By Steve Breazeale
Once the new high school sports leagues were realigned last year, San Clemente and Trabuco Hills moved from the South Coast League to the Sea View League. Both teams have made short work of their league opponents this season and on Oct. 30, they will face off in a game that will likely decide the league title.
The Mustangs (5-3, 2-0) have blowout league wins over Aliso Niguel and Capistrano Valley on their resume, and narrowly lost to El Toro by one point in Sept. They are on a three-game winning streak and carry with them a balanced offense and a defense that is allowing just over 14 points per game.
After sitting idle the week prior, the Tritons (7-1, 2-0) shook off bye week rust in a 49-10 victory over Laguna Hills on Oct. 24. Senior quarterback Sam Darnold threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns in the rout.
However, the Tritons win was not without its share of hiccups. San Clemente made a few unlucky mistakes on punt coverage, which resulted in two turnovers, lost a fumble and had 100 yards of penalties called against them in the second half.
“I think coming off the bye week, we were a little rusty,” San Clemente head coach Jaime Ortiz said. “For us to have the opportunity to play for a league championship Thursday (against Trabuco Hills), we’ve got to play better.”
The Tritons will host the Mustangs at 7 p.m. For those who want to watch the game online, the Friday Night Live crew will be broadcasting on-site. To watch the live stream, visit www.schsfnl.com.
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