By The Capistrano Dispatch
In an important final regular season game with playoff implications for both teams, it was the Dana Hills Dolphins who came out on top in defeating the San Juan Hills Stallions, 28-14 Friday in Dana Point.
With the victory, the Dolphins finish in a three-way tie atop the Sea View League—their first title in more than 40 years.
The Stallions are likely out of the playoff picture, but the team finished with the best record and tied the second highest win total in school history. The 2010 Stallions team finished with a 7-4 overall record.
The Stallions got off to a quick start after junior Kyle Mucerino returned the opening kickoff 56 yards to the Dolphins’ 46-yard line. The Stallions capitalized on two defensive penalties to get into the endzone, and Corey White’s 4-yard run gave them an early 7-0 lead after the extra point.
The Dolphins answered back in the second quarter after senior Matthew Slade intercepted junior Jacob Gibson’s pass and returned it to the 26-yard line. Senior Marcus Hughes’ 5-yard touchdown run tied the score after the extra point, and from there, the Dolphins never looked back.
The Dolphins took a 14-7 lead into halftime on a 20-yard touchdown pass from junior Mac Vail to senior Logan Warren. They extended their lead on the opening drive of the second half on a 26-yard pass from Vail to senior Corey Chambers.
Vail also added a 1-yard touchdown run in the third.
The Stallions added a score in the fourth on a touchdown pass from Gibson to senior Scott Hoover, but they were stifled for much of the game by a stout Dolphins defense.
Game Notes:
• Marcus Hughes played in his first game since being sidelined with an injury October 5 against Aliso Niguel.
• Dana Hills played the game in honor of 61 wounded veterans in attendance as part of the Wounded Warriors Initiative. Dolphins players wore jerseys embroidered with the names of the veterans. After the game, players presented each of the veterans with their respective jerseys.
