GARDEN GROVE — After a pair of winless seasons the past two years, the Santa Ana Valley football team looks primed to earn a spot in the CIF-SS postseason in 2026.
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Robert Torres kicked a 27-yard field goal as time expired to give Santa Ana Valley a 10-7 victory over La Quinta on Thursday at Garden Grove High.
The Falcons (6-2 overall, 4-2 league) are tied for third place in the Tango League with league games remaining against Loara and Century.
There are nine teams in Tango League and the top four will receive guaranteed playoff berths.
For Santa Ana Valley coach Alfredo Macias, the team’s success this season is a product of the hard work the players have put into the program.
“It’s big for us, you know? Like you said, 0-9-1 (last season),” Macias said. “And to come back from that and to just keep fighting all the way through. It’s great, it’s great for the kids. And it’s mostly about the kids and all the hard work they’ve been putting in.
“I love what they do. Stay together. Next play mentality, and they follow through. I’m happy for them.”
The low-scoring game appeared to be headed for overtime when La Quinta tied the score, 7-7, in the fourth quarter on Lelan Latu’s touchdown catch, off a pass from his brother, quarterback Isley Latu.
Lelan Latu picked off Falcons quarterback Angel Garcia on the following possession and the momentum clearly shifted toward the Aztecs.
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La Quinta coach Luc Alexander said he thought his team would prevail after the interception, but the Valley defense held strong and kept the score even.
“They were really disciplined tonight on defense,” Alexander said of Valley’s defense. “They’re really stout, too. We had a hard time stringing plays together, but I still thought from 30 yards we’d be able to chip at it. And then we just made a couple huge mistakes.”
The pivotal play came late in the fourth as the Aztecs lined up to punt deep in their own territory.
Punter Khristian Heredia did his best to corral a low snap, but his punt was partially blocked by the Falcons and they took over at the La Quinta 29.
Five plays later, which featured some tough runs by Fernando Dircio, Torres lined up for the potential game-winning attempt.
“I knew our kid Robert (Torres) has a leg, and if we got it inside the 20-25, we practiced this all week,.” Macias said. “You know, in the huddle, I told everybody to take a deep breath, don’t let the moment get too big. We practiced it, snap it, hold it, kick it.”
The Falcons’ lone touchdown of the game came when Garcia found Jason Valencia for a 20-yard TD pass.
The Aztecs (4-3, 3-2) have three league games remaining — against Savanna, Century and Bolsa Grande. They have a solid opportunity to earn a postseason berth.
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