Foothill holds on against Trabuco Hills

MISSION VIEJO - He was wide open in the end zone if only Landon Maslyn could get him the ball. But under duress from the onrushing Foothill defense, the wide receiver’s pass was woefully short.

It landed in the hands of linebacker Dominic Cammarota, and with it the Sea View League title.

It’s all a formality now.

With its 20-15 victory at Trabuco Hills, Foothill (7-1, 3-0) is poised to claim its fifth title in nine years. By defeating the biggest obstacle on the schedule, the Knights should coast to a No. 2 seeding in the division when the playoffs roll around in three weeks. They are ranked behind Fullerton. (Full game stats.)

But Foothill’s victory over Trabuco Hills, the runner-up to El Dorado in last year’s playoffs, might have gone the other way if the game had lasted another 15 seconds.

Trabuco Hills moved from its 20 to the Foothill 19 in 54 seconds. Then the Mustangs resorted to trickery as quarterback Jason Mayer passed right, to Maslyn, who was looking to throw across the field to running back Shane DeCillo in the end zone.

The ball never reached DeCillo.

"Every year this is a great game, a drag-out fight," Foothill Coach Doug Case said. "No home team has won in three games. That tells you the kids are coming to play."

Both sides brought their best Friday, but the decisive score came with 7:3 left in the fourth quarter. Zach Griffith’s pass reached Brandon Dupre in stride and over two defenders for a 27-yard score. Griffith was sacked on the two-point conversion, but Foothill had a 20-14 lead.

It was enough. Barely.

Foothill has won seven in a row, and snapped a four-game winning streak by Trabuco Hills since Mayer returned from an injury.

Griffith completed 16 of 26 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns, including a 21-yarder to Robert Daniel with 22 seconds left in the first half for a 14-8 lead. Griffith also scored on a quarterback sneak. Ben Douglas was an unsung hero, rushing 27 times for 108 yards.

Mayer completed 15 of 32 for 236 yards and a 64-yard scoring pass to Justen Lasch, and DeCillo carried 16 times for 123 yards.

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

Contact the writer: preps@ocregister.com