By Steve Breazeale
Top Ranked Tritons Edge Dolphins in Five Set Thriller
The San Clemente and Dana Hills boys volleyball teams have a long and historic rivalry with one another. For the past 11 years it’s been either the Tritons or the Dolphins claiming the South Coast League title.
Their April 2 matchup had all the makings of yet another classic battle and after the dust cleared, with San Clemente claiming a 3-2 come from behind five-set win, the two teams didn’t disappoint.
The No. 1 ranked Tritons (19-0, 4-0 league) came into the match with an undefeated record on the line while the three-time defending league champion Dolphins (18-4, 2-1) were looking to make a statement in-league and stretch their winning streak to five games.
After claiming the first two sets 25-21, 30-28, behind the strong service game of junior Christian Hessenauer and senior Bryce Yould, the No. 6-ranked Dolphins looked to be in the driver seat to win the match. The Dolphins had the momentum after erasing an 11-6 second set deficit before surviving four Tritons set point opportunities to take an early 2-0 lead.
But the Tritons suddenly found their game as senior setter Jack Yoder dished out passes to senior middle blocker Garrett Costello in the third set. Costello recorded four of his 16 kills and had an ace in the third as the Tritons went wire-to-wire to claim a 25-19 set win. Yoder would end up recording 75 assists on the night. The Tritons also benefited from six Dolphins service errors in the set.
“I just told our guys, we can’t keep making mistakes and hurting ourselves…so after (the second game) I was just hoping we could get our feet underneath us in game three,” San Clemente head coach Ken Goldstone said. “(Dana Hills) gave us a couple of points and gave us the lead and we got our confidence back.”
After the Tritons took the incredibly close fourth set 25-22, the Dolphins looked poised to take the fifth and final set after running out to a 6-4 advantage. Hessenauer and Yould combined for four of the Dolphins six points at the time.
Tritons senior Lucas Yoder, a USC commit, immediately took over, tallying an ace and two kills down the stretch, including the 15th and final kill to give the Tritons a 15-13 set win, completing the comeback.
“We just weren’t playing our game in the first (set). (Dana Hills) came out ready to play and just destroyed us those first two games,” Lucas Yoder said. “In the fourth (set) we kind of turned it around and in the fifth we
just kind of played our game.”
Next Game: 4/4 at Capistrano Valley, 6:15 p.m.
Tritons Baseball Rattles Off Wins at Lions Tournament
The San Clemente baseball team extended its win streak to nine games on April 3 after defeating Loara 5-2 as part of the Anaheim Lions Tournament.
They started the tournament off with a close 5-4 win over Serra on March 30 and put on an offensive show in a 12-5 win over West Covina the same day.
Senior first baseman Jake Terkoski hit a walk-off game-winning hit against Capistrano Valley Christian on April 1 to secure a 4-3 Tritons victory.
Next Game: 4/9 vs. Laguna Hills, 3:30 p.m.
Tritons Boys Lacrosse Heats Up
The San Clemente boys lacrosse team improved to 7-3 on the season following back-to-back South Coast League wins over Mission Viejo and Trabuco Hills on March 26 and March 28, respectively.
In the win over Mission Viejo, junior midfielder Alec Turner had a career-best three goals and one assist, while fellow junior Torin Alm scored his first goal of the season. Peyton Garrett and Jack Renard each notched three goals to round out the scoring. Austin Street picked up eight ground balls and took care of business on face-offs, winning nine of 11 chances.
In the Tritons 17-6 win over Trabuco Hills Streeter erupted for five goals and two assists. Garrett contributed with three goals and three assists of his own. Collin Zines notched two goals and three assists.
Next Game: 4/13 at Nighthawk Open Tournament, San Diego, TBA
Girls Track and Field Topples Titans
In their first South Coast League meet of the season, the San Clemente girls track and field team showed that they belong by defeating Tesoro 87-49. The Tritons have dominated in the Sea View League the past two years and the win over the Titans marks their return to South Coast League action.
The Tritons then traveled to compete in the Trabuco Hills Invitational from March 29 to March 30. Kelsey Carroll finished fourth in the 3200-meter run while Kyleigh Brown placed fifth in the 400 meter run. Senior Brittney Thornton placed eighth in the 100-meter hurdles.
The Tritons were set to compete against league rivals Dana Hills on April 3. Results were not available at press time.
Next Meet: 4/17 vs. Mission Viejo, 2:45 p.m.
Titans Drop Match to Titans, Remain in First
In a non-league match against Tesoro on April 2, the San Clemente boys golf team lost 193-211. The match was a break from Sea View League competition for the Tritons who, at 3-1 in-league, have a firm grasp on first place for the moment.
The Tritons were set to play again against Tesoro on April 4. Results were not available at press time.
Next Match: 4/16 vs. Mission Viejo, at Mission Viejo Country Club, 2:30 p.m.
San Clemente Hands Dolphins 15-3 Loss
The San Clemente boys tennis team continued their perfect South Coast League winning streak by toppling Dana Hills 15-3 on the road on March 28. The Tritons were set to play against Capistrano Valley for a second time this year on April 4. Results were not available at press time.
Next Match: 4/16 vs. El Toro, 3 p.m.
Tritons Softball Loses Close 2-1 Contest with Dolphins
Despite combining for eight hits against the Dana Hills pitching staff, the San Clemente softball team was only able to muster up one run as they fell to the Dolphins 2-1 on April 2 in South Coast League standings.
The Tritons (4-9, 1-1) gave up two early runs to the Dolphins in the bottom of the second inning but clamped down and did not allow a run the rest of the way. The Tritons scored one in the top of the sixth but it was not enough. Senior Caroline Tully went 3-4 at the plate for the Tritons.
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