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League Champion Boys Lacrosse Opens CIF-SS Playoffs
As one of the hottest teams in Orange County lacrosse, the South Coast League champion San Clemente boys team opened the CIF-SS playoffs on Wednesday, May 1.
The Tritons earned the No. 2 seed in CIF-SS Division 2 and a first-round home game against wild-card winner Crean Lutheran. San Clemente came back for a one-goal win, 7-6.
San Clemente (14-5) has won seven games in a row, including upsets of league-leading Trabuco Hills and Tesoro to force a three-way split for the South Coast League championship. This is the Tritons’ first league championship since another split for the title in 2019.
The Tritons have won 11 of their past 13 games, with the only two losses coming to Trabuco Hills and Tesoro by one and two goals, respectively, in the first round of league play. In the second round of league play, San Clemente beat Trabuco Hills by five goals and Tesoro by one goal.
San Clemente also had the good fortune of winning the three-way coin toss for playoff seeding, which made the Tritons the league’s No. 1 representative going into the CIF-SS playoffs to secure a first-round home game.
The Tritons will go on the road to Agoura in the quarterfinals on Friday, May 3. The CIF-SS semifinals are scheduled for Monday, May 6, with the finals next Friday, May 10.
No. 1 Seed Boys Volleyball Hosts Quarterfinal
The dominant roll for the San Clemente boys volleyball team continued through the first two rounds of the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs last week.
The South Coast League champion Tritons (25-6) posted sweeps with relative ease over Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks at home on April 25 and on the road at Oak Park on Saturday, April 27.
San Clemente hosted University High of Irvine on Wednesday, May 1, and despite dropping a set for the first time in four matches, the Tritons prevailed in four sets. University beat Calvary Chapel in four sets in the first round and swept Cypress in the second round. Both of the Trojans’ wins were at home.
The Tritons have won 12 matches in a row with nine of those wins coming via sweeps. San Clemente has dropped only three sets during that 12-match streak.
The Tritons advanced to the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinals on Saturday, May 4. San Clemente will host El Dorado.
The CIF-SS Division 3 Final is scheduled for next Saturday, May 11.
League Champion Girls Lacrosse Hosts Playoff Opener Thursday
After securing its fourth consecutive undefeated run through the South Coast League, the San Clemente girls lacrosse team can set its sights on its ultimate goal: a CIF-SS championship.
The Tritons (17-2) earned the No. 4 seed in CIF-SS Division 1 and open the playoffs at home against Huntington Beach on Thursday, May 2.
San Clemente advanced to the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinals for the first time last season.
If the Tritons defeat Huntington Beach, their path back to the semifinals runs through road games at either Newbury Park or Redondo Union on Saturday, May 4. San Clemente’s only loss to CIF-SS competition this year was a one-goal overtime loss at Redondo Union in February. Redondo Union came in at No. 5 in the final CIF-SS Division 1 rankings.
San Clemente has won 11 games in a row, including an upset of No. 1 Foothill and all eight league wins. The Tritons went undefeated in the South Coast League for the fourth straight season and posted a combined league margin of victory of 88 goals, 136-48.
The CIF-SS Division 1 semifinal is scheduled for Tuesday, May 7, and the Division 1 Final is next Saturday, May 11.
Nolan Rooker Wins SCHS’ First CIF-SS Diving Championship
History was made off the diving board for the San Clemente aquatics program last Thursday, April 25, in the CIF-SS Diving Finals at Mt. San Antonio College.
San Clemente senior Nolan Rooker posted an 11-dive total of 610.85 to best the Division 1 field by 44 points and capture the Tritons’ first CIF-SS diving championship. The Northwestern-bound senior’s point total was also a program record.
Rooker went on to the CIF-SS State Qualifying Meet on Tuesday, April 30, and edged ahead by 0.2 points to take the first qualifying position for the CIF State Meet next Thursday, May 9, at Clovis West High.
At the CIF-SS Finals, Rooker posted his top score on his second dive with a 76.50 on a reverse 2½-somersault tuck. Rooker earned the top score in five of the 11 rounds.
Swimming Wins Back-to-Back Boys League Championships
For the second consecutive season and the second time in school history, the San Clemente boys swim team won the South Coast League championship on Friday, April 26. The Triton girls finished second place in the league.
For the boys, senior Sebastien de Fabrique earned the only individual win in the 200-yard freestyle.
The girls had five individual winners, including double titles for sophomore Zoe de Fabrique in the 200-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle and for freshman Neva Phillips in the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard breaststroke.
The girls 200-yard medley relay team of Phillips, de Fabrique, Devon McKeen and Adley Dawson also won their league championship.
In addition to those winners, Grand Mundl, Jackson Foster, Chase Matheon and Klaus Asay qualified for CIF-SS for the boys, and McKeen qualified as an individual for the girls. All three Triton boys relay teams qualified along with two girls relay teams.
CIF-SS championships begin with preliminaries on Thursday, May 2, at Mt. San Antonio College with the finals on Saturday, May 4.
Other Spring Results
San Clemente boys tennis (11-5) opened the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs on the road at Rio Hondo League champion South Pasadena and fell, 12-6, on Wednesday, May 1.
Triton sophomore golfer Camden Brown qualified for the CIF-SS individual postseason with a 2-over-par 74 in the South Coast League Finals at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club on Tuesday, April 30.