Football Recap: Santiago Triumphs

Santiago's game on Thursday was all tied up 21-21 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 52-50 win over the Hillcrest Trojans. This was payback for the Sharks, who suffered a 33-28 loss the last time these two teams met.

The critical scores for Santiago came from Khalil Page and Zack Jackson.

Special teams played a big role in the game for Santiago, adding 13 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Jackson, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.

Despite the loss, Hillcrest still got an impressive performance from Matthew Ramos, who picked up 121 receiving yards and two TDs, and also rushed for 33 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The bulk of those receiving yards came from one huge play: a catch that gained an incredible 77 yards. Zyren Jones was another key player, picking up 115 receiving yards and a pair of scores.

Santiago has started the season off flawlessly and has a 2-0 record to show for it. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 41.5 points this season. As for Hillcrest, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-1.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Santiago will have some time to savor their win since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Silverado at 7:00 p.m. on September 12. As for Hillcrest, they will head out to challenge Ramona at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.