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Mission Viejo football rumbles to victory over Long Beach Poly at SoFi Stadium

October 5, 2024

INGLEWOOD — The Mission Viejo football team enjoyed a lot of success the past two seasons, including a CIF State championship. But one feat that had eluded the Diablos was a win over Long Beach Poly.

Mission Viejo added that to its list of accomplishments Friday by beating Poly 49-14 at SoFi Stadium.

Mission Viejo’s Davonte Curtis (7) scores during game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Colin Burke (34) gets horizontal while bringdown Long Beach Poly’s Benjamin Harris (6) during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Hinesward Lilomaiava (5) flies over Long Beach Poly’s defense for a first down during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Drai Trudeau (10) picks up a dropped snap and scramble for a first down during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Davonte Curtis (7) and Mission Viejo’s Luke Fahey (3) celebrate Curtis’ score during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Davonte Curtis (7) drags a Poly defender into the end zone for his first touchdown during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Long Beach Poly’s Benjamin Harris (6) gets gang tackled by Mission Viejo’s defense during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s head coach Chad Johnson directs from the sidelines during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Vance Spafford (13) pulls in a touchdown on the NFL shield during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Davonte Curtis (7) heads for the end zone for his second touchdown of the first half during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Jaden Williams (9) celebrates his interception during game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Jaden Williams (9) runs back his interception during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Brock Defries (24) intercepts a pass intended for Long Beach Poly’s Kymere Smith (12) on the goal line during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Long Beach Poly’s Daluchukwu Akpamgbo (11) scrambles during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Jaden Williams (9) drags down Long Beach Poly’s Benjamin Harris (6) during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Long Beach Poly’s Kamarie Smith (1) bobbles the ball then makes the catch as Mission Viejo’s Zachary Foeldi (31) heads in to make the tackle during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s Hinesward Lilomaiava (5) jumps for extra yards during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

A the band played on during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s football team takes the field before a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Viejo’s captains walk to mid-field for the coin toss before a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Long Beach Poly’s Daluchukwu Akpamgbo (11) eludes the grip of Mission Viejo’s Zachary Foeldi (31) during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Long Beach Poly’s Daluchukwu Akpamgbo (11) breaks the grasp of Mission Viejo’s Jayden Hill (54) during a game between Mission Viejo High and Long Beach Poly in a non-league contest at SoFi Stadium. ..It will be only the second high school football game that has been played at the home of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood on Friday, Oct. 4…..(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

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The game was just the second high school football game to take place at SoFi Stadium and the first this season. Servite and St. John Bosco will play each other at the stadium on Oct. 18.

Mission Viejo fell to Long Beach Poly each of the last two seasons and both games ended with the Jackrabbits scoring a game-winning touchdown in the final minute of the game.

“We talked about it all week long that this was going to be the experience of a lifetime,” Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson said. “They obviously wanted to remember it in a good way.”

Mission Viejo (7-0) ran for 378 yards with five touchdowns. Hinesward Lilomaiava led the Diablos with 170 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown. Davonte Curtis ran for 109 yards with three touchdowns.

“We wanted to really focus on the run game this week and be very physical,” Johnson said. “We came out tonight and obviously did a good job in the run game.”

Johnson praised Mission Viejo’s offensive line that featured Sonny Pa’u, Dylan Felli, Gavin Disbro, Joshua Bates and Noah Lee.

“We have an amazing offensive line coach, he has those guys playing really well right now,” Johnson said.

Both teams had interceptions on their opening drives of the game. Mission Viejo scored first late in the first quarter on a 7-yard touchdown run by Curtis.

Mission Viejo safety Brock Defries intercepted a Long Beach Poly pass at the Diablos 1-yard line. The Diablos went on a 99-yard scoring drive capped by a 30-yard touchdown run by Curtis.

Long Beach Poly (2-4) had a bad snap on a punt which gave Mission Viejo the ball at the Jackrabbits’ 47-yard line. Mission Viejo quarterback Luke Fahey ran for a 20-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 21-0.

Sophomore Tay Wright returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a Long Beach Poly touchdown. Wright also had an interception for the Jackrabbits.

Draiden Trudeau threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Bell III just before halftime to give Mission Viejo a 28-6 lead at the half.

Trudeau threw for 106 yards with a touchdown and Fahey threw for 118 yards with a touchdown.

Fahey threw a touchdown pass to Vance Spafford on the opening drive of the third quarter.

Lilomaiava and Curtis each had running touchdowns in the second half for the Diablos.

Benjamin Harris ran for Long Beach Poly’s only offensive touchdown of the game in the third quarter.

Zachary Foeldi, Defries and Jaden Williams had interceptions for Mission Viejo’s defense and Carter Wegis had a sack.

Mission Viejo is 7-0 for the first time since 2019. The Diablos have a bye week before opening Alpha League play against San Clemente.

“I’m very excited about playing this league and going against great coaches and great programs,” Johnson said. “We know our first opponent, San Clemente, really well and they’ve beaten us. So we have another get back game.”

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Mission Viejo football rumbles to victory over Long Beach Poly at SoFi Stadium

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