Chargers Make Quick Work of El Modena, 41-0, in Home Opener

A raucous crowd of blue- and gold-clad El Toro High football fans packed Trabuco Hills High's stadium, enduring surprisingly brisk conditions Friday night to cheer on their Chargers to what they hoped would be a victory in their home opener.

Though El Toro got off to a slow start, the Chargers picked up the pace in the second quarter, when they scored three touchdowns and kicked two field goals, and went on to dominate El Modena, 41-0, in the nonleague contest.

"We have installed a new offense that is hurry-up, no-huddle," Chargers coach Robert Firth told Patch at the beginning of the season. "Our hope is to be the fastest tempo team in the county."

El Toro improved to 1-1 after suffering a 23-21 loss at Huntington Beach to open the season. El Modena also saw its record evened at 1-1. The Vanguards opened their season with a resounding 52-7 victory over the Orange Panthers.

A Slow Start for Both Teams

Both teams had trouble in the first quarter Friday night, when drives were derailed by miscues, penalties and turnovers.

The Chargers again looked ineffective on their first drive of the second quarter, as El Modena held them to three plays and a punt. But two plays into the ensuing drive, Vanguard quarterback James Richardson fumbled the ball on an option play and the Chargers recovered it at the El Modena 17-yard line.

On the Chargers' next play, quarterback Conner Manning completed a fade pass to wide receiver Cody White in the back of the end zone. Thinking that the Chargers had drawn first blood, the crowd erupted in celebration before realizing that the play was called back because of an illegal procedure penalty.

The next play saw another large gain erased because of an offensive holding call against El Toro.

Two consecutive running plays didn't get the Chargers a first down and they were forced to attempt a 30-yard a field goal. Roger Howard's kick was good and El Toro took a 3-0 lead.

The Vanguards' next possession was another short one, thanks in large part to a bad snap that resulted in a 16-yard loss for the visitors.

Chargers Finally Get It in Gear

El Toro's offense began to click on its ensuing drive. On the third play from scrimmage, Manning connected with Collins, who broke several tackles on his way to a 25-yard gain.

Later in the drive Manning converted a fourth-and-seven from the Vanguards' 31-yard line, rolling to his right, away from pressure, and finding wide receiver Blake Murphy along the sideline stripe for a 13-yard gain. On the next play, Manning hooked up with Collins on the left sideline for a 29-yard touchdown.

"I have five skill players on offense who all have extensive playing time at the varsity level, and a quarterback in Conner Manning who has the potential to be one of the best in the county here soon," Frith said. "Our O-line is inexperienced but the simplicity in our offensive scheme should lend a hand to that unit."

Feeling the momentum beginning to swing solidly in their direction, the Chargers hoped to surprise El Modena with an onside kick. But the gambit failed, and the Vanguards had prime field position from which to get back into the game.

On the first play of the possession, Richardson's short pass was intercepted by El Toro cornerback Evan Acker, who returned the ball to the Vanguard 13.

After a dropped pass, two overthrows, and facing a fourth-and-10, El Toro was forced again to settle for a field goal by Howard, who split the uprights from 30 yards and gave the Chargers a 13-0 advantage.

If El Toro's players were upset that two outstanding defensive plays and superior field position had lead to a mere six points, they didn't show it. The Chargers forced another three-and-out on the Vanguards' next possession, thanks to a third down sack by defensive end Jeff Nelson.

A long punt and an unnecessary roughness penalty called against the Chargers had the offense beginning its next drive at its own 14 with a little more than two minutes left in the half.

El Toro returned to its no-huddle offense and things began to fall into place. The Chargers gained first downs on three consecutive plays, highlighted by a 48-yard scamper by running back Jacob Furnari on a screen pass from Manning.

The Chargers put more points on the board on only the fourth play of their drive, when Manning hit White on a slant pattern for an 18-yard touchdown.

Spurred on by the wild drumming of the band and spirited calls from the El Toro pep squad—and, of course, the four-play, 86-yard scoring drive they had just witnessed—the crowd began to come alive.

Though it seemed as if the Vanguards were ready to take their 20-0 deficit into the halftime locker room and lick their wounds, the El Toro coaching staff sensed blood in the water.

Instead of allowing El Modena to run out the clock, the Chargers called timeouts after each play the Vanguards ran, saving themselves 42 seconds and one more chance to increase their commanding lead before the half.

A 25-yard punt return gave the Chargers possession around midfield. After an eight-yard scramble on second-and-10, Manning overthrew White on a wide-open go route down the right sideline to bring up a fourth-and-two.

The Chargers decided to go for it with only 10 seconds left in the half and as the play broke down, Manning tucked the ball away and ran the three yards for the first down, getting hit as he stepped out of bounds with 0:03 showing on the scoreboard.

With time for only one more play, the Chargers went back to the one Manning had missed on third down, only two plays earlier. This time around, he connected with White for a 40-yard touchdown as the clock expired.

Howard's extra point gave the Chargers a 27-0 lead going into intermission.

Chargers Control the Second Half

El Toro received the second-half kickoff and wasted no time increasing their advantage. Catching the kick just in front of his goal line, Furnari sprinted up the right side, hitting the hole at full-speed.

With only one man to beat, Furnari looked to be tackled around midfield, but he managed to break the defender's grasp while maintaining his footing, finishing his electrifying run in the end zone.

After struggling for most of the first half, the Chargers had scored 31 points in just under a span of four minutes and led the Vanguards, 34-0.

El Modena's next possession showed some promise as the Vanguards gained three first downs, but El Toro's pressure and a third-down sack by senior defenders Brian Moreen and Cody Wallace ended the drive and forced another punt.

"Led by middle linebacker Brian Moreen, we have three players on defense who have started since their sophomore year and a few others with quite a bit of experience as well," Frith said.

Rolling with the success that their two-minute offense had shown at the end of the first half, the Chargers returned to their no-huddle attack on their first possession of the third quarter.

The high-octane offense proved too much again for the Vanguards, leaving the defense sitting on its heels and forcing its coaching staff to use a timeout to stop play.

With each first down, the crowd chanted "Move those chains!" in a half-cheer, half-heckling taunt at the chain gang, whose members were working up a quite a sweat as they carried their markers down the field at a ferocious pace.

El Toro's charge was finally slowed by the Vanguards, who forced a fourth-and-three. Too far away to to attempt a field goal but too close to punt the ball, Manning instead hit Cody White for a 13-yard gain and a first down.

Three plays later, Manning found White again, this time in the end zone with a fade to the back-right corner. White out-jumped his defender for an 11-yard touchdown catch, his third of the night.

The 84-yard drive resulted in the game's final points and gave the Chargers a 41-0 lead.

Because El Toro had taken a lead of more than 35 points, the referees invoked the "Mercy Rule," new to high school football this season, and went to a running clock. In the time remaining, the Chargers emptied their bench and let the reserves finish up the game.

Next Friday, El Toro plays host to the Comanches of Anaheim Canyon High, who are taking an 0-1 record into their game against Laguna Hills tonight at El Modena High.