LAS FLORES – Orange County football fans have witnessed plenty of dramatics over the years from quarterbacks named Johnson playing for their father, Coach Bob Johnson.
On Friday night, the crowd at Tesoro saw another Johnson quarterback – wearing No. 11 like his predecessors – produce another powerful finish.
Quarterback Brock Johnson guided the Diablos from their 3-yard line late in the fourth quarter for a game-winning 23-yard field goal by Cory Sibert with 29 seconds left as No. 8 Mission Viejo stunned No. 6 Tesoro, 12-10, to maintain its grip on the South Coast League.
Tesoro quarterback Devon Modster – a standout junior like Brock – drove the Titans (6-2, 1-1) as far the Mission Viejo 35 before time expired and the night belonged to Brock and the Diablos (6-2, 2-0), who won their sixth straight. Brock is the grandson of Mission Viejo coach Bob Johnson, the son of former El Toro quarterback Bret Johnson and nephew of former El Toro quarterback Rob Johnson, the latter two coaches at Mission Viejo.
“It’s really special,” Bob Johnson said after the Diablos’ faithful rushed the field after their school’s 27th consecutive league victory. “What special is the team he’s on. He’s a big leader of that team.”
Brock Johnson received plenty of help from his defense and wide receiver/corner A’brae Booker-Currin. The Diablos’ final drive started at their 3 after an interception by safety Julian Owens with 7:02 left in the fourth.
With the Diablos trailing, 10-9, Brock Johnson extended the drive by converting a third-and-9 from his 26 with a 10-yard completion to Booker-Currin, a summer transfer from Texas who also had an interception. He hit Booker-Currin again on a crossing pattern for a 22-yard gain to the Tesoro 42 with about 4:10 left. Later in the drive, Brock converted a third-and-10 with a 19-yard strike to Cole Young to the Tesoro 12 with 2:38 left.
A roughing the passer penalty moved to the ball to the 6, setting the stage from Sibert — a second-year kicker – and holder Patrick Sandoval.
“Very big statement victory,” said Brock, who completed 11 of 19 passes for 137 yards and wasn’t intercepted. “I think a lot of people have been doubting us this year. I think we proved a lot tonight.”
Owens also broke up two passes while defensive linemen Joe Babros and Brandon Sloss had sacks.
Tesoro, ranked No. 1 in the West Valley Division, took a 10-9 lead late in the third quarter as running back Anthony Battista scored on a 2-yard run to cap a 17-play, 74-yard drive that consumed 7:21. Justin Matlin added the extra point.
Mission Viejo led, 9-3, at halftime thanks to some big plays by its defense.
The Diablos’ defense made Tesoro pay for a risky attempt to convert a fourth-and-1 from its 21 early in the second quarter. Mission Viejo stopped Modster shy of the first down with 10:36 left and promptly drove for a go-ahead, 1-yard TD run by Rome Innocenzi about a minute later. The PAT sailed right but Mission Viejo led, 6-3.
On Tesoro’s next possession, the Titans faced another 4-and-1 decision, this time from their 49. They went for it again and suffered a double loss. The Diablos’ secondary broke up about a 10-yard pass over the middle intended for standout wide receiver Jake Smeltzer, who was injured trying to make the grab. Owens was in on the hit.
Smeltzer didn’t return and left the Tesoro without two of its top players. Safety/receiver Tristan Kafentzis didn’t play because of a MCL knee sprain suffered last week against El Toro.
“We played such a grind,” Tesoro coach Matt Poston said before the game, referring to a stretch that included victories against Upland, Corona del Mar, San Clemente and El Toro.
After the Smeltzer play, Mission Viejo drove for a 36-yard field goal by Sibert that extended the Diablos’ lead to 9-3 with 4:03 left in the half.
Tesoro opened the game with a promising drive from its 32 to the Mission Viejo 9. But the drive ended with an interception in the end zone by Booker-Currin.
Matlin kicked a 35-yard field goal later in the first quarter for a 3-0 lead. He missed a 49-yard attempt short on the final play of the first half.
Mission Viejo, the five-time defending South Coast champion, hasn’t lost in the league since 2008 when it fell to Tesoro, 31-14, in a opener. Modster threw for 207 yards and rushed for 72 yards, helping the Titans outgain the Diablos, 353-206. But the Diablos didn’t have a turnover, grabbed two interceptions and committed few penalties. Tesoro hurt itself with 11 penalties for 104 yards, including three holding calls.
Booker-Currin played corner and receiver and finished with six catches for 80 yards. He said Brock Johnson is progressing as a first-year starter, which certainly seemed clear on the Diablos’ final drive.
“He’s coming along well,” Booker-Currin said.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
