Second-quarter burst gives North a 17-point halftime lead

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Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers.

Well, actually there were only two turnovers by Palm Desert in the second quarter of its Eastern Division final against visiting Riverside North, but that was the difference, as the second-seeded Huskies outscored Palm Desert, 24-7, in the second quarter to take a 38-21 halftime lead.

North quarterback Jamar Calhoun scored on a five-yard sneak to captalize on the first turnover. Palm Desert quarterback Ryne Clark, who has been under relentless pressure, then threw a pass across the field while under a big-time rush and Cedric Foster was waiting to intercept it. He ran it back 61 yards for a touchdown and a 28-14 lead.

The teams then traded touchdowns in the final two minutes of the first half before Marco Barrera nailed a 37-yard field goal with a second remaining, extending North’s lead to 17 points.

There’s a strong odor of kettle corn in the air, which beats the fertilizer smell at Colony last night, but for a grown man who hasn’t eaten since my box lunch at Home Depot Center eight hours ago, I’m getting a bit distracted.

I’m parked in short right field on the junior varsity softball field, wedged between a bunch of North fans, so I can only imagine what it’ll be like getting out of here.

Maybe I should make reservations somewhere? Oh yeah, eating byself at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night in Palm Springs. That’ll look real good.

Guess what? I don’t care. That’s why I’m here, for some alone time.

I think I’ll even order pie.

-- Dan Arritt