Barnes Gets a Kick Out of Trabuco Hills Victory

MISSION VIEJO — Pat Barnes, considered by many to be the best quarterback in Orange County, isn’t a bad punter either. In fact, he made just as many crucial plays from punt formation Friday night as he did at quarterback, leading Trabuco Hills to a 23-13 victory over visiting El Toro in the season opener.

Example No. 1: Second quarter. Barnes, lined up to punt, got the snap, looked up, saw an open receiver downfield and fired a 22-yard completion to Mike Beyersdoerfer for a first down.

Example No. 2: Fourth quarter. With Trabuco Hills clinging to a 16-13 lead, Barnes booted a 44-yard punt with 7:36 to play. It was downed by Matt Rechner on the two-yard line.

After regaining possession, the Chargers didn’t make it past the 20. They punted, and Trabuco Hills took over and drove for the game-clinching touchdown, a 25-yard pass from Barnes to Cordell Graham.

Barnes finished completing 16 of 40 passes for 238 yards and one touchdown. He scored another touchdown on a one-yard plunge in the first quarter.

“I think everybody got the first game jitters,” Barnes said. “Now that the first game is out of the way I can settle down and just play football. Hopefully better than tonight.”

Asked about his punting, Barnes cracked a smile and said: “Yeah, for a first-year punter I did all right.”

Trabuco Hills got a lift and a 13-0 lead at the end of the first quarter when Dennis Carter made his first career interception, picking off a wobbly pass from Bryan Lefevers and taking it 36 yards for a touchdown.

Trabuco Hills controlled the tempo until the fourth quarter when, trailing, 16-6, El Toro got back in the game when Lefevers teamed with Joshua Enders for a nine-yard touchdown pass play.

But the Mustangs stopped the Chargers on their final two possessions. And that, coupled with Graham’s touchdown, sent Trabuco players home smiling.