PREP NOTES

“Close, but no cigar” is how Mike Milner summed up his first season at El Toro High School after replacing highly successful Coach Bob Johnson.

El Toro (3-6-1) missed qualifying for the Southern Section playoffs for the first time since 1977 by placing fifth in the South Coast League with a 1-3-1 record.

“We played Mission Viejo tough (a 23-22 loss) and could have beaten Dana Hills (7-7 tie),” Milner said. “Injuries were a factor. The week we played Irvine (19-10 loss), we lost both tight ends. We also lost both tailbacks during the season.”

Milner called the 1991 season “a transitional year” in which the players, boosters and administrators at El Toro had to adjust to a new coach.

“Any pressure on me was self-imposed,” he said. “I think what we accomplished set the foundation for next season.”

Looking ahead to next season, El Toro’s sophomore team finished second in the South Coast League. But its freshman team was 2-7 and failed to score a touchdown in its first six games.