MISSION VIEJO – Minutes before kickoff Friday night, Coach Tony Henney called Trabuco Hills’ showdown with Sea View League foe Capistrano Valley a “seize the moment” kind of game.
It wasn’t long before the swarming Mustangs’ defense was seizing just about everything in its path.
Powered by eight sacks, Trabuco Hills pushed back host Capistrano Valley, 21-6.
Austn Fine led the charge for the Mustangs, who recorded seven sacks in the first half. Fine had four sacks, and Trabuco Hills (5-3, 2-0) forced seven turnovers, including two interceptions.
Noah Thompson caught two touchdown passes in the first half, intercepted a pass and recorded a sack for the Mustangs.
“We just played our game and stuck to the game plan,” Thompson said. “Our defense really held them in check in the first half.”
After Trabuco Hills’ promising, 10-play drive stalled early in the second quarter, the Mustangs’ Colin Schooler corralled a tipped pass on the seventh play of Capistrano Valley’s ensuing position and took it 56 yards down the right sideline for the score.
Capistrano Valley (6-3, 1-2) turned the ball over again on its next possession when Adam Gordon fumbled a 14-yard reception, and Schooler made the recovery at the Cougars’ 44.
Five plays later, Jimmy Jacobs connected with Thompson again in the right corner of the end zone on a 12-yard fade pass to give Trabuco a three-score halftime advantage.
Capo Valley was forced to punt four times in the first half and Trabuco held the Cougars to 51 yards of total offense in the first two quarters.
Capistrano Valley had its chances. The Cougars forced three turnovers, and Gavin Pruett hit Adam Gordon for an 18-yard score with 9:06 left in the third quarter.
