Santa Ana Starts With Greater Expectations

Santa Ana didn’t expect much last season and went on to win the Central Division of the Mission Conference.

This season the expectations have increased for Santa Ana, which opens against Pasadena at 1 p.m. today at Santa Ana Stadium.

The Dons return quarterback Archie Lappin and are picked No. 22 in the J.C. Grid-Wire’s first ranking.

The Dons also have two players--offensive lineman Tait Afualo and kicker Anousith Wilaikul--who are preseason All-Americans. They were both on the J.C. Grid-Wire’s second team.

Santa Ana (8-3 last season) has an eight-game winning streak and Pasadena was 2-8 last season, including two forfeits.

In other games:

Fullerton (0-0) at Orange Coast (0-0), 7 p.m.--Fullerton ended last season with a 22-20 loss to Orange Coast, which cost the Hornets a bowl berth. Fullerton will be without wide receiver Al Berganza, who is expected to miss three weeks because of a leg injury. Fullerton defensive back Frankie Salizar is also a J.C. Grid-Wire preseason All-American.

El Camino (0-0) vs. Golden West (0-0), at Orange Coast, 1 p.m.--El Camino is 10th in the J.C. Grid-Wire poll. J.D. Stern, a redshirt freshman, will start at quarterback for Golden West.

Mt. San Antonio (0-0) at Saddleback (0-0), 7 p.m.--Saddleback’s Dick Stuetz makes his debut as head coach after 29 years as an assistant with the Gauchos.