Monarchs Given a Scare, Recover to Beat Diablos

Suffice to say even supporters from top-ranked Mater Dei would agree after Friday night that Mission Viejo hasn’t gotten the respect it deserves.

The host Diablos gave Mater Dei everything it could handle before falling, 43-29, before a standing-room-only crowd of more than 6,000.

It took a 388-yard, three-touchdown passing performance from Mater Dei quarterback John Leonard and a late touchdown by running back Mike McNair before this South Coast League game was decided.

The Monarchs had given up only 10 points this season and hadn’t given up a touchdown since their second game.

But Mission Viejo (6-1, 1-1) played gamely, springing a few trick plays and throwing a lot of heart at the nation’s second-ranked team.

Top-ranked Mater Dei (7-0, 2-0) trailed the ninth-ranked Diablos on three occasions, the only times it has been behind this season. And it held a precarious 36-29 lead when McNair put the Diablos away with a burst off tackle that turned into a 16-yard scoring run with 2 minutes 34 seconds remaining in the game.

Until that point Mission Viejo was clearly in the game. The Diablos held first-half leads of 14-7 and 20-14 and, after falling behind 28-20 at the half, rallied to take a 29-28 lead on a 68-yard scoring run by Dan Bowling midway through the third quarter.

“I thought our conditioning paid off in the second half,” Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson said. “We controlled the ball and that was a key. But they are a very fine football team.”

McNair made it 7-0 on the third play from scrimmage when he burst up the middle on a 63-yard touchdown run. He finished with 137 yards in 31 carries, but Mission Viejo made him work for those yards, stringing him out at the line of scrimmage until Mater Dei’s front line wore the Diablos down in the final minutes.

Mission Viejo shocked the Monarchs, striking quickly for two touchdowns, a 35-yard score with 4:11 left in the first quarter and a 34-yard interception return by Mike Chavis 10 seconds later.

A 34-yard touchdown pass from Leonard to Alex Romero with one second left in the quarter tied the score, but Mission Viejo took charge again, 20-14, when Chavis ran off tackle 47 yards. The point-after attempt failed.

The Monarchs struck quickly to end the half. Leonard tied the score with a 58-yard touchdown pass to Romero and the PAT by Matt Grootegoed put the Monarchs in front for the first time, 21-20.

Leonard closed the half by driving Mater Dei 61 yards in five plays, including a four-yard touchdown pass to Romero after time expired.

But Mission Viejo wouldn’t quit, taking the lead with nine consecutive third-quarter points: Nick Gilliam’s 38-yard field goal and Bowling’s scoring run.