SANTEESANTEE — Aware they had a special senior class, Santana boosters attached large, colorful posters of several players on the light posts throughout the parking lot at Santee Community Stadium.
And soon they may be collector items as the Sultans aim for their first-ever San Diego Section championship next week.
Behind 227 ing yards and four touchdown es by Nathan Temple, Santana defeated Orange Glen, 35-14, in the Division IV semifinals on Friday night.
With the win, top-seeded Santana (11-1) will take on No. 2 Serra (10-2) in the final next Friday at 1 p.m. at Southwestern College. Santana beat Serra, 31-14, in Week 2.
“I’m ecstatic,” Temple said. “I’ve been dreaming of this since my freshman year. We’re going to the show, and we’re ready.”
Temple completed 12-of-21 es for 227 yards and the four scores without an interception. Brooks Moutaw rushed for 141 yards on 15 carries and finished the scoring with a 35-yard TD as the Sultans racked up 374 total yards against No. 4 Orange Glen (7-5).
Santana is 0-2 in title games, losing most recently to La Jolla Country Day in 2016.
“I think we let one get away,” Orange Glen coach Jason Patterson said. “We did not play well enough to get the victory, and Santana did.”
Earlier Friday, Patterson witnessed the birth of his 10th child, Isaac. His second child, star tailback Cael Patterson, entered the game as the No. 9 rusher in section history with 5,508 yards, including 2,496 this year. He gained 126 yards on 26 carries, but 100 of those came in the first half.
“Our No. 1 goal was to stop Cael,” Santana coach Tim Estes said. “Our defense did a pretty good job of that, especially in the second half.”
Michael Richter had three sacks as the Sultans limited OG to 227 total yards.
The Patriots got on the board first when Patterson raced for 46 yards and then plunged in on the next play for a 2-yard score.
Then, Temple and Santana found their groove and took a 21-6 lead into intermission.
First, Temple heaved a long to Randy Smith, who hauled it in along the sideline for a 60-yard TD.
In the second quarter, Moutaw reeled off a 32-yard run before Temple hit Jared Forster on a 23-yard score. After a three-and-out defensive stand, Temple hit Moutaw for a 46-yard pickup before Temple tossed to Dean Landers for a 16-yard TD.
Temple’s fourth TD also went to Landers, and 18-yarder that gave the Sultans a 28-6 lead near the end of the third quarter.
“That’s how Nate plays every game,” Estes said. “He makes the big plays when we need them, and he makes the simple plays to keep drives alive.”
Orange Glen————————6 0 0 8 — 14
Santana—————————– 7 14 7 7 — 35
OG – Cael Patterson 2 run (run failed)
S – Randy Smith 60 from Nathan Temple (Nathan Hughes kick)
S – Jared Forster 23 from Nathan Temple (Nathan Hughes kick)
S – Dean Landers 16 from Nathan Temple (Nathan Hughes kick)
S – Dean Landers 18 from Nathan Temple (Nathan Hughes kick)
OG – D.J. Harris 38 from Ethan Villalobos (Cael Patterson run)
S – Brooks Moutaw 35 run (Nathan Hughes kick)
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