Mission Viejo’s Missing Kicking Game Helps Hart to 14-13 Victory

Mission Viejo High School’s Danny Reed missed field goals of 32 and 44 yards in the final 1 minute 14 seconds--the last miss coming with no time on the clock--as Hart escaped with a 14-13 nonleague victory at College of the Canyons in Valencia.

Reed’s pair of misses capped a rough night for Diablo kickers. Bryan Morris had missed a 21-yard chip shot earlier that would have given Mission Viejo a 10-0 lead late in the second quarter, and later was short and wide on a conversion try that would have tied the game as the fourth period opened.

Mission Viejo (0-2) dominated play in the first period, holding the Indians to six yards in as many plays, and took a 7-0 lead when halfback Darrin Sweazy capped a 73-yard march with a 15-yard sweep around left end.

After penalties stopped two Diablo drives, Hart, now 1-1, had just enough time to get back into the game by halftime. Quarterback Jim Bonds, who had a miserable night passing due, in part, to a bothersome knee injury, finally managed to get the Indians into Mission Viejo territory in the final seconds of the half, setting up a 40-yard halfback pass from Darren Renfro to Bryan Miller with four seconds to play.

The Indians then opened the second half by marching 70 yards in 11 plays with fullback Andy Iacenda getting the go-ahead touchdown on a one-yard dive. Jim Harper added his second conversion of the night, a kick that was to prove decisive.

Mission Viejo, which appeared to have gone stagnant offensively at that point, got new life when a fair catch interference penalty on a punt gave Mission Viejo the ball at the Indian 32. Another penalty on Hart, this time for a late hit, helped move the ball to the 1 before quarterback Tony Arnone pushed in for the score.

It was then that Morris’ all-important extra-point attempt wobbled low and wide to the left after a high center snap to holder John Moses.

Bonds, who had passed for more than 300 yards the previous week, was held to just 4 completions in 12 attempts for 44 yards by a tough Mission Viejo pass rush and gimpy left knee, which was in a special orthopedic brace.

But Bonds got offensive support from tailback Chris Hite, who rushed for 100 yards in 10 carries, and from Iacenda, who added 74 yards in 20 tries.

Sweazy paced the Diablo attack with 133 yards in 25 rushes but had only 35 yards in eight carries in the second half.