GLENDORA, Calif. - Despite a spirited effort from their defense, the Dons (2-5, 1-1) couldn't hold on against No. 17/18 (CCCSIA/JCAB) Citrus (7-0, 2-0) as the Owls outscored them 35-7 in the last 30 minutes to take a crucial American League Metro (AML) game on Saturday afternoon.
Santa Ana's defense played extremely well throughout the night against one of the best offenses they'll see all year. Although the Dons shut out the Owls in the first half, they ultimately gave up 317 yards of offense and three touchdowns on the night.
The scoring began on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter as Citrus quarterback Adam Urena connected with receiver Jesse Carmona for an 89 yard touchdown.
Santa Ana stiffened up their coverage for the rest of the quarter, maintaining their 7-0 deficit at the start of the fourth.
Citrus managed to break through once again at the 14:55 mark with a 22 yard pass from Urena, making it a 14-0 game. After a SAC interception on the next possession, the Owls got the ball back in great field position which led to a 21 yard rushing touchdown to give them a 21-0 lead.
The Owls would score twice more on inceptions before Santa Ana finally got on the board at the 8:14 mark when Cesar Vazquez punched in a four yard run.
Neither team found the endzone again, making the final score 35-7.
Santa Ana used three different quarterbacks once again with Ceasar Ayala, Dallen Engemann and Beck Moss all getting reps and combining for 213 passing yards.
Kristian Constantine was the primary target for the Dons receiving core, pulling down seven receptions for 86 yards. Jamiel Henning rushed for 30 yards on 11 touches while Vasquez ran for 11 yards on six attempts and scored the only touchdown of the game for the Dons.
Alijah Sadler led the way for the SAC defense with six tackles. Right behind him was Nathan Logoleo, who recorded five of his own tackles with two for loss and one sack.
The Dons now look forward to their week nine matchup as they are set to host Orange Coast (1-6, 0-2) in the Victory Flag Rivalry game.
In last year's game, the Dons reclaimed the flag with a 56-14 win. OCC will be looking for revenge as well as their first AML win of the year after falling to Glendale 38-28 in week eight.
