Santiago Wins the First Half, Anyway, Before Taking a Fall

The Santiago football team showed it could play with the best Thursday as the Cavaliers built a one-point halftime lead against West Covina South Hills.

South Hills showed in the second half why it is undefeated and ranked fourth in Southern Section Division VIII, scoring 28 unanswered points for a 40-13 nonleague victory at Bolsa Grande High.

Santiago (3-3) started well, getting a 38-yard kickoff return from Steve Lopez and moving downfield for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead, with Ben Tran scoring on a five-yard sneak.

On their next possession, however, a bad snap from punt formation turned the ball over to the Huskies at the Santiago 25. Quarterback Ryan Smith went around the left side from four yards to pull South Hills within 7-6.

The visitors took a 12-7 lead when Gray McNeill scored on a three-yard plunge with 3 minutes 40 seconds left in the half, but Santiago had the last word before the half. Tran connected with Carlos Carbajal on a 45-yard pass play to put Santiago ahead, 13-12.

It was the Cavaliers’ last hurrah. South Hills (6-0) outgained Santiago, 246-33, in the second half and held the Cavaliers without a first down. McNeill rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns for South Hills.

“They kind of wore us out,” Santiago Coach Ben Haley Jr. said. “Their athletic ability kind of took over.”