Diablos Make Case for Orange : High schools: Mission Viejo, the county’s top-ranked team, defeats San Diego No. 2 El Camino, 14-7.

Payson LeMeilleur’s passing and a stifling defense led No. 1-ranked Mission Viejo to a 14-7 victory over Oceanside El Camino Friday night at Mission Viejo High Friday night.

LeMeilleur threw for 131 yards and a touchdown as the Diablos (3-0) defeated the San Diego Section’s No. 2-ranked team and two-time defending Division 2-A champion.

Mission Viejo scored the first points of the season allowed by El Camino on the opening drive when LeMeilleur threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Mark McDonough. The 81-yard drive was highlighted by Anthony Ramirez’s pass receptions for 35 and 15 yards.

The Diablos scored late in the second quarter on a one-yard run by Deron Drake, capping a 76-yard drive. Ramirez set up the score by catching a 48-yard pass to give Mission Viejo a first down at the El Camino four.

El Camino pulled to within 14-7 midway through the third quarter when Abdul McCullough, the 1990 Avocado League defensive player of the year, picked up a fumble and ran 20 yards for a score. But after El Camino recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff at the Diablo 18, Mission Viejo kept the Wildcats from scoring.

El Camino’s final drive was stopped at the Mission Viejo 19 on an interception by Eddie Benyo as time ran out.

El Camino had entered the game having shut out its first two opponents--section rivals Point Loma (20-0) and Poway (42-0). In its opener against perennial San Diego power Point Loma, the Wildcats yielded just 55 yards and did not allow the Pointers to cross the 50. El Camino had won 12 of its past 13 since opening the 1990 season 0-3.

Coach Herb Meyer, the winningest coach in San Diego Section history, fell to 231-98-14 with the loss.