ORANGE COUNTY / PREP FOOTBALL : San Clemente Traps Lynwood With ‘The Fly’

“The Fly” lives.

If San Clemente High opponents think they are going to catch a break with Coach Mark McElroy gone to Saddleback College, they are sadly mistaken. The Tritons’ wacky offensive scheme helped them roll up more than 250 yards rushing in a 19-3 opening-game victory over Lynwood Friday night before a crowd of 3,500 at San Clemente.

“Most of what we did tonight was The Fly,” first-year Coach Eric Patton said. “It was there. Our execution was pretty good.”

Running back James Allen was the biggest beneficiary as he ran for 166 yards in 26 carries. Two years ago, Allen had 250 yards in an opener against El Toro.

“Everybody was telling me that there’s something about first games that I like,” Allen said. “I was very excited and I think I was just used to the field more than anybody else. It was kind of slippery out there, but I knew how to cut on it.”

Allen gained 45 yards on the Tritons’ opening drive, which ended with quarterback Dan Coviello scoring on a one-yard sneak. Coviello scored on another one-yard run just before halftime to put the Tritons up 12-0.

By halftime, Allen had run for 132 yards in 17 carries. He picked up many of his yards before Lynwood defenders knew he had the ball.

“James Allen was just a man tonight,” Patton said. “He was the show.”

The Fly depends on deception and misdirection, and Lynwood was fooled for much of the first half. Lynwood began to catch on in the second half and its defense limited the Tritons to seven points and Allen to 34 yards in nine carries. But the Lynwood offense never drove inside San Clemente’s 10-yard line and it didn’t score until eight minutes remained in the game.

Coviello completed five of 12 passes for 111 yards and one touchdown. The scoring pass went to Chris Smith on a screen from 53 yards away with 2:34 left in the third quarter.

“We’d have liked to throw the ball more, but the run was going so well,” Patton said. “They had a big defensive line and they were rushing Coviello pretty well, so that factored in too.”

As the final seconds counted down, Patton was doused with ice water.

“That was appropriate,” Patton said. “I wanted to become a Triton and that was my baptism.”

Allen said he was happy to get Patton’s first victory out of the way.

“This gets the pressure off,” Allen said. “I was a little concerned about how we’d be with only two offensive lineman coming back and a new coach, but I think we’ll be OK.”