Tritons, Eagles Clash for Pac-5 Football Title Saturday at Angel Stadium

Some cynics may refer to Saturday night's football game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim as a battle between league runners-up for the CIF Southern Section's Pac-5 championship.

After all, San Clemente (12-1) was the second-place team from the South Coast League -- the Tritons haven't won a league title since 1999 -- and Santa Margarita Catholic (11-2) did finish second in the Trinity League.

Most folks, however, know that the biggest game of the season on the biggest stage is not only between the two best teams in Orange County, but also between two of the best teams in the state and the country. In the latest MaxPreps rankings, San Clemente is No. 2 in the state behind undefeated Westlake and No. 9 nationally, while Santa Margarita is No. 3 in the state and No. 13 nationally.

Westlake (14-0), ranked No. 4 nationally, beat neighboring Oaks Christian in the Northern Division title game on Friday, and the Warriors will represent Southern California in the Open Division game of the CIF State Championship Bowl Games on Saturday, Dec. 17, at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

That leaves the winner of the Pac-5 as a viable candidate -- along with Vista Murrieta , which beat undefeated Corona Centennial, 35-28 in the Inland Division final -- to represent the area in the Division 1 bowl game on Friday, Dec. 16, also at the Home Depot Center.

Vista Murrieta is also undefeated on the field but had to forfeit four victories, and that may be reason enough for those section commissioners selecting the Southern California representatives to go with the Pac-5 winner. San Clemente would probably stand a better chance of getting the nod than Santa Margarita, since the Tritons have lost only one game going into the championship battle.

So, there's even more to play for on Saturday.

How Did They Get Here?

San Clemente, which began the Southern Section playoffs in the same half of the Pac-5 bracket as top-seeded Servite, the Trinity League champion, has reached the title game without having to beat a seeded team. The Tritons defeated Servite-slayer Tesoro, the South Coast's third-place team, 51-16 in the semifinals, and in the quarterfinals, recorded a 42-24 victory over the Trinity's third-place team, St. John Bosco, which upset fourth-seeded Alemany in the first round. San Clemente opened the playoffs with a resounding 42-6 victory over Lakewood, the Moore League runner-up.

On the other hand, Santa Margarita recorded a come-from-behind, thrilling 21-20 victory over second-seeded Mission Viejo, the South Coast League champion, in the semifinals, and walloped third-seeded Long Beach Poly, the Moore League champion, 49-16, in the quarterfinals. The Eagles opened the playoffs with a 45-21 victory over Bishop Amat, the Serra League's third-place team.

San Clemente has won its three playoff games by an average score of 45-15, while Santa Margarita's victories have come by an average score of 38-19.

Two good offenses, two good defenses.

Who Are the Top Players?

You should know 'em by name by now, but just in case...

San Clemente -- No. 2 Bret Miller, Jr., K; No. 3 Jacob Graff, Sr., WR/DB; No. 4 Christian Tober, Sr., CB/WR; No. 7 Travis Wilson, Sr., QB (Utah commit); No. 10 Nick Pasquale, Sr., CB/RB; No. 15 Chris French, Sr., TE; No. 20 Herbert Gamboa, Sr., LB, RB; No. 21 Joseph Buonfiglio, Sr., CB/RB; No. 27 Mike Elespuru, Sr., RB; No. 29 Nico Ruberti, Sr., LB; No. 30 Christian Bailey, Jr., DB/WR; No. 43 Landon Cook, Jr., LB/FB; No. 44 Julian Perry, Sr., DL/FB; No. 45 Austin Baker, Sr., DL; No. 77 Sean Harlow, Sr., OT/DL; No. 78 Kyle Murphy, Sr., OT, DL.

