More Than a Record Is on the Line : For Mission Viejo, Stopping Marinovich Is Secondary to Winning

Todd Marinovich, Capistrano Valley High School’s quarterback, will aim for a national passing record at 7:30 tonight against Mission Viejo, but four gate crashers will try to spoil his party and have one of their own.

Marinovich, who has 8,614 yards passing in four years, needs 191 yards to become the national high school career passing leader. Ron Cuccia of Los Angeles Wilson established the record of 8,804 yards in 1975-77.

The game matches two of the county’s biggest rivals and will help determine the South Coast League championship, a fact that hasn’t escaped Mission Viejo strong safety Pat Donnelly.

“Personally, I don’t care if Todd gets the record, as long as we win,” Donnelly said. “He’s a very good quarterback, but he’s not their whole team. I want to beat Capistrano Valley, not Todd Marinovich.”

Marinovich has passed for 1,897 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. He will throw against a secondary of cornerbacks Mike Howerton and Bill Hinds, free safety Eric Pryce and Donnelly, four seniors who have 8 of the team’s 15 interceptions among them.

“We blend together well and communicate well,” Howerton said. “We don’t have an outstanding athlete in the secondary, just a bunch of hard-working guys who get along together and help each other out on the field.”

The blue-collar defensive backfield figures to be tested, with Marinovich averaging 23 passes per game. Mission Viejo (8-1, 4-0) was picked to finish third in the South Coast League in most preseason polls, but the Diablos can win the title with a win over Capistrano Valley (8-1, 3-1).

“I’m sick of reading about El Toro and Capistrano Valley,” Pryce said. “We all feel we have something to prove in this game.

“We’ve beaten Hart, Fountain Valley and (San Diego) Morse, and they’re all No. 1 in their leagues. But nobody seems to ever give us any credit.”

Last year, Capistrano Valley routed Mission Viejo, 41-14, the most one-sided game in the series’ 10-year history. The Cougars lead the series, 4-3, with three games ending in a tie.

“It’s going to be Capo’s homecoming, and there would be nothing better than beating them on their homecoming,” Hinds said. “We were embarrassed last year.”

Howerton was the only one of the four who started last season. Pryce, a standout in track and field, didn’t play football last season.

“I felt I needed a break,” Pryce said. “I was playing three sports, and I got burned out. But I found out I really missed football.”

Pryce is one of the top athletes at Mission Viejo. He won the high jump event in the Orange County Track Championships last year as a junior and has a personal best of 6-feet 6 1/2-inches.

“We call him ‘Nosebleed’ because he jumps so high,” Hinds said. “Mike usually covers the fastest player on the other team, and Pat is the best hitter in the secondary.”

Marinovich & Co. can plan on seeing 10 different formations in various zone and man-to-man coverages. The Diablos also expect a strong running attack.

“Everyone thinks it’s all Marinovich, but that’s not the case,” Donnelly said. “They have a really good running attack with Tommy Adams and Matt Spence. Spence won the El Toro game for them.”

Spence ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns, one for 77 yards, in that game, a 22-21 Capistrano Valley victory that was later forfeited.

All four defensive backs said they are aware of Marinovich’s passing feats, but they all conceded that little has been said about his quest for the national record going into the game.

“We don’t have to talk about it,” Donnelly said. “This is a game we’ve been looking forward to since last spring.

“I think we can beat them. Marinovich doesn’t impress me that much. They’ve played a lot of weak teams.”

“We’re not going into the game cocky, but confident,” Howerton said. “The key is how much pressure our front line puts on Marinovich.

“You can have the best defensive backs in the world, but if you don’t have a pass rush, it doesn’t do any good.”

Mike Rush, defensive coordinator at Mission Viejo, said the four defensive backs are typical of former players who have started in Mission Viejo’s secondary.

“They all worked their way through the ranks to become starters as seniors,” he said. “There isn’t a major college player out there, but it’s a good, solid group that works together well.

“Mike Howerton is probably the best athlete. He’s a great hitter with good instincts for the game. Pryce is still young and learning the game, but he’s a great competitor.

“The neat thing about this group is that they’re all friends and really pull for each other. They’ve worked hard for everything they’ve gotten.”