Mission Viejo 35 - Eagles 7
MISSION VIEJO, CA., August 24, 2024 – With five challenging nonleague games on its slate and the usual five-game gauntlet of the unrivaled Trinity League, Santa Margarita Catholic commenced the 2024 season with a short trip to Mission Viejo. The Eagles’ schedule, once again, puts they and fellow league schools in the top-six spots for most difficult schedules in the nation (by end of season). Despite the close proximity (8 miles), SMCHS and the Diablos had not done battle in five years.
Between the four to five major prep coverage media outlets, each of them has marked the 10 game regular season schedule encountered by the Eagles as a “game of the week” in some fashion -- due to rivalry, placement in the local, state and national rankings or playoff implications.* This contest was no exception. No matter which poll you checked, the two combatants are clearly in the national landscape.
Unfortunately, SMCHS came into the contest with some key players battling injury. The dilemma quickly proceeded to assert itself in the outcome. The Eagles feel behind early and were never able to bounce back with any momentum shift. The Diablo’s speed and experience took advantage of the situation and rolled on. For SMCHS, Jonah Smith was out, Sean Embree nursing some discomfort and Elijah Robinson departing in the late first quarter.
Many of the newcomers demonstrated their talent and athleticism -- having fans and teammates clamoring for more and building upon for the remainder of the season schedule. This included Dash Fifita, Ca’ron Williams, Jaion Smith, Jayden Crowder, Elijah Vaikona and Ivrick Carrigan.
SMCHS has a quicker turnaround time than usual to prepare for anther tough road game. Playing on Saturday in the opener and then the following Friday cut their preparation schedule short, but Coach Rouzier and staff will make proper adjustments.
Highlights
- Accumulated 225 total yards passing among three quarterbacks (Gazzaniga, Cloutier and Johnson)
- Freshman Jaion “Duce” Smith led the club in rushing with 33 yards (6.6 average)
- Trent Mosley collected 10 receptions for 121 yards (12.1 average) -- his sixth game with 100-or-more yards receiving and fourth with 10-or-more receptions in SMCHS career
- Freshman Grant Mosley registered one reception for 32 yards and became the third Mosley brother to suit-up for SMCHS all-time
- Lineman Ethan Thomas delivered four pancake blocks
- Dash Fifita led the team in total tackles with 10 in his first game with SMCHS
- Siua Holani had SMCHS’s only takeaway with an interception
- Quarterback James Johnson scored the team’s lone touchdown on a keeper late in the contest
* = MaxPreps.com, SBLive, Orange County Register, Massey Ratings / On3.com and Shootin The Straight Sports (STSS).
| Mission Viejo | 6 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Santa Margarita | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
MV – Bowman 2 pass from Fehey (Murguia kick)
MV – Defries 16 interception return (Bell pass from Fehey)
MV – Bell 14 pass from Fehey (Murguia kick)
MV – Bell 3 pass from Fehey (Murguia kick)
MV – Jones 73 interception return (Murguia kick)
SM – Johnson 9 run (Gass kick)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: SM - Smith 5-33, Mosley 3-23; MV - Lilomaiava 16-54, Murphy 4-14
Passing: SM - Gazzaniga 10-22-3-98, Johnson 4-5-0-67; MV - Fahey 11-16-0-168, Trudeau 4-9-0-42
Receiving: SM - T. Mosley 10-121, Melton 3-34, MV - Lee 1-64, Spafford 6-46
Compiled by Chuck Nan
Statistics by Shane Mielke
Mission Viejo football’s defense dominates in win over Santa Margarita
MISSION VIEJO, CA., August 24, 2024 – The defense for Mission Viejo’s football team looks very good.
Jeron Jones had two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown, and Jaden Williams had three sacks as Mission Viejo beat Santa Margarita 35-7 on Saturday in a nonleague game at Mission Viejo High.
