
WEEK 3 – SEPT. 26
LAGUNA HILLS VS. EL TORO
AT LAGUNA HILLS HIGH
Laguna Hills was our No. 11 team in the county preseason top 25, and coaches made Laguna Hills the No. 1 team in the Southern Division preseason rankings. The Hawks have 17 returning starters, including quarterback Robert Refsnyder, the Pacific Coast League's MVP in 2007. The Hawks' entire starting offensive line is back, too, for a team that went 6-3 overall and won the Pacific Coast League championship. Laguna Hills has overall team speed, too, and has it where it really counts – on defense. Linebacker/running back Matt Giovinazzo is a two-way standout. El Toro, our preseason No. 16 in the county, has a good junior quarterback in Sean Kelly, who threw for 862 yards and five touchdowns last year. Another Chargers weapon is Vince D'Amato, one of the county's top kickers. He made a 52-yard field goal last year. D'Amato sends every kickoff deep into the end zone, so when some cheerleader yells "Everybody up for the kickoff," don't be suckered. It's going to be a touchback. It is El Toro's home game, but construction at Trabuco Hills, the Chargers' usual home field, has sent El Toro to Laguna Hills' excellent new facility for home games. This game will be a tough early-season test for both.