Santa Ana College players take the field for Saturday’s game. (Photo courtesy Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone)
Santa Ana College’s football team staged a furious fourth-quarter comeback but fell short losing to Mt. San Jacinto 39-34 Saturday night at the Santa Ana Stadium.
Trailing 39-20 with 8:44 remaining, the Dons drew closer after running back Arthur Shaw caught a short pass from quarterback Cesar Ayala and raced and weaved 48 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 39-27 with 7:04 to play.
SAC (0-2) then recovered the ensuing onside kick and quickly moved down the field. Shaw scored his second TD of the game, this time capping a 55-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run as the Dons cut the lead to 39-34 with 5:52 left in the game.
SAC appeared to be on the brink of getting the ball back but the Eagles converted a crucial third-down play and then completed a long pass down field before turning the ball back over to the Dons at the 15-yard line with 40 seconds remaining. SAC moved the ball to the 48-yard line but Ayala’s Hail Mary pass as time ran out fell incomplete, securing the win for MSJ.
“We had way too many penalties and too many freshman mistakes,” said Dons Coach Anthony White. “We’re getting better but we have to translate that into wins.”
After Dons starting quartertback Luke Wilson went down last week with a season-ending ACL injury, Ayala and David Griffin split the quarterback duties. Ayala completed 19 of 30 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns while Griffin completed 7 of 14 passes for 160 yards and a TD.
However, the SAC running attack failed to produce positive yards, yet the offense generated 505 yards. Santa Ana’s defense gave up 553 yards and the offense committed two turnovers. The Dons were flagged 18 times for 155 yards and converted only 5 of 14 third-down attempts. SAC also had an extra point and a field goal attempt blocked.
But Shaw displayed excellent speed as he caught five passes for 152 yards and a TD and returned five kickoffs for 149 yards. Kyran Hayes caught five passes for 110 yards a touchdown, but he left the game with an injured right ankle in the second quarter and did not return.
Tyler Shimourn also hauled in six receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown for the Dons. Bryce Phillips led the SAC defense with 9 tackles.
Robert Coleman and Devan Freedland combined to complete 33 passes for 419 yards and four TD passes for the Eagles (1-1). Rashoud Shelton caught nine passes for 170 yard scored three touchdowns and Sherod White led MSJ with 91 yards rushing a TD.
Coleman threw a TD pass and ran for a touchdown in the second quarter as the Eagles took a 27-20 halftime lead. The Dons scored first and took a 6-0 lead Hayes caught a 59-yard TD pass from Ayala at the 7:18 mark of the first quarter.
NOTES: The Dons travel to Los Angeles Pierce College next week ….. After announcing Buena Park High school football games for the last 46 years, Steve Herman has taken over the stadium announcing duties for the SAC football team this season.
—Courtesy Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone
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