Argonauts Use Ioane’s Big Plays to Beat Santiago

Garden Grove’s Lui Ioane made two huge plays on offense, including a 65-yard run for the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter, to lead the Argonauts to a 27-17 Garden Grove League victory over Santiago Thursday night at Garden Grove High School.

With 2:45 left in the game and the Argonauts trailing, 17-13, Ioane took a handoff on a reverse at the Argonaut 35-yard line, raced around end, broke two tackles and ran to the end zone.

Trailing 20-17, Santiago (4-4, 2-3) took over on its own 15, but turned the ball over on downs four plays later at the 19.

Garden Grove then iced the game two plays later on a 10-yard run by Keo Sutherland with 1:20 left.

The only other time Ioane touched the ball was when he scored the game’s first touchdown in the second quarter on a 70-yard pass from Sutherland to give Garden Grove (5-3, 4-0) a 7-3 lead.

David Pines hit a 32-yard field goal to make it 10-3 as the gun sounded ending the first half.

Santiago scored in the third quarter on a 41-yard pass from Brian Pilkington to Trung Nguyen to tie the score, 10-10.

After a Garden Grove field goal made it 13-10, Santiago answered when Christian Aguirre ran 19 yards for a score. The touchdown was set up by Pilkington’s 40-yard pass to Bryan Thomas at the Garden Grove 20.

Sutherland finished five of nine for 96 yards and a touchdown while sharing time at quarterback with Matt Crippen, who was two of five for 20 yards. Sutherland also led the Argonauts in rushing, with 62 yards in 19 carries.

Pilkington passed for 159 yards, but was intercepted twice.