Tagaloa’s 3 Scores Lift Saddleback Over Santa Ana

SANTA ANA — Joseph Tagaloa rushed for 96 yards in 18 carries and scored three touchdowns as Saddleback (4-6, 2-3) beat winless Santa Ana, 41-7, in a Golden West League finale Friday at Santa Ana Stadium.

Tagaloa scored the first two touchdowns for the visiting Roadrunners. After the Saints’ defense stopped Saddleback on its first drive, Tagaloa capped an 11-play, 48-yard drive with a one-yard run with 4 minutes 59 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

The senior running back scored the next touchdown from 12 yards on a pitch from quarterback Daniel Bermudez, to give Saddleback a 14-0 lead.

“Our team really pulled together tonight and it was a total effort,” said Tagaloa, who gained 1,060 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in his final season.

The Roadrunners had four fourth-down conversions, and limited Santa Ana to one first down in the first half.

Santa Ana (0-10, 0-5) averted the shutout with 52 seconds left to play when Chris Weaver caught a 36-yard pass from Lee Lopez for a touchdown. Robert Ramirez zipped up the middle untouched for the two-point conversion.

The Saints, who have yet to defeat Saddleback in Golden West League play, have lost 28 games in a row, a streak that dates back to 1995.