Century League : Santa Ana Wraps Up Playoff Berth, Gets Win Over Villa Park

Santa Ana High School Coach Dick Hill searched for the right words describe his team’s opponent after the Saints’ 29-15 win over Villa Park Friday night in Santa Ana Stadium. Hill was gracious in victory, but it wasn’t easy.

“They’re so quick,” Hill said. “ . . . They’re always moving.”

With a berth in the CIF Southern Section playoffs at stake, the Spartans played like they had a few pieces missing. And most of the moving they were doing was in the wrong direction.

Meanwhile, Santa Ana played like a team that wasn’t ready to turn in its equipment next week. The Saints clinched third place in the Century League and a spot in the Southern Conference playoffs by rushing for 316 yards and taking advantage of Villa Park’s uninspired offense.

Robert Lee had 155 yards in 16 carries--including touchdown runs of 73 and 9 yards--to lead the Saints to the win that gives them a 6-4 overall record. The loss drops Villa Park (4-3, 6-4) into fourth place and, realistically, eliminates them from postseason play.

Afterward, Villa Park Coach Pat Mahoney seemed to want to hold on to the faint hope that the Spartans will be awarded the wild-card berth to the playoffs.

“We’re 6-4, and we’ve been beaten by only playoff people,” he said. “We did a lot with the material we had this year. We’ll just have to wait until Sunday and see what the selection committee says.

Mahoney better hope there weren’t any members of that committee on hand to witness the first half of Friday night’s game.

The Spartans fumbled the opening kickoff, which led to a quick Santa Ana touchdown. And it didn’t get much better from there.

Villa Park had 53 yards in total offense in the first half, 29 of which came on it’s only score of the half. Santa Ana ran 35 plays by halftime. Villa Park ran all of 13. Spartan quarterback Mike Cederoth was 1 of 10 passing for 10 yards until early in the fourth quarter, when Villa Park put together its only drive of the game. That, coincidentally, was only the second time that the Spartans were able to cross midfield.

The Spartans’ only first-half touchdown, a 29-yard run by Jamie Nelson, came immediately after a Santa Ana fumble. That tied it at 7-7, but Santa Ana played a game of keep-away from there. The Saints drove 77 yards in 14 plays, taking the lead on Lee’s 9-yard scoring run with 10:30 left in the second quarter.

Santa Ana quarterback Eric Turner completed his first six passes to help the Saints get off to a good start. And although Turner finished the game just 8 of 15 for 77 yards, Santa Ana’s running game was enough to keep the Saints in control. Lee left the game late in the third quarter with leg cramps, but was hardly missed as fullback Emele Leausa and reserve tailback Derrick Jones combined to rush for 132 yards.

One play illustrated the type of night it was for Villa Park. Near the end of the first half, Cederoth connected with Nelson for a 45-yard pass play, one that would have been the Spartans’ first completion of the game. But Villa Park was penalized for illegal procedure and the play was called back. First and 10 at the Santa Ana 27 became first and 15 at the Villa Park 27.