PREP FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : Capistrano Valley Begins Post-Patton Era With Victory

If the Capistrano Valley Cougars are considered rude hosts, you can blame former coach Eric Patton.

Patton, who coached at Capistrano Valley until he left in January to become an assistant at Saddleback College, gave the Cougars a pregame pep talk and reminded them that “nobody comes into our house and beats us.”

The Cougars apparently got the message Friday night as they easily defeated San Diego Lincoln Prep, 44-7, at Capistrano Valley High School.

Capistrano Valley dominated in a way that must have made Patton rethink his decision to leave. The Cougars scored on five of their first six possessions. The one mistake--a fumble by Charlie Landrigan--was erased when Austin Allen intercepted a pass by Lincoln quarterback Derrick Goodwin on the next play.

Of the first three touchdowns, the longest drive lasted three plays and just 1 minute 12 seconds. All in all, it made for an easy first game for new Coach Dave Brown.

“This was a tough team we played, a team that has made the playoffs the last three years, but we just prepared well and the kids played well,” Brown said.

The Cougars played so well that the starters were on the bench with 5:57 left in the first half but not before piling up some impressive numbers and a 34-0 lead.

Malaefou MacKenzie rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown in three carries and scored another on a 36-yard screen pass and started the second half off by returning the kickoff 84 yards for the touchdown.

Landrigan rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown in five carries and caught a 12-yard touchdown pass.

Tim Hirchag threw the ball twice for 48 yards and two touchdowns.

By the fourth quarter, the only suspense left was whether Brown would let Brett Thompson attempt a school record 52-yard field goal with the score 41-7. Brown relented and Thompson kicked the field goal, breaking Guy Johnson’s 17-year old record.