stayed that way until the waning seconds of the first half when Patriot hit a long pass for a score
A comfortable-seeming 13-0 lead was cut to 13-6 at halftime
The Knights got sloppy with the ball in the early part of the second half
leading to some short fields for Patriot and the visitors took advantage by scoring twice to take an 18-13 lead
The score stayed that way until the closing minutes
The Knights got the ball back with about five minutes to play and Alvarez got hot
She moved the team down the field slowly but surely and with about a minute left
a beauty on 4th-and-15 to Samm Campos for the go-ahead touchdown
thanks to that pivotal PAT on their very first touchdown of the night
the defense was able to hold and Shadow Hills emerged with the desert's first flag football playoff victory
Linfield Christian beat Anaheim 45-0 on Tuesday
the Knights did win the coin flip and will host that game on Saturday
but could change if teams agree to a switch
Rouzan said it was a matchup that was meant to be as the Knights twice tried to play Linfield Christian during the season only to have the games fall through
and for us we're playing with house money," said Rouzan but quickly emphasizing that he wouldn't count his team out against any opponent
but our girls usually show up to big games
who edged Shadow Hills 20-19 during the season
were sent on the road for their first game in Division 4 and they fell short against La Habra
The Rajahs' touchdown came on a pass from Anika Coronado to Breanna Ochoa
The loss ends an exceptional first season for an Indio team that will always go down as the first-ever DEL flag football champion
Palm Desert 18: The Aztecs' rally fell short on the road in this Division 5 contest as they trailed 21-6 at the half and almost came all the way back
The game came down to success on point-after-touchdown plays as both teams scored three touchdowns
but the host Azusa converted all of theirs and the Aztecs did not
4 seed out of the DEL and went on the road in Division 5 for a tough one against Bishop Montgomery
Shad Powers is a sports columnist for The Desert Sun
The Shadow Hills Knights had plenty to feel good about Friday night
The team defeated a strong Patriot High School team from Jurupa Valley 34-33
and the victory was the Knights' fourth of the season
But there was a cloud over the victory, with Shadow Hills starting quarterback Pedro Trujillo leaving the game late in the third quarter with a leg injury. Trujillo's absence turned the tide in a game that saw the Knights control much of the play but ended up holding on in the final seconds.
"It's got a high and a low to it," Shadow Hills head coach David Palmer said after his team survived two fourth-quarter touchdowns by Patriot
I felt like we had more control of the game until Pedro went down
Then offensively we kind of scrambled a little bit."
Before Trujillo was injured on the next to last play of the third quarter
with Trujillo rushing for two touchdowns and throwing for another score
backup quarterback Jesse Rodriguez fired a 47-yard scoring pass down the middle of the field to Brandon Peffers
It was Peffers' second scoring catch of the night
one on a 54-yard pass and the other on an 8-yard run by star running back Josiah Felix
After Felix' score with 3:43 left in the game
Patriot went for two points and failed to convert
Shadow Hills moved the ball down the field with clutch first downs from back JoJo Diaz
and when Patriot took over on downs at its own 5
Two completions only moved the ball to midfield as time expired
including a lost fumble and three interceptions suffered by Shadow Hills and two lost fumbles and an interception by Patriot
One of those fumbles came at the end of a long pass
with the ball going into the end zone for a touchback to end a Patriot drive
More: One TD enough for Shadow Hills to edge Desert Hot Springs in defensive stalemate
It was a shock," Peffers said of the Trujillo injury
The game was filled with big turnaround moments
Trujillo kept the ball and ran left for 13 yards
Eventually he was carried off the field on a board to a table on the sideline
Rodriguez hit Peffers with the 47-yard score for the Knights' final points of the night
The starsTrujillo finished the night with 55 yards rushing including two touchdowns and 135 yards passing including the one touchdown
JoJo Diaz added 136 yards rushing and one touchdown on 23 carries
while Peffers had six catches for 114 yards and his two scores
back Josiah Felix had 193 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries
while quarterback Nathan Villenueva threw for 206 yards and one touchdown and intercepted two passes on defense
We've done better than last season," Peffers said
Palmer admitted that he felt better about his non-league play before Trujillo's injury
"We have to see where we are going to be with our starting quarterback," Palmer said
you can just stick him anywhere and he shines."
