Mount Miguel Hands Santana Its First Loss

Chaka Robinson made his debut for the Mount Miguel High football team a memorable one Friday night, helping the Matadors to a 37-23 win over previously unbeaten Santana and putting his team alone at the top in the Grossmont Valley League standings.

The wide receiver, a transfer from Lincoln High seeing his first game action, caught touchdown passes of 21 and 78 yards from quarterback Ernest Williams in the opening quarter as Mount Miguel built a 17-0 lead.

Three field goals by Brad Cornish pulled Santana (8-1, 2-1) within eight points, but a 23-yard touchdown run by Derrick Dunn and Williams' third TD pass, this one a 42-yarder to Marvin Hood, put the No. 8 Matadors (7-1, 3-0) on top 31-9 with 5:32 left in the first half.

Santana responded with a Kyle Gasner-to-Tyler-Weiss 22-yard score with 1:32 left before intermission to make it 31-16, but the Sultans wouldn't score again until 1:59 remained in the game. That was a 44-yard pass from Gasner to a wide-open Tyler Browning. It offset Mount Miguel's only score of the half, a 9-yard run by Williams earlier in the fourth quarter.

The game was delayed more than 20 minutes in the second quarter when Santana center Ruben Rosas was injured on a running play. He was stabilized before being taken from the field by ambulance.

"We knew if we executed well and played within the structure of our offense and defense, we could win," said Matadors coach Tom Karlo.

Santana coach Dave Gross told his team in the on-field gathering after the game that he'd welcome a rematch. "I'd like nothing better than to play those guys again, at Qualcomm Stadium," he said to his players, referring to the December Division IV title game.

In another Grossmont Valley League game on Friday, El Capitan beat Monte Vista 42-12, and in Grossmont Hills action, No. 1 , and Steele Canyon routed West Hills 41-7.