Calexico can’t hang on against Palo Verde

BLYTHE — Calexico and Palo Verde each entered Friday night’s game in desperate need of a pick-meup.

Both teams were winless in Imperial Valley League play and each was coming off back-to-back blowout losses, with Palo Verde tasting the curb courtesy of Southwest (41-21) and Brawley (41-3) and Calexico going down to Central (41-12) and Imperial (42-0).

The game turned out to be a real wallow. The first quarter was home to nearly 70 percent of the scoring, though that isn’t saying all that much.

After the opening frame Calexico held a razor-thin 7-6 lead. They made it stand for a surprisingly long time, as the Yellowjackets were unable to make anything happen in the second or third quarters.

But a one-point lead is never going to be anything other than vulnerable, and the Bulldogs were never able to extend it, matching Palo Verde goose egg for goose egg before their defense finally faltered in the fourth and the Yellowjackets were able to come up with another score to claim their first IVL win of the year.

The victory brings Palo Verde even at 4-4 overall and snaps a three-game losing streak.

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, drop to 3-5 overall and have got to be wondering where they can find some offensive juice after putting up only 19 points over their past three games.

Their schedule isn’t getting any easier, either, as next week they go toe-to-toe with the IVL unbeaten Brawley Wildcats — fresh off a 38-0 pasting of Southwest — at home.