CIF-SS FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WEST VALLEY DIVISION
Vista Murrieta (11-2) vs. Mission Viejo (11-2)
Where, when: Angel Stadium, Saturday, 2 p.m.
Live TV coverage: Prime Ticket
Outlook: The second-seeded Diablos face the No. 5-seeded Broncos. While Mission Viejo is making its first finals appearance since 2010, Vista Murrieta is playing for a CIF championship for the sixth consecutive season. The Broncos tangled with Centennial of Corona in the CIF Inland Division finals the past four seasons, going 1-3. Vista Murrieta upset top-seeded Upland, 24-14, in the semifinals. In the second round, the Broncos rallied from a 24-point deficit to stun Tesoro, 28-27. Mission Viejo beat Tesoro, 12-10, en route to the South Coast League title. One of Vista Murrieta’s trademarks is its play on special teams. The Broncos returned a blocked punt for a touchdown against Tesoro in the second half to spark their rally and also blocked a punt in a 37–3 loss against Orange Lutheran. “They take great pride in (special teams),” Orange Lutheran coach Chuck Petersen said of the Broncos, “especially the punt block game.” So what happened to the Broncos against Orange Lutheran? A quarterback change was a factor but converted wide receiver Kyle Williams has since excelled at the position and in the Broncos’ zone-read attack. The junior leads the Broncos in rushing with 1,320 yards and also has passed for 1,296 yards. Vista Murrieta lost its top two quarterbacks to injury early in the season. Wide receiver Jamie Nunley, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound senior, has committed to Arizona, while defensive lineman Tevita Mo’unga has committed to BYU. Mission Viejo running back Rome Innocenzi is averaging 191 yards rushing per game in the playoffs behind an offensive line featuring four seniors. Quarterback Brock Johnson is coming off a three-interception performance in the semifinals but tossed a late, game-winning TD against Rancho Cucamonga in the second round. The junior has thrown for 2,376 yards and 20 TDs. The Diablos have added depth in recent weeks with the return of linebacker Tony Williams and tight end/linebacker Christian Webb from injuries. Former Los Amigos coach David Olson is Vista Murrieta’s defensive coordinator.
COACH’S SCOUTING REPORT
Tesoro coach Matt Poston knows both teams well. His Titans fell to Vista Murrieta, 28-27, in the second round of the playoffs and lost to Mission Viejo, 12-10, in the South Coast League. Here is his scouting report:
Poston on Mission Viejo: “They need to shut down Vista’s running game. (Vista Murrieta) runs that zone read, like everybody is doing these days, where the quarterback is going to read the (defensive) end and either give it up or take it. Vista Murrieta has a couple good running backs. I think both teams need to shut down the running game. … Mission has that big offensive line and they run the ball really well and they’re big and physical. It’s going to be a good matchup. We had trouble running against Vista Murrieta’s (defensive) front. We had our success throwing the ball.”
Poston on Vista Murrieta: “They blitz like crazy (on defense). They fly around. Their quarterback, Williams, is going to be the best player on the field. He’s just a difference-maker. He made a play late in the game against us that was a back-breaker. He’s not a true quarterback so-to-speak, but he’s just a phenomenal athlete. He runs with the ball in addition to throwing it. … They send the house (on punt block). Quite often, they’ll send eight guys.”
Poston’s prediction: “Both great teams. … Let’s say, Vista Murrieta 21, Mission Viejo 20. The two teams are very, very similar.”
OCVARSITY PREDICTION
The Diablos continue to run the ball well, escape the pressure of Vista Murrieta’s special teams and an underrated defense contains Williams. Mission Viejo claims its first CIF title since 2004 with a 20-17 victory.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Vista Murrieta
Offense
Kyle Williams, QB
Seth Acda, RB
Tito Feliciano, RB
Colin Baker, WR
Jamie Nunley, WR
Garrett Long, TE
Chuck Filiaga, LT
Degnan Thill, LG
Corey Goodlett, C
Rachaun Wagstaff, RG
Michael Green, RT
Jared Gallegos, K
Defense
Devon Macias, DE
Tevita Mo’ungam, DT
Harrison Morgan, DT
Kevin Atkins, DE
Messiah Tyler, LB
Shannon Walsh, LB
Jacob Albert, LB
Jalen Russell, CB
Zaire Webb, CB
Dwayne Johnson, S
Brandon Worthy, S
Seth Acda, P
Mission Viejo
Offense
Brock Johnson, QB
Rome Innocenzi, RB
Connor Hill, WR
Patrick Sandoval, WR
Steven Munoz, WR
Nick Castelli, WR
Jake Bland, LT
Zack Aylor, LG
Cole Smith, C
Freddy Campos, RG
Izrael Castellanos, RT
Cory Sibert, K
Defense
Joe Babros, DE
Carter Hartmann, DT
Jordan Garbin, DT
Brandon Sloss, DE
Peyton Marshall, LB
Brett Guerrero, LB
Parker Godfrey, LB
Chris Brown, CB
A’brae Booker-Currin, CB
Julian Owens, S
Michael Califano, S
Patrick Sandoval, P
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
