Hart Scores a High Five

Those four consecutive Southern Section Division III titles were great and everything, but Newhall Hart is now focused on a bigger prize.

The Indians are one victory away from a Division II championship after a 24-17 semifinal triumph over San Clemente before about 6,000 at College of the Canyons on Friday night.

Still, this game wasn’t a laugher like Hart’s first two playoff games, which resulted in 52- and 32-point victories.

Hart had to stave off a late San Clemente drive and run out the clock on a punt to secure the victory. The second-seeded Indians (12-0-1) play the winner of tonight’s game between top-seeded Mission Viejo and Claremont next Saturday at Edison Field. It will be Hart’s first Division II title game since 1995.

The Indians won behind a strong effort from junior quarterback Sean Norton, who completed 24 of 32 passes for 275 yards, and a defense that limited San Clemente running back Cheyne Verhagen to 60 yards in 16 carries.

“We weren’t able to run the ball,” Triton Coach Eric Patton said. “We need to run Cheyne Verhagen and get first downs and we couldn’t do that.”

San Clemente (9-4) had a chance to tie the score when it took over at its 20-yard line with 3 minutes 25 seconds left. But after the Tritons gained one first down, Verhagen was stopped inches short of another on fourth and two.

It appeared as if the Tritons might get the ball back with a few seconds left after they held Hart, but time expired as Will Simons’ punt rolled dead inside the San Clemente five.

The Tritons cut their deficit to 24-17 midway through the fourth quarter when Verhagen cut around left end and bolted 11 yards into the end zone, his longest run of the game. Two pass interference calls and a defensive holding penalty had kept the drive alive.

Hart running back Eric Lafferty, who is used in short-yardage situations, scored two one-yard touchdowns to give the Indians a 17-7 lead midway through the third quarter.

Chris Miller trimmed San Clemente’s deficit to 17-10 with a 44-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, but Hart running back Paxton Howard broke off a 23-yard touchdown run on the Indians’ next drive to make it 24-10.

Norton also hurt the Tritons with his running ability, especially in the first half as he eluded a series of blitzes to gain 40 of his 63 yards on the ground.

“When things aren’t open, he can move,” Hart Coach Mike Herrington said. “He improvises a little bit and helps us out.”

Norton, pausing between hugs and photos after the game, said the Indians are right where they want to be -- in their fifth consecutive championship.