SOQUEL >> Sophomore linebacker Maverick Muse sustained a broken collarbone in Soquel High’s football game against Palma last season.

In the teams’ rematch Friday night, which pitted a pair of 2023 CIF state champions, Muse got payback and broke the Chieftains’ backs.

Muse made a leaping interception and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown as the Knights produced three unanswered touchdowns in a 5-minute span late in the third quarter and pulled away for a 32-14 win in the teams’ Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division battle.

“Hey, the big man can jump,” said Muse, who is 5-foot-10, 200 pounds.

Muse’s score was sandwiched by a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Knights (3-2, 1-0), the defending CIF Division 4-AA state champs. Vaughn Bredy scored on a 5-yard run with 5:09 left in the third to give the Knights an 18-7 lead, and Kelton Forbus scored on a 6-yard run with 16 seconds left in the quarter to put his team ahead 32-7.

The Knights, who had a bye last week, last played Sept. 21, when they beat Scotts Valley 63-3. Most of the Knights’ starters sat in the second half of that rout, so there was a little rust to shake off after the lengthy layoff.

“We weren’t doing so good the first half. We came out, got the pick and the energy changes,” Muse said. “We expected more from us (in the first half). Second half, energy switches and we started going, started rolling like the real Soquel.”

The Knights dominated the line of scrimmage and finished with 363 yards on offense. They rushed for 260 yards and four touchdowns on 31 carries, and junior quarterback Sam Whelan completed 9 of his 10 passes for 103 yards. A forced pass along the sideline was picked off by Palma’s Geovanny Borghezan midway through the second quarter, which cost the signal caller a perfect night.

Perfection was missed, but it was still a great night for the Knights, who celebrated their homecoming.

“We knew coming into this game it was going to be big because first game in league is always important just to show what we’re about and stuff,” Whelan said. “I thought we gotta take Palma seriously. It’s just really important to me; I’m happy we won this game.”

Running back TyReis Lundy rushed for 164 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, and Whelan scored on a 3-yard run. Forbus, Jaydan Bright, and Keyandre Bailey also found success out of the offensive backfield behind the blocking of the Knights’ front five: Kingston Padilla, Kevin Baskerville, Jackson Stevens, Masen Coso, and Armando Villareal.

“This is probably our best games that our backs have played as a whole unit,” Knights coach Dwight Lowery said. “We were able to get four guys in there to carry the ball and they allow each other (to stay fresh.) At the same time, it may be hard because the running back position is very rhythm based. Sometimes you want to get a run and get hit. And it’s like, ‘OK, I feel it,’ and you want to get back in again. So that’s kinda a balancing act there, but all four of them did a great job running the football tonight.”

The Knights’ defense finished with one takeaway and didn’t record a sack, but they swarmed to the ball and did their best to gang tackle.

Palma (3-3, 0-2), coming off a loss to defending Gabilan champion Salinas (4-1, 2-0), was held to 176 yards on offense, including 152 rushing on 30 carries. Left-handed quarterback Patrick Driscoll, one of 13 sophomore on the team, completed 4 of 10 passes for 24 yards.

Coach Jeff Carnazzo told his young Chieftains that they’re going to have to step up in the leadership department. He reminded them reversals of fortune can be obtained, and pointed to last season’s 0-5 start that ended with a 4-A state championship.

“They loaded the box, which what I expected them to do, because they know we want to run the ball,” Carnazzo said. “I’ve got 13 sophomores that are playing for me, so it was a big game the last two weeks. You get these 13 young guys, and we have a lot of juniors, too, we don’t have a lot of seniors, but you play a game last week and you play this game and it’s tough. But, hey, that’s football and that’s the Gabilan Division. We’re happy to be in it, but you’re going to be in games like this and it doesn’t get easier the rest of the way.”

Sophomore returning running back Eli Dukes gained 71 yards on 13 carries for Palma, and teammate David Garcia rushed for 50 yards and both of the Chieftains’ touchdowns on seven carries.

“We know he’s a focal point for their team,” Lowery said of Dukes. “He’s a great player. I think he has great balance. He has good vision. And he, for his size, tends to fall forward. So we knew he was a key guy we needed to make sure that we honed in on.”

The Knights, who have won three straight games, look to add to their streak on Friday at 7:30 p.m., when they play at Hollister (4-1, 1-0).