Trickery sparks El Toro to win

MISSION VIEJO - El Toro used a trick play late in the first half to gain momentum and give the team the spark it needed Friday night.

As a result of the play, the Chargers' intensity picked up after halftime and they held off Villa Park, 14-7, in the first-round of the CIF-SS Southwest Division playoffs at Saddleback College.

El Toro improved to 8-3 and will face the Empire League's No. 1 team, Cypress, in the next round. Villa Park, which earned the No. 3 seed from the Century League, finished 7-4.

The postseason victory was also the first for the El Toro's first-year coach Robert Frith.

"It's awesome," Frith said. "My hat is off to Villa Park. We knew it would be a low-scoring game. It was just one of those things where defense wins."

The game was scoreless until Villa Park scored midway through the second quarter. Quarterback Blair Boyce connected with Clay Scarborough on an 18-yard touchdown pass. Scarborough made a nice leaping grab over the defender in the end zone on the play.

El Toro started its ensuing drive at its 38 with just over four minutes before intermission. The Chargers drove to the Spartans' 31 with a little more than a minute left.

On second down, the Chargers pitched to running back Ryan Lewis, who took a few steps to his right before launching the ball to a wide open Jesse Bueno and the game was even at 7. El Toro received the ball first in the second half, and drove 60 yards, scoring on Nico Jackson's 18-yard run and the Chargers were in front 14-7.

"We worked on the (trick) play every day in practice," Frith said. "We knew we might have a chance to use it. We dialed it at the right time. That was big time.

"We got the ball first in the second half and we came out and got that second score. That was huge."

El Toro relied on its defense the reminder of the night. After allowing eight first-half first downs, the Chargers only gave up two in the second half. El Toro also sacked Boyce five times on the night.

"It was one of those games where we had to keep grinding it," Frith said. "I thought we played well in the second half. Villa Park gave us a dog fight. In the end, I think our speed and athleticism won the game for us."