Dons open season with exhibition against Rams

With the fall semester back in swing, the Santa Ana College football team started its season with an exhibition match against Victor Valley College last Saturday. Although no score was kept, both teams scored once in two quarters of play.

“It’s good to see the young guys get out there and move around,” said newly-appointed interim head coach Simon Fuentes. “It’s a lot of the guys’ first time playing college football. However, I’m extremely proud of them.”

Sophomore quarterback Nate Bento started the first two drives for the Dons. Photo by Brandon Rowley / el Don

Coming off back-to-back bowl game victories, the Dons have moved up from the Metro League to the Northern League, meaning they’ll face tougher competition in their conference games. But advancing to a higher league means the Dons could potentially participate in the playoffs.

“It’s going to be a speed adjustment for our team, but our kids are ready,” said defensive line coach James Gugliemana. “We’ve just got to put them in the right spot to succeed.”

The exhibition match began with a series of scrimmages practicing seven-on-seven drills, along with special teams scenarios and trench battles to get the teams warmed up. Both offenses seemed rusty to start the game until a Dons drive, led by quarterback Justin Gill, resulted in a rushing touchdown.

The Dons’ lone touchdown in the exhibition. Photo by Brandon Rowley / el Don

The teams would trade short drives back and forth until the end of the second quarter, when Victor Valley finally broke through and scored a touchdown of their own.

Looking ahead to a challenging schedule for the Dons, Coach Fuentes believes the team should only worry about their own play.

“We can’t worry about others. We have to think about ourselves and just win our rep,” said Coach Fuentes. “It’s all about the next play and focusing on what’s in front of us. Just get better each game.”

Santa Ana’s defensive line breaking through Victor Valley’s line. Photo by Brandon Rowley / el Don

Although the future for this Dons team may seem hazy, Coach Gugliemana has clear sights set for what he believes is a successful season: “8-2, nothing less.”