Posted: Oct 21, 2025
ROCKLIN, Calif. – Sophomore Lola Fox returned to action to hit junior Tayli Paeu-Lindgren and sophomore Monet Zauner on touchdown passes, but St. Francis surrendered two second-half scores in falling, 19-13, to Whitney in a key Sierra Foothill League girls' flag football matchup Tuesday night.
The Troubadours slip to 18-7 for the year while the Wildcats improve to 14-6. More importantly, the two teams entered the contest in a three-way tie for third place with matching 7-5 league records. Thus, St. Francis now falls to fifth place in the standings, with Whitney and Del Oro tied for third behind Oak Ridge and Granite Bay. The Troubies entered the game in fifth in MaxPreps' Sac-Joaquin Section Division II rankings, with the Wildcats four places back at No. 9.
The Troubadours slip to 18-7 for the year while the Wildcats improve to 14-6. More importantly, the two teams entered the contest in a three-way tie for third place with matching 7-5 league records. Thus, St. Francis now falls to fifth place in the standings, with Whitney and Del Oro tied for third behind Oak Ridge and Granite Bay. The Troubies entered the game in fifth in MaxPreps' Sac-Joaquin Section Division II rankings, with the Wildcats four places back at No. 9.
Fox, a 2024 All-SFL first-teamer who had been sidelined due to injury, made her first appearance in nearly a full month by completing 22 of 28 attempts, including a nine-yard, fourth-and-goal strike to Paeu-Lindgren to start the second quarter. That broke the scoreless tie, with Fox's point-after conversion to Abi Hall giving SF a 7-0 lead.
Whitney struck back when Lulu Im narrowly evaded a Paeu-Lindgren sack to hit Ashlyn Burns on a TD catch shortly before the two-minute mark of the first half, cutting the margin to a single point at 7-6.
On the ensuing series, St. Francis fumbled a handoff to move back to its own 9-yard line. That's when Zauner split a pair of Wildcat defenders just beyond the first-down marker. Zauner collected Fox's pass, then went on a dead sprint to the end zone for a 71-yard touchdown with 1:16 remaining before halftime.
Zauner's catch marks her third TD of the year, and surpassed the 66-yarder she posted at Oak Ridge 12 days prior as the longest reception of her career.
St. Francis ended up getting shut out in the second half, while Im found targets in the third (Addy Parsons) and fourth (Hannah LaRoche) to pull Whitney ahead for the win.
Zauner finished with six receptions for 94 yards. Paeu-Lindgren had four catches, including the touchdown and a 36-yarder from Natalia Zitelli. Defensively, Colleen Medina led SF with seven stops, Paeu-Lindgren and Alexa Randall each had two pass breakups; and Piper Bates recorded her team's lone interception.
Earlier in the evening, St. Francis junior varsity fell to the Wildcats, 26-0, for its first shutout loss of the year. Anna Votaw made five stops, including a pair of sacks, while Elizabeth McNearney pulled four flags and had two PBUs. However, the Troubies threw four interceptions while picking off none of their own.
The SF jayvees move to 12-4-2 for the year with a 7-4-2 SFL ledger.
Both teams wrap up their regular seasons in a doubleheader at Folsom on Thursday. JV kicks off at 4:30 with varsity starting at 5:45 p.m. at Prairie City Stadium. The Troubie varsity squad will later learn its fate in the SJS playoffs, which begin on October 29.
Whitney struck back when Lulu Im narrowly evaded a Paeu-Lindgren sack to hit Ashlyn Burns on a TD catch shortly before the two-minute mark of the first half, cutting the margin to a single point at 7-6.
On the ensuing series, St. Francis fumbled a handoff to move back to its own 9-yard line. That's when Zauner split a pair of Wildcat defenders just beyond the first-down marker. Zauner collected Fox's pass, then went on a dead sprint to the end zone for a 71-yard touchdown with 1:16 remaining before halftime.
Zauner's catch marks her third TD of the year, and surpassed the 66-yarder she posted at Oak Ridge 12 days prior as the longest reception of her career.
St. Francis ended up getting shut out in the second half, while Im found targets in the third (Addy Parsons) and fourth (Hannah LaRoche) to pull Whitney ahead for the win.
Zauner finished with six receptions for 94 yards. Paeu-Lindgren had four catches, including the touchdown and a 36-yarder from Natalia Zitelli. Defensively, Colleen Medina led SF with seven stops, Paeu-Lindgren and Alexa Randall each had two pass breakups; and Piper Bates recorded her team's lone interception.
Earlier in the evening, St. Francis junior varsity fell to the Wildcats, 26-0, for its first shutout loss of the year. Anna Votaw made five stops, including a pair of sacks, while Elizabeth McNearney pulled four flags and had two PBUs. However, the Troubies threw four interceptions while picking off none of their own.
The SF jayvees move to 12-4-2 for the year with a 7-4-2 SFL ledger.
Both teams wrap up their regular seasons in a doubleheader at Folsom on Thursday. JV kicks off at 4:30 with varsity starting at 5:45 p.m. at Prairie City Stadium. The Troubie varsity squad will later learn its fate in the SJS playoffs, which begin on October 29.
