Thomas Saves Santiago Victory Over Santa Ana

Santiago running back James Thomas scored the winning touchdown in the final minutes to give the Cavaliers a 24-20 victory over Santa Ana in a nonleague game Friday at Garden Grove High School.

Thomas rushed for 142 yards, scoring on an 18-yard run with 1 minute 51 seconds left in the game.

The Saints (0-2) scored first on a four-yard run by sophomore Reynaldo Flores early in the second quarter. Santa Ana got two points on the conversion. After faking the kick, Cesar Plascencia ran it in to make the score 8-0.

Santa Ana’s passing kept the Saints within striking distance. The Saints gained 294 yards through the air. In the third quarter, sophomore Lee Lopez replaced starting quarterback Rigo Oropeza, who was forced out of the game because of a leg injury. Lopez, who completed four passes for 223 yards, connected with Chris Weaver for 78- and 74-yard touchdown receptions.

The second touchdown gave Santa Ana a 20-18 lead with 6:31 left in the third quarter. The point-after attempt was blocked.

The Cavaliers’ largest lead was 18-8 in the third quarter after Adrian Villacana’s 38-yard field goal. Santiago is 1-1.