Lee Leads Saints to Win and Title : Santa Ana Takes Second Straight League Crown, 20-6

Neither the sloppy field conditions in Santa Ana Stadium nor one of the top defensive teams in Orange County could stop Santa Ana High School running back Robert Lee on Friday night.

Lee combined power with speed to gain 153 yards in 25 carries and score 2 touchdowns to lead the Saints to a 20-6 win over Villa Park in front of 4,800.

The victory gave the Saints (8-1, 4-0) their second straight Century League title, and Coach Dick Hill his 13th league championship in 25 seasons of coaching at Downey, Santa Ana Valley and Santa Ana.

Lee scored on runs of 29 and 19 yards on a playing field that was more suitable for mud wrestling. The entire Santa Ana backfield had fun in the mud as the Saints gained 268 yards against a team that had been giving up an average of only 11 points per game.

Earlier in the week, Tony Inga, Villa Park defensive tackle, said the Spartans’ objective was to stop Lee, the county’s 10th-leading rusher. Lee established his authority early, gaining 82 yards in the first quarter and scoring a touchdown on the Saints’ first possession.

“I read where they were going to try and stop me and that was a mistake,” Lee said. “If any team thinks it can concentrate on just one back on this team, they’re making a mistake. We’ve got lots of guys who can do the job.”

For openers, there’s Carlos Garcia, a burly fullback, who gained 49 yards in 7 carries. Garcia provided the key blocks for Lee most of the game. Then, there’s flanker Donovan Mauga, a shifty runner who added 29 yards in 5 carries.

Finally, there’s the zany running of quarterback George Tuioti. Tuioti managed to complete only one pass, but added 37 yards in 8 carries.

“They’ve got so many athletes with so many different ways to beat you,” said Pat Mahoney, Villa Park coach. “I thought the field conditions would be an equalizer, but they were bigger and faster.”

Villa Park (6-3, 3-1) was seeking its first league title in 10 years and trailed by only 7-6 after three quarters. The Spartans managed to stay close thanks to four fumble recoveries and the hard-running of fullback John Genova.

Genova gained 65 yards in 16 carries, but Spartan quarterback Rob Davey had little luck throwing, completing only 2 of 10 passes for 26 yards. Genova scored the Spartans’ only touchdown on a nine-yard run in the second quarter.

“We got some breaks, but we just didn’t capitalize,” Mahoney said. “We had to make some things happen, and we tried to with a fake field goal and a fake punt, but they didn’t work.”

Santa Ana’s defense, led by ends Oscar Wilson and Albert Ruiz, limited Villa Park to 111 yards in total offense and intercepted 2 passes. Rob Fanti had an interception in the second quarter, giving him 13 for the season.

Royal Wilbon ended a frustrating evening for Villa Park by intercepting a pass with 28 seconds remaining and returning it 31 yards for Santa Ana’s final score.

Afterward, Hill said he had wondered how his team would react to the poor field conditions.

“I was certainly worried about the field because we rely so much on our speed,” he said. “Robert (Lee) had tremendous practices this week, and I thought he was going to have a big night. When he puts his mind to it, there’s nobody better.”

Just ask Villa Park.