When Nikzad Gets Going, so Does Aliso Niguel, 15-7

Iman Nikzad said he felt desperation and frustration early in Aliso Niguel High’s nonleague football game Friday night against Mission Viejo.

Every time he touched the ball, he was hammered by the Diablo defense.

Finally, he hammered back.

Nikzad rushed for 126 yards in 26 carries, and made the play of the game on a fake punt, and Aliso Niguel’s defense turned in a strong performance as the Wolverines defeated the Diablos, 15-7, in front of about 3,000 at Mission Viejo.

The victory gave Aliso Niguel (2-0) its second consecutive victory over a South Coast League school. Mission Viejo is 0-2.

“We’re going to be in football games,” first-year Mission Viejo Coach Bob Johnson said. “But we’re not good enough to blow people out and we’re not bad enough to get blown out.”

Early on, the Diablos controlled the line of scrimmage on defense. Through the game’s first 21 minutes, Mission Viejo limited Aliso Niguel to 22 yards, even keeping the Wolverines out of the end zone after giving up field position at the 18- and 22-yard lines.

Then, Nikzad started rolling.

He peeled off a 41-yard gain, and followed with a 30-yard touchdown run with 43 seconds left in the half.

“That gave me so much confidence that we were going to win this game,” said Nikzad, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound senior.

The point-after attempt failed, and Mission Viejo answered on its first third-quarter series with a 52-yard drive that ended with Billy Hart’s five-yard pass to Jon Martinez. Atkinson’s point-after provided Mission Viejo with a 7-6 lead.

But Aliso Niguel had one more more trick up. Chris Bernard, the quarterback and punter, lined up from the Mission Viejo 32 to punt. He didn’t. Instead, he passed to Nikzad, who needed 10 yards for the first down but gained 15.

“I’m surprised we made it,” Aliso Niguel Coach Joe Wood said. “I didn’t realize he would be so wide open.”

Neither did Johnson.

“Everyone in the world knew they were faking,” he said. “We were in the perfect defense. We should’ve had everyone covered but we didn’t.”

It was the critical play in a 14-play, 80-yard drive. Bernard’s quarterback sneak provided the Wolverines with a 12-7 lead--the two-point conversion failed--and Stephen Berneking’s 37-yard field goal with four minutes remaining provided the final margin.

Galen Thorne blocked a field goal and had an interception, Michael Mudge had a 29-yard interception return and the defense sacked Billy Hart four times.

Robbie Dubois finished with 101 yards in 11 carries for Mission Viejo.