Football Recap: Irvine Skates Past Santa Ana with Ease + How To Watch

By Team Reports Oct 5, 2025, 4:44am

Football Recap: Irvine Vaqueros vs. Santa Ana Saints

HOW TO WATCH: This game can be replayed on the NFHS Network, the official streaming partner of the CA Interscholastic Federation (CIF) & Irvine High School. Watch Full Replay

Suggested Video

Winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Irvine). They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat the Santa Ana Saints 43-7. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Vaqueros' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 293rd, while the Saints are ranked 627th).

Irvine's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Sina Saferzadeh, who threw for 186 yards and three touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes, and also rushed for 34 yards. Another receiver making a difference was Enzo Cahoon, who picked up 91 receiving yards and a pair of TDs.

Irvine's run defense was locked in: Santa Ana could only muster 0.7 yards per carry. The Vaqueros' ground attack was stronger, having averaged 4.6.

Irvine didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Chad Russom, Cole Riedel, and Saferzadeh picked up one apiece.

Vaqueros

Previous 4 Games

10/03/25 vs Santa Ana43-7
09/18/25 @ Kennedy36-15
09/11/25 vs Laguna Hills28-7
09/05/25 @ Woodbridge28-14

The win (which was Irvine's fourth in a row) raised their record to 5-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 33.8 points over those games. As for Santa Ana, their defeat was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 3-3.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Irvine will venture away from home to take on Canyon at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Vaqueros' defense better be ready for this one: the Comanches have averaged an impressive 30.2 points per game this season. As for Santa Ana, they will face off against Troy at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps