The Kimball High Jaguars secured a hard-fought victory against the Grace Davis Spartans on Monday night at Don Nicholson Stadium, earning their spot to face top seed Granite Bay Grizzlies in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 2 tournament. The next match is scheduled for Tuesday night in Granite Bay, following Kimball's narrow play-in win.
Grace Davis was the first to score, taking a 6-0 lead in the first quarter after a missed extra point. Kimball's offense pushed into Spartan territory as the first half neared its end. With 33 seconds remaining, senior Skylar Arellano took a pitch from senior quarterback Leianna DePerio along the right sideline, scoring the Jaguars' first touchdown. Kimball senior Evangeline Delestrez then caught the extra point, giving Kimball a 7-6 lead at halftime.
The Jaguars extended their lead with 2:36 left in the third quarter when DePerio connected with senior Yanelle Gill on a 25-yard pass, slipping past two Grace Davis defenders to run the ball in for Kimball's second score. A failed extra point attempt made the score 13-6.
The Spartans battled back in the fourth quarter, scoring a touchdown on the first play, again with a missed extra point, which cut Kimball's lead to 13-12 with just over 11 minutes left in the game. DePerio then threw her second touchdown of the night, connecting with senior Evangeline Delestrez, who slipped behind a Grace Davis defender in the endzone for a seven-yard catch. Kimball’s extra point attempt by Biez Dodds was stopped short of the goal line, giving Kimball a 19-12 lead with 9:27 remaining.
Grace Davis made a final push with under three minutes left to play. Their last drive was kept alive when a Kimball player was flagged for illegal contact on a deep pass attempt. This play also resulted in a Spartan player being injured and taken off the field by ambulance. The Spartans scored their final touchdown with 20 seconds remaining on the clock. Following a penalty on Kimball during the extra point, Grace Davis attempted a two-point conversion from the five-yard line. Kimball junior Bailey Sauers deflected the ball away from the receiver, with senior Skylar Arellano defending another Spartan player, preventing the conversion.
Grace Davis's last chance came with an onside kickoff attempt, leading to a fourth down and 20 situation. The subsequent pass fell through the receiver’s hands near midfield as she was guarded by senior Jael Bernard. Kimball then ran out the remaining seconds, securing the victory.
Offensively, quarterback DePerio finished the night with 158 yards on 16 of 28 attempts, including two touchdowns and one interception. She also contributed 84 rushing yards on 10 carries. Senior Makayla Sumabat led the receiving corps with 80 yards on four receptions. On defense, Skylar Arellano led the Jaguars with 11 flag pulls and two interceptions. The Grace Davis quarterback was sacked twice, with seniors Byela Mwesigwa and Eliana Ahumada each recording a sack.
