Speer, Zaragoza Help Drive Magnolia Past Santiago, 23-17

Magnolia running back Will Speer rushed for a career-high 151 yards and quarterback Anthony Zaragoza rushed for two touchdowns, including the game-winning score with 4:56 left, to give the Sentinels a 23-17 nonleague victory over Santiago on Friday night at Western High.

Zaragoza scored on a one-yard run late in the third quarter and a 10-yard bootleg late in the fourth quarter to cap a 14-play, 69-yard drive.

Santiago (0-1) got the ball on the next possession and quarterback Ben Tran completed a pass to wide receiver Brandon Lee, who was hit and fumbled. Magnolia’s Anthony Aguilar fell on the ball to end Santiago’s final drive with four minutes to play.

Magnolia opened the scoring on a 22-yard field goal by Chris Clark with 7:08 left in the first quarter. Speer scored the game’s first touchdown on a two-yard run in the first quarter. Santiago scored on an eight-yard run by Jahn Thomas in the second quarter, and Fernando Santoyo concluded the first-half scoring with a 26-yard field goal.

Magnolia scored on its first possession of the second half, going 83 yards on 11 plays capped by Zaragoza’s one-yard run. The Cavaliers tied the score on the ensuing kickoff with an 85-yard return by Kal Lelasofa on the final play of the third quarter.