Santiago Easily Handles Santa Ana, 26-0

The winning team shut out its opponent, then dwelled on two touchdowns that were called back. The losing team committed four turnovers, then talked about how happy they were to be playing at all.

Despite some confusing postgame analysis, Santiago’s 26-0 victory over Santa Ana Thursday at Santa Ana Stadium was quite straightforward.

The Cavaliers scored on four of their five first-half possessions to put the game out of reach, 19-0.

Afterward, Coach Ben Haley lamented the two Santiago touchdowns that were nullified because of penalties as well as several defensive breakdowns.

“This is the kind of game that drives coaches nuts,” he said.

The victory gave the Cavaliers their first 2-0 start in more than 15 years, Haley said.

Meanwhile, first-year Santa Ana Coach Mark Miller was pleased with his team’s effort. The Saints have been 1-9 each of the last three years.

“I’m really proud that these guys would come back and try to turn it around,” he said.

The Cavaliers took a 7-0 lead after Jose Palacios scored on a three-yard run and Adrian Villicana’s kicked the extra point. Villicana kicked field goals of 27- and 23-yards before Steve Lopez scored on a 14-yard pass play from Ben Tran to make it 19-0 with 3 minutes 5 seconds remaining in the first half.

Santa Ana’s Omar Gomez recovered a Cavalier fumble and returned it 62 yards to the Cavalier 10-yard line just as time expired in the first half.

The Saints’ Sergio Tarin intercepted a pass from Tran on the Saints’ one-yard line and returned in 18 yards with about five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. But two plays later, Jose Sierra intercepted a pitch from Santa Ana quarterback Rigo Oropeza and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown.