SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Capistrano Valley Bobs, Weaves, Wins : Division II: Cougars cross up Mission Viejo with 72-yard Solliday-to-Poltl score to advance with 26-24 victory.

For 24 minutes they bobbed and weaved, trying not to show too much. In the second half, they went for broke.

When the dust settled, Capistrano Valley High School had more big plays than Mission Viejo and won, 26-24, Friday night to advance to the Southern Section Division II championship game.

It’s Capistrano Valley’s first championship game since winning the 1980 Central Conference title. The Cougars (11-2) play the winner of tonight’s El Toro-Paramount semifinal next Saturday.

Mission Viejo, which lost at Mission Viejo Stadium for the first time since 1987, ends its season 11-2.

Eric Patton, Capistrano Valley coach, said the Cougars were simply trying to establish a running game, woefully absent in the teams’ first meeting Oct. 26.

In that game, a 28-13 Mission Viejo victory, Capistrano Valley gained just 54 yards on the ground. So the Cougars came out determined to run first and pass later Friday.

They passed a season-low three times in the first half and led, 10-3. Jeremy Brion and Chris Adams lulled Mission Viejo’s defense closer and closer to the line of scrimmage, banging out 61 and 20 yards, respectively.

By the first play of the second half, Capistrano Valley quarterback Tony Solliday figured Mission Viejo was primed and ready. He looked up to see eight Diablos crowding the line of scrimmage.

“They were expecting us to run,” he said.

So he called an audible, hitting wide receiver Dave Poltl for a 72-yard touchdown pass play and a 16-3 lead just 11 seconds into the third quarter.

“(The running) worked,” Patton said. “It loosened up the pass. I’d have to look at the films, but they came up a lot more and played a lot more man-to-man.”

There was still a lot of time left, and Mission Viejo, going more to the pass itself, responded with a 77-yard scoring drive on the next series.

Marcellus Chrishon’s seven-yard run over the right side brought Mission Viejo to within 16-10.

Tomek Mikler kicked a 37-yard field goal for a 19-10 lead with 5:54 left.

Then the teams traded touchdowns. Mission Viejo got a 40-yard scoring pass from quarterback Tim Snowden to Anthony Ramirez; Capistrano Valley scored on Brion’s four-yard run.

There was still 10:22 left after Brion high-stepped into the end zone, but Capistrano Valley had a 26-17 lead.

Mission Viejo added a three-yard touchdown run by Chrishon with 3:30 left. Instead of trying an on-sides kick and hoping for a recovery, the Diablos kicked the ball deep and put the game in the hands of its defense.

Capistrano Valley picked up two first downs and ran out the clock.

Solliday, after completing two of three passes for 20 yards in the first half, finished nine for 16 for 223 yards and one touchdown with one interception. He also ran one yard for a second-quarter touchdown.

Poltl caught six passes for 142 yards and became Orange County’s career leader in receptions with 173. He passed the old mark of 168 set by Rick Parma of Kennedy from 1973-75.

Brion finished with 127 yards in 23 carries.

Snowden, who had a dreadful, four for 13 first half, finished 18 for 37 for 263 yards and one touchdown.

Chrishon rushed for 116 yards in 23 carries.

* POLTL SETS RECORD

The Cougars’ Dave Poltl set a county reception mark, then made an even bigger catch--for a 72-yard TD. C7