Mission Viejo rallies past San Diego Helix, 32-28, in Division I-AA regional bowl

Colin Schooler rushed 38 times for 160 yards and three touchdowns, including a one-yard scoring run with 1:59 remaining that lifted host Mission Viejo to a 32-28 victory over San Diego Helix in a CIF state Division I-AA regional bowl game Friday night.

Olaijah Griffin sealed the win with an interception at the Mission Viejo 47-yard line with 1:50 left, and an offside penalty on fourth-and-five gave the Diablos the first down they needed to run out the clock.

“Our run game is extremely effective on a good night, but for the first half and most of the third quarter, we weren’t running the ball well at all,” said Schooler, who carried the ball 33 times the week before against Vista Murrieta. “We almost didn’t run out the clock, but I’m glad we didn’t have to punt it back to them.”

Brock Johnson completed 14 of 22 passes for 146 yards, and Austin Osborne caught four passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns as the unbeaten Diablos rallied from an eight-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter.

Schooler leaped over the goal line from one yard out to cap a seven-play, 49-yard touchdown drive that pulled Mission Viejo to within 28-26, but Johnson’s pass was incomplete on a two-point conversion attempt with 4:45 to play.

Helix running back Nate Stinson, the offensive player of the year in the San Diego Section, rushed for 275 yards and four touchdowns in 24 carries, upping his season totals to 1,989 yards and 35 touchdowns, but his fumble at the 32-yard line was recovered by Christian Lavalle to set up Mission Viejo’s winning score.

“I think he just lost the handle on it,” Lavalle said of Stinson’s fumble. “I was just trying to get in my spot, and I saw it pop out. We knew we had to play tough against the run to beat them and he’s the fastest guy we’ve gone up against, but we stayed the course and pulled it out.”

Helix linebacker Ezekiel Noa tackled Schooler for a two-yard loss on fourth-and-one at the Helix 45 to end Mission Viejo’s first drive, and on the Diablos’ next possession, Helix (11-2) recovered a fumbled lateral at the Mission Viejo 21. Five plays later, Stinson scored from three yards out to give Helix a 7-0 lead.

Mission Viejo answered on a 24-yard pass from Johnson to Osborne, but the extra point failed and the Diablos trailed, 7-6, with 1:32 left in the first quarter.

Stinson scored his second touchdown on a 61-yard run to increase the Highlanders’ lead to 14-6 early in the second quarter. Johnson and Osborne connected on a 56-yard touchdown pass play, and Griffin caught the two-point conversion pass to tie the score, 14-14, midway through the second quarter.

Schooler’s one-yard plunge gave the Diablos their first lead, 20-14, with 1:09 left in the first half. But Stinson ran 42 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter to put Helix back in the lead, 21-20. He broke loose for a 93-yard touchdown that extended the Highlanders’ lead to 28-20 late in the third quarter, but they couldn’t hold on.

It was the first loss since the season-opener for Helix, the San Diego Section Open Division champion, and the final game for head coach and former Woodland Hills Taft coach Troy Starr, who is stepping down after eight seasons at Helix.

“It was a great game, and when the ‘W’ is there at the end, we like it,” Mission Viejo Coach Bob Johnson said. “We were in trouble there, so I give them a lot of credit. I can’t single out any one player; everyone contributed tonight.”

The Diablos (15-0) extended their winning streak to 27 games and advanced to the state championship bowl game against San Jose Bellarmine Prep next Friday night in Sacramento.

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