MidValleySports.Com

Santa Fe opened up with a win over El Rancho.

(Pico Rivera) – The Santa Fe defense stepped up in the second half limiting El Rancho to just 62 yards on the ground enroute to a 39-21 win in its Del Rio League opener.

After giving up 152 points in three of its four losses, the Chiefs held the Dons to just seven-second half points while causing two big turnovers and two sacks.

With Santa Fe holding a slim lead at 26-21 and El Rancho driving, Marcos Gomez stepped in front of Joe Sanchez’s pass at the Don 45-yard line to intercept and return it for the game clinching touchdown with just under six minutes remaining in the game.

Joey Davis led all running backs on the night with a 141 yards rushing on 20 carries and scored twice on the night (one on the ground and the other receiving).

The Chiefs defense looked a bit lost in the first half with Sanchez and Ronell Lone each being able account for 110 of the 136 yards they gained rushing. Sanchez finished with 79 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Lone closed the night out with 65 yards and one touchdown.

Miscues early by both teams didn’t cost the Dons, but would bite Santa Fe early as Cameron Valencia intercepted his fourth pass of the season and returned it to the Chiefs 22-yard line.

Lone finished the three play drive with a five yard run to open up the scoring for both teams.

Ronell Lone scored once in the loss for the Dons.

Midway through the second quarter with El Rancho leading by eight, and Santa Fe driving a bad snap to the quarterback was recovered by the Dons defense. One play later, El Rancho would cough up the ball and the Chiefs recovered it at the Dons 6-yard line.

Three plays later, Christian Mahlstede ran to the left side for a four-yard score to get Santa Fe within two.

It took the Chiefs the opening drive of the second half to finally smell a lead as Justin Rietz throw a screen-pass to Davis for a 30 yard touchdown reception. For the third consecutive time the Special Teams failed Santa Fe and it settled for an 18-14 lead.

The Dons battled back with an impressive nine-play drive that was capped by Sanchez’s second touchdown of the night from five yards out. The touchdown gave El Rancho back the lead at 21-18.

That lead would be the last for the Dons as Santa Fe answered with its own 10-play drive that started on the Chiefs 25-yard line and finished on Mahlstede’s six-yard reception from Rietz.

El Rancho tried to battle back late in the game facing a fourth and 10 at its own 47-yard line Sanchez went back to pass, felt pressure and throw a pass over the middle that was picked off by Matthew Webb with 2:39 remaining in the game.

For the third time on the night, the Chiefs scored off a turnover after Aaron Zaragosa took the first play from scrimmage at the 34 and found daylight to the end zone to add the exclamation point.