Mission Viejo opens football season with 34-21 victory in Hawaii
It’s a beach day on Saturday in Honolulu for Mission Viejo football players after they took care of business Friday night with a 34-21 season-opening football victory over Mililani.
Quarterback Kadin Semonza, a Ball State commit, passed for a touchdown and ran for a touchdown to give the Diablos a 14-0 first-quarter lead.
But the Diablos struggled with their tackling, coach Chad Johnson said. And several players had flu-like symptoms earlier in the week.
Banning High’s Seth Fao struggled with online learning during COVID while dealing with family issues, but the football star is now up go speed in class.
“I think we’re still going to have a great team,” Johnson said. “We had some challenges throughout the week. We have a bye week, will fix mistakes and prepare for Servite.”
Mission Viejo will return home Sunday and prepare for an Aug. 26 game against Servite.
Johnson singled out on defense safety Mikey Damato, who had an interception, and defensive end Jonathan Becerra.
Warren will be the next Southern California team playing in Hawaii, playing Saturday night.
San Pedro High’s Nick Fernandez has excelled since a move to tight end. He’s a three-sport athlete who makes an impact on both sides of the football field.
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