SOUTH COAST LEAGUE : El Toro Defense Holds On; Offense Finally Kicks In

El Toro’s blitzing defense kept the heat on Dana Hills quarterback Scott Covington, allowing its offense enough time to get untracked in the second half for a 14-7 victory in a South Coast League opener Thursday night at Trabuco Hills High School.

The Charger defense, led by Jeff Fackrell, sacked Covington seven times. Fackrell, who also recovered a fumble in the first quarter, was in on five of the sacks.

El Toro’s running game came alive in the third quarter when Travis Harr and Jeff Stenstrom led a seven play, 95-yard touchdown drive with Harr scoring from the eight with 19 seconds left in the quarter.

“That long drive was great,” El Toro Coach Mike Milner said. “We needed it very badly.”

El Toro (3-2, 1-0 in league) needed a strong defensive effort to offset a sputtering offense that committed four turnovers, gained only 16 yards total offense and was assessed 40 yards in penalties in the first half. In the second half, El Toro rushed for 158 yards.

Despite El Toro’s first-half offensive problems, the game was tied, 7-7, at halftime, as Dana Hills (1-5, 0-1) was only able to take advantage of one of the turnovers--Jason Smith’s fumble recovery on the Charger 18 to set up Covington’s 18-yard scoring pass to Mike Whittaker in the first quarter.

Dana Hills appeared ready to retake the lead in the second quarter by driving to the Charger 14, but Micah Denison fumbled Covington’s pitchout and El Toro’s Dan Esmaili scooped up the ball and returned it 81 yards for a Charger score.

“We were playing well on defense and that was keeping us in the game,” Milner said. “Our offense couldn’t do anything (in the first half).”

After the Chargers took the 14-7 third quarter lead, the Dolphins mounted a fourth quarter drive of their own, moving from their 14-yard line to the El Toro 10.

But Fackrell sacked Covington for a nine-yard loss on the next play. Two incomplete passes and a three-yard sack by Tony Grammatico allowed the Chargers to take over on downs and run out the 5:25 remaining on the clock.