Football: Santa Ana is 11-0 after 1-49 stretch not long ago

Before Charlie TeGantvoort showed up at Santa Ana High in 2013, the team went through a 1-49 stretch.

Now that Santa Ana is 11-0 and in the Southern Section Division 13 quarterfinals, fans are showing up to games and school spirit is rising fast.

The turnaround has plenty to do with TeGantvoort, who left Los Angeles Douglass and took over a program that had been 0-10 in 2013.

“It was a bit of a rebuilding process,” he said. “When I got here, we started working out harder. We created a year-round program with a leadership program, where kids spent time together. We got to know each other and through knowing each other, we started playing hard for each other.”

Leading the team this season are the Brisnero twins, Jonathan and Jorge. Both missed the first three games with injuries. Jorge is a running back, John a receiver.

Santa Ana plays at Santa Ana Stadium, the home field of unbeaten Santa Ana Mater Dei. Don’t expect the two unbeaten schools to play any time soon.

But TeGantvoort, who played for Mater Dei defensive coordinator Eric Johnson, said jokingly, “We’re the oldest school. We consider the bowl Santa Ana’s home that we allow Mater Dei to use.”

Santa Ana plays Azusa on Friday at Citrus College.