SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Servite Victory Revives Memories : Division V football: Friars beat El Toro, 34-19, to get back into the final, which they last made in 1983.

Servite returned to familiar territory Saturday night. Ancient turf, to be sure, but many Friars knew the tale.

When running back David Bedard shook free of defensive back Keith Yarmchuk and sprinted into the end zone, the Friars were back in a Southern Section championship game. Bedard’s 23-yard run, good for his third touchdown of the game, locked up a 34-19 victory over El Toro at Mission Viejo High School and put the Friars in next Saturday’s Division V title game against top-seeded Newport Harbor.

The Friars’ last appearance in a title game was in 1983, when they defeated La Puente Bishop Amat for their second consecutive Division I title. Many of this group still remember it, including their coach.

“I was in the stands that night, watching that group,” said Coach Larry Toner, who was Servite’s freshman coach in 1983. “This is great to be back.”

The closest the Friars have been to a title game since then was a semifinal appearance in 1988, when they lost to Fountain Valley.

“I was just a kid in 1983, but I went to every Servite game,” linebacker Tony Magliocco said. “My dad played here. I loved the Friars.”

Magliocco was a big reason for the trip down memory lane.

He blocked Chad Johnson’s 24-yard field-goal try early in the second half. The ball bounced into the arms of Don Hong, who returned it 67 yards to the El Toro 13.

Three plays later, Bedard scored the first of his touchdowns, on a two-yard run. It gave the Friars a 13-3 lead and the Chargers had to play catch-up the rest of the game.

That wasn’t easy against a Friar defense that had three consecutive shutouts. Servite has lived by its defense in the playoffs; the offense has supplied crumbs, scoring only 19 points in two playoff games.

The offense continued to self-destruct in the first half. The Friars ran the ball well but stopped themselves with three turnovers.

They were left clinging to a 7-3 halftime lead.

But in the second half, the Servite offense showed just how good it could be. Running backs chewed up turf behind guards Matt Hawkins (6 feet, 235 pounds) and Zack LaMonda (6-2, 240).

Bedard was the biggest beneficiary and gained 168 yards in 17 carries. Frank Patti gained 105.

The Friars finished with 340 yards rushing. Quarterback David Martin threw only one pass in the second half. But he scored twice on quarterback sneaks, covering 30 and 22 yards.

“The offense has struggled, but we knew it would get it together,” Magliocco said. “We have too many good backs. The defense was going to stop them until the the offense got going.”

And stop them they did.

El Toro quarterback Brian Wilson was nine of 25 for 117 yards. He had completed 55% of his passes this season and 65% in the playoffs.

But he was harassed by the Friars defensive front, which had four sacks.

The Friars needed that defense in the first half.

Their streak of 13 quarters without allowing a point came to an end when Johnson kicked a 41-yard field goal late in the first quarter.

Turnovers plagued the Friars. Two Martin passes were intercepted and running back Marvin Smith fumbled. But the Friar defense would not budge.

The Chargers had only 62 yards in the first half. Wilson was three of 12 for 13 yards.

They did get as far as the Servite 13 late in the second quarter, but the Friars stiffened and Johnson’s 32-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide right with eight seconds left in the half.

The Friar defense bent a little in the fourth quarter, mostly out of fatigue. But they were there at the finish as David Watters cradled the ball after intercepting a pass on the final play.

It ended a decade of waiting and brought back a few memories.

“We were there in 1983, I think,” LaMonda said. “Right? Oh, what do I know, I’m only a sophomore.”