Sultan seniors are having a good season.
Holding a 4-2 record in nonconference play, Santana’s football team seems to have a stellar force of veteran players, not the least of which is senior running back Bobby Wallace.
On Friday night, Sept. 30, under the white lights of Santana High School’s football field, Wallace broke the school career rushing record with a total of 2,362 yards, the last 210 of which he got in 25 carries during a game against Mar Vista.
Sultan seniors are having a good season.
Holding a 4-2 record in nonconference play, Santana’s football team seems to have a stellar force of veteran players, not the least of which is senior running back Bobby Wallace.
On Friday night, Sept. 30, under the white lights of Santana High School’s football field, Wallace broke the school career rushing record with a total of 2,362 yards, the last 210 of which he got in 25 carries during a game against Mar Vista.
Wallace is also the new all-time career-scoring leader. He ran in 24 points against Mar Vista.
The rushing record previously held by Jerrad Schnautz, 2001-02, was 2,236. The scoring record of 176 was held by Jonathan Tippin, 2004-06.
“I feel great,” said Wallace. “But I need to thank the offensive line, because nothing happens without them.”
Head Coach Tim Estes said his offensive line has really shaped up this season, and that the team has benefited greatly from a handful of experienced returners.
“They’re all kind of leaders amongst themselves,” said Estes. “It’s not like one person stands out as the leader, they all just do what they’re supposed to do.”
Sophomore running back Ian Litten said he has learned a lot from seniors like Wallace and Santana guard Trent Forster, calling both his teammates inspirational. Wallace has done a lot to teach the younger running backs the ropes, said Litten, playing his first year on varsity.
“It’s almost like we’re all brothers out there, helping one another,” he said. “It helps a lot. It helps us get together and make sure we keep on fighting, never back down.”
Not backing down is a characteristic the Sultans demonstrated in full during their game against Imperial Valley’s Mar Vista Mariners. Capturing an early lead, the Sultans battled for every yard line for three quarters as the Mariners continued to push with their determined offense, led by quarterback Mike Wilson. Santana won, 49-35, with Wallace running in another touchdown in the final two minutes of the game.
“It was an awesome game,” said Estes of the match. “It’s been back and forth with Mar Vista with a lot of good games over the last four years.”
Wallace said the win was an important one for them.
“They’re one of our biggest opponents and we put a lot of points on the board,” he said. “We want to be ranked ahead of them in our playoff spots.”
The Sultans will be ready, said Wallace, to jump into the fray against Granite Hills for the start of league on Friday.
“We’re just going to come out and play our game on them,” he said.
