LA VERNE — The Damien football team won the Baseline League title by overcoming deficits to beat Upland, Chino Hills and Rancho Cucamonga in thrilling fashion. But San Clemente is none of those teams. The Tritons dominated defensively, sacking Spartans quarterback Isaiah Arriaza six times and holding Damien to minus 18 yards rushing.
The Tritons were too much offensively also behind their two quarterbacks with Jack Ferguson’s big throws, and Dawson Martinez’s backbreaking runs. Add it all up and it was an easy San Clemente 42-7 victory over Damien in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Divison 2 playoffs on Friday. San Clemente (6-5), which took its medicine in the the Division 1 playoffs with a first-round loss to St.
John Bosco last season, will be at home in the D2 quarterfinals next week against undefeated No. 2 seed Newbury Park. The Tritons raced to a 28-0 halftime lead.
“We had a great start, our coaches put together a great game plan,” San Clemente coach Jaime Ortiz said. “All three phases of the game our kids executed. We knew coming into the game they were the Baseline League champs and best team from the SGV.
Credit to them, even up 28-0 we knew they were going to fight back, and they never stopped fighting.” Ferguson threw for 169 yards and a touchdown, and Martinez ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Colin Kohl joined the party with two touchdown runs and even threw a first-half touchdown pass.
“We all came out and were read.