Community College Football Roundup : Rancho Santiago Lives Up to Billing : Returning Standouts Get Job Done in Season-Opening Victory

Rancho Santiago’s returning offensive standouts--quarterback Scott Wood and wide receiver Paul Peters--received plenty of attention in the preseason.

And right on cue, both had outstanding games as Rancho Santiago defeated Citrus, 34-14, Saturday before 1,000 at Santa Ana Stadium in the Dons’ season-opener.

The duo, however, became a trio when freshman Estrus Crayton rushed into the spotlight. Crayton, an all-Orange County running back from Santa Ana High School, scored three touchdowns, two rushing and one on a pass play.

He finished with 100 yards rushing in 15 carries and added 67 yards receiving in two catches. He had touchdown runs of two and five yards in the first half, but his most impressive performance came on a 57-yard scoring pass from Wood.

Crayton caught the ball at about the line of scrimmage on a quick out, used a couple blocks to get into the open, broke two tackles and raced along the sidelines for a touchdown.

“I spun off of one tackle, slipped another and after that, I was gone,” Crayton said.

Wood, a sophomore quarterback, was 14 of 22 for 301 yards and three touchdowns. He was especially effective in the first half when Rancho Santiago opened a 34-7 lead. Wood completed 13 of 16 for 290 yards and all three touchdowns. Eleven of his 13 first-half completions were for 10 yards or more.

Peters, a sophomore wide receiver, had five catches for 134 yards, including a touchdown. He had 22 yards rushing and 69 yards in three kickoff returns.

Peters and Wood teammed for a 45-yard scoring pass in the second half. Peters caught the ball at the Citrus 20, broke two tackles and ducked under another would-be tackler on his way to the end zone.

“Our aces played really well tonight,” Rancho Santiago Coach Dave Ogas said. “Wood, Peters and Crayton all did an outstanding job. So did the coaches. I’m just sort of the middle man around here.”

Citrus’ only score came in the first quarter on Paul Clark’s 53-yard run. That gave Citrus (0-2) a 7-6 lead with 4:12 left in the first quarter. But Crayton scored on a five-yard run less than two minutes later to give Rancho Santiago the lead for good.

Rancho Santiago shifted in new players midway through the third quarter and all the starters were gone by the start of the fourth period.

The Owls got the final score of the game on a four-yard touchdown run by Matt Yantz with 3:03 left in the third quarter.

Peters fumbled the ensuing kickoff with Citrus recovering, but the Owls went backward and and ended with a fourth and 23. The punt by Tucker Sides went all of six yards and ended up in the second row of the visiting stands, good for six yards.

Orange Coast College 31, Rio Hondo 14--Joe Fumi-Fiamawle’s 62-yard interception return for a touchdown sparked host Orange Coast to a 25-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Two plays later, Rio Hondo’s Francisco Barillas fumbled at the Rio Hondo 24 and Orange Coast scored six plays later, on Mike Baez’s two-yard run, to put the game away. Baez finished with two touchdowns and 102 yards in 22 carries.

Orange Coast quarterback Greg Angelovic completed 13 of 19 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown.

San Diego Mesa 17, Saddleback 7--Sophomore quarterback Scott Allen came off the bench to pass for 162 yards and two touchdowns for San Diego Mesa at Saddleback. Allen replaced Mesa’s Lance Lowery, who left the game with a knee injury after the second play. Allen was 10 of 20, and had touchdown passes of five and 23-yards in the fourth quarter. Saddleback was led by sophomore tailback John Burns, who rushed for 175 yards in 25 carries.