Semifinals start with sensational finishes

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We are doing a lot of end-of-decades lists here at ocvarsity.com. Somebody asked me to come up with the top 10 this, top 10 that – and the top 10 plays of the year.

I just saw one of those plays.

Servite vs. Mission Viejo, game tied, three minutes to go. First down for Servite, at the Mission 49. Servite quarterback Cody Fajardo dropped back, got chased, ran left, heading for the sideline. He stopped, jumped and threw across his body and down that left sideline in front of the Mission Viejo bench.

All alone, there was Friars receiver Rudy Guerrero, who reached down to catch the football, then ran diagonally the other way across the field. Receiver Chris Nicholls, the fastest guy on the field, sprinted ahead of Guererro, made a block downfield on Mission's Exavier Edwards, and Guerrero scored.

We have seen Fajardo do some remarkable things all season. He is the best run/pass quarterback in the county, and one of the better two-way quarterback threats in county history.

Fajardo and the Friars beat Mission Viejo, 19-18, in a great football game, a CIF-Southern Section Pac-5 Division semifinal Friday night at Cerritos College.

Connor Loftus' kick for the extra point made it 19-12. But Mission was not done.

The Diablos moved downfield quickly, with quarterback Dallin McEwen running the offense so coolly and a great, diving catch by Jake Marshall on a long pass.

Mission scored a touchdown on a McEwen pass to Marc Millan. The Diablos had missed two PAT kicks, using two different kickers. So Mission decided to go for 2 and the victory.

It was the right call, and the Diablos had a great play ready for it. McEwen dropped back, had plenty of protection, and threw down the middle. The ball appeared to be tipped just enough, en route, to fall incomplete.

Servite is back in a Division I game – Pac-5, whatever – for the first time since 1983, the Steve Beurelein days. Coach Troy Thomas' tenure, started in 2005, was leading up to this championship game.

That nonleague schedule Servite played was the most rugged a county team has played in 20 years, in this opinion – Long Beach Poly, Clovis West, Crespi, Edison and Chaparral. Then the Trinity League, with Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei. And the Pac-5 playoffs.

Servite lost only one of those games, to Edison. And the Friars just might get another crack at Edison.

Laguna Hills won't get another crack at a victory in a Southern Division final. The Hawks lost in overtime to La Mirada, 27-24, in a semifinal Friday. Laguna Hills rallied to force overtime.

This was a special year for Laguna Hills. The Hawks lost so many top players from last year's 13-0 team, but they still won the Pacific Coast League championship, and got to the final four in the Southern Division. They faced a tough challenge, trying to match last year's great accomplishments, and came very close to doing so.

Trabuco Hills beat Tustin, 24-14, in a Southwest semifinal. The Mustangs won the very-challenging Sea View League, beat Savanna, 53-0, in the first round and Pacifica, 45-6, in the second. That's a hot team.

Trabuco's defense has been sensational, giving up only nine points a game. Holding Tustin to 14 is pretty amazing.

Tustin had been rolling, with 94 points over its two playoff victories. But Trabuco was just too good for Tustin. Trabuco plays at Angel Stadium next Saturday, against the winner of the other semifinal, today's Cypress-at-La Habra game.

One semifinal round down, one to go. Can tonight match Friday for drama and big plays? We will find out.