LAKE FOREST Tesoro quarterback Devon Modster was able to chuckle after the game about missing a wide-open receiver in the end zone during a critical third-quarter drive.
While he let one pass get away from him Friday night, there was no way the Titans’ dual-threat junior was going to make it two.
Modster’s third touchdown pass came with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and proved to be the backbreaking blow in No. 6 Tesoro’s gritty 30-21 victory over El Toro in a South Coast League opener Friday night at El Toro High.
The Titans (6-1, 1-0) have reeled off six consecutive wins since a season-opening loss to La Mirada and will look to make it seven next week in a crucial league showdown with Mission Viejo.
El Toro (5-2, 0-1) saw its three-game winning streak snapped, despite opening a 14-0 lead in Friday’s game.
“It seemed like we were just in a fog or something,” Tesoro coach Matt Poston said of his team’s start. “Take nothing away from (El Toro), we know that they’re an awesome team. We just weren’t clicking. Nothing was going our way in the beginning, but I’m proud of this team for righting the ship and doing what we felt we could do.”
The Titans’ first six possessions of the first half resulted in four three-and-outs and two turnovers.
After Chargers running back Marcus DeSantis scored his second touchdown of the night, Modster and the Tesoro offense came to life.
In the final 2:28 of the first half, the Titans scored 14 unanswered points on touchdown catches of 20 and 18 yards by receiver Carter Jaenichen.
With the score tied at the intermission, the Titans continued to roll, scoring on two of their possessions in the third quarter.
A Modster 1-yard sneak gave Tesoro its first lead, 20-14, and a Justin Matlin 23-yard field goal minutes later extended that advantage to 23-14.
“Devon played excellent,” El Toro coach Robert Frith said. “Whenever we felt like maybe we had a little bit of an edge on them, the kid made a play.”
After falling behind by nine points, Chargers quarterback Trey Tinsley guided the offense on a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive, capped by a 39-yard touchdown pass to wideout Taylor Dodds that trimmed the deficit to 23-21 with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
The score remained that way midway into the fourth quarter when Modster took the Titans on an 11-play drive that ate up close to five minutes of game clock.
Faced with a fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line, Modster used a play-action fake before hitting a wide-open Jaenichen for their third touchdown.
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
