By Steve Breazeale
Boys Hoops Falls to Clovis West in Tustin Classic Championship Game
In the championship game of the Tustin Classic, the San Clemente boys basketball team lost to Clovis West on a layup with just over two seconds left on the clock that sealed a 51-50 victory for the Golden Eagles.
Cole Fotheringham led San Clemente with 11 points while Dillon Waikle poured in 10 and Blake Birmingham and Jake Cameron each added eight.
Birmingham and Fotheringham were each named to the all-tournament team.
San Clemente got contributions from up and down its bench in a 70-51 victory over Burroughs in the semifinals of the Tustin Classic on Dec. 29. San Clemente pushed its lead to 34-24 at the half against Burroughs of Burbank and was not threatened the rest of the way. Five Tritons scored in the double digits, including a double-double effort by Fotheringham (12 points, 12 rebounds).
Defense Stands Tall for Tritons Girls Soccer Team
Despite allowing zero goals in regulation over a six-match stretch, the San Clemente girls soccer team has only two wins since Dec. 14. Of the six matches the Tritons have played in dating back to Dec. 14, four have resulted in 0-0 draws. In the opening round of the Excalibur Tournament on Dec. 28, the Tritons suffered their second loss of the season after losing in an eight-round shootout to Temecula Valley. San Clemente (5-2-4) bounced back with a win in the second round of the tournament one day later following a 1-0 victory over Long Beach Poly.
A 1-0 San Clemente win over San Juan Hills in the tournament’s consolation bracket on Dec. 30 set up a bracket championship match with Tesoro the same day. Tesoro was able to crack the San Clemente defense to the tune of three goals in a 3-0 shutout victory.
The No. 8-ranked Tritons will open league play at home against No. 2 Aliso Niguel on Jan. 7.
Boys Soccer Readies for Final Nonleague Game
It has been an up and down start to the season for the San Clemente boys soccer team, and the Tritons will get one final tune-up match with Santiago on Jan. 5 before heading into the competitive South Coast League.
The Tritons (4-5-4) have had mixed results against tough opposition in the early going. The team got off to an undefeated 2-0-1 start before hosting some of the nation’s top prep teams in the Lotto Sport Western Showcase Dec. 10-12. The Tritons went 0-2-1 over the two-day stretch.
Since the run through their own tournament, the team has gone 2-3-2 over their next seven matches, most recently earning a 0-0 draw against Santa Margarita as part of the SoCal High School Classic on Dec. 28.
San Clemente will host Santiago on Jan. 5 at 6:15 p.m. and open league play on the road against Capistrano Valley three days later.
McCutcheon Leading the Way for Triton Girls Water Polo
The San Clemente girls water polo team is off to a hot start to its season. The team holds an overall record of 6-3 and was ranked No. 2 in the latest CIF-SS Division 2 coaches poll.
A contributing factor to the Tritons solid start has been the play of senior Amber McCutcheon. While several Triton players have been chipping in goals all season, McCutcheon has been a major factor on the score sheet. The senior’s 41 goals through eight games is currently the sixth-highest mark in Orange County. McCutcheon also has five assists and 16 steals. In the Tritons last five matches, McCutcheon has scored five or more goals four times.
In the team’s most recent match, San Clemente broke away from Rosary in the second half of a Dec. 19 nonleague contest, outscoring Rosary 9-2 over the final two quarters. McCutcheon had a team-high six goals and Tera Richardson scored four. Goalie Victoria Reardon recorded 10 saves in the win.
Girls Basketball Erupts for Season-High in Tournament Win
As part of its run through the OC Tournament of Champions, the San Clemente girls basketball program set a new season-high in points scored and points allowed in an 80-23 victory over Rivera on Dec. 29. The Tritons (4-10) jumped out to a big 47-14 lead after two quarters and limited Rivera to just nine total points in the second half.
The Tritons followed up with a 53-40 win over Woodrow Wilson in the tournament on Dec. 30.
San Clemente will host Aliso Niguel in its South Coast League opening game on Jan. 7.
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