MISSION VIEJO – Even when things went right for Trabuco Hills on Friday night, they found a curious way of going wrong.
When the Mustangs earned a first-and-1 on the El Toro 1-yard line in the first quarter? A fumbled handoff, which they lost.
Their next trip to the red zone? An interception returned 100 yards for a touchdown by El Toro’s River Simmons.
The third? A 1-yard touchdown run from running back Chad Crosbie – who was injured on the play and missed the rest of the game.
While much of the damage inflicted to Trabuco (0-5) was self-inflicted, El Toro (3-2) deserves a large share of the credit as well, taking advantage of each mistake the Mustangs made while creating opportunities of its own in a 42-10 nonleague victory.
After its opening drives resulted in a pair of three-and-outs, El Toro found its rhythm, much as it has all year, through the air.
On its third possession, quarterback Dawit Wilson, who had thrown for nearly 800 yards going into the game, hit J’Shoun Wolfe for 49 yards, setting up a 6-yard touchdown pass to Shane McLaughlin on the following play.
When Trabuco recovered a fumble on El Toro’s 22-yard-line, the Chargers defense answered with Simmons jumping in front of a potential touchdown pass and returning it the length of the field for a 14-3 lead.
“I was just looking for the end zone,” Simmons said of his return. “I wasn’t looking back.”
That was just the beginning of the big-play scores for the Chargers. Wilson found Colin Kentros on the opening play of the second half for a 73-yard touchdown.
Later in the quarter, he found Wolfe for another monster gain, this one 40 yards, to set up a 7-yard touchdown run of his own, extending the lead to 28-10.
And again, the defense produced, with Tony Mercado picking off a pass on the second play of the ensuing drive and stumbling in the remaining 10 yards for a score.
“It’s a big win but we expected to come in and take care of them,” Simmons said. “We handled them.”
