1992 in Review

Last year’s postseason was uncharacteristic for the South Coast League, when for the first time since 1985, the league wasn’t represented in a Southern Section championship.

Mater Dei, Capistrano Valley and Mission Viejo earned playoff berths, but with its 40-0 shutout over Encino Crespi, Mater Dei was the only team to make it past the first round. The Monarchs lost the following week, 19-3, to Rialto Eisenhower--the school Mater Dei defeated for the 1991 Division I championship.

The playoffs marked only the third and fourth varsity starts for Mater Dei sophomore quarterback John Flynn. Key in the Eisenhower loss was the absence of Nicky Sualua, who scored six touchdowns against Crespi, but injured his ankle and left the game after one carry.

Mission Viejo, the league’s third-place representative, had the toughest draw. The Diablos crossed Bishop Amat in the first round, losing to the eventual champion, 38-0.

Capistrano Valley finished second in the league with a 17-7 victory over Mission Viejo in the league finale. In the playoffs, the Cougars lost to Redlands, 13-10. Offensive player of the year, Dan Geiss, who had 1,209 yards going into the game, rushed for 103 yards.

Mater Dei, formerly of the Angelus League, debuted with a league title. The Monarch’s only league loss was to Dana Hills, which finished a disappointing fifth after winning the Division II championship the previous year.

Since Mission Viejo lost the Southern Division title to Santa Ana in 1985, there has been a hint of the SCL in the section championship games. In 1986 and ‘87, El Toro won back-to-back Southern Division titles under Bob Johnson.

In 1988, current El Toro Coach Mike Milner guided Fountain Valley to a Division I victory, El Toro lost to Paramount in the ’89 Division III championship, Capistrano Valley won the Division II title a year later and Irvine defeated Dana Hills in the ’91 final.