Mission Viejo defeats Santa Margarita 31-28

If USC Coach Lane Kiffin needs someone to run the wildcat offense next season, Tre Madden is the man.

The future Trojan is a standout linebacker at unbeaten Mission Viejo, but when he plays quarterback in the wildcat formation, he produces Michael Vick-like results.

Madden’s athleticism was on display from start to finish Friday night at Saddleback College, and Santa Margarita had no answer other than to hope Mission Viejo Coach Bob Johnson didn’t use Madden on every offensive play.

In the end, the unbeaten Diablos held on for a 31-28 victory. Mission Viejo (12-0), the No. 1-seeded team, will take on Santa Ana Mater Dei in the semifinals. Mater Dei defeated Tesoro, 17-0.

What’s intriguing is that Madden shouldn’t be considered only a wildcat quarterback. He made a 26-yard pass completion in the fourth quarter, rolling right after getting the snap under center, to set up a Dallas Kessman two-yard touchdown run with 8:51 left that gave the Diablos a 24-20 lead.

Madden also had pass completions of 27 and 22 yards. He ran for 73 yards in eight carries.

“It’s so fun seeing him on offense,” said running back Jahleel Pinner, who has watched Madden since he was 10. “You really don’t know what he’s going to do.”

Kessman had two fourth-quarter touchdown runs and finished with 145 yards rushing in 21 carries. Defensively, Mission Viejo got two sacks apiece from Andrew McPeak and Mitch Melugin.

Mission Viejo opened a 17-7 halftime lead on a 23-yard field goal by Zachary Christensen, a one-yard touchdown run by Pinner and Madden’s eight-yard touchdown run.

But the problem for Santa Margarita was dealing with the ability of Madden to improvise at the quarterback spot. He left no doubt that he has fully recovered from a fractured toe that caused him to miss four games earlier this season.

Santa Margarita (9-3) gave Mission Viejo a scare in the second half with its refusal to quit. Quarterback Adam Young connected with Logan Sweet for a 49-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. Then Young scored on a three-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter, putting the Eagles on top, 20-17.

Mission Viejo responded with the power running of Kessman, combined with Madden’s occasional intervention. But Sweet’s 16-yard touchdown reception with 2:24 left and Young’s two-point conversion run brought the Eagles to within 31-28.

Then Mission Viejo ran out the clock. Alex Bridgford picked up a decisive first down with an eight-yard run.

In two years, I haven’t seen a team yet stop Madden consistently out of the wildcat formation, with the exception of Anaheim Servite in last season’s Pac-5 semifinal, and it looks pretty certain to me that Servite and Mission Viejo are headed on a collision course to meet in the Pac-5 final on Dec. 11 at Angel Stadium. Servite cruised to a 40-16 quarterfinal win over Encino Crespi.

Santa Margarita Coach Harry Welch came in having won 22 consecutive playoff games from his days coaching at Canyon Country Canyon and San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret’s.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

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