El Toro Rallies to Oust Villa Park

On its first series Friday night, El Toro High School moved quickly down the field against Villa Park. The Chargers’ passing clicked and their running picked up one sizable gain after another.

El Toro drove 68 yards in seven plays to score on a 21-yard run by Bo Haley with 8 minutes 46 seconds left in the first quarter.

Then came the great drought.

For the next 24:56, El Toro couldn’t score. And the second-seeded Chargers seemed headed for an upsetting loss to Villa Park in a Southern Section Division III second-round playoff game.

But a 21-point, fourth-quarter rally helped El Toro pull out a 28-14 victory before 4,000 at Mission Viejo High.

El Toro (11-1) advances to play Mission Viejo, a 34-6 winner over Dominguez, in the semifinals Saturday. Villa Park ends its season 8-4.

“I was worried until the gun sounded,” El Toro Coach Bob Johnson said. “Villa Park played us hard. We were out of sync and it was because of the way they played us.”

After taking that 7-0 early lead, it all when downhill quickly for El Toro.

On the first play of the Chargers’ next possession, quarterback Steve Stenstrom threw a screen pass into the mitts of Villa Park linebacker Craig Moresco, who went 37 yards untouched for a touchdown.

Villa Park took a 14-7 lead after quarterback Jason Martian ran three yards around left end on a third-and-goal play. Martian appeared trapped by defensive back Mike Miller, but fooled him with a quick move to the outside.

The score was set up by a bad snap on a punt that gave Villa Park a first down at the El Toro 20.

Said Johnson: “You make your own breaks and we didn’t make any.”

Well, at least not for themselves.

The problems continued in the third quarter. Running back Danny Maestas was stopped at the one-yard line on a fourth and goal, ending El Toro’s only possession in the quarter.

Villa Park was having its own troubles. The Spartans couldn’t move the ball either and as the fourth quarter started they still led, 14-7.

El Toro finally tied the score on its first drive of the fourth quarter. Maestas scooted five yards around left end for the touchdown with 7:50 left.

Then it all fell apart for Villa Park.

Gary Bladow, who gained 89 yards in 12 carries, fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Brian Haas recovered for El Toro at the Villa Park 24.

Jerome Oakman, who gained 145 yards in 17 carries, score on the first play as El Toro took the lead for good. Maestas then added a 14-yard touchdown run with 2:46 left.

“The way they run and pass, it’s hard to stop both,” said Villa Park Coach Pat Mahoney, whose team held El Toro in check for an awful long time.

“After that first-quarter touchdown we didn’t have much going for us for 2 1/2 quarters,” Johnson said. “It was scary.”