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Prep Football: It's a Battle for Santee Bragging Rights

Santana visits West Hills as the 2011 prep season kicks off with the intra-city rivalry.

As a rule, crosstown rivalries are usually conducted at the end of the season. For some reason, Santee rivals Santana and West Hills will square off to open the season Friday night at 7 on the Wolf Pack’s blue field. Granted, the thinking here is that these teams are no longer in the same league nor the same division, thus it becomes more of a battle for bragging rights.

Considering West Hills is in Division III in the Grossmont Hills League, and Santana is in Division IV in the Grossmont Valley League, just exactly when these teams face off doesn’t have any major impact.

Officially this game is the battle for the Jack Dale Cup, named after the former mayor and now councilman. It’s had other names in the past.

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Coming off a 7-3-1 season a year ago, the Sultans figure to be a formidable foe in the GVL. Landon Lozoya will share the quarterbacking chores with Kyle Gasner, if only for the fact that Lozoya is such a versatile athlete who will also play wide receiver and defensive back.

West Hills, under first-year coach Tay Sneddon, a longtime assistant coach at Madison, will look to senior running back Ryan Williams to carry the offensive load. Williams likely will break the 1,000-yard mark in rushing with his 4.5 speed.

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The Wolf Pack welcomes Christian High transfer junior quarterback Rashaan Miller (6-5, 180) into the huddle.

West Hills leads the all-time series 15-7 but lost to Santana last year by a 31-20 count.

Neither team figures to challenge for a league title although the Sultans, if they avoid injury, could finish as high as second in their circuit.

West Hills is completely overmatched in the GHL. The best the Wolf Pack can hope for is a third-place finish, but simply escaping the cellar would be more realistic.

Special to Patch.com from East County Sports.com

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