SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : DIVISION III : Paramount Runs Down El Toro

Paramount High School and its talented backfield of quarterback Jack Manu and tailback Leon Neal gave a repeat performance Saturday night, winning the Division III football championship for the second consecutive year with a 26-20 victory over El Toro at Cerritos College.

A crowd of 9,100 saw Manu throw a 21-yard touchdown pass with 1:47 remaining to clinch the victory and Neal rush for 182 yards as Paramount finished with a 13-1 record.

Paramount played ball control in the second half with Neal gaining 144 yards in only nine carries. But it was Manu who provided the finishing touch, scrambling on third and goal at the El Toro 21-yard line and finding wide receiver Darrell Cloy unprotected in the rear of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

“We can play with anybody, and I think we proved that by winning 25 games over the last two years,” said Ken Sutch, Paramount coach. “We certainly beat a very fine team tonight. You saw an athlete (Manu) make quite a throw when it looked like El Toro was coming back.”

El Toro (12-2) was bidding to become the only team in the Southern Section to win four titles in the 1980s. The Chargers had previously won championships in 1982, 1986 and 1987.

But El Toro trailed, 20-6, after three quarters and appeared to be hopelessly out of contention when Paramount drove to the Chargers’ one-yard line midway through the fourth quarter.

El Toro tackle Matt Krajec recovered a fumble, however, and the Chargers put together a 99-yard scoring drive to cut the Paramount lead to 20-13 with 5:50 remaining.

“We didn’t quit,” said Bob Johnson, El Toro coach. “We went 99 yards, and then went the distance (a 72-yard touchdown drive with seconds remaining) again.

“We went 12-2 and ended up with nothing. It’s a tough year when you go 12-2 and lose a league title and a CIF championship, but we’ll be back.”

The loss overshadowed an outstanding performance by El Toro wide receiver Rob Johnson. Johnson caught nine passes for 145 yards and will move to quarterback next season. El Toro quarterback Steve Stenstrom passed for 253 yards, but also threw two critical interceptions.

El Toro outgained Paramount by 29 yards in total offense, 333-314, and limited Manu to only two pass completions. The Chargers also controlled Paramount on the line, but their inability to finish scoring drives was the difference.

“We just didn’t get it in the end zone,” Johnson said. “They deserve the title. They did what they’ve done to everybody over the last two years, control the ball. Neal is something. I thought we had him stopped several times, but we missed too many tackles.”

It was El Toro who appeared to be in control through most of the first half until defensive back Jorge Jacobo stunned the Chargers with a 67-yard interception return that gave Paramount a 7-6 lead.

Jacobo stepped in front of intended receiver Bo Haley, picked off Stenstrom’s pass and had a clear path to the end zone.

El Toro outgained Paramount, 111-8, in total yardage in the first quarter. The Chargers scored on their first possession, driving 73 yards in 14 plays with Stenstrom mixing some high-percentage passes with the running of Jerome Oakman.

Stenstrom completed three of his opening four passes but then misfired on 10 of his next 13. He came close to pushing El Toro ahead, however, with 10 seconds remaining in the first half, barely overthrowing a diving Kevin Rowe in the end zone.