HS FOOT: Palmdale looks to leave opponents out in cold

The weather forecast Friday in the Antelope Valley calls for temperatures in the upper 30s and lots of wind -- perfect football weather as far as the Palmdale Falcons are concerned.

Throughout the football season, Palmdale (9-2) mixes in two evening practices per week to help the players adjust to the cold, and the chilly weather could serve as an advantage Friday in a Western Division quarterfinal against visiting St. Francis (9-2).

"The cold doesn't bother me. I'm not a big fan of the wind, though," St. Francis quarterback Justin Posthuma said.

The colder the better for Palmdale, always hoping for an edge in its bid to win a section title for the first time in school history.

"We're pretty used to the cold," Williams said. "Teams that come from warmer climates, they're going to have to do something to account for that."

As usual, the Western Division is wide open, especially now that second-seeded Culver City was eliminated in the first round by Dominguez of Compton.

"I think we're in a very tough bracket. We have to earn everything from this point on," Williams said. "It's a tough group of teams, and each one does something a little different, so you have to make a lot of adjustments if you want to keep going."

-- Gerry Gittelson