Sultans deliver Norsemen verdict

By Ramon Scott
Updated: October 17, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL
No. 40 SANTANA 20, No. 19 VALHALLA 19

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON — Santana saved its most impactful performance of the season for Friday night, shutting out Valhalla in the second half and rallying for a 20-19 victory that snapped a three-game losing streak and handed the Norsemen their first on-field defeat of the season.

Landen Braaksma’s 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter put the Sultans ahead, while Dillon Timanus’ blocked extra point, interception and 10 tackles helped turn a determined team effort into one of Santana’s biggest regular season victories under coach Tim Estes.

The Norsemen had overwhelmed their first two Grossmont Valley League opponents, but the Sultans delivered a 20-19 road victory Friday night that deserves attention.

Santana held Valhalla scoreless throughout the second half, recovered from an interception returned for a touchdown and found enough offense against a seven-sack pass rush to end a three-game losing streak.

The Sultans did not merely make the favored hosts uncomfortable. They beat it.

“This was a true team effort. I couldn’t be more proud of a team,” Santana coach Tim Estes said. “One of the biggest wins of my career.”

Santana improved to 5-3 overall and 1-2 in league. Valhalla fell to 5-3 and 2-1, suffering its first on-field defeat after two earlier forfeits.

The Norsemen entered having outscored Monte Vista and El Cajon Valley 111-7 in their opening league games. Santana arrived having scored only 10 combined points in losses to El Capitan and West Hills.

Those numbers helped shape expectations. They did not account for what the Sultans were ready to do about them.

“Kids played together as a team,” Estes said. “That’s all we ask and it paid off.”

Santana answers the challenge

Valhalla supplied the kind of explosive play that could have confirmed every outside expectation when T’Marrion Williams returned an interception 82 yards for a touchdown, giving the Norsemen a 13-7 lead.

Santana absorbed it and kept playing.

“It was a fun game. After the pick six I was really concerned,” Estes said. “But the kids started to play.”

Denton Goar’s 5-yard touchdown brought Santana within 19-14 before halftime. Neither team scored in the third quarter, leaving the Sultans one successful possession from changing the game.

Sophomore Landen Braaksma supplied the finish with a 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, putting Santana ahead 20-19.

Its defense made that lead stand.

There was no second-half scoring answer from a Valhalla team that had spent much of the season piling up points. Against Santana, the Norsemen found their passing options restricted and their scoring opportunities scarce.

“The defense kept them in check,” Estes said. “We didn’t let them throw the ball to their best receivers.”

Estes said Valhalla’s opening possession was its only sustained touchdown drive. Another Norsemen touchdown followed a Santana punt breakdown that left Valhalla only about 15 yards to travel.

Together with Williams’ interception return, those plays accounted for Valhalla’s three touchdowns. Santana made the Norsemen work for everything else.

Timanus makes the difference

Dillon Timanus contributed across the game, finishing with 10 tackles, an interception returned 19 yards and a blocked extra point that became decisive in a one-point result.

Timanus’ blocked PAT was the the eventual difference.

The Sultans turned in a defensive performance that held Adrian Wilson to nine completions in 20 attempts for 54 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Williams caught three passes for 28 yards. Camryn Conley added three receptions for 12 yards, and AJ Wright caught three for 16.

Jayden Hunter gave Valhalla 81 rushing yards on 12 carries, while Conley gained 53 on six attempts. The Norsemen could gain ground, but Santana kept those gains from becoming second-half points.

Tatum Morehouse recorded eight tackles, including a sack, and Ryder Miller also had eight stops. The Sultans were credited with six tackles for loss.

For Goar, Timanus’ performance continued an established pattern. He singled out the senior as a player who has delivered “week in and week out,” calling him an “absolute baller.”

Friday, the contributions around Timanus were just as important. Santana defended Valhalla’s receivers, survived difficult field position and repeatedly gave its offense another opportunity.

Finding enough offense

Ethan Miller completed 20 of 26 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns, continuing to find answers despite Valhalla’s pressure.

Kolten “Koko” Thornton caught nine passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. Goar had five receptions for 49 yards, while sophomore A. Markevicz supplied three catches for 41 yards.

Julian Mayers carried 24 times for 90 yards. Braaksma added 56 yards on nine attempts, averaging 6.2 yards per carry and scoring the decisive touchdown.

Santana finished with 292 total yards, including 121 net rushing yards.

“Offense found our running game and we were able to move the ball and we capitalized on opportunities that were there,” Estes said.

That balance mattered against a Norsemen defense credited with seven sacks. Gabriel Lederer had three, S. Jones two, and Williams and D. Demara one apiece. Amar’e Young led Valhalla with 13 tackles.

