Better today than next week.

Using a stifling defense that bullied Davis High’s offensive force Anna Maria Gilbertson, Franklin came to town and knocked off the nation’s top-ranked girls soccer team, 1-0, on Tuesday.

Wildcat Taytana Garrett scored the game’s only goal off a picture-perfect pass from Lauren Aldana with 2:13 remaining in the contest.

The loss in their Delta Valley Conference finale puts the Blue Devils at 21-1-1 (9-1 in league), but changes nothing going into the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs which, for Davis, begin May 12.

“We set goals at the beginning of the season,” DHS coach Allen Carlson said afterward. “First was to win league, which we did. The second, is to win sections — which I feel deep down in my heart we will.”

The Devils will get a first-round bye next Tuesday, then host in Round 2 the following Thursday.

Franklin, which has a make-up game this week, will finish second in the DVC. It has an 11-7-3 overall mark and is 7-2 in league.

DHS is ranked No. 1 in the country in the Adidas Coaches’ Poll, as well as being in the Top 10 in three other prep surveys.

Tuesday began with the Blue Devils playing into a brisk southerly wind as a crowd, which eventually swelled to more the 250 fans, looked on at Yudin Field.

It was evident from the beginning that the Wildcats would up the physicality on this day — especially as it related to junior forward Gilbertson.

Gilbertson found herself face-to-face with a double team of Franklin defenders, Julia Alltop and Haylee Hall. When Gilbertson — who has scored 38 goals for the season — still got off two meaningful shots early, Wildcat coach Eliseo Lopez called in reinforcements.

Talented midfielder Danielle Rau cheated over to join the wall around Gilbertson.

“We just tried to defend their No. 9,” Lopez explained afterward, still accepting congratulations from his school’s fans and players. “Haylee and Julia did a great job, but she is terrific. That was the key … not letting her score.”

Gilbertson managed seven shots as Davis outshot its guests 14-7, several times coming thiiiisssss close to finding the net.

But it was Franklin sophomore midfielder Garrett who snuck between defenders to one-touch Aldana’s breeze-defying pass home.

“That was it. That was the one shot we told the girls about,” Lopez continued, pointing at Garrett “She was the difference, right there.”

The first half had its moments for DHS, like when Jennie Hawkins found Gilbertson with a nifty pass, but Hull knocked her off the ball. No foul.

Gilbertson next passed to Sarah Sadler, whose shot was wide after she was mugged just outside the box. No call.

Finally, when Devil Kate Latsch went down hard on defense, a yellow card was issued to Garrett.

In a bone-jarring second half, Franklin — which would be signaled for two yellow cards and 13 fouls in all — withstood an early Davis barrage.

Hawkins located Gilbertson in the crease, but the shot went straight at sophomore Wildcat keeper Marcela Young.

Allie Muller’s steal earned DHS a corner, but to no avail. Twice, Dana Granger had 15-yard set pieces, thanks to the ongoing assault of Gilbertson, but neither amounted to much.

At 61:33, the Blue Devils had the first of two terrific scoring opportunities …

With five ‘Cats surrounding her, Gilbertson fired. Young knocked the ball down. At that point it bounced homeless in front of the goal. No Devil crashed and Franklin back Alex Grant cleared the maven sphere.

Two minutes later, the last good Davis look ended in frustration.

Muller was fouled, Ari Heyer sent the free kick forward where Gilbertson dished to Kilie Engelhardt, who rocketed the ball off the crossbar.

Courtney Jimenez tried to clean it up for the Devils, but Grant — with her keeper on her back —twice rejected tip-in tries.

Carlson said it was one of those days where “we had really good chances, but nothing went in.”

He called the officiating “uneven” and hopes to see his back seven do a better job of getting the ball to the front line: “Too many balls went out or right to their keeper.”

Garrett scored the last goal allowed by Davis, eight games ago, in a 3-1 Devil road win on April 7. DHS had outscored foes 50-0 in that streak.

About those lofty rankings, especially being No. 1 in the Adidas poll?

“I’m not gonna lie, being No. 1 would be nice,” Carlson admitted, but quickly added: “We’re right where we wanted to be (at the beginning) of the season.”

Notes: It was Senior Day and Carlson honored 12th-graders Sadler, Ali Yule, Morgan Smith (who started Tuesday’s game), Muller, Hawkins, Engelhardt and Jenifer Palmer. As he wished the seven good fortune in the future, he praised each individually, telling those gathered after the Franklin game: “You raised the performance of others around you … that typifies what senior leadership is.” With a handful of make-up games still on the horizon for other schools, the field and schedule for the first and second rounds of the postseason are still hazy, according to CIF official Will DeBoard.

— Reach Bruce Gallaudet at [email protected] or (530) 747-8047

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DHS’ Olivia Muller gets off a kick just before getting bumped by a Franklin defender in the Blue Devils’ 1-0 loss to the Wildcats on Tuesday at Yudin Field. Fred Gladdis/Enterprise photo

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