6,000 yards, 50 TDs just a start for Etiwanda's Santiago?
Angel Santiago is entering his third year as Etiwanda High School's starting quarterback. He has already accounted for nearly 6,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in his career.
Now he's going to show what he can really do?!?
"We're expecting a breakout season from him," Etiwanda coach Steve Bryce said. "Our expectations are really high not just throwing the ball but running the ball too."
Santiago passed for 2,449 yards and 19 TDs last season. In 313 pass attempts he was intercepted just seven times (a completion percentage of 59 wasn't too shabby either). And that's just throwing the ball...
The 5-foot-10, 173-pound senior rushed for 752 yards (at 6 yards per carry) and eight TDs last season while leading the Eagles to fourth-place in the Baseline League, good enough for an at-large playoff berth.
The running department is where Bryce expects the most improvement after Santiago joined the track team and led the Etiwanda 4x100 relay team to the CIF finals.
"He was already really good," Bryce said, "but he was lacking that extra gear that some kids have."
Now he's got it.
Santiago lost three-year starting tailback Vince Minor to graduation but Etiwanda has plenty of talent at wide receiver on an offense with seven starters back. Etiwanda has "more beef up front than we've had in three or four years" on an offensive unit that averaged 31.6 points per game in '08.
With Los Osos and Upland, last year's second and third-place teams behind Baseline and CIF champ Rancho Cucamonga, having lost significant talent to graduation, this could be a prime year for Etiwanda to make a run.