MISSION VIEJO – The quarterback-receiver combination of Jimmy Jacobs and Jake Breeland has been a splendid combo for Trabuco Hills all season.
Corona del Mar was well aware of that. The Sea Kings’ defense concentrated on keeping Jacobs-Breeland from establishing a rapport Friday in their second-round playoff game against the Mustangs.
So Trabuco took another route. Chad Crosbie ran for 94 yards and a touchdown in the second half and the Mustangs defense gave up only a second-half field goal to beat Corona del Mar, 28-10, in a CIF-SS Southwest Division game at Trabuco Hills High.
Trabuco Hills (8-4) will play Buena Park (11-1) in the semifinals next Friday at Trabuco Hills High. The last time Trabuco played in a semifinal football game was in 2009, when the Mustangs advanced to the Southwest Division championship game and lost to La Habra in that final. That also was the last time the Mustangs were in the playoffs before this season.
Corona del Mar’s playoff winning streak ended at 14 games and the Sea Kings’ run of CIF championships was stopped at three.
All 23 of the Mustangs’ second-half plays were running plays. Jacobs attempted 18 passes in the first half, none in the second.
Crosbie finished with 130 yards on 25 carries. Jacobs ran for 58 yards and two touchdowns, including a 26-yard scoring run with 2:32 left in the fourth quarter.
Trabuco Hills first-year coach Tony Henney said the Sea Kings left the Mustangs no choice but to keep the ball on the ground.
“They came out and made it apparent early they were going to take away Breeland and Thompson,” said Henney, referring also to receiver Noah Thompson. “I don’t think anybody’s run the ball on them all year. The fact we got that going, that we kept their defense on the field for a long time in the second half, that was a major turning point.”
The blocking of Trabuco’s offensive line of Sean Brewer, Ulysses Gaytan, Jaret Paget, David Stobbe and Tony Burge opened holes and fullback James Pierce moved linebackers out of the way for Crosbie and Jacobs.
The Mustangs defense held Corona del Mar to 32 rushing yards on 21 attempts. Corona del Mar sophomore quarterback Chase Garbers completed 17 of 29 passes for 151 yards and one touchdown. The Sea Kings got their other touchdown on Bret Greenlee’s 43-yard interception return that gave them a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Trabuco tied it on a 5-yard touchdown run by Jacobs. The Mustangs took a 14-7 lead with five seconds left in the second quarter on a 6-yard pass from Jacobs to Brenden Schooler.
Corona del Mar trimmed its deficit to 14-10 on Jason Neiger’s 35-yard field goal early in the third quarter, but the rest of the half belonged to Trabuco Hills.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
