Mission Viejo escapes with win over San Clemente

MISSION VIEJO - The streak is alive, thanks to Jake Staszak.

Staszak, a junior defensive back, intercepted a Duke  DeLancellotti pass with six seconds remaining to help sixth-ranked Mission  Viejo (7-1, 2-1) preserve a 42-37 South Coast League home victory over No. 8 San Clemente (6-1, 1-2) on Friday night. (Full game stats.)

The Diablos have beaten or tied the Tritons every year since 1999.

The victory puts Mission Viejo  in second place behind Tesoro in the South Coast League.

"I was trailing my guy a little bit and he (DeLancellotti) threw it right to me," Staszak said.

San Clemente had moved the ball to  the Mission Viejo 15 with 30 seconds  remaining. DeLancellotti threw three consecutive incomplete passes before  Staszak saved the day for the Diablos.

"We were dead (tired)," Staszak said of the defense. "We were on the field a lot. I was dying out there."

The game had the makings of being a Mission Viejo rout.

The Diablos had their way with the Tritons in the first half,  taking a 28-10 lead into halftime. Diablos linebacker Troy Madden had a 50-yard  interception for a touchdown early in the third quarter to give Mission Viejo a 35-10 lead.

The Diablos led, 42-24, with 44 seconds remaining in the third quarter on a Jake Marshall 2-yard touchdown run.

"We"re two scrappy football teams that never give up," Mission Viejo quarterback Allan Bridgford said. "We pulled the same stunt on them last year. We put this game away a couple of  times and they came back."

Marshall finished the night with 192 yards rushing on 26 carries.

Bridgford completed 16 of 24 passes for 242 yards for the Diablos. De Lancellotti completed 20 of 40 for 321 yards.

San Clemente  opened the fourth quarter with a David Espino 4-yard touchdown run to cut the  score to 42-31 with 9:16 to go. The Tritons got it to 42-37 on its next  possession when Graham Tenneyoutjumped two Mission Viejo  defenders in the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown pass.

"They (San Clemente) made some plays, you have to give them credit," Mission Viejo coach Bob Johnson said.

Mission Viejo was forced to punt on its next possession, giving San Clemente a chance to  steal the victory.

"I don"t think we started looking at the clock or anything," Johnson said. "They did a good job, but this was a big win for us."

Last year, Mission Viejo rallied from a 31-14 deficit to force a 31-31 tie.

"I really respect these kids," San Clemente coach Eric Patton said of his team.  "They didn"t give up tonight or last week (in a 28-23 loss to Tesoro. … I don"t  know what it is going to take for us to beat Mission."

• Click here for full game stats and links to season totals and team rosters.

Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com