Santana continued to produce through that resistance.

“Of course guys like Koko, Miller, and Julian on the offense are key assets as well, same with our big guys up front,” Goar said. “The o-line has been doing their thing this year.”

Thornton credited the preparation and the willingness to carry out individual assignments. The Sultans knew Valhalla’s outside receivers presented a substantial challenge and built their plan accordingly.

“We all just did our jobs tonight and put points up on the board,” Thornton said.

A team worth watching

A 4-0 start had given way to three consecutive defeats. Friday gave Santana a result that could change how it approaches the final two games of the regular season.

“The win feels great, nothing like an upset,” Goar said.

“Our coaches were able to best prepare us all week for the challenge to come,” he added. “We brought the energy and passion tonight and we’re going to carry that through the rest of the year and into playoffs.”

The Sultans earned that optimism by recovering from setbacks within the game as well as the losses preceding it.

A defensive score did not unravel them. Seven sacks did not silence their offense. A halftime deficit did not follow them home.

Santana responded on the scoreboard, and the credit belongs to Estes and the players for coming up with a season-defining victory.

“People need to start tuning in on Santana if they want to see some underdog talent,” Goar said. “Lots of guys stepping up at a young age.”

Friday provided an excellent reason to listen.

One point, three phases — Timanus delivers

Dillon Timanus’ blocked extra point became the most consequential special-teams play in Santana’s 20-19 victory at Valhalla.

It also fit the rest of his evening.

The senior recorded 10 tackles, intercepted a pass and returned it 19 yards, and caught two passes for 14 yards. His contributions reached all three phases of a game decided by the smallest possible margin.

Timanus had also blocked both West Hills extra-point attempts the previous week. This time, Santana converted that kind of effort into a victory.

The Sultans held Valhalla scoreless after halftime, ensuring the blocked kick remained part of the difference rather than a footnote.

For Estes and Goar alike, Timanus was an obvious example of the work behind the result: preparation, effort and a willingness to contribute wherever the team needed him.

Mayers, Braaksma give Santana ground control

The most encouraging offensive development for Santana may have been the work of Julian Mayers and Landen Braaksma.

Mayers supplied 90 yards on 24 carries. Braaksma added 56 on nine, including the 3-yard fourth-quarter touchdown that put Santana ahead for good.

Their combined 146 rushing yards gave the Sultans a productive complement to Ethan Miller’s passing and Kolten Thornton’s nine receptions.

One week after Santana managed only 20 net rushing yards against West Hills, it finished with 121 against Valhalla, despite allowing seven sacks.

“Offense found our running game,” coach Tim Estes said.

The Sultans did more than identify a supporting option. They used it to finish the possession that won the game.

LOOKAHEAD: SANTANA at MONTE VISTA
Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m. — Monte Vista High

Santana (5-3, 1-2) now faces an important test of consistency at Monte Vista (3-5, 1-2).

The Monarchs enter off a 56-6 victory over El Cajon Valley, with Daesean Jenkins again demonstrating the ability to change a game with a long run or return. His 78-yard punt-return touchdown against the Braves is a reminder that sound special-teams coverage will matter as much as Santana’s offensive momentum.

For the Sultans, the task is to carry Friday’s preparation and collective effort into another road assignment. Miller’s accuracy, Thornton and Goar’s receiving production, and the Mayers-Braaksma rushing combination give Santana several ways to attack.

Defensively, the emphasis shifts toward containing Jenkins and preventing a routine play from becoming a long touchdown.

With two regular-season games remaining, Santana can still finish 7-3. First comes the opportunity to secure a sixth victory and demonstrate that the Valhalla performance can become its standard for the stretch run.

LOOKAHEAD: VALHALLA at WEST HILLS
Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m. — West Hills High

Valhalla (5-3, 2-1) visits West Hills (6-2, 2-1) in a meeting of teams looking to recover from one-point league losses.

The Wolf Pack fell 24-23 to El Capitan. Valhalla’s loss to Santana leaves both teams needing a response to maintain pressure in the Valley race.

West Hills deserves consideration as a slight favorite at home, although the matchup looks closely balanced. Evin Dill’s ability to throw and run will test Valhalla’s defensive discipline, while the Norsemen must restore the passing production Santana restricted.

Hunter and Conley supplied useful rushing gains Friday. Valhalla needs those gains to create sustained scoring opportunities and allow Wilson to reconnect with Williams and the rest of his receiving group.

The pass rush remains a strength. Seven sacks against Santana gave the Norsemen opportunities to take control, but pressure alone could not produce a victory.

Valhalla closes the regular season at home against El Capitan after visiting West Hills. Its final two games still offer an opportunity to shape the league race. Both now demand a stronger response from an offense Santana successfully contained.