Whicker: Mission Viejo’s Diablos are having a blast when they draw upon the past

Those of a definite property blinked approvingly Friday nighttime erstwhile they saw 3 Mission Viejo backs enactment up successful azygous record down backmost Kadin Semonza.

That’s right. The aged I formation. Coach Chad Johnson puts chemoreceptor defender Joseph Mendez  (5-foot-11, 265) into the premix erstwhile it’s clip to spell medieval for that 1 important yard.

“I stole it from (Servite coach) Troy Thomas astatine a clinic,” Johnson said Monday. “He said that’s erstwhile you should usage your 11 champion shot players successful that situation. Our kids each privation to play successful the Diablo formation.”

Mission Viejo went connected to win astatine Alemany, 30-7. That’s a nationalist schoolhouse beating a backstage school, 1 that has 2 USC commits and an Arizona State perpetrate among its playmakers. That doesn’t hap each Friday.

Johnson reminded his players that St. John Bosco only beat Alemany, 24-7. Surpassing that was a goal. Any gait is well-earned connected Trinity League turf.

“We’re trying to elevate the programme to vie with the apical of the Trinity League,” Johnson said. “In college, they accidental the aforesaid happening astir Alabama. Neither Alabama nor the Trinity League is going anywhere. So you person to stiffen up everything, play bully competition.”

Mission Viejo is 3-1, losing 44-7 to Servite, which is ranked No. 8 nationally by MaxPreps and No. 3 successful the Trinity League down Mater Dei (No. 1 nationally) and Bosco (No. 3). The highest-ranked Southern California nationalist schoolhouse programme is Centennial of Corona (No. 16).

The Diablos also beat Long Beach Poly, 41-14, and volition play Sierra Canyon connected Oct. 1.

With Trinity foes JSerra and Santa Margarita successful the wide neighborhood, Johnson knows his roster tin get plundered. He schedules to get Trinity-like exposure, and helium reminds the parents that their kids mightiness thrust the seat astatine Mater Dei portion they could beryllium playing astatine Mission Viejo, which starts 4 sophomores.

“We person guys coming successful and retired of schoolhouse due to the fact that of the sanction Mission Viejo has,” said Ruben Lopez, the information and the lone returning antiaircraft starter. “We don’t person a batch of large guys but we play with our hearts. You spot immoderate large guys who mightiness beryllium timid, and past determination are guys similar our moving backmost (Chase Valousky, listed astatine 5-foot-5, 132) who’s retired present due to the fact that helium wants to be.

“We person guys who play with their tails connected fire. You could accidental we play similar the backstage schoolhouse of nationalist schools.”

Mission Viejo tin lucifer traditions with anyone. When Bob Johnson stepped down aft the 2017 season, helium had won 106 of his past 118 games. In 2004 the Diablos had Mark Sanchez (USC) quarterbacking and Ryan Williams (Ohio State), Nick Reed (Oregon) and Chane Moline (UCLA) connected the antiaircraft front. They won the Division II rubric but bushed some Division I finalists successful the regular season.

Most of the apical Diablos had besides been Mission Viejo Cowboys, a younker programme that, to Johnson’s regret, is nary longer functioning. Lopez played for them, and erstwhile helium joined the Mission Viejo freshman squad helium was pressed into two-day duty, arsenic information and quarterback. That squad started 1-4, past won its league. Lopez got connected the radar and present has go the radar.

“I’m not definite helium wanted to play backmost but it’s helped him admit things for us,” Johnson said. “He’s done a large occupation starring our young guys.”

Nor does it halt with football. Lopez’s diligence has earned him involvement from Cornell and Dartmouth. “If you don’t get your books right, thing other truly matters,” Lopez said. “But it’s besides large to beryllium astatine a spot that prioritizes shot similar we do.”

The Diablos finished up the outpouring season, took 2 weeks off, and went close backmost to it. “We had to,” Johnson said. “But we had young guys chomping astatine the bit. They’d mislaid their JV and freshman seasons. They’ve responded and it’s a large sign.”

Johnson fights different forces beyond his control. Enrollment has dwindled to 1,700. COVID-19 is simply a factor, arsenic is an unstoppable South Orange County lodging marketplace that sends younger couples looking toward the Inland Empire.

“There are a batch of retired radical surviving here, and they’ve got bully houses and they’re not selling,” Johnson said. “As a result, determination are not that galore kids. I retrieve my archetypal Halloween here. I was fired up. Got the kids ready, got each of our costumes. We went location and cipher showed up.”

Johnson laughed. “We’re existent to the sanction Mission Viejo,” helium said. “We’re old.”

Then you spot teenagers lining up vertically down a quarterback, and you consciousness similar taking a photo, if lone you’d brought film.