PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : SOUTHERN : Santa Ana vs. Mission Viejo : Can Underdog Be a Top Dog?

Bill Crow, Mission Viejo High School’s football coach, sees a lot of similarities between Santa Ana, the team the Diablos will play in Saturday night’s Southern Conference championship game at Orange Coast College, and the 1978 Mission Viejo team.

The 1978 Diablos finished third in the South Coast League but upset top-seeded Esperanza, Sea View League champion Corona del Mar and South Coast League champion San Clemente on the way to the Central Conference title game, in which they beat favored El Dorado, 21-6.

That’s how this season has gone for Santa Ana, which finished third in the Century League before opening the playoffs with a 29-3 win over top-seeded Lynwood. The Saints beat Empire League champion Pacifica, 7-0, in the second round and stunned heavily favored El Modena in last week’s semifinals, 14-13.

“I know what they’re feeling,” said Crow, an assistant under John Murio in 1978. “Every week they’ve been the underdogs, and they’re definitely on a roll. But people haven’t just handed them ballgames. They’ve done some good things.”

Such as intercepting five passes by El Modena quarterback Chris Gallego last week. And blocking a punt to set up one touchdown. And blocking an extra-point attempt that would have tied the game in the third quarter.

Santa Ana (9-4) also has received some big breaks. El Modena’s Ross Bauer fumbled a handoff on first and goal at the one-yard line and the Saints’ Oscar Tavares recovered. And, minutes later, El Modena kicker Eric Watson missed a 23-yard field goal attempt.

But, as Santa Ana Coach Dick Hill was quick to point out: “It’s amazing how many breaks go your way when you’re prepared. Those interceptions were not breaks.”

The Saints have a fine secondary of Tavares, a safety who has intercepted five passes this year, and cornerbacks Paul Hurley, who has picked off 10 passes, and Royal Wilbon, who has three interceptions. A tough defensive line of Lanier Bridges, Laile Afualo, Jose Avelos and Albert Ruiz and linebackers Derrick Jones, Brian Thomas and Steve De La Riva have helped Santa Ana limit its playoff opponents to just 16 points.

But the Saints will have their hands full with Mission Viejo (11-1-1), which played a nearly flawless game in beating El Toro in the semifinals, 24-7. Mission Viejo is led offensively by quarterback Brendan Murphy, who ran for 129 yards and a touchdown and passed for 82 yards and a touchdown last week.

“He’s had some good running games this year, but that was, by far, his best,” Crow said. “He really added another dimension to our offense. It’s hard to key on one back when you have three who run the ball pretty well.”

The two others are 6-foot 1-inch, 212-pound Todd Yert, who has gained 1,040 yards and scored 23 touchdowns this season, and 5-11, 182-pound Darrin Sweazy, who has gained 670 yards. Murphy, who has passed for 1,122 yards and 9 touchdowns, likes to throw to Bob Doran, who has 51 receptions for 892 yards and 9 touchdowns.

The Diablo secondary of Doran, Dennis Erk, Jay Phillips and Rick Angle also intercepted five of El Toro quarterback Bret Johnson’s passes Saturday night, while the defensive line held the Chargers to 45 yards rushing.

“They have a great defense, a multiple offense, and they do it without a star,” Hill said.

Santa Ana’s star of late has been explosive sophomore running back Robert Lee, who has rushed for 632 yards and 6 touchdowns in the last five weeks. He had a 71-yard touchdown run against El Modena.

“We can’t give him much room,” Crow said. “If he gets by our linebackers, we’re in trouble.”

Lee has carried most of Santa Ana’s offensive load during the playoffs, but quarterback Eric Turner, who has not passed well during the second half of the season, may have more to do with the outcome of this game. It’s doubtful that the Saints can defeat the Diablos with a one-dimensional offense.

“I feel we have to get the passing game back in order to win,” Turner said.