Sultans wins come from all extremes
- Updated: November 10, 2018
2018 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL
By Jim Lindgren
Special to EastCountySports.com
IMPERIAL BEACH – After posting some astronomical numbers in last week’s playoff win over La Jolla Country Day, Santana returned to Earth in more ways than one on Friday, but still came away with a 23-6 win over Mar Vista in the San Diego Section Division IV quarterfinals.
Playing on good ol’ fashioned, all-natural grass for the first time this season, the No. 5-seeded Sultans (7-5) had 271 total yards to upset the No. 4 Lancers (7-4) and set up a semifinal next Friday against No. 1 San Diego (8-2) at Balboa Stadium, which now has an artificial turf field like most teams in the section, including Santana.
Mar Vista had beaten the Sultans, 27-13, on Sept. 21 at Santana.
While the Sultans scored in every quarter for the second straight week, their 271 total yards was merely 493 fewer yards than the 764 they posted in last week’s 76-55 shootout win over the Torreys – a game that set section records for combined points (131) and total yards (1,387).
“This was the first time we beat Mar Vista at their place,” Santana coach Tim Estes said. “That is a great feeling. Now we are in the semifinals, so it doesn’t get much better than that. Unless we make the finals and win a championship.”
A CIF title would be a first for Santana, which lost section title games to LJCD, 38-24, in 2016 and to Valley Center, 20-14, in 2011.
Nathan Temple, who threw for school records of 532 yards and 7 touchdowns last week, was 9-of-24 passing for 140 yards against Mar Vista, which was limited to 207 yards by Santana’s defense. Temple did not toss a TD Friday, but he wasn’t intercepted either.
Mar Vista took an early 6-0 lead on a 3-yard run by Jacob Galeana, but two minutes later Brooks Moutaw scored on a 7-yard run as Santana assumed a 7-6 lead with 2:00 to play in the first quarter.
Chaz Baker turned in the play of the game with 3:51 remaining before halftime. Fielding a punt at the Santana 43-yard line, Baker raced down the left sideline before juking a defender around the 10-yard line, cutting back toward the sideline again and then breaking a tackle near the goal line to score over the left pylon.
“It felt great,” Baker said. “Everyone executed it greatly. Everyone blocked it really well. It was a perfect play.”
Colton Snipes booted a 34-yard field goal to make it 17-6 with 4:21 left in the third quarter.
Temple finished the scoring on with a 1-yard QB sneak with 0:10 to play.
“The kids played great all four quarters,” Estes said. “And the defense really stepped up and played three scoreless quarters.”
Moutaw finished with 23 carries for 77 yards, and Temple added 44 yards on 11 attempts.
Randy Smith, who had school records of 13 catches for 335 yards and five touchdowns last week, caught five passes on Friday for 120 yards. Sean Iverson, who played quarterback earlier in the season when Temple was recovering from a broken collarbone, caught four passes for 20 yards.
Snipes led the defense with 11 tackles, and Ian Litten added seven. Jared Forster intercepted a pass, and the defense limited the Mariners to 21 total passing yards.
Luke Simanek, Nathan Hughes, Austin Slaff and Moutaw each were credited with half-sacks.
Galeana rushed 11 times for 75 yards for the Mariners, who gained 186 rushing yards.
In the other Division IV quarterfinal games, San Diego shut out Chula Vista, 27-0; Serra beat Del Norte, 41-30; and Kearny routed Classical Academy, 62-6.
The Santana-San Diego winner will meet the winner between Serra and Kearny in the Division IV championship game on Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. at Southwestern College.
Division IV – Quarterfinals
SANTANA 23, MAR VISTA 6
Santana 7 7 3 6 – 23 Mar Vista 6 0 0 0 – 6
MV – Jacob Galeana 3 run (kick failed)
S – Brooks Moutaw 7 run (Colton Snipes kick)
S – Chaz Baker 57 punt return (Colton Snipes kick)
S – FG Colton Snipes 34
S – Nathan Temple 1 run (kick blocked)
