Mustangs Get by Tritons

San Clemente Coach Mark McElroy correctly predicted that 28 points would win Friday night’s game against Trabuco Hills.

Unfortunately for McElroy and his Tritons, it was Trabuco Hills (4-2, 1-0) that scored the 28 points.

Tom Lindow threw five yards to Chris Lewis with 3 minutes 55 seconds left in the game to give the Mustangs a 28-27 lead and Dustin Pratt’s interception of a Chris Hayward pass with 2:15 left sealed the South Coast League victory over San Clemente at San Clemente High School.

Trailing, 17-7, to start the second half, Pratt intercepted a Hayward pass on the opening drive, giving the Mustangs the ball at the Triton 22. Six plays later, Lindow threw five yards to Scott Arthur to make the score 17-14.

San Clemente (3-3, 0-1) answered quickly when the Tritons took the ensuing kickoff and marched 80 yards on 10 plays, scoring when Hayward threw 16 yards to Greg Lang for his third touchdown of the game, making the score 24-14.

Trabuco Hills’ Adam Anderson, who stripped Lang of the ball and returned the fumble 62 yards for a touchdown, intercepted a pass by Hayward and returned it 21 yards to the San Clemente 24. Two plays later, Lindow found Arthur again, this time for a 24-yard touchdown, making the score 24-21.

San Clemente’s Zackary Miederhoff, who earlier kicked a school-record 47-yard field goal, kicked a 22-yard field goal, putting the Tritons up, 27-21.

But the Mustangs answered on their next possession, when they drove 80 yards on 13 plays. Lindow, who threw four touchdown passes in the game, capped the drive with a flip to Lewis.