LAKE FOREST – After Corona del Mar quarterback Chase Garbers torched Dana Hills for five first-half touchdowns last week, a stingy El Toro defense in front of a rowdy home crowd held Garbers to below 50 percent passing and no touchdowns in the Chargers’ 13-7 nonleague victory Friday night.
El Toro’s defense kept Corona del Mar off the scoreboard for the first three quarters and held the Sea Kings to 117 yards rushing on 27 carries.
Corona del Mar’s offensive woes were only compounded by a critical mistake on a muff of the opening kickoff, allowing El Toro to recover at the Sea Kings’ 3-yard line.
The Chargers took full advantage of the miscue, finding the end zone on their second play from scrimmage on a 1-yard run by J’shaun Wolfe.
Following the touchdown, El Toro (1-2) stop two Corona del Mar possessions before going on a 14-play drive that took more than five minuets and resulted in a 28-yard field goal by Michael Lemus to push the Chargers’ lead to 10-0.
Lemus also hit a 33-yarder, which was set up by a 40-yard completion to Wolfe, with 4:15 remaining in the third quarter to give the Chargers more breathing room.
El Toro nearly added another touchdown in the third quarter when quarterback Dawit Wilson found Colin Kentros down the middle for a 46-yard completion, but Kentros was stripped of the ball on the 1-yard line and Corona del Mar recovered and ran the ball out to the 25.
After forcing a punt with 10:10 remaining in the fourth, Corona del Mar (2-1) was running out of chances to get back in the game. Capitalizing on a dropped interception and a 15-yard penalty, the Sea Kings’ Peter Bush took the snap as part of a wildcat package and sprinted 14 yards up the idle for a touchdown.
Now within one score, the Sea Kings needed a stop, and got one, forcing El Toro to punt with 5:39 left. But El Toro forced a three-and-out and drained the remaining 4:09 on the clock.
Wilson led the Chargers offense, passing for 168 yards. Wilson was also effective on the ground, rushing for 54 yards.
