Sports
Aztecs Fall to La Quinta in "Flag Game" 38-35
Aztec running back Tim Santa Maria scores 5 times, but Palm Desert comes up short in wild loss to cross-valley rivals.
When Palm Desert senior Tim Santa Maria ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown, the crowd got the feeling that was going to be a night for Aztec fans to remember.
When the Aztecs recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and scored two plays later, the crowd knew it was going to be a night to remember.
It ended up beng a night for the Aztec fans to forget as Palm Desert came back from a 32-13 halftime deficit, only to come up short in a 38-35 loss Friday night at La Quinta High.
Find out what's happening in Palm Desertfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Palm Desert was driving near midfield with just over a minute left, when the Blackhawks sacked junior quarterback Joseph Castelli on a 4th down scramble, effectively ending the Aztecs hopes.
Santa Maria scored 5 times on the evening and ran for over 300 yards in the loss.
Find out what's happening in Palm Desertfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Despite the loss, Palm Desert qualifies for the CIF football playoffs which begin next week. The Aztecs first round oppoenent will be announced on Sunday.
