Football: Dana Hills Comeback Falls Short of League Title

They played Queen’s “We Are The Champions” after San Juan Hills became the kings of the Sea View League on Friday night.

Six seasons into its football existence and just two years removed from an 0-10 campaign, San Juan Hills won its first championship in the season-ending battle between the Sea View League’s remaining unbeaten teams. 

The Stallions bolted to a 21-0 lead and then clung to victory as Dana Hills—going for its first outright league title in its 40 years of existence—came back in the fourth quarter with a game effort that included two touchdowns in the final three minutes.

It wasn’t enough to beat San Juan Hills, which felt first-hand the emotional fruits of its victory. It's good be king.

Score: San Juan Hills 28, Dana Hills 21

Key Stats: Jacob Gibson of San Juan Hills completed 10 of 15 passes for 131 yards and touchdowns of 49, 10 and 7 yards to three different receivers.

Pivotal Moment: The two offenses scored three touchdowns apiece, and it was only 7-0 in the third quarter when Tim Newman returned a punt 64 yards for a 14-0 lead.  You can never bank on a special teams score, which is why they are so special—and often so pivotal.

Quotable: “Dana Hills is a great football team,” San Juan Hills coach Aaron Flowers told the Orange County Register. “The question was could we match their intensity? Every time I had a question, these kids answered it. I’m just so proud of them.”

Records: San Juan Hills (9-1 overall, 4-0 in league), Dana Hills (5-5, 3-1)

Notes: Gibson’s scoring passes went 49 yards to Kolton McCluskey for a 7-0 lead with 52 seconds left in the first half, 10 yards to Mike Miscione for a 21-0 lead with 3:46 left in the third quarter, and 7 yards to Matt Mucerino for a 28-7 lead with 4:10 remaining. …. Brian Scott scored for Dana Hills with 7:48 left in the game to cut the deficit to 21-7. … Mac Vail threw two late TD passes to Reid Lundeen. His 40-yarder with 2:25 left made it 28-14, and after recovering an onside kick, his 21-yarder with 1:50 remaining made it 28-14. … Despite San Juan Hills holding a 21-0 lead at one point, Dana Hills got the ball back again, at its own 27, with 50 seconds remaining. