Chris Puckett (left), 15, and Cameron Shelley, 14, volunteered to coach the San Clemente Little League American No. 2, leading the team to a District 68 Tournament of Champions title. Photo by Steve Breazeale
By Steve Breazeale and Darian Nourian
Here at the San Clemente Times,we scoured our archives to bring you the best sports stories of the past year. From football prospects moving on to the next level to a brand new, state-of-the-art sports facility opening up in town, it’s been a year full of stories worth remembering. Make sure to send your sports news and scores to email hidden; JavaScript is required and follow us on twitter @SouthOCsports for in-game updates and news. — SB
January
Zerboni’s Jersey Retired: San Clemente alum, UCLA standout and professional soccer player McCall Zerboni’s jersey is officially retired on January 3 during a halftime ceremony. After graduating from San Clemente, Zerboni attended UCLA and was chosen as the 47th overall pick in the 2009 Women’s Professional Soccer draft. She currently plays for the Western New York Flash.
February
SC High Athletes Make Their Choices: On February 1, San Clemente High held its national signing day. 26 student-athletes declared their intent to attend various universities around the United States. One of the more notable signees was highly touted football offensive lineman Kyle Murphy, who chose to play at Stanford University.
Player-Manager Makes Debut in Season Finale: In the San Clemente boys basketball teams last home game of the season, four-year team player-manager and senior Alex Neidl got his number called to start against Dana Hills. “Train,” as his friends and teammates called him, opened up the game with a two-point basket, ending his basketball career on a high note.
Triton Soccer Sweeps South Coast League: February 9 marked the date the San Clemente boys soccer team made history by becoming the first Triton team to go undefeated in league play (6-0-2) and win the South Coast League championship since 1993.
Vista Hermosa Sports Park Opens: San Clemente’s $33 million sports park opens on February 25. The sprawling facility boasts three baseball fields, a football field, a multi-purpose field, and an aquatics center complete with an Olympic sized 50-meter pool and another 25-meter pool. The park is home to multiple leagues and teams from around the city.
March
Girls Soccer Reaches 5th CIF Title Game: The San Clemente girls soccer team advanced to their fifth consecutive CIF championship game on March 2 where they lost 2-1 to league rival Aliso Niguel. The Tritons finished the year with an 18-3-7 overall record and captured the South Coast League title.
SC Cheerleaders Help Those with Special Needs: San Clemente cheerleaders Brooke Renard, Nicole Guillotte and Paige Augello establish Cheer Therapy, a volunteer group that is designed to generate mobility, confidence and fun for children with special needs. The inaugural class took place on March 19.
April
Bernice Ayer Wins Volcom Indoor: Bernice Ayer Middle School takes home the gold at the National Scholastic Skateboarding League’s Volcom Indoor in Costa Mesa.
May
SC Brother Duo Wins Doubles Title: San Clemente boys tennis players Kevin and Ryan Mariano won the South Coast
SC Lacrosse Plays in Title Game: The Tritons boys lacrosse team had a season to remember after dethroning five-time county champion Foothill and earning a berth in the first ever US Lacrosse Southern Section Championship game, where the team ultimately fell to Corona del Mar 9-6 on May 9.
Softball Team Wins First Title since ’75: The Tritons softball team won their first league title since 1975 with a 10-8 win over Aliso Niguel on May 9.
SC Track Puts on a Show: The San Clemente boys track and field team boasted two individual CIF-SS champions in seniors Herbert Gamboa (100-meter dash) and Quaid Vuncannon (discus).
June
Teenagers Step Up, Coach Little League Team to Title: Chris Puckett, 15, and Cameron Shelley, 14, volunteered to coach San Clemente American No. 2, a team that previously had no coach in place. The team won the District 68 Tournament of Champions on June 9.
July
SC Sports Hall of Fame Gets ‘OK’: A 4-1 vote by the San Clemente City Council on July 17 ensured that the Vista Hermosa Aquatics Center would be the new home to the San Clemente Sports Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame has yet to induct its inaugural class.
August
SC Water Polo in Junior Olympics: The San Clemente Water Polo Club 10U team finished fifth at the 2012 USA Water Polo Junior Olympics at Stanford University.
September
Local BMX Wins Big: Ryan Goodwin, a 7-year-old second grader at Vista Del Mar elementary, won the USA BMX California State Championship race on September 8 at the Orange Y BMX Track.
SC’s Wilson Gets First NCAA Start: Former San Clemente quarterback Travis Wilson gets his first collegiate start under center for the Utah Utes as a true freshman against Pac-12 rival UCLA. Wilson, who graduated from San Clemente High in 2011, was just the fourth true freshman to start for Utah in the school’s history.
October
Tritons Rally to Beat Tesoro: The San Clemente football team exploded for 22 points in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter to stun Tesoro in a 29-21 win on October 26.
November
Girls X-C Win First League Title: The Triton girls cross country team captured their first ever South Coast League title on November 1, edging rival Dana Hills by one point to take the crown.
Local Gymnast Wins Gold: 8-year old San Clemente gymnast Katelyn Eichenbaum took home the level five all-around gold medal at the California State Gymnastics Championships on November 18.
December
Triton Wrestlers Snap Hawks Win Streak: The Triton wrestling team broke Laguna Hills’ 25-year undefeated league winning streak following a 31-29 match win on December 18.
