Santana is 9-1 against El Cajon Valley since January of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Santana Sultans will be playing at home against the El Cajon Valley Braves at 7:00 p.m. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with four consecutive losses for Santana and three for El Cajon Valley.
Santana suffered their biggest loss since December 9, 2023 on Tuesday. They suffered a tough 63-41 defeat at the hands of Mount Miguel. While losing is never fun, Santana can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 989th, while Mount Miguel is ranked 446th).
Santana's loss came about despite a quality game from Jakob Kielinen, who scored 12 points. Dain Diaz was another key contributor, scoring six points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, El Cajon Valley took a serious blow against Monte Vista on Tuesday, falling 80-48.
Santana has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-13 record this season. As for El Cajon Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-10.
Santana skirted past El Cajon Valley 60-58 in their previous matchup back in February of 2023. Will Santana repeat their success, or does El Cajon Valley have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