Brock deFries also returned an interception for a Mission Viejo touchdown
The Diablos are 2-0. They beat Kamehameha 41-7 last week in Hawaii. Saturday’s game was the season opener for Santa Margarita.
Williams (6-4, 250) was credited with 3.5 sacks last week. He was All-Orange County first team last season as a junior when he had 18.5 sacks. Williams committed to San Diego State.
Jones, a junior who has offers from SMU, Tennessee and Texas A&M, had six interceptions last season including four in the playoffs as the Diablos rolled to CIF Southern Section and CIF State championships.
Williams was No. 1 in the Register’s ranking of Orange County defensive linemen. Jones was No. 6 in the ranking of county defensive backs.
Dijon Lee also had an interceptions for the Diablos.
Mission Viejo junior quarterback Luke Fahey, sharing equal time at the position with senior Drai Trudeau, as they did last season, threw for 156 yards and three touchdown passes.
Phillip Bell had two touchdown receptions, both in the second half.
Both of Jones’ interceptions came in the second half. He made his first pick on the third quarter’s first play from scrimmage. His second came in the fourth quarter, a return of 73 yards for Mission Viejo’s fifth and final touchdown.
Saturday’s game was a dominating performance by Mission Viejo, which is No. 3 in the Orange County Top 25 and Santa Margarita is No. 4.
Mission Viejo scored on its game-opening possession. Kasey Russel caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Fahey with 7:23 left in the first quarter to finish a 12-play drive of 73 yards that included a 12-yard run by Hinesward Lilomaiava for a first down on fourth-and-1 at the Santa Margarita 14-yard line. A Mission Viejo penalty erased a successful 2-point pass play, so the Diablos had to kick for one point but that effort was wide left to leave them with a 6-0 lead.
Santa Margarita’s first possession was a long drive, too. The Eagles started at their 20, ran 13 plays to get to the Mission Viejo 6-yard line. On fourth down, quarterback John Gazzaniga attempted a sneak between the center and left guard but he lunged into a Mission Viejo wall of linemen for no gain.
Lee, who committed to Alabama, made an interception midway through the second quarter. The Diablos maneuvered to the Eagles 1 with the key play a 25-yard pass from Zachary Foeldi to Lilomaiava on a fake punt. At the 1, a run by Trudeau lost 4 yards and his incomplete pass to the corner, intended for Lee, ended the opportunity.
The Diablos got points soon enough, though, when deFries scored on his 16-yard interception return. Trudeau threw a 2-point conversion pass to Bell to push lead to 14-0 with 2:23 remaining. That would be the halftime score.
Jones’ second half-opening interception gave the Diablos the ball at the Santa Margarita 32. Five plays later Fahey connected with Bell for a 15-yard touchdown pass and a 21-0 lead.
After Santa Margarita failed to score on a fourth-and-goal at the Mission Viejo 5-yard line, the Diablos drove 95 yards on eight plays including a 62-yard completion from Fahey to Lee. They scored on a 3-yard pass from Fahey to Bell to make it 28-0 with 7:56 remaining in the game.
After Jones’ 73-yard interception return for a touchdown extended the lead to 35-0, Santa Margarita got its touchdown on an 8-yard run by senior quarterback James Johnson. He was the Eagles’ third quarterback to play Saturday.
Santa Margarita junior receiver Trent Mosley had nine receptions for 110 yards and rushed for 31 yards. Mosley is the No. 2 player in the OCVarsity Hot 150 ranking of county football players.
The Calpreps.com state rankings have Mission Viejo at No. 4 and Santa Margarita at No. 5.
Santa Margarita’s next game is at Corona Centennial on Friday. Centennial lost to Mater Dei 42-25 on Thursday in the season opener for both.
Mission Viejo does not play this coming week. The Diablos’ next game is a home game against Liberty of Henderson, Nev., on Sept. 6.
By Steve Fryer
Saturday, August 24, 2024
The Orange County Register
