Knights fall to No. 1 CSDR in quarters
RIVERSIDE — It wasn’t the ending the Desert Christian football team had hoped for.
Still the Knights did something they hadn’t done in 10 years last week against Cuyama Valley — win a playoff game.
Unfortunately, Desert Christian ran into a buzz saw in the top-seeded team, the California School for the Deaf of Riverside.
The Cubs scored early and often and ousted the Knights in the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern Section 8-man Division 2 playoffs with an 84-12 victory, Friday night at CSDR High School.
“You can study a team on film, but you can’t tell the speed and how fast they were,” Desert Christian head coach Aaron Williams said. “They were very athletic and they were very well-coached. I wish them the best. They were a physical team.”
With the victory, CSDR (11-0) is off to its best start in school history. They will face the winner of today’s game between Avalon and Valley Christian Academy in the semifinals.
“They were way more physical than we were. It’s disappointing losing the game, but it’s a good way to go out,” senior A.J. Arcidiacono said. “Turnovers put us back, but I’m very proud of the team. In four years of playing, I love this tea. They are family to me. This is a tough way to go out.”
The Cubs capitalized off five turnovers by Desert Christian (4-5). They also had a fumble recovery for a touchdown and a blocked punt for a touchdown.
“This was definitely a learning experience for us. We really haven’t played a team like this all season. This was a fast-paced game,” senior Cody Royster said. “Offensively, we were a little sluggish. I think we lost confidence with how fast they were scoring. It’s disappointing knowing we can play better. We just didn’t match their intensity.”
The Knights got touchdowns following a 24-yard pass from Sean Worrell to R.C. Brisby in the first quarter, which cut the Cubs lead to 8-6 in the first quarter.
Desert Christian’s second touchdown came in the second quarter when Noah Bakewell scored up the middle from six yards out.
“When you realize you’re not going to come out on top, you just tell the guys to play with heart and play for the seniors,” Williams said. “I told the guys don’t worry about the score and just to play hard and appreciate the game.”