TRITON FOOTBALL PREVIEW
NEW SEASON. NEW LEAGUE. SAME EXPECTATIONS.
BY DYLAN LOTTS
After a long offseason of training, the San Clemente High Tritons are preparing themselves to defend their league title—sort of.
A change to competitive ranking-based groupings instead of geographic-based ones shook up leagues all around Orange County. Despite that, the Tritons find themselves in the Alpha League among familiar foes Edison and
Mission Viejo, with Los Alamitos becoming a new opponent for which the team must plan.
Last season’s league title was a big accomplishment for the Tritons, but they are done celebrating that. While SCHS technically won’t be defending the South Coast League title, head coach Jaime Ortiz and the Tritons are looking forward to carrying last season’s success into the new league.
“We returned quite a few kids from last year’s team, and they’re hungry and excited about the opportunity this upcoming season. We have a tough non-league schedule and also we’re in the top public division with the Alpha League. So the kids know that we had a lot of success last year, and it’s up to them to keep that going in the right direction,” Ortiz said.
The team is hungry and plans to make it
back to the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs after losing to St. John Bosco, 35-10, last season. But Ortiz keeps a consistent message with all his teams—it starts with winning the league title.
“When we won the state championship in 2016, our goals didn’t change. Win the league championship, win the CIF championship, and
See EXPECTATIONS on page 14
win a state championship. It doesn’t happen until you start with the league,” he said.
Over Ortiz’s tenure, he has led the football program toward being a consistent force every season. San Clemente has long been known as one of the top public school football programs in Orange County. The Tritons take pride in carrying that mantle.
With many key players returning from last season’s run, the Tritons seems poised and ready to defend that distinction. Ortiz said the team is ready to start competing to accomplish their goals.
“Obviously, last year was great. But it’s a new year, new team, and the kids are dialed in and focused and have the opportunity to compete against the best Orange County has to offer,” he said.
A Return to a Balanced Attack
Last season, the Tritons were big on the offensive line and leaned on the production since-graduated Aiden Rubin provided at running back, which led to a more run-focused style of play.
Ortiz said the team is hoping to get back to a more balanced attack, but won’t lock into an offensive philosophy. He said the team will adapt to their personnel and what teams are
doing on defense on a game-by-game basis.
“I think our goal is to be balanced, but it also depends on how the season goes,” Ortiz said. “I’m not a big believer of putting a square peg in a round hole. I think you can identify your team by how they perform and what they’re good at and what we can improve upon and kind of go from there.”
Despite that sentiment, Ortiz noted the Tritons will still be a run-first team that wants to impose their will at the line of scrimmage.
With Rubin gone, San Clemente will look to Puka Fuimaono and Colin Kohl to shoulder most of the workload in the backfield.
Fuimaono, who is committed to play linebacker at Arizona State, is excited to play more on offense this season.
“The focus is going to be on a little bit more offense this year,” said Fuimaono.
Though Fuimaono rushed for 97 yards in only 26 carries a year ago, he will have a good opportunity to wreak havoc out of the backfield this season.
Kohl played in six games last season and rushed for 64 yards in 13 carries.
The departures of Connor Bachhuber and Ben Baker to Stanford and Fresno State, respectively, leave some holes on the offensive line. Ortiz described it as losing “four players” because both men were hugely impactful on both sides of the ball.
Senior Max Bolliger will play a key role at
center for the Tritons’ offensive line. Ortiz touted Bolliger’s toughness and football knowledge, which will help lead the rest of the front.
“Max Bolliger (is) tough as nails, is a wrestler, (has) a really, really high football IQ. He’s going to be the captain of the offensive line,” Ortiz said.
The Tritons return several starters on both sides this season, but the team’s starting quarterback has yet to be determined after Dylan Mills departed for Villanova.
Ortiz said seniors Jack Ferguson and Dawson Martinez will compete for that spot. Both quarterbacks are inexperienced at the varsity level but have worked hard during 7-on-7 games and summer practices, but he wants to see them with pads on.
Ferguson led the JV squad to a 9-1 record and a league championship last season.
