El Toro Proves to Be a Model of Efficiency

The last time El Toro won a league title, it was in a different league. That Charger team, with a slot back named Murle Sango, was one of Orange County’s most exciting.

That was 1995, and Sango is at Villanova.

Excitement has given way to efficiency, and El Toro took another workmanlike step toward winning the South Coast League title by defeating Mission Viejo, 38-14, in front of about 4,500 Friday at Mission Viejo High.

With the victory, the Chargers (6-3, 3-1) moved into a first-place tie in the league race with Mission Viejo (4-5, 3-1) and San Clemente (6-3, 3-1). But more importantly, they hold the tiebreaker advantage in determining playoff ranking with head-to-head victories over both teams.

“This was a statement game,” El Toro Coach Mike Milner said. “We haven’t gotten a lot of respect. [Mission Viejo] was rated early. We felt this was the time to make a statement.”

That it came against a longtime rival didn’t hurt either.

Milner, who coached with Mission Viejo Coach Bob Johnson in the 1970s at Los Amigos, then coached against him at Fountain Valley while Johnson was directing El Toro to three Southern Section titles, watched his squad intercept four passes thrown by Billy Hart and also recover a fumble.

Three of those interceptions occurred in the fourth quarter, which El Toro entered with a 17-14 lead.

The last two interceptions, both by Jimmy May, led to touchdowns--a one-yard run by Dan Steinau to give El Toro a 31-14 margin and a 10-yard run by Nick Walsh with 18 seconds remaining.

The Chargers were also opportunistic in the first half. When Mission Viejo’s Ken Williams missed a 37-yard field goal, El Toro marched 80 yards for a 7-0 lead, the touchdown coming on Ryan Switzer’s one-yard run.

El Toro also scored on the first possession of the second half as Evan Whitaker (14 for 21, 185 yards) passed 25 yards to Ryan Dove for a 14-0 lead.

But Justin Shultz prevented El Toro from taking all the momentum with an 82-yard kickoff return to cut Mission Viejo’s deficit to 14-7.

El Toro drove 73 yards on the ensuing possession and Mike Marquez kicked a 23-yard field goal for a 17-7 lead. El Toro also answered Mission Viejo’s 74-yard scoring drive (Robbie Dubois scoring from two yards) with an 83-yard drive capped by a 17-yard pass from Whitaker to J.P. Lonne four minutes into the fourth quarter.

The victory ended Mission Viejo’s four-game winning streak. The 24-point loss was more than the Diablos’ combined 17-point deficit in their four losses.

The El Toro defense also effectively contained Mission Viejo running back Robbie Dubois (16 carries, 61 yards).

Meanwhile, El Toro was enjoying contributions from four rushers, Switzer (16 carries, 61 yards), Ashkan Nazeri (13 carries 65 yards), Steinau (six carries, 51 yards) and Walsh (six carries, 35 yards).

“The key was, defensively, we came up with big plays,” Milner said. “In a game like this, it’s all about making plays.”