Mission Viejo Rallies to Beat De La Salle

Slugging it out like the standard-bearers their football programs have been in recent years, Mission Viejo walked away with a 36-26 intersectional victory over Concord De La Salle before a standing-room-only crowd Saturday night at Mission Viejo.

Chane Moline rushed 33 times for 176 yards and two touchdowns, the last with 2 minutes 58 seconds left in the game that sealed Mission Viejo’s 60th victory in its last 61 games. The Diablos are ranked No. 1 in the Southland by The Times and No. 1 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports.

It was the fifth loss in the last 18 games for De La Salle (3-2), which is ranked No. 5 in the state and had lost its previous five games over a span of 249 games.

Trailing, 26-22, going into the fourth quarter, Mission Viejo took a 29-26 lead on Keegan Gogerty’s two-yard run. The key play in the six-play, 80-yard drive was the one that preceded it, when quarterback R.J. Toman pump-faked, then threw 43 yards to Sean Fitzgerald at the two-yard line.

Another huge play for Mission Viejo was a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown by Marcus North. A bad snap foiled the point-after attempt, and Mission Viejo still trailed, 23-22 with 7:42 left in the third quarter. “That turned the game around for us,” Moline said. “We needed it right there.”

Toman completed eight of 12 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown for Mission Viejo.

De La Salle, which has won 13 consecutive North Coast Section titles, got 113 yards passing and one touchdown from Mike MacGillivray, as well as a one-yard scoring run.

Mission Viejo outgained De La Salle in the first half, 174 yards to 62, but the dominance didn’t show on the scoreboard. De La Salle hung tough with scoring drives of 34 and 29 yards. The first was set up by a 63-yard kickoff return by Chris Garrett.

De La Salle’s second was set up by Mario D’Ambrosio’s seven-yard interception return on Mission Viejo’s first play of the ensuing possession. .

-- Martin Henderson

Boys’ Water Polo

Even without its best player, Newport Harbor was too much for the competition Saturday at the S&R; Sport Cup in Irvine.

Parker Gregory, substituting for Clay Jorth, who’s in Buenos Aires competing for the United States in the junior world championships, scored a team-high four goals to lead the Sailors to an 11-9 victory over North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake in the championship game at Heritage Park.

Gregory’s goal from the perimeter with 3 minutes 45 seconds remaining in the game gave Newport Harbor (13-1) a 10-8 lead. Gregory also scored goals in the second and third quarters to help the Sailors.

Justin Rappel scored five goals to lead Harvard-Westlake (10-3), which defeated Long Beach Wilson, 9-6, in a semifinal. The Bruins, winners of the last four Southern Section Division I titles, were without Matt Sagehorn and Anthony Artukovich, who are also competing with the junior national team.

-- Dan Arritt