text: With win and La Quinta's loss, Palm Desert can win outright DVL title
  Aztecs end losing streak against Palm Springs
  Four years had passed since Palm Desert last beat Palm Springs, and this year's victory was jumpstarted in nearly the exact same way as the Aztecs' victory in 2013.
  Palm Desert senior safety Brooks Stephenson intercepted a Palm Springs pass with less than a minute remaining in the first half, and the Aztecs scored 47 seconds later to take a double-digit lead in an eventual 31-15 victory.
  Four years ago, Palm Desert's Trae Riek also intercepted a Palm Springs pass right before halftime and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown in what ended up being the biggest play of the game to snap a nine-game losing streak to the Indians.
  This year's win may have been even bigger than the one four years ago. Combine it with a La Quinta loss to Shadow Hills, and Palm Desert (6-1, 3-0) now has a chance to win its first outright DVL title since 2005. The Aztecs shared the league title to La Quinta in 2013, but lost the head-to-head matchup with the Blackhawks.
  The Aztecs will play the Blackhawks next week in what should be the de facto DVL title game.
  --Palm Desert tailback Manny Sepulveda carried the ball 33 times for 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He had just three runs of more than 10 yards, but he kept the chains moving and the Palm Springs offense off the field.
  --Palm Desert quarterback Carter Stokes also scored a pair of rushing touchdowns and completed all five passes for 88 yards.
  --The Aztecs' defense. The squad forced three turnovers and held the Indians to less than 50 yards and just seven points in the second half despite being in unfavorable field position due to three Palm Desert fumbles.
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  --Palm Desert led just 10-7 with a minute remaining in the first half, but Palm Springs quarterback Jeremy Dyson was pressured into throwing an interception caught by Stephenson, and the Aztecs scored a few players later to take a 17-7 halftime lead.
  Palm Desert took the momentum into the intermission and used a pair of Sepulveda touchdowns in the third quarter to put the game away.
  Not that it was all on Dyson. Palm Springs committed a handful of second-half penalties that stalled drives and provided Palm Desert with favorable field position. The Indians' defense forced two second-half fumbles, but the offense had a difficult time producing points.
  Had it not been for the late first half interception, though, Palm Desert likely doesn't take a double-digit lead into halftime, and perhaps the Indians could have kept the game within reach into the fourth quarter.
  --Sepulveda: "We prepared for two weeks for this game. We had our bye week to focus on this one. Now it's time to focus on La Quinta."
  --Palm Desert head coach Shane McComb: "We played well, particularly on defense, but we've got to protect the ball more. …Very proud of the team. It was a very good all-around win."
  --Palm Springs head coach Dan Murphy: "They put pressure on us and caused us to make mistakes and get frustrated and commit penalties. (Palm Desert) played a good football game and deserved this win tonight."
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  --Palm Desert: This might not only be the best team in the Desert Valley League but the entire Coachella Valley. If the Aztecs beat La Quinta, and winless Cathedral City and 2-5 Indio, they could finish 9-1 in the regular season and be in position to make a CIF title run. That's downright impressive considering Palm Desert finished just 3-7 a year ago.
  --Palm Springs: The Indians are so young, but could still beat just about anyone in the DVL on a good night. That was evident Friday against Palm Desert. They created three turnovers and gave their offense chances to score, but penalties and a lack of offensive consistency again kept Palm Springs from scoring more than a pair of touchdowns. That just hasn't been enough, despite the consistently solid play of the defense and special teams.