Mission Viejo Deflates Canyon

The players and coaches from Mission Viejo had heard the rumors and, true or not, that was all they needed.

The Diablos are on Southern Section probation for using unofficial footballs last season and from what they heard, Canyon Country Canyon turned them in. The penalty is no home games in the playoffs.

Friday night in a Division II semifinal, Mission Viejo arrived at Canyon and took it out on the Cowboys, 56-21.

“You can’t help but think about that,” senior defensive back Pat O’Neill said of the added incentive. “As a senior, I really wish I could have had a home game.”

The victory was the 41st in a row for the Diablos (13-0), who will play the winner of tonight’s semifinal between Newhall Hart and San Clemente.

This is the third consecutive year that Mission Viejo has entered the championship game undefeated. The Diablos won the last two.

“We’re playing real good football,” Mission Viejo Coach Bob Johnson said. “We’re humble enough that we can keep it going and we know were going to have to bring our A-game next week no matter who we play.”

Against Canyon, the Diablos made five interceptions and returned three of them for touchdowns. None was more of a game-changer than a 95-yard return for a touchdown by Jedidigh Collins with 2 minutes 28 seconds left in the second quarter.

Mission Viejo led, 28-7, at the time and Canyon was deep in Diablo territory. But Collins, a linebacker, picked off a short pass over the middle and took it up the right sideline for a 35-7 Mission Viejo lead. Six plays later, Nick Grothian returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown and a 42-7 halftime lead.

“That was big,” Johnson said of the Collins interception. “We had the game in hand, but they were down there and it could have been 28-14. Then they get the ball after the half and you never know what would happen.”

Mission Viejo put the game away early in the third quarter, scoring on a six-yard pass play from Mark Sanchez to Jamielle Gummer to take a 49-7 lead. Three plays later, Logan Dose forced a fumble, Denis Speights returned it 22 yards to the Canyon one, and Ramon Scott ran in on the next play for a 56-7 lead.

Canyon (11-2), which had averaged 44.7 points this season, scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns against mostly reserves.

Sanchez completed seven of 11 passes for 111 yards and three touchdowns.

Canyon quarterback Nate Longshore completed 21 of 35 passes for 225 yards but was intercepted four times.