HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : SOUTHERN CONFERENCE : El Toro vs. Santa Ana

There are plenty of big players on the El Toro team, and plenty of players with big statistics, but one thing Charger Coach Bob Johnson isn’t big on is players with big heads.

El Toro (13-0), which plays Santa Ana (12-1) in Saturday night’s Southern Conference championship game at Orange Coast College, has been ranked No. 1 since the third week of the season in the Southern Section Southern Conference poll.

Only two teams--Whitehall High of Pennsylvania and Capistrano Valley--have even challenged top-seeded El Toro, which has outscored its opponents, 434-146. The Chargers have breezed to playoff victories over Anaheim Canyon (35-0), Paramount (28-8) and Mission Viejo (34-14).

But Johnson has managed to keep his players’ cleats in the ground. And he is happy to report that, yes, the Chargers do still fit into their helmets.

“We try to humble them every day,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s overconfidence prevention program seems to have worked. At least, that’s the impression you get listening to Scott Spalding, El Toro’s 6-foot 5-inch, 250-pound defensive tackle.

“We never refer to ourselves as No. 1 and we don’t put any special emphasis on it,” Spalding said. “We’re practicing as hard this week as we did the first week of the season. We don’t feel any pressure because of our ranking. We just play and have a good time.”

The good times have been rolling in the playoffs so far, but the Chargers will face their toughest test Saturday night.

Santa Ana, which has won 11 straight games since losing to Saddleback in the second week of the season, has an explosive offense, which has averaged 26 points a game, and a solid defense, which has allowed an average of 12 points a game.

The defending Southern Conference-champion Saints have one of Southern California’s best running backs in junior Robert Lee, who has gained 1,784 yards and scored 25 touchdowns, and a speedy quarterback, junior Richard Fanti, who has passed for 1,095 yards and rushed for 700.

Santa Ana reached the final without receiver/defensive back Royal Wilbon, who was ruled academically ineligible before the Saints’ ninth game of the season. Santa Ana’s other top receiver, Darrell Bailey, re-injured his ankle in last week’s semifinal win over Lynwood. He’ll play Saturday night.

The Chargers are healthy, as are their offensive statistics. Junior quarterback Bret Johnson, the coach’s son, has passed for 2,350 yards and 25 touchdowns and has rushed for 5 touchdowns.

Running back Aly Diaz, a transfer from Twentynine Palms High, has gained 1,400 yards, including a 255-yard, 4-touchdown performance against Mission Viejo last week. Receiver Scott Miller has caught 65 passes for 1,055 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Spalding and linebacker Scott Ross are the strength of the Chargers’ defense.

“You’ve got to play a total game against someone like El Toro,” Santa Ana Coach Dick Hill said.