MURRIETA — Whenever San Clemente’s offense seemed poised to break through Friday night at Murrieta Valley, the Nighthawks’ special teams answered the challenge.
Murrieta Valley’s Dorian Hoze runs for yardage during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley’s Dorian Hoze scores a touchdown during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley’s Dorian Hoze plows into the end zone for a touchdown during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley’s Cam Connor scores a touchdown during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
San Clemente’s Cole Harlean celebrates with team mates after scoring a touchdown during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
San Clemente’s Quarterback, Dawson Martinez, keeps the ball and runs for yardage during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley’s Cam Connor returns a kickoff for a touchdown during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
San Clemente’s Cole Herlean is all smiles after scoring a touchdown during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley’s Cam Connor returns a kickoff for a touchdown during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
San Clemente’s Cole Harlean celebrates with team mates after scoring a touchdown during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Vista Murrieta High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
San Clemente’s Colin Kohl runs for yardage during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
San Clemente players celebrate after recovering the ball after a kickoff during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
San Clemente’s Jesse Torres runs for yardage during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley’s Dorian Hose tries to evade tacklers while running for yardage during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
San Clemente’s Colin Kohl runs for yardage during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
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Murrieta Valley’s Dorian Hoze runs for yardage during a non-league football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the San Clemente Tritons on Friday, Sept. 27th at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 35-25. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
The Nighthawks had a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown, and 86-yard kickoff return for a score and blocked a conversion kick attempt in posting a 35-25 nonleague victory over the Tritons on homecoming.
“That was the difference,” lamented San Clemente coach Jaime Ortiz, whose squad enters its bye week with a 3-3 record.
The Tritons play host to Coronado High of Henderson, Nevada, on Oct. 11, then welcomes Mission Viejo – ranked No. 2 in California and No. 4 in the nation by Calpreps.com – to inaugurate Alpha League play Oct. 18.
“There’s things we’ve got to fix,” Ortiz said. “We’ve made improvements from week to week. It may not show in the win column, but we have a young offensive line and some young players, and they kind of grew tonight. They went toe-to-toe against a very good team, No. 2 in the Inland Empire, but our kids know there were seven or eight plays that made the difference in the game.”
Murrieta Valley, ranked No. 17 in California by Calpreps.com, improved to 4-1 this season and evened its won-lost record in the series with San Clemente to four wins apiece. The Nighthawks have won the last three meetings. They open Big West Conference action at home Thursday against Norco.
Dorian Hoze rushed for 222 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries for Murrieta Valley, but it was the special teams that shined.
Murrieta Valley was leading 7-0 after Hoze’s 5-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter when San Clemente found its rhythm. Quarterback Dawson Martinez had a 30-yard completion to Cole Herlean that moved the Tritons into Murrieta Valley territory, then wide receiver Jaxon Rex found Herlean open a double-pass play for a 39-yard touchdown.
Then the Nighthawks’ special teams bared in their talons.
Murrieta Valley’s Gio Monge broke through the protection on the point-after try and smothered the kick to preserve the Nighthawks’ lead, 7-6.
San Clemente could not get a first down on its next series and punted from its 43. Murrieta Valley’s Cam Connor made the questionable decision to field the 52-yard boot at the 5-yard line, raced toward left end, cut across the field, made a slick stop-and-go move to elude a defender and danced into the end zone for an electrifying touchdown with 16 seconds remaining in the half.
Connor has returned three punts and a kickoff four touchdowns this season.
“I think we’ve scored on a return in every game this season,” Nighthawks coach George Wilson said.
Hoze scored on a 2-yard run to open the second half and push the Nighthawks’ lead to 21-6. San Clemente responded in six plays, with Martinez running in from the 5, to cut the lead to 21-13.
Murrieta Valley’s special teams again had an answer. Kurelle Thomas took the kickoff at full speed and raced through the coverage 84 yards to re-establish the Nighthawks’ two-score advantage, 28-13.
Murrieta Valley quarterback Ty Isaia connected with Thomas for a 34-yard touchdown pass and a 35-13 lead in the fourth quarter.
On the next series, San Clemente’s Colin Kohl burst off right tackle for a 41-yard touchdown. Kicker Mikael Khan recovered his onside kick for the Tritons, and quarterback Jack Ferguson found Max Kotiranta for a 6-yard touchdown. Martinez was sacked on the conversion try, putting an exclamation point on the Nighthawks’ special team effort.
“The kids take pride in that. Special teams have come through huge for us all year thus far,” Wilson said.
Wilson also praised his defense, which shrugged off San Clemente’s big plays. Linebacker Santana Letua had two sacks for the Nighthawks, Derrick Johnson II had three pass breakups, and younger brother Darius Johnson intercepted a pass.
“They seemed to have that right mentality every time, not getting too high or too low,” Wilson said. “I’m really happy with the way they carried themselves tonight.”
