Defense Ends San Clemente’s South Coast Frustration

Everyone had at least one eye on the stadium clock, watching as the final seconds ticked off and with them six years of frustration and one of the county’s most dubious streaks.

When the gun sounded to end the game, the scoreboard read: San Clemente 13, Dana Hills 7. San Clemente had finally won a South Coast League football game.

Not since a 21-14 victory over Irvine 1986 could a Trtion say that. The futility lasted 26 games. And the end did not come easily. But then again, it shouldn’t have. Games like this are supposed to be memorable.

“Unbelievable. The defense was unbelievable,” San Clemente Coach Mark McElroy said. “I’m so pumped up, I don’t know what to say.”

San Clemente (3-3, 1-0) smothered Dana Hills (2-3, 0-1) the entire game, limiting the Dolphins to a minus six yards of offense. Dana Hills quarterback Scott Covington saw so many red and black jerseys in the backfield, he must of thought he’d been traded.

Dana Hills, allowing just 11 points per game, didn’t do such a bad job on defense either, stopping San Clemente’s passing attack. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, they couldn’t stop Allen Vaughan, who rushed for 110 yards on 20 carries.

San Clemente scored its only offensive touchdown on its second drive. Of the nine offensive plays, Vaughan touched the ball eight times, gaining 41 yards on five carries and catching three passes for 26 yards. But it was Dylan Newman’s leaping catch of Brett Hall’s eight-yard scoring pass that gave San Clemente a 7-0 lead.

Dana Hills’ Micah Denison quickly took care of that. Denison bobbled the ensuing kickoff but finally took control of the ball and ran 92 yards for the score as the gun sounded to end the first quarter. He then kicked the extra point to tie the game.

Neither offense was able to move the ball, but Vaughan answered Denison’s score when he returned a punt 55 yards for a score with 4:16 left in the half.