Ortiz said it would be up to one of them to separate himself from the other when that time comes.
“I tell them (Ferguson and Martinez), ‘If you don’t want competition, separate yourself.’ Both those guys have done a great job competing this spring and summer … and once we get into the season and them being able to put some pads on and see what they can do there, that’s where we’ll kind of start making decisions,” Ortiz said.
The Tritons’ continuity at the wide receiver spot will help their passing game.
Cole Herlean, the leading receiver from last season who was named to the South Coast All-League first team, returns for his senior season.
Herlean caught 35 passes for 475 yards and scored five touchdowns in his junior season.
Alongside him will be seniors Max Kotiranta in the slot and Max Bollard on the outside, two returning starters for the Tritons on both sides of the ball.
Ortiz said both have been great during their time in the program and are poised to step up their productivity this season.
“Both those guys are just phenomenal in our program. (They are) good leaders, and we expect big things from them their senior year.
Kotiranta finished with 210 receiving yards last season, and Bollard finished with just 15 in limited playing time.
Xander Rex will round out the offense at tight end, where he backed up since-graduated Broderick Redden.
“Last year, he (Rex) was kind of a part-timeplayer at linebacker and tight end. I think he’ll now establish himself more at that tight end spot,” Ortiz said.
Once the season begins, it will be easier for Ortiz to see what type of style the offensive unit is best suited for.
For the time being, the Tritons seem set up
See EXPECTATIONS on page 15
EXPECTATIONS from page 14
for a balanced offensive game plan despite some turnover at key positions.
Experienced and Stout Defense
The Tritons’ defense comes into the season with a tremendous amount of talent all over the field. They are loaded with All-CIF and allleague talent.
The linebacker corps will be the strength of the defense. Four starters return at linebacker.
Matai Tagoa’i will start at outside linebacker for San Clemente. Tagoa’i is touted as one of the best players in California. The future USC Trojan was named All-CIF last season in his first year playing in the state.
Tagoa’i finished with 59 tackles, eight for a loss, seven sacks and an interception last season.
Alongside him will be Puka Fuimaono at inside linebacker. Fuimaono was a true run-stopper last season. He finished with a team-high 92 tackles.
Zeke Rubinstein, who earned South Coast first-team all-league honors last season, flew under the radar in some respects, but Ortiz said he thinks Zeke is poised to break out this season.
“Puka (Fuiamaono) and Matai (Tagoa’i) get a lot of attention, as they should. But Zeke’s a guy that’s worked really hard in the offseason. He’s had a good summer,” Ortiz said. “He’s a guy that can really kind of step up and hopefully have a presence both on and off the field.”
Max Kotiranta and Max Bollard will both be
three-year starters in the secondary and were South Coast first-team all-league selections last season. Riley Kelley will return to the secondary, too.
Ortiz said the continuity on both sides, especially defense, will be helpful.
“Having those guys back and working together, it definitely makes my job easier,” he said. “This is probably the most returning starters we’ve had in quite a few years, and we’re excited for their senior year.
New Season, Same Expectations
After reaching the Division I playoffs last year, San Clemente enters the season with high expectations. The Tritons were one of two public schools alongside Corona Centennial to appear in the Division I playoffs.
The Tritons will have a tough road back. Their schedule includes tough games such as Chaparral, Oak Ridge and Mission Viejo.
Ortiz said the team knows it’s in for a challenging schedule, but that’s what the players signed up for when they came to San Clemente.
“The kids know that you come to San Clemente to compete. You come to play against the best of the best,” he said.
San Clemente has tremendous talent all over the field. The taste of Division I playoff football made the players hungrier than ever to carry that success into this season.
While their schedule got more difficult, the Tritons are set up with enough talent to compete with some of the top schools in Southern California.
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ASSISTEENS OF CAPISTRANO VALLEY
BY JAMES LOTTS
MATAI TAGOA’I
Tagoa’i had a tremendous first season with the Tritons, finishing with 59 tackles, including eight for a loss, seven sacks and earned AllCIF honors as a junior. Heading into his senior season, Tagoa’i will be a key component on the defensive side of the ball. He will have eyes from all over watching him, and he is prepared to show people why so many prestigious college programs have shown interest in him.
