Taafua Delivers Winning Score for Santiago

Villamu Taafua scored the winning touchdown with 6 minutes 7 seconds remaining to give Santiago a 21-14 victory over Bolsa Grande in a Garden Grove League opener Friday night at Garden Grove High.

Taafua blasted through the right side on fourth and goal from the one for his second touchdown, breaking a 14-14 tie.

The two teams combined for eight lost fumbles, including four in the span of five plays in the second quarter, but the turnover madness was nearly forgotten as Santiago improved to 2-2 on the year.

“We’ll take it,” Santiago Coach Bart Recktenwald said. “Obviously, we’ve got a lot of work ahead. I thought we dealt well . . . we didn’t get down when we turned the ball over.”

Taafua gave Santiago a 7-0 lead with a one-yard scoring dive in the first quarter, but the Matadors answered with an eight-yard touchdown run by James Bui on the opening play of the second quarter, their first touchdown in nine quarters.

The Cavaliers regained the lead after a Bolsa fumble as Anthony Garcia connected with Charlie Carter on a 54-yard scoring pass, and Bolsa Grande tied it with 24 seconds left in the half. Facing fourth and 13 at the Cavalier 30, Matador quarterback Alex Guadarrama scrambled around, broke three tackles in the backfield and found Paul Bui for the touchdown.