Mission Viejo Wins as Penalties Hurt Dana Hills

A last-second 27-yard field-goal attempt by Dana Hills sailed wide right, preserving Mission Viejo’s 14-12 victory Friday night in a South Coast League game at Dana Hills.

But ask any Dolphin player and they will tell you the game wasn’t lost on a wide kick, but rather penalties. There were 135 yards of penalties of all varieties--holding, clipping, illegal procedure.

The most costly penalty however, might have been with 1 minute 30 seconds left in the game and Dana Hills driving. Jeremy Walker passed 27 yards to Matt Johnson on the Mission Viejo 15-yard line, only to have the play nullified because of an ineligible man downfield.

Dana Hills held the Diablos to only 27 yards of offense in the first half, but led only, 12-7. Again, costly penalties kept the Dolphins from a bigger lead.

Dana Hills (3-5, 0-3) took the opening drive 64 yards in six plays, to take a 7-0 lead. The key play was a 48-yard pass from Walker to Larry Page.

Mission Viejo (4-4, 1-2) tied it at 7-7, early in the second, when Alex Perez intercepted a Walker pass on the Dolphins’ 32, and returned to the five-yard line. Two plays later Scott Carr scored on a six-yard run.