LEE “PUKA” FUIMAONO
Fuimaono was a tackling machine at linebacker last season, and he is poised to be that again. The ASU commit racked up a team-high 92 tackles last season and will be an anchor at linebacker for a defense that returns many starters. He will be relied on as a run-stopper. He showed promise in the backfield last season and will take on more of a role at running back in 2024.
Players to Watch
MAX KOTIRANTA
Max Kotiranta returns for his third and final season as a starter for the Tritons. He made a strong impact at safety for the Tritons last season with 52 tackles and two interceptions. He will look to carry that into his senior season alongside seasoned starters Max Bollard and Riley Kelley. He will be relied on to play some slot receiver, too.
MAX BOLLIGER
Bolliger will have to step up as the leader of a young offensive line after the team lost Connor Bachhuber and Ben Baker to Stanford and Fresno State, respectively. He will play a key role as a communicator at the center position for an offense that wants to have a balanced attack.
XANDER REX
Xander Rex split time between linebacker and tight end last season as a junior. He sat behind former Triton tight end Broderick Redden, so he got limited playing time, but he will have more snaps to prove himself this season. Head coach Jaime Ortiz said the 6-foot-2, 190-pound athlete is expected to establish a definitive role at tight end and provide solid production at the spot.
BY JAMES LOTTS
MAX BOLLARD
Bollard is a leader in the secondary for the Tritons. He will be expected to perform that role again, but he now has two experienced starters in Riley Kelley and Max Kotiranta alongside him. The three-year starter will be a key to stopping opponents’ passing attacks this season.
THEO PREISLER
Preisler played in four games for the Tritons last season. He tallied eight tackles in limited playing time but is expected to play a bigger role on the defensive line this season after two important pieces in Connor Bacchuber and Ben Baker graduated. Preisler will have many experienced defenders around him to help him settle into his role.
Players to Watch
ZEKE RUBINSTEIN
Rubinstein is a three-year starter for the Tritons and has been a reliable outside linebacker. His 50 tackles last season were good for sixth-best on the team. He will help fill out an experienced linebacker corps alongside Fuimaono and others.
COLE HERLEAN
Herlean emerged as the leading receiver for the Tritons in 2023 and will look to build upon that in his senior season. He caught 35 passes for 475 yards and five touchdowns. He will be pivotal this season to help lead the new receiving unit after a few important receiving threats graduated.
With the loss of Aiden Rubin at running back, Kohl will be tasked with helping to fill his shoes. He got limited playing time last season, but he is expected to take a step up in his production with more experience. He will split time at running back with Puka Fuimaono.
COLIN KOHL
GAME PREVIEWS 2024 SAN CLEMENTE
Coach: Andrew Ramer
2023 Record: 7-4 (3-2 Big West –Upper League)
2023 vs. S.C.: SC win, 20-10
Chaparral will be hungry to reach the playoffs once again, but the Pumas will be missing a big contributor from last season. The team will be without last year’s starting quarterback, Dash Beierly, after he transferred to Mater Dei, so the offensive production he provided will have to be found elsewhere. The team’s leading receiver, Jaedon Ayala, returns for his senior season alongside senior and first-team All-Big West running back Jayce Venable.
Coach: Casey Taylor
2023 Record: 10-3 (3-2 Sierra Foothill League)
2023 vs. S.C.: Did Not Play Head coach Casey Taylor will try to lead the Trojans back to the a state championship game after falling to Folsom last season. Oak Ridge lost a dynamic running back in Erick Orme Jr. after he transferred to league rival Folsom, but quarterback Joaquin Graves-Mercado and University of Alabama commit Kaleb Edwards will lead the charge on the offensive side of the ball. Leading tackler Braedon Mulgannon will bolster the defense at linebacker along with junior Jasen Womack at safety and a plethora of other talent. This will be the first meeting between the two programs.
