Orange County Prep Football : Mission Viejo Rallies to Beat Hart

Mission Viejo High School exploded for 24 points in the fourth quarter to shock Hart, 31-14, Saturday night in front of 1,400 fans in Mission Viejo Stadium.

The win snapped Hart’s 14-game winning streak, third longest in the Southern Section. Hart’s last loss came in its season opener last year against Canyon.

Hart went into the fourth quarter with a 14-7 lead behind the passing of quarterback Darren Renfro. Renfro passed for 232 yards against Mission Viejo, but also threw three interceptions and failed to complete his final six passes in the final minutes of play.

Mission Viejo tied the game, 14-14, on the first play of the fourth quarter when quarterback Troy Kopp threw his first of two touchdown passes in the period. Kopp connected with running back John Burns on a 15-yard scoring play, the first of three touchdowns the Diablos scored in seven and a half minutes.

Kopp gave the Diablos the lead for good when he teamed with wide receiver Steve Miller on a 79-yard touchdown play. Miller slipped behind two defenders, caught the ball at midfield and then raced to the end zone for a 21-14 lead.

Moments later, Miller returned a punt 20 yards to set up yet another Mission Viejo touchdown. This time, fullback Jay Williams scored on a 17-yard run, but Mission Viejo wasn’t quite finished.

The Diablos added a 31-yard field goal by Eric Ekdahl for a 31-14 lead and Hart’s streak was over.

Renfro had a big first half, completing 14 of 19 pass attempts for 155 yards and 1 touchdown. Hart showed plenty of versatility in their offense. Seven different receivers caught passes as the Indians routinely beat Mission Viejo’s zone coverage.

Hart opened a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Renfro connected with wide receiver Joe DeSchryver on a 17-yard scoring play. Renfro completed five passes for 70 yards in the drive that was tainted by three Indian penalties.

Hart increased its lead to 14-0 in the second quarter, capitalizing on defensive end Jim Blowers’ fumble recovery at the Mission Viejo 34-yard line. Renfro’s 18-yard pass to DeSchryver set up Jerry Smith’s one-yard touchdown run.

Kopp got hot before halftime and the Diablos finally got on the scoreboard. Kopp completed two passes for 30 yards on a 78-yard drive that was capped by a six-yard touchdown run by Burns.