San Clemente’s Vaughan Makes El Toro Sick in a 21-9 Victory

Here’s a little tidbit to make El Toro feel even worse after its 21-9 South Coast League loss to San Clemente on Friday night:

San Clemente star running back Allen Vaughan didn’t even intend to play because his bronchial asthma condition was suffocating him all week.

He missed a couple of practices. He stayed in bed. He even visited the doctor on his own Thursday, without prodding from his coaches.

So, as San Clemente Coach Mark McElroy said, you know it was bad.

Then came Friday afternoon. As game time approached, he decided to give it a go.

And he rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

Mostly, El Toro defenders saw his back.

“I’m really weak,” Vaughan wheezed afterward. “I didn’t think I was going to play. My intention was not to play at all.”

Go ahead. Rub it in.

Here’s what happened the first six times Vaughan touched the ball in the second half, with the game still on the line:

Gains of 18, 11 and 13--touchdown.

San Clemente, 14-3.

Then, a gain of 10, a halfback pass for 42 yards to Dylan Newman to the El Toro one, and a one-yard touchdown run.

San Clemente, 21-3.

Ballgame.

Although Vaughan’s second touchdown came with 5:25 left in the third quarter, there was no way El Toro (4-3, 2-1 in league) was going to come back. No, you’re not much of a threat when your offense causes the cheering section to chant “Defense, touchdown! Defense, touchdown!” every so often.

“Coach just told us at halftime that we had to get our stuff together if we wanted to beat them,” said Vaughan, a compact, 5-foot-11, 165-pound senior.

The increased intensity helped, then the Vaughan-to-Newman pass finished the job. Vaughan took the handoff from quarterback Geoff Buffum, veered left, stopped and fired a left-handed bullet. Newman leaped and, outstretched and parallel to the ground, made a spectacular catch at the one.

“We’ve been practicing that play all year,” McElroy said. “We just hadn’t used it yet.”

Vaughan didn’t take much credit.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I got lucky, I guess.”

Sheesh. With San Clemente (7-1, 2-1) off to its best start since the late 1970s, this kid Vaughan is going to have to develop a shtick. Star players are supposed to be showboats and braggarts. Vaughan is neither.

Not only did he shrug off the pass, he didn’t even perk up when discussing his runs.

“I don’t know, I was tired,” he said. “I couldn’t run. I was just lazy. My legs didn’t want to go.”

Not only was there no hint of a swelled head but, unlike other guys who rise from their sick bed to lead their team to victory, Vaughan wasn’t even planning to take advantage of the spoils of victory Friday night after he got cleaned up.

“I’m going to go home and sleep,” he said, “for about two days.”