Monarchs’ Rollinson Hard to Please

It’s hard to find fault in your team when it rolls up 449 yards to the opponent’s 183, and outscores them, 43-12, as Mater Dei did against Mission Viejo.

But Monarch Coach Bruce Rollinson could point to nine things he didn’t like during Thursday night’s South Coast League game before an estimated 7,500 at Santa Ana Stadium. There were nine penalties for 80 yards, four of them called on his offensive line for jumping the snap count, and a facemask penalty while Mater Dei was on defense.

It might not seem like much, but with the playoffs drawing near, those kinds of mistakes could cost Mater Dei in the postseason.

“I told my coaches and I will be telling the kids,” Rollinson said. “The season is about to jump about five levels, and if we keep making stupid mistakes like this we will be home by Thanksgiving.”

Perhaps Rollinson doesn’t want his staff or his team to get content, even when they can pound an opponent the way Mater Dei rolled over the Diablos.

The second-ranked Monarchs (7-1, 3-0) scored on their first five possessions. All were touchdown passes by Scott Lukash (17 of 23, 272 yards), four of them going to Kelvin Millhouse, who finished with seven receptions for 158 yards.

Lukash and Millhouse had big nights because Mission Viejo (4-4, 1-2) was loading the line with eight defenders in an effort to stop running backs Junior Palacios and Matt Grootegoed. Grootegoed still rushed for 88 yards in six carries, including a 70-yard romp in the third quarter that precluded his three-yard touchdown run.

“They were trying to stop the run and kept solo defenders on [the receivers],” said Millhouse, who is often double-covered. “When we saw that I knew we would be passing more tonight.”

Mission Viejo, trailing 36-0 after the first half, got its points on a five-yard run by Dan Bowling in the third quarter, and a one-yard run by Bob Young in the fourth. Mission Viejo lost two starters, receiver Joey Reid and defensive back Ryan O’Connor. Both sustained possible serious knee injuries, according to Coach Steve Carnes.

“They were at the top of their game tonight,” said Carnes of Mater Dei. “There’s not much else to say, other than it will take a pretty good team to beat them.”

Lukash and Millhouse first hooked up on a 52-yard touchdown play with 5:32 left in the first quarter. Millhouse’s next three touchdown receptions covered 22, 16 and 30 yards.