LAKE FOREST – Troy Tedtaotao caught a 37-yard post route to give El Toro a fourth-quarter lead. Then he intercepted a pass with 30 seconds remaining to give the Chargers a victory.
Needing to take a step forward after a lackluster season-opening win, El Toro sent their homecoming fans to the exits with wide smiles Friday following a 28-21 nonleague victory over El Dorado.
It was the kind of performance the Chargers (2-0) were looking for. They rose to the occasion and made plays when they had to make them.
Obviously, it’s not what El Dorado (2-1) was looking for, but the Golden Hawks are going to be better for it. They went into the game having outscored opponents, 61-6. Hard to find your shortcomings when you’re rolling opponents. And that’s why this matchup was so important as both teams seek improvement that will impact their league fortunes.
“This was a good test for us against a really good football team,” El Dorado coach Zack La Monda said. “We scored a lot of points, we overcame some adversity. I wish it was the other way, but this is the type of game that we needed. We needed a battle.
“This is what builds the character and the grit. ‘How do we respond, what do we do, how do we act on and off the field?’ We’ve got a game next Friday against our rival at home. We have to get our kids better prepared. We’ll 100 percent be better because of this.”
If not for Tedtaotao’s interception, El Dorado might have had it all. Down by seven with 2:52 remaining, the Golden Hawks drove from their 25 to the El Toro 11. But a bad snap moved them back to the 25. But there was still time, still a chance.
On second-and-24, sophomore quarterback Hudson Shaddow tried to get most of it, but Tedtaotao intercepted the pass at the 10 with 30 seconds remaining.
“I wasn’t playing defense most of the game, so I was a little nervous,” Tedtaotao said. “Brayden Stawicki was pressed up against (El Dorado receiver Justin Karg) and guided the receiver toward me. Quarterback just missed the throw.”
It capped a big night for Tedtaotao, who had the big play on defense and was stellar on offense: He caught eight passes for 83 yards, including a 37-yard post that broke the 21-21 tie with 8:54 remaining.
“We focused more this week on moving the chains rather than making big plays,” Chee said. “We focused on the details. The team definitely improved a lot from Week 1 to Week 2. Obviously, there’s still stuff to work on.”
Both teams had their big moments. Chee rushed 18 times for 73 yards and two touchdowns, and a two-point conversion. Wyatt Nucci completed 29 of 35 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns, including a 13-yarder to Bryce Thacker, who had 11 receptions for 62 yards. Matthew Arroyo caught five passes for 81 yards.
The El Dorado offense was paced by Cameron Romero, who rushed 15 times for 107 yards, including a 32-yard run that tied the score at 7-7. Sophomore Hudson Shaddow completed 14 of 30 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns, of 13 yards to Karg for a 14-13 lead with 3:31 left in the first half, and 14 yards to Henry Cook to extend the lead to 21-13 early in the third quarter. Henry Cook had five catches for 45 yards.
“We needed our young quarterback to see situations like this,” La Monda said. “We’ll be better 2, 3, 5 weeks from now because of this.”
Both teams will.