Triton Makes a Happy Return

San Clemente got a big boost when quarterback Dan Coviello made his first start of the season Friday and led the Tritons to a 17-7 victory over Dana Hills in a South Coast League game at San Clemente High.

Coviello, a two-year starter who missed the first seven games with a knee injury, had a shaky first quarter, but settled down and led three scoring drives in the second. Chris Smith finished two of the drives with rushing touchdowns of 24 and five yards. Taylor Kunzi kicked a 25-yard field goal on the other.

Coviello completed 12 of 23 passes for 110 yards.

That was it for the sixth-ranked Tritons (7-1, 3-0), playing without second-leading rusher Colin Mahoney, who is out indefinitely with a broken collarbone. The Dana Hills defense was stifling in the second half. The Dolphins (2-6, 1-2) didn’t give up a San Clemente first down, holding the Tritons to only 18 yards, after giving up 181 in the first.

“We were a little tentative in the first half,” Dana Hills Coach Scott Orloff said. “We did a couple of things wrong here and there, but our defense was dominating in the second half.”

Meanwhile, the Dolphin offense was able to move the ball, but was only able to reach the end zone late in the fourth quarter when junior quarterback Steve Vierra hit Nick Garton on a 51-yard touchdown pass with 3 minutes 3 seconds remaining. It was the first touchdown scored against San Clemente in league this season.

Garton finished with six receptions for 120 yards, all in the second half. Vierra completed 10 of 18 passes for 132 yards, 128 in the second half.

“These kids know they are so close,” Orloff said. “We are right there. If we can win the next two games, we go to the playoffs.”

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SOUTH COAST

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League Overall School W L T W L T San Clemente 3 0 0 7 1 0 Mission Viejo 3 0 0 6 2 0 El Toro 1 2 0 3 5 0 Capistrano Valley 1 2 0 2 6 0 Dana Hills 1 2 0 2 6 0 Trabuco Hills 0 3 0 2 6 0

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WEEK 8

Friday’s results

* Capistrano Valley 28, El Toro 21

* Mission Viejo 35, Trabuco Hills 0

* San Clemente 17, Dana Hills 7

WEEK 9

Friday, Nov. 3

Dana Hills at Capistrano Valley

Mission Viejo vs. El Toro at Trabuco Hills HS

Trabuco Hills at San Clemente