Coach: George Wilson
2023 Record: 9-4 (3-2 Big West –Upper League)
2023 vs. S.C.: Murrieta Valley win, 39-38
The Tritons will head to Murrieta Valley to try to avenge a tough one-point loss last season. The Nighthawks will have Stanford-bound Bear Bachmeier at the helm of the offense. The quarterback has 6,741 total yards over the past two seasons. Murrieta Valley is the No. 65 team in the nation, according to MaxPreps, and has high expectations heading into the 2024 season.
Coach: Shawn Dupris
2023 Record: 5-6 (2-4 5A Division I)
2023 vs. S.C.: Did Not Play
The Tritons will welcome the Coronado Cougars from Henderson, Nevada for an inter-state matchup.
The Cougars finished 5-6 in Nevada’s tough 5A Division I league, which includes Bishop Gorman, a perennial high school football powerhouse. Coronado is led by quarterback Aiden Krause, and this matchup will be a good test for both teams.
Coach: Sean Sovacool
2023 Record: 5-6 (1-4 Avocado League)
2023 vs. S.C.: SC win, 28-3 San Clemente recorded its fourth straight win against the Mavericks last season by a score of 28-3. Leading receiver Jackson Maggiore and junior quarterback Quinn Roth will form a threat in the passing game for La Costa Canyon. Roth will look to take a big step heading into his junior season after an impressive sophomore year in which he threw for 2,254 yards and 19 touchdowns. La Costa Canyon will try to get back in the win column against San Clemente this season.
Coach: Kevin Hettig
2023 Record: 8-6 (2-3 Sunset League)
2023 vs. S.C.: SC win, 28-14 Corona del Mar and head coach Kevin Hettig will come into 2024 with a chip on his shoulder after losing in the Division 4 title game to La Serna last season. Stanford tight end commit Zach Giuliano will be a key piece for this team after tallying 62 catches for 13 touchdowns last season. San Clemente has claimed victory in the matchup the past two seasons.
Coach: Keland Johnson
2023 Record: 5-5 (1-3 Baseline League)
2023 vs. S.C.: Did Not Play
Chino Hills will visit the Tritons for the first time since 2016. Head coach Keland Johnson will try to take the Huskies to the playoffs for the first time in his tenure. The Huskies will have to find a way to replace now-graduated quarterback Nolan Ellison’s offensive production, but they now have Alex Medyn, a transfer from Orange Lutheran, to fill in there. The 3-star quarterback should help bring some more firepower to the offense. Senior linebacker Joshua Baker returns for his third season as a starter and will help lead the defensive unit.
Coach: Chad Johnson
2023 Record: 13-3 (2-1 South Coast League)
2023 vs. S.C.: SC win, 20-10
The Tritons kick off league play against one of the top teams in the nation, Mission Viejo. The Diablos are No. 28 in the country, according to MaxPreps. Mission Viejo has a lot of talent returning from last season, when Diablos captured the CIF Division I-AA championship. The Diablos will be led by highly touted receiver Phillip Bell, quarterback Luke Fahey, and receiver Vance Spafford. Spafford enters his junior season as one of the top receivers in the state.
Coach: Ray Fenton
2023 Record: 9-3 (5-0 Sunset League)
2023 vs. S.C.: Did Not Play
The Griffins are coming off a successful season in which they went 9-3, with only regular-season losses to Mission Viejo and Servite, who met in the Division 2 state title game. Los Alamitos lost in the playoffs to Serra, which eventually lost to Servite in the state championship game. Though Los Alamitos lost its top running back Anthony League, the team is entering this season with legitimate Division I college talent on offense, including quarterback Alonzo Esparza. Esparza finished last season with 2,991 total yards and 26 touchdowns. USC commit Ja’Myron Baker will also be a key playmaker for the Griffins.
Coach: Jeff Grady
2023 Record: 6-5 (4-1 Sunset League)
2023 vs. S.C.: SC win, 31-7
The Chargers had a tough start to last season but managed to win five straight near the end of the season. Edison moves into a tough league that includes Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo and the Tritons. Edison will have to replace Julius Gillick’s production at running back after he moved to Seattle. The team will be younger this season after many of their key performers on offense and defense graduated. It will be up to some younger talent to help the Chargers find success.