Strong start doesn't last for SVC
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO - Saddleback Valley Christian held its own with top-ranked and unbeaten Rio Hondo Prep for a quarter Saturday night.
But thanks to a couple of key mistakes, the Kares scored 27 points in the second quarter en route to a 68-6 victory in a CIF-SS Northeast Division quarterfinal matchup at St. Margaret’s High.
Rio Hondo Prep (12-0) faces Salesian in next week’s semifinals.
The host Warriors (7-5) closed the first quarter with William Hinn’s 90-yard kickoff return for a score as time expired to draw within 8-6.
Rio Hondo needed just two plays on its ensuing drive to score again on Charles Quintero’s 76-yard run down the left sideline. Rio Hondo then used a bit of trickery, recovering an onside kick at the Warrior 49.
Seven plays later, quarterback Chris Llamas scored on a 1-yard dive for a 21-6 lead with 7:47 left in the half.
SVC moved into Kares’ territory on the next possession but a fumble was recovered by the visitors, one of three turnovers on the night for the hosts, which set up another scoring run and the rout was on.
SVC coach Gary Chambers said the key mistakes is something you can’t do against a good football team.
“We played fairly even with a good football team after the first quarter, but then we made some key mistakes in the second and things got away from us,” Chambers said. “Once you get down like that, it’s hard to get back on track.”
The San Joaquin League champs had trouble moving the ball in a steady rain throughout the first half. SVC was held to a minus-10 yards in the first half on the ground. Quarterback Zac Rodarmel was 5-for-11 passing for 64 yards in the first two quarters, hooking up three times with Troy Hughes and twice with Hinn.
Rio Hondo scored twice more in the third and three times in the fourth for the final margin.
Chambers said the Kares were even better than he expected and had a salty defense which held the Warriors to just 104 yards.
“When you can’t quarterback enough time to make things happen, there’s not a whole lot you’re going to do,” Chambers said. “They had a game plan and it worked well.”
