MISSION VIEJO – The talk around Mission Viejo all season was how the team would fare in the new Division 1. Could and should the public school Diablos play with the private schools?
Mission Viejo looked more than ready Friday night.
The fourth-seeded Diablos came out firing and closed hard with five touchdown passes from Matt McDonald and 171 yards rushing by Colin Schooler in a 49-28 first-round win over Servite in a CIF-SS Division 1 playoff game at Mission Viejo High.
“With us, it’s pick your poison,” McDonald said. “It’s tough to stop the run and the pass, especially when we’re firing on all cylinders like tonight.”
Mission Viejo (11-0) won its 39th consecutive game and will host Rancho Cucamonga in the second round next week.
Mission Viejo got out fast and put Servite (4-7) down early.
The Diablos’ opening possession went two plays and was finished on a 45-yard touchdown run by Schooler.
“I just felt like we were very prepared,” McDonald said. “We knew scheme-wise what we needed to do to beat them, and we executed that tonight.”
Servite had to grind things out all night.
The Friars’ first drive went 12 plays for a field goal, and Servite took the lead on its next drive of 11 plays.
Tyler Lytle hit Deion Hurt with a 19-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter to take the lead, 10-7.
Servite’s glory was short-lived as McDonald found Christian Lavalle on a 22-yard TD pass on the next drive to retake the lead.
Mission Viejo used a short field and converted late in the second quarter with a 7-yard touchdown pass from McDonald to Austin Osborne.
After leading 21-13 at halftime, Mission Viejo scored touchdowns on its first four drives of the second half.
Schooler broke off another big run of 60 yards for a score, and McDonald threw touchdowns to Olaijah Griffin (29 yards), Schooler (21 yards) and Osborne (72 yards) to pull away.
McDonald finished 15 of 18 passing for 323 yards.
Schooler piled up 240 total yards with 69 yards receiving.
Osborne caught 5 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
