Villa’s 107-Yard Return Sparks San Pasqual

Jamon Buggs ran wild in the fourth quarter and David Villa set a San Diego Section record with a 107-yard interception return for a touchdown to lead San Pasqual to a come-from-behind victory, 34-20, over Santana in the quarterfinals of the section playoffs Saturday night at San Pasqual.

Buggs finished with 136 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns in 22 carries, many of those yards coming in the final 12 minutes and coming behind the blocking of offensive lineman Troy Davis.

“The fourth quarter we kind of took over, and Jamon went to town,” San Pasqual Coach Mike Dolan said. “He did it all behind Troy Davis. He was awesome.

“(Davis) came over to me in the fourth quarter and said, ‘You run behind me, and we’ll win.’ So we did, and we did.”

With the victory, San Pasqual completes the all-Avocado League 2-A semifinals, and will play top-seeded Torrey Pines next Saturday night at a site to be determined. San Pasqual (11-1), Torrey Pines (10-2) and El Camino (11-1) were tri-league champions this season. Carlsbad (6-6), the fourth Avocado team in the semifinals, will play El Camino on Friday.

Santana, which was second to El Capitan in the Grossmont 2-A League, finished 7-5, but nearly pulled off the upset.

Two Eagle fumbles led to two of Santana’s first three scores, a Brian Setzer 17-yard run and a 22-yard field goal by Doug Saska, who earlier had booted another 22-yarder.

A Brian Lauer three-yard in the third quarter gave Santana a 20-19 lead, but Buggs and San Pasqual took over from there, limiting the Sultans to only eight plays in the fourth quarter.

“I’ll tell you what,” Dolan said, “Buggs just ran crazy in the second half. He really got after some folks.”

With the score tied, 7-7, Villa intercepted a Doug Schultz’ pass seven yards deep in the end zone and took off for the longest return in section history.

The old record was a 106-yard effort by Morse’s Teddy Lawrence in the 1988 3-A championship game in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

After Saska’s first field goal with 43 seconds left in the first half, Santana attempted a squib kick, but it went to upback David Mick, and he returned it to the Santana 28-yard line.

San Pasqual quarterback Ryan Hill then completed his first pass of the night, a 17-yarder to Rick Braden, and then his second, a seven-yard touchdown pass Pat LaForte with five seconds left in the half.

DeSalle Wallace, San Pasqual’s other 1,000-yard rusher this season, gained 61 yards in seven carries as the Eagles accumulated 217 total yards.

Santana rushed 51 times for 164 yards.