Interception Helps Santiago Stop Magnolia

ANAHEIM —  In a game marred by turnovers, it was fitting an interception helped seal Santiago’s 15-12 victory against Magnolia Thursday at Western High School.

With the Sentinels (0-1) driving for the go-ahead score with less than a minute to play, Eric Bautista intercepted a pass from Magnolia quarterback Eric Freund to stop the threat and give Santiago (1-0) the victory. It was Bautista’s third interception.

Both teams suffered opening-game jitters, combining for 12 turnovers, two directly resulting in touchdowns. All the scoring came as the result of turnovers. Carlos Carbajal opened the scoring with a 46-yard run with 4:29 left in the first quarter. That five-play, 88-yard drive was set up by Bautista’s first interception.

Bautista made the score 9-0 with a 32-yard field goal, followed by Octavio Villa’s 22-yard fumble return for a touchdown that made it 15-0 at halftime. Villa also intercepted a pass from Freud in the half to stop another Sentinel drive.

Magnolia’s Carlos Martin cut the lead to 15-6 on a one-yard run midway through the third quarter that capped a 13-play, 58-yard drive.

Thirty seconds later, the Sentinels’ Chris Cone picked up a fumble by Carbajal and raced 37 yards down the sideline to make the score 15-12 as the extra point attempt was wide left.

“We let them back in the game,” said second-year Magnolia Coach Ben Haley. “We didn’t hold on to the ball well, so we have to get with it and learn from this game.”

Magnolia had driven to the Santiago 31-yard line with 50 seconds to play, highlighted by a 36-yard completion to David David, but Freud’s sideline pass on third down was short and Bautista stepped in front of Martin to clinch the victory.

“[Bautista] certainly has a nose for the ball,” Haley said.