Final score: Mission Viejo 48, San Juan Hills 20
The game: San Juan Hills won the opening coin toss. The Stallions deferred, deciding to give Mission Viejo the ball first. That was like giving Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt a 10-meter head start in the 100 meters. The Diablos scored only 2:10 into the game. They scored a touchdown on their second possession, and on their fourth. At halftime, it was 34-0. Mission Viejo receivers kept getting open – Diablos receivers would flood a zone to confuse San Juan Hills, or slide backs in the flat undetected, or simply run crossing routes which were mighty effective, too, because quarterback Brock Johnson was getting plenty of time to pick out receivers thanks to Mission’s great offensive line. The Diablos’ superior teams speed on defense kept San Juan Hills’ offense from making big plays. Perhaps no Orange County team played better in any game this season than Mission Viejo played against San Juan Hills.
Key to the game: Mission Viejo’s offensive line was outstanding. The guys: Carter Hartmann (also an All-County type of defensive lineman); Ricky Bowman Jr.; Neff Haleakala (and plays like a volcano, too); Zack Aylor; and Jarrett Patterson.
Player of the game: Johnson. He was 17 for 20 for a season-high 311 yards and two touchdowns.
Key stat: Johnson averaged 19 yards a completion. That strike-quick approach bewildered San Juan Hills.
They said it: “We’ve got to stay humble and keep working. And I’ll make sure of that.” – Mission Viejo coach Bob Johnson. And don’t doubt he will.
What it means: Mission Viejo (8-0 overall, 3-0 in the South Coast League) is separating itself from the other championship contenders in the CIF-Southern Section West Valley Division, which Mission Viejo won last year. The Diablos, No. 1 in the division’s top 10, has beaten No. 3 Tesoro and No. 5 San Juan Hills. Vista Murrieta (7-1) is No. 2; the Broncos’ loss was to Orange Lutheran. Mission Viejo’s performance on Friday was perhaps the best of any county team in a game so far this season.
