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CHATSWORTH — During the 2021 season, Sierra Canyon was angling to qualify for the top division of the CIF Southern Section football playoffs. A program on the rise and a title in mind, the Trailblazers fell just short, landing in Division 2 and losing to eventual champion Orange Lutheran.

It’s a different year. Mission Viejo, a Division-1 playoff team from a year ago, came to Chatsworth and ate Sierra Canyon’s lunch Friday night, defeating the Trailblazers 41-0 on a soggy evening. It was the first shutout loss in Sierra Canyon program history, and the second loss to Mission Viejo in as many seasons.

“Obviously, embarrassed by what we showed tonight,” said Trailblazers head coach Jon Ellinghouse. “We’ll find a way to grind, but to be honest with you, I don’t know how to react. We’ve never been here.”

The Diablos piled up 384 yards of total offense, led by senior quarterback Kadin Semonza. Semonza finished 18-for-23 for 280 yards and a touchdown through the air, and also rushed for 59 yards and two more scores. One score was a naked bootleg for 21 yards where he went virtually untouched.

Diablo receiver Mikey Matthews had six catches for 118 yards, and KJ Reed had four grabs for 68 yards and a score. Running back Chase Valousky added 21 yards with a touchdown. Defensive back Travis Anderson had two interceptions and returned a blocked field goal attempt 72 yards for a touchdown.

“We did not play well in our first three weeks, and we lost to Long Beach Poly [last week],” said Mission Viejo head coach Chad Johnson. “We had a gut check this week. That’s a good football team, and we made them look like they weren’t.”

Junior quarterback Damon Wrighster drew his first start of the season for Sierra Canyon, and finished 3-for-14 for 32 yards and an interception. He alternated drives in the second half with sophomore Alonzo Esparza, who finished 2-for-5 with a turnover. Sophomore Dane Dunn was the lone bright spot on offense, rushing for 107 yards on 16 carries.

“I’m looking for someone to step up and take the job,” said Ellinghouse of the quarterbacks. “We’re going back and forth and haven’t had the result we’re looking for yet.”

It was a rainy, muggy evening, atypical for the San Fernando Valley in September. This Sierra Canyon stadium is new for the 2022 season. And there’s the battle at quarterback, a position of stability for Sierra Canyon over the last several seasons. Things are different, and a Sierra Canyon team starting a season 1-3 also feels unexpected. A Mission League slate looms ahead, and this Trailblazer team looks a league (or three) behind their teams of previous years.

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Sierra Canyon lists six seniors on the offensive line, but the front seven from Mission Viejo made the Trailblazers false start seven times. In total, the Trailblazers were penalized 12 times for 85 yards.

Across the field, Mission Viejo wasn’t perfect. But they didn’t need to be, cruising to a 24-0 lead at half. When Sierra Canyon lined up for a 39-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to break the shutout, the Diablos blocked it and returned it for a touchdown. While the Diablos were also penalized 12 times, including multiple unsportsmanlike conduct calls, but they didn’t offer much quarter to Sierra Canyon on either side of the ball.

“We just can’t respond,” said Johnson. “The ref always sees the second guy.”

This Diablos team hopes to be squarely in the mix for a Division-1 playoff berth. While they dropped a game against Long Beach Poly a week ago, they have wins against Mililani (HI) Servite and now, Sierra Canyon. They’re currently a top five team in the state of California by Calpreps, and looked the part Friday night.