'Our defense kept us in it': Desert Hot Springs outlasts Jurupa Valley to move to 2-0

Desert Hot Springs did not score in the first half of Friday night's football game, and then fumbled the kickoff to open the second half.

But the Golden Eagles still managed to find a way to victory with a gutsy 14-7 road win over Jurupa Valley, which moved Desert Hot Springs to 2-0 this season.

If anyone had wondered whether Desert Hot Springs could remain competitive this season after losing 18 seniors from its CIF Southern Section Division 12 semifinal team, they now have their answer.

Desert Hot Springs is now 11-4 under second year head coach Roy Provost. The Golden Eagles were a combined 5-20 in the three years prior to his tenure.

Down 7-0 in the second half, the Golden Eagles finally found the end zone when Ozyas Crawford raced up the field for a 55-yard touchdown run. But a failed conversion attempt left Desert Hot Springs behind 7-6 until the very end.

"Our defense kept us in the game," Provost said.

With under two minutes to play, Desert Hot Springs found the end zone a second time, on a run by tailback Donevin Thornton, to take its first lead of the game. A successful two-point conversion by quarterback Jaylen Turner gave Provost and his squad a comfortable 7-point lead and the clock eventually emptied.

Last year's Desert Valley League defensive player of the year, Jaire Broach, led the Golden Eagles defense, with Thornton and Seth Silva each recording interceptions in the game.

"I couldn't be more proud of these guys," Provost said. "They don't have quitting in their DNA."

Desert Hot Springs returns home to host Citrus Hill on Friday.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 'Our defense kept us in it': Desert Hot Springs outlasts Jurupa Valley to move to 2-0