Trabuco Hills Survives El Toro’s Late Rally

David Barrett ran for 224 yards in 19 carries and Trabuco Hills overcame a lackluster first half to post a 24-17 South Coast League victory over El Toro Friday night.

Trabuco Hills (4-2, 1-0 in league), which won its third consecutive game, survived a late charge by El Toro (3-3, 0-1). The Chargers put up 14 unanswered points in the final minute and a half of the game.

But Trabuco Hills iced this one with 30 seconds remaining when it recovered an onside kick attempt by the Chargers.

Trabuco Hills took the opening kickoff in the second half and marched 70 yards in eight plays. Chris Cordova’s three-yard run capped the drive.

Leading 10-3 at the start of the fourth quarter and pinned back on its own 11-yard line, Trabuco Hills drove 89 yards in eight plays, capped by a one-yard touchdown run by quarterback John Baggerly.

Eric Rapley’s one-yard run with just over two minutes left to play gave Trabuco Hills what appeared to be a comfortable 24-3 lead.

But El Toro quarterback Evan Whitaker teamed with wide receiver Pat Parry for two scores in the next 1:04. Whitaker’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Parry with 1:34 remaining made the score 24-10.

El Toro recovered the ensuing kickoff on its own 35-yard line and drove 65 yards in five plays, capped by a three-yard pass from Whitaker to Parry.