San Clemente Rediscovers Winning Ways : Undefeated: Tritons beat Trabuco Hills, 22-13, to improve to 5-0, the school’s best start since 1978.

San Clemente has prided itself in offering a high school football program that features Midwestern-style support in a beach community.

Only problem was, the school by the sea played like it was more interested in gathering sand dollars than yards, as the Tritons haven’t made the Southern Section playoffs in 13 years.

But those days are fading from memory as fast as San Clemente is chalking up victories.

The Tritons won their fifth consecutive game Friday night, beating Trabuco Hills, 22-13, in a nonleague game at San Clemente. The Tritons are off to their best start since 1978.

“We went 5-0 in 1975, ‘77’ and ‘78,” said San Clemente Coach Mark McElroy, who started at quarterback for the Tritons throughout the 1977 season. “But this is a little different type of team today.”

Definitely one that had been starving for respect, and has committed itself to a changing all of that.

“This was a big boost for us,” said Triton linebacker Scott Karns, who elevated San Clemente’s efforts by pestering Trabuco Hills’ trio of quarterbacks all night and who scored the winning touchdown on a 12-yard punt return.

Karns heroics came early in the fourth quarter. Trabuco Hills had taken a 13-10 lead in the second quarter, which it held through a scoreless third.

But on fourth-and-14 at the Trabuco Hills’ 13-yard line, San Clemente defensive end Robert Frith blocked a punt by the Mustangs’ Toby Svare. Karns scooped the ball up at the 12 and ran it in for the score. The extra-point kick failed, and San Clemente led, 16-13.

“We knew we’d block a punt,” McElroy said. “We saw some weaknesses in their punt coverage.”

Two Mustang possessions later, San Clemente linebacker Bryan Mata intercepted a pass by quarterback Jake Galasso and returned it 35 yards for a 22-13 margin--the kick also failed--to ice the victory.

Running back Allen Vaughn (18 carries, 145 yards) scored on a one-yard run to put San Clemente on the board in the first quarter, but Trabuco Hills (3-2) tied it with a one-yard touchdown run by Bobby Johnson. Mario Garcia kicked a 35-yard field goal for a 10-7 San Clemente lead, but the Mustangs took a 13-10 halftime lead on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Chad Collins to Johnson.

The Mustangs used three quarterbacks throughout the game, leading Coach Jim Barnett to believe it’s not the most effective way to run a team.

“It does cause some problems,” he said. “It hasn’t evolved the way I intended it to.”

The Tritons entered this game having earned a measure of respect for its 4-0 start, but needed to continue winning to convince the skeptics.

“San Clemente football is always getting bad-mouthed,” linebacker Ryan Klaasen said before the game. “We have something to prove.”

Friday, San Clemente did just that.