MISSION VIEJO – Two good quarters were enough for the Mission Viejo football team to win again.
The Diablos dominated the second half Friday to beat San Clemente 34-16 in an Alpha League opener at Mission Viejo High.
The game was tied 10-10 at the end of a mistake-filled first half, a half of multiple interceptions and lost fumbles.
Mission Viejo senior quarterback Luke Fahey led his team’s second half charge. He completed his first six passes of the third quarter and was 13 for 17 in the second half for 172 of his game total of 292 passing yards. Fahey, who committed to Ohio State, completed 25 of his 31 passes for the night including a fourth-quarter touchdown pass of 35 yards to KJ Woodbury Jr.
Diablos junior receiver Jack Junker had seven receptions for 100 yards. Davonte Curtis rushed for two touchdowns for Mission Viejo. Caleb Sylvia kicked field goals of 47 and 25 yards and sent all seven of his kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks.
Mission Viejo, No. 1 in this week’s Orange County Top 25, is 7-1 overall. No. 12 San Clemente is 4-4.
San Clemente got a late spark from sophomore quarterback Preston Beck who came on in relief in the fourth quarter. He completed 7 of 10 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown pass to Shane Kiley.
Carson Sloan rushed for 92 yards on 22 carries for the Tritons.
Mission Viejo plays Edison San Clemente plays at home next Friday against Los Alamitos.
San Clemente is home against Los Alamitos next Friday.
Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson attributed the second-half improvement to the team’s senior leadership.
“This is probably the best player-led team I’ve ever had,” Johnson said.
Fahey was happy with the way the Diablos steadied themselves in the second half.
“Our goal is to go 1-0 every week,” Fahey said. “We did that this week.”
The first half was sloppy. The sloppiness started early.
On the second play of the game, Mission Viejo’s Ryder Brown caused a San Clemente fumble that was recovered by the Diablos’ Sawyer Thomson at the San Clemente 32-yard line.
Mission Viejo returned the ball to San Clemente on the Diablos’ second play after they got the ball, on a snap that went over Fahey’s head. Payton Proffitt recovered the ball for the Tritons.
On Mission Viejo’s second possession the Diablos were lined up to punt, the snap was fumbled and Jesse Ewell recovered it for San Clemente.
The Tritons capitalized immediately with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Eiler King to Jaxson Rex for a 7-0 San Clemente lead with 5:38 to go in the first quarter.
Mission Viejo tied it on a 2-yard touchdown run by Davonte Curtis with 2:54 remaining in the first quarter.
San Clemente took a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter on a 21-yard field goal by Ethan Miller.
The Diablos tied it with 8:49 left in the second quarter with Sylvia’s 47-yard field goal.
San Clemente turned the ball over on its final three-possessions of the second quarter – two interceptions by Jordan Hicks and one interception by Zachary Foeldi.
Sylvia kicked a 25-yard field goal in the third quarter for a 13-10 Mission Viejo lead. Matthew Danhover scored on a 1-yard dive to make it 20-10 with 1:17 to go in the quarter and a 4-yard touchdown run by Curtis early in the fourth quarter put the game away 27-10.
Fahey threw a bullet of a pass to Woodbury to make it 34-16 with 3:28 remaining in the game.