The Knight suffered a few other injuries on the night other than the Trujillo injury
and it seems likely Trujillo is going to miss multiple weeks
the Knights are 4-1 and seemed to play strong defense Friday until the Trujillo injury changed the momentum of the game
A week off might let the Knights settle things down before Desert Empire League play
followed by the first DEL game of the season at home against Rancho Mirage
The girls' basketball landscape in the desert is always shifting
The new Sun Valley League will produce a team that hasn't won a league title in years
Twentynine Palms and Coachella Valley appear armed to try to put an end to Yucca Valley's five-year DVL winning streak
And while Shadow Hills looks like a juggernaut in the Desert Empire League
There are a lot of questions to be answered
Here is our look at the 15 girls' basketball players (listed alphabetically) that will help tell the story of the 2024-25 season
Skylah ArcherThe athletic Shadow Hills big is only a sophomore
and she already is a dynamic force in the paint
She has a high motor and is averaging a double-double this season with 10 points and 14 rebounds per game
The stat-stuffing sophomore for Palm Springs is opening eyes around the desert by averaging a double-double during the early season
she averages 10.6 points and 10.6 rebounds
Analiah CardonaIt's pretty hard not to label the Shadow Hills Knights super sophomore the top player in the desert
she's averaging 27 points and hitting 40% from 3-point land
she runs the show and she's only getting better
Casro-Galarza had added a charge to the La Quinta Blackhawks as a freshman on the varsity
She leads the team in scoring with 12.9 points and 6.3 points per game
Alexa ChicasThe Shadow Hills junior has become a knock-down shooter
hitting more than 40% from behind the arc and has already had a game this year with six 3-pointers
She is a key part of the chemistry on a Knights squad that has high expectations
The Coachella Valley senior forward is a force and has the Arabs off to a hot start with wins over Palm Springs and La Quinta in the early going
She's the top player for Coachella Valley and No
The multi-talented Palm Desert sophomore is off to a great start on the hardwood
She's averaging 17.8 points per game and is already putting up big numbers in her particular area of expertise (steals)
averaging over eight a game for the Aztecs
is a returning first-team All-DVL player and is off to another solid start for the Trojans
She's averaging 11 points and 15 rebounds in the early season
Ava HyattFollowing a legacy set by sisters Carla and Victoria
Ava Hyatt is proving to be as dynamic if not more so than her siblings
particularly when it comes to athleticism and defense
she has the high IQ that comes with having older sisters
She anchors the Shadow Hills defense and can leave an imprint on any game even without scoring
Coachella Valley is off to a great start and Jordan is a key part of that
Her defensive tenacity and all-around game has the Mighty Arabs in position to fight for a league title
Tayla MonroyMonroy is a returning all-DVL first-teamer and has been running the show for Yucca Valley with an average of 10 points and six assists for a Trojans team that is looking for a sixth consecutive league title
The Desert Christian Academy senior center
who just signed to play college basketball at Jessup University in Rocklin
will continue to be patrolling the paint for the Conquerors
The 6-foot-2 star will continue to be a force as she rounds out a remarkable four-year career
Jenica SilvasThe return of the talented Twentynine Palms senior after missing a lot of last year with an injury may help turn the balance of power in the DVL
The league has been dominated by Yucca Valley in recent years
but Silvas has the Wildcats looking like the team to beat
With a Xavier Prep team hit hard by graduation and transfers
Thomsen is the mainstay and she's handling the increased role quite well in the early season
The junior is averaging a whopping 22.0 points per game
The Palm Springs senior center is dominating the paint so far this year
Wells averages 12 rebounds per game and is contributing 8.5 points per game as well