Santa Margarita -- No. 4 Johnny Stanton, Jr., QB; No. 5 Ryan Wolpin, Jr., RB/DB; No. 6 Cory Mendoza, Jr., WR/DB; No. 7 Connor O'Brien, Jr., WR/DB; No. 8 River Cracraft, Jr., WR/DB; No. 10 Luke Stinson, Jr., WR/DB; No. 13 John McGrory, Sr., P/K; No. 24 Reid Andrew, Jr., WR/DB; No. 25 Rj Mazolewski, Jr., RB/DB; No. 27 Sean Modster, So., WR/DB; No. 35 Matt Andersen, Sr., RB/LB; No. 41 Sammy Gibbs, Jr., OL/LB; No. 42, Alex Suchesk, So., RB/LB;  No. 45 Zach Bonte, Sr., WR/LB; No. 54 Chris Frost, Sr., OL/DL; No. 62 Mack Pierson, Sr., OL/DL; No. 77 Max Tuerk, Sr., OL/DL (USC commit); No. 80 Sean Donegan, Sr., WR/DL.

Battle to watch -- The best tackles on two of the best offensive lines in the country, Santa Margarita's Tuerk and San Clemente's Murphy, also play on the defensive line. Will they line up against each other? Both have been selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Game on Jan. 12 in San Antonio.

What Are the Back Stories?

Santa Margarita -- Last season, Harry Welch's first as the Eagles' head coach, the team hadn't won more than three games the previous two seasons and hadn't reached the playoffs in three seasons. But that summer, Welch was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He waited for an October bye week for surgery, then led his underclassmen-dominated team to a runner-up finish in the Trinity League, the quarterfinals of the Pac-5 playoffs and a 9-3 record. The Eagles and their fans had reason for great expectations this season, and next.

San Clemente -- In the spring, then-Tritons coach Eric Patton said, "We have a group of players who believe they can go all the way to a championship." Unfortunately for Patton, he wasn't around to lead his senior-dominated squad after being placed on administrative leave in mid-August because of alleged involvement in a kickback scheme involving a local sporting good store. “We have all gone through a pretty shocking crisis,” assistant-turned-head coach Jon Hamro said shortly after taking over the team. “When you go through a crisis, that suddenly becomes a common bond that none of you had prior. ... I think the players are more focused, more on a mission and more unified than I’ve seen in 20 years.” And how.

How Did They Fare Against Common Opponents?

Well, there have been a few of them this season. Make what you will of the results:

-- vs. Mater Dei: San Clemente beat the Monarchs, 28-21, in overtime on Sept. 23; Santa Margarita lost, 21-14, on Oct. 13.

-- vs. St. John Bosco: Santa Margarita beat the Braves, 28-20, on Nov. 4; San Clemente won, 42-24, on Nov. 25.

-- vs. Mission Viejo: San Clemente lost to the Diablos, 29-21, on Oct. 28; Santa Margarita won, 21-20, on Dec. 2.

-- vs. Tesoro: Santa Margarita beat the Titans, 39-7, on Sept. 9; San Clemente won, 31-6, on Nov. 10, and 51-16 on Dec. 2.

-- vs. Trabuco Hills: Santa Margarita beat the Mustangs, 35-14, on Sept. 15; San Clemente won, 43-14, on Oct. 14.

Playoff Histories

San Clemente's only appearance in a Southern Section division final was in 1979, when the Tritons lost to Esperanza, 14-7, in the Central Conference championship game.

Santa Margarita hasn't played in a division title game since 1998, when the Eagles lost to Woodbridge, 27-24, in Division VI on a field goal as time expired. However, they won Division V titles in 1997 (55-42 over Tustin) and 1996 (38-0 over Newport Harbor) behind future Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Carson Palmer.

How Much Are Tickets and Where Can I Buy Them?

Pre-sale ticket prices were sold at both high schools through Thursday, but for those still seeking entry, tickets will be available on Saturday at the stadium box office; however, only $12 general admission tickets and $5 student/child tickets will be sold.

The stadium will be cleared after the Southwest Division title game, which begins at 2 p.m. Kickoff for the Pac-5 title game is 7:30 p.m. Gates will re-open at 6 p.m.

The parking lot will open at 5 p.m. and the parking charge is $10 ($20 for vehicles over 20 feet).

Can't Make It to Angel Stadium?

If you can't watch the game in person, it will be broadcast live by Fox Sports West. No TV access? Then check back here on Patch.com, where this story will be updated live throughout the game. You can also keep track of all the action via Twitter by following me at #born2run52.