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MISSION VIEJO — Mission Viejo’s football team didn’t cover many miles Friday in transporting its sizzling late-season play and intriguing mix of talent to the CIF State Division 1-AA championship game.
The Diablos traveled south about 5 miles along Marguerite Parkway to Saddleback College to face Northern California powerhouse De La Salle of Concord.
Mission Viejo had the much shorter trip logistically, but still showed how far it came as a team.
In the areas of maturity, execution and togetherness, the Diablos delivered to race past the seven-time state champion 27-14.
Mission Viejo (13-3) scored 24 unanswered points at one stretch to snap De La Salle’s 11-game winning streak and storm to its first state title since 2015.
The Diablos punctuated their season with an eighth straight victory, turning the painful lessons of a so-called rebuilding season into sharp, championship-level play. They tossed three touchdown passes against the Spartans (11-3) and didn’t commit a turnover.
“We all came together and played all together, and it just worked miracles,” Mission Viejo senior offensive tackle Mark Schroller said.
“The (offensive) line came together. We had some injuries we had to deal with but I’m so proud of all of them. I’m proud of our quarterbacks. I’m proud of our running backs. I’m proud of our defense. I’m proud of everyone. Everyone just showed improvement across the season, and they all just got better and better.”
“Look where we are today,” the UCLA commit added.
Mission Viejo sits among the state champions for the first time under sixth-year coach Chad Johnson, who replaced the legendary Bob Johnson (no relation).
“The biggest thing we talk about all the time is perseverance, leadership, character, toughness, and I think that’s what our guys showed,” Chad Johnson said. “We were honest and got better at what we needed to fix, and went on a run.”
“To beat De La Salle in Division 1 in the state championship of California, is pretty special,” he added. “There’s a (darn) movie made about them.”
De La Salle’s trademark running game struck on the opening possession of the first quarter. Quarterback Toa Fa’avae flashed his speed from track and field by rolling left and sprinting for a 55-yard touchdown run on the fifth play from scrimmage.
But Mission Viejo tied the score 7-7 early in the second quarter with a 13-yard TD pass from Luke Fahey to Phillip Bell. Fahey’s 25th touchdown pass of the fall capped a 10-play, 68-yard scoring drive that consumed about 4 1/2 minutes.
Mission Viejo took the lead for good just before halftime on a 22-yard field goal by Michael Salgado-Medina with 24 seconds left.
The kick capped a 92-yard scoring drive that Fahey sparked with a 43-yard run. He zigzagged from the De La Salle 48 to the 5 with 46 seconds left to set up the score.
Running back Hinesward Lilomaiava helped kick-start the march from the Mission Viejo 3 with a bruising 13-yard run for a first down.
De La Salle prevented a touchdown before intermission and almost tied the score with its own field goal but missed a 28-yard attempt on the final play of the half.
After a rough start, the Diablos’ defense stiffened most of the first half until De La Salle’s final possession. The Spartans went to intermission with 105 yards on 19 carries.
Mission Viejo’s Trey Tolmaire provided the major spark to open the second half. He returned the kickoff 53 yards to the Spartans 45. The return set up a 3-yard TD pass from Draiden Trudeau to Bell on fourth-and-goal.
Trudeau extended the drive with a 36-yard connection to Vance Spafford on a third-down gain to the De La Salle 6.
Tolmaire maintained the momentum with a big play on defense. The Boise State commit made a leaping interception at his 30 on the ensuing possession.
The first turnover of the game led to an 8-yard touchdown pass from Fahey to Spafford late in the third quarter as Mission Viejo’s lead swelled to 24-7.
Fa’avae rushed for 162 yards on the night but Mission Viejo made its share of stops and also rushed the ball well. Lilomaiava rushed for 87 yards on 20 carries while Fahey added 83 yards on only five carries.
De La Salle only outrushed Mission Viejo 207-184.
The difference was the Diablos’ passing game, turnovers and matching the Spartans’ physical play.
“It was a fist-fight,” said Mission Viejo safety Travis Anderson, who added a late interception. “De La Salle is a great team. Our up-front, defensive line battled really hard and we did great.”
Anderson added that the Diablos were motivated to play well for veteran defensive coordinator Brett Paton, who plans to coach the lower levels in the future.
Mission Viejo’s transformation began after a 20-10 loss against South Coast League rival San Clemente on Oct. 13.
It was a bitter night for the Diablos, who fell at home and admittedly struggled with penalties and maintaining their emotions.
Mission Viejo players said they responded with plenty of soul-searching and harder practices.
The commitment produced a seven-game winning streak to Friday’s state final, including the school’s first section and regional titles since 2015.
The hot streak highlighted several up-and-coming players who starred with established seniors.
Mission Viejo injected sophomore starters such as Fahey, Spafford, Markus Kier, Jeron Jones, JD Hill and Kane Nolte, and juniors such as Lilomaiava, Jaden Williams, and highly-recruited Dijon Lee Jr.
The emerging players blended with seniors such Jack Matranga, Anderson, Reef Lancaster, Schroller, Tolmaire and Jonavan Asuncion.
“This season has taught me so many lessons,” Schroller said. “I knew it would just build character for all our guys, so I’m really happy with the outcome.”
