Sultans winning by taking, not giving
- Updated: September 15, 2018
Santana’s COLTON SNIPES tackles a Vincent Memorial ball carrier on Friday. / photo by Melissa Honick
2018 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL
SANTANA 31, VINCENT MEMORIAL 16
By Jim Lindgren
Special to EastCountySports.com
SANTEE – With a timely and efficient offense getting good field position from an opportunistic defense that forced five turnovers, Santana improved to 4-1 on the season with a convincing 31-16 victory over visiting Vincent Memorial on Friday night.
Senior Sean Iverson, a converted receiver playing quarterback for the third time since an injury to starter Nathan Temple, completed 5-of-9 passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns as the Sultans matched their win total of last year when they finished 4-7.
Brooks Moutaw rushed 11 times for 58 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown, and Jacob Peterson added 67 yards on 17 carries. Moutaw also caught a 19-yard TD pass from Iverson as Santana raced to a 31-0 lead early in the third quarter against the previously undefeated Scots (3-1) from Calexico.
Santana junior receiver RANDALL SMITH runs with the ball on Friday night against Vincent Memorial at Santee Community Stadium. / photo by Melissa Honick
Santana won a shootout with Vincent Memorial last year, taking a 50-43 victory in El Centro.
The Sultans lost to Rancho Buena Vista in another shootout, 62-43, in the first round of the Division III playoffs.
This year, Santana is lining up as one of the favorites in Division IV along with Kearny (4-0), Coronado (4-1) and Mar Vista (3-2), Santana’s opponent next week in Santee.
“We have a total of 13 seniors,” Santana coach Tim Estes said. “They work hard. They are a good group of leaders. Guys you like to have in your program.”
One of those seniors is Colton Snipes, who continues to impress in several aspects of the game. This week, he returned an interception for a touchdown, kicked a 32-yard field goal, was 4-for-4 on PAT kicks and made 5 tackles.
Peterson, a junior, led the defense with 8 tackles. Iverson, who threw three TD passes in a 28-7 win over Clairemont last week, opened the scoring against Vincent with a 6-yard TD pass to Chaz Baker just three minutes into the game.
“He’s done a great job, taking on that role of quarterback,” Estes said.
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Late in the first quarter, Snipes made it 10-0 with his third field goal of the season, and he made it 17-0 with his interception return TD early in the second quarter. “He’s got a talent,” Estes said. “He’s got a live leg. He can be a defender and he can play special teams. He’s not the fastest guy, but he can play.
Santana runner COLTON SNIPES on Friday night. / photo by Melissa Honick
“He’s a three-sport athlete, and he takes those hard classes in school.”
Moutaw’s 30-yard touchdown run gave Santana a 24-0 halftime lead, and the Sultans bumped that to 31-0 early in the third quarter when Iverson tossed 19 yards to Moutaw for another score.
The Scots finally got on the board late in the third quarter when senior Daniel Rizzo rushed for an 8-yard touchdown and then a 2-point conversion. Jorge Ruiz scored the final TD on a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Jared Forster led Santana with two receptions for 37 yards. The Scots had outscored their first three foes, 92-48, but the five turnovers against Santana took its toll.
Santana controlled the ball for nearly 31 of the 48 minutes.
SANTANA 31, VINCENT MEMORIAL 16
Vincent Memorial 0 0 8 8 – 16 Santana 10 14 7 0 – 31
S – Chaz Baker 6 pass from Sean Iverson (Colton Snipes kick)
S – FG Colton Snipes 32
S – Colton Snipes interception return (Colton Snipes kick)
S – Brooks Moutaw 30 run (Colton Snipes)
S – Brooks Moutaw 19 pass from Sean Iverson (Colton Snipes kick)
VM – Daniel Rizzo 8 run (Daniel Rizzo run)
VM – Jorge Ruiz 3 run (Daniel Rizzo run)
