Football: San Clemente is surging in the postseason

Perhaps no team has been more surprising in the postseason than San Clemente, which won the Southern Section Division 2 championship last weekend with a 45-35 upset of Murrieta Valley.

It was on Nov. 4, after a 41-3 regular-season ending loss to Mission Viejo, that the Tritons looked like a nonfactor for the playoffs.

Of course, Division 2 is a lot different than Division 1, but for whatever reason, San Clemente got hot to win its first championship.

The Tritons eliminated the Nos. 1, 2 and 4 seeds.

“The kids realized how cool the playoffs were, and we had a great four weeks of practice,” Coach Jaime Ortiz said.

Besides USC-bound quarterback Jack Sears playing well, it’s been San Clemente’s defense performing above expectations. Linebackers Jesse Mikulec and Mario Rossi were singled out by Ortiz.

Now San Clemente (11-3) plays Edison in a Division 1-A CIF bowl championship regional game on Saturday night at Huntington Beach, with the winner advancing to Sacramento on Dec. 17.

“We’ve gone into uncharted territory,” Ortiz said. “We won our first title and want more. These kids don’t want it to end.”

For the latest on high school sports, follow @LATSondheimer on Twitter