LANCASTER, Calif. – Santa Ana football picked up their first win of the season against Antelope Valley on Saturday night, pulling away late to defeat the Marauders 37-6.
The Dons struggled to move the ball on offense throughout the first half and found themselves down 6-3 going into the third quarter. After forcing a punt with about three minutes left in the third quarter, the Dons found the spark they were looking for, as Edgar Molina got around the edge to block a punt and return it for Santa Ana's first touchdown of the game.
SAC would not look back after that, going on a 34-0 run to finish the game behind their stiff defense and some big plays from their offense.
Tyriq Wilson made his case to be the number one receiver for Dons, scoring two touchdowns on four catches and 70 yards.
Conner Brown got the start for the Dons at quarterback and finished the night with 136 passing yards, going 12-33 before giving way to freshman quarterback Luke Wilson. In the third quarter, Wilson was given the keys to the Santa Ana offense and took full advantage of it. The freshman from Yorba Linda went 5-8 with two touchdown passes and 63 yards to lead the Dons to the win.
The downs running game was by committee, as seven players ran the ball for 132 yards and two scores. Skyler Taylor led the way with 10 attempts 59 yards, while Joshua Hill and Joshua Garcia accounted for the two touchdowns.
On defense, Samuel Warren II, Zack Toscas and Brett Ferguson combined for 20 tackles, two interceptions and a sack while Edgar Molina came up with three tackles, a blocked punt and an interception on his own.
Santa Ana improves to 1-1 and will stay on the road next week for the Key to the County Rivalry game against Fullerton College. The game will be played at Yorba Linda High School on Saturday, September 15th at 12:00 p.m.
