Salinas-Palma showdown

 I get the feeling Salinas assistant coach Travis Dozier may have a thing or two to say this week to the squad.
 Look for assistant coach Casey Neligh to provide a few reminders as well of what it feels like. Both were members of the last Cowboys football team to beat Palma -- 15 years ago.
 Dozier had the game of his career as a then sophomore for Salinas with four interceptions in a 24-13 win over the Chieftains.
 It's the only time Salinas has beaten the Chieftains since the teams began playing on a regular basis in 1996.
 The Cowboys were stacked that year with current Tampa Bay lineman Evan Smith opening holes for a ground game to chalk up 350 yards.
 The significance in that battle is it catapulted Salinas to a league title, ending the Chieftains run of 18 straight league championships that had spread through three different leagues.
 Salinas has a chance to put some distance between its biggest rival with a win on Friday at 'The Pit.' A victory would knock Palma two games back with four to play.
 The last time the Chieftains dropped two games in a league season was in 1983.
 The Cowboys offense is averaging 47.5 points in Gabilan Division play and over 300 rushing yards, piling 501 yards in total offense last week.
 Having won or shared every Gabilan Division title since it was formed, Palma has dropped just two league games since the league was formed -- one coming two weeks ago to Aptos.
 Palma doesn't have the offense to engage in a shootout with the Cowboys. But three turnovers Friday suggests its defense is coming of age just in time for its biggest game of the season.
 Turnovers have changed the complexion of this rivalry of late as the Cowboys have turned the ball over 16 times in the last four meetings with Palma.