With its offense sputtering, St. Joseph relied on its defense to post a big intersectional win and remain undefeated.
The Knights came up with two goal-line stands, one in the final seconds of the game, and held off Salinas area power Palma, 13-7. On a fourth-and-goal at the 2, Knights’ defensive end Skyler Ens stopped Palma’s workhorse running back at the 1. The other stand came in the second quarter.
“I think it was a situation of the under-sized guys wanted it more,” coach Dustin Davis told the Santa Maria Times. “It’s about that underdog mentality and them wanting it more.”
St. Joseph remained No. 4 in this week’s Presidio Sports County Fab 5, as everyone held their spots from last week.
THE RANKINGS
1. Bishop Diego (3-0) — The Cardinals are back in action after a bye week, traveling to Inglewood, a CIF Western Division team.
2. Lompoc (3-1) — The Braves’ potent running attack and fierce pass rush wore down Dos Pueblos.
3. Carpinteria (4-0) — The Warriors are proving they can score from anywhere on the field.
4. St. Joseph (3-0) — The Knights make two goal-line stands to beat Salinas power Palma.
5. San Marcos (4-0) — The Royals are averaging 36 points a game and showing good balance on offense.
