When it comes to Mission Viejo, San Clemente should be fired up

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What’s the most fired-up team in the Southland this weekend? My money’s on San Clemente.

After losing 16-13 to Tesoro last week on the last play of the game, the Tritons tonight/Friday must play host to their biggest South Coast League rival, Mission Viejo.

Lose, and another league title goes to someone else. Win, and there’s a chance for a three-way tie for first, providing Mission Viejo beats Tesoro in the final week of the season and San Clemente runs the table. That’s what happened in 1995, when San Clemente, Capistrano Valley and Mater Dei shared the title because they beat each other: SC upset MD, MD beat Capo, Capo beat SC.

‘Our film session on Saturday, trust me, we weren’t gentle,’ said Jaime Ortiz, San Clemente’s defensive coordinator. ‘What we went through, what I’m trying to teach them, is that you play Long Beach Poly, Mission Viejo, Edison, you can learn from it now. When you lose in the playoffs, you’re not meeting on Saturday morning for film. As a team, we will not be in this room if we make the same mistakes. It’s over.’

Mission Viejo hasn’t lost to San Clemente since 1999, and has a streak of 36 consecutive league victories. The last two years, though, have been close calls. Mission Viejo won in 2005, 7-6, after San Clemente failed to convert a two-point conversion attempt in the final minute.

Mission Viejo won last year’s game, 27-17, but SC thought it had pulled to within three points midway through the fourth quarter when Josh Farrell reached the ball across the goal line only to have it knocked away and ruled a fumble. When San Clemente ended the game with a timeout remaining, the Mission coaching staff implied to reporters that San Clemente didn’t want any part of the Diablos at the end, a comment that didn’t score particularly well with the Tritons.

That won’t be the case this time. In danger of losing its first two league games, San Clemente wants nothing but Mission Viejo. Anything less, and the Tritons will be playing for third place and their playoff lives.

- Martin Henderson

-- Image from www.sctritons.com