MISSION VIEJO – The defense for Mission Viejo’s football team looks very good.
Jeron Jones had two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown, and Jaden Williams had three sacks as Mission Viejo beat Santa Margarita 35-7 on Saturday in a nonleague game at Mission Viejo High.
Brock deFries also returned an interception for a Mission Viejo touchdown
The Diablos are 2-0. They beat Kamehameha 41-7 last week in Hawaii. Saturday’s game was the season opener for Santa Margarita.
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Williams (6-4, 250) was credited with 3.5 sacks last week. He was All-Orange County first team last season as a junior when he had 18.5 sacks. Williams committed to San Diego State.
Jones, a junior who has offers from SMU, Tennessee and Texas A&M, had six interceptions last season including four in the playoffs as the Diablos rolled to CIF Southern Section and CIF State championships.
Williams was No. 1 in the Register’s ranking of Orange County defensive linemen. Jones was No. 6 in the ranking of county defensive backs.
Dijon Lee also had an interceptions for the Diablos.
Mission Viejo junior quarterback Luke Fahey, sharing equal time at the position with senior Drai Trudeau, as they did last season, threw for 156 yards and three touchdown passes.
Phillip Bell had two touchdown receptions, both in the second half.
Both of Jones’ interceptions came in the second half. He made his first pick on the third quarter’s first play from scrimmage. His second came in the fourth quarter, a return of 73 yards for Mission Viejo’s fifth and final touchdown.
Saturday’s game was a dominating performance by Mission Viejo, which is No. 3 in the Orange County Top 25 and Santa Margarita is No. 4.
Mission Viejo scored on its game-opening possession. Kasey Russel caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Fahey with 7:23 left in the first quarter to finish a 12-play drive of 73 yards that included a 12-yard run by Hinesward Lilomaiava for a first down on fourth-and-1 at the Santa Margarita 14-yard line. A Mission Viejo penalty erased a successful 2-point pass play, so the Diablos had to kick for one point but that effort was wide left to leave them with a 6-0 lead.
Santa Margarita’s first possession was a long drive, too. The Eagles started at their 20, ran 13 plays to get to the Mission Viejo 6-yard line. On fourth down, quarterback John Gazzaniga attempted a sneak between the center and left guard but he lunged into a Mission Viejo wall of linemen for no gain.
Lee, who committed to Alabama, made an interception midway through the second quarter. The Diablos maneuvered to the Eagles 1 with the key play a 25-yard pass from Zachary Foeldi to Lilomaiava on a fake punt. At the 1, a run by Trudeau lost 4 yards and his incomplete pass to the corner, intended for Lee, ended the opportunity.
The Diablos got points soon enough, though, when deFries scored on his 16-yard interception return. Trudeau threw a 2-point conversion pass to Bell to push lead to 14-0 with 2:23 remaining. That would be the halftime score.
Jones’ second half-opening interception gave the Diablos the ball at the Santa Margarita 32. Five plays later Fahey connected with Bell for a 15-yard touchdown pass and a 21-0 lead.
After Santa Margarita failed to score on a fourth-and-goal at the Mission Viejo 5-yard line, the Diablos drove 95 yards on eight plays including a 62-yard completion from Fahey to Lee. They scored on a 3-yard pass from Fahey to Bell to make it 28-0 with 7:56 remaining in the game.
After Jones’ 73-yard interception return for a touchdown extended the lead to 35-0, Santa Margarita got its touchdown on an 8-yard run by senior quarterback James Johnson. He was the Eagles’ third quarterback to play Saturday.
Santa Margarita junior receiver Trent Mosley had nine receptions for 110 yards and rushed for 31 yards. Mosley is the No. 2 player in the OCVarsity Hot 150 ranking of county football players.
The Calpreps.com state rankings have Mission Viejo at No. 4 and Santa Margarita at No. 5.
Santa Margarita’s next game is at Corona Centennial on Friday. Centennial lost to Mater Dei 42-25 on Thursday in the season opener for both.
Mission Viejo does not play this coming week. The Diablos’ next game is a home game against Liberty of Henderson, Nev., on Sept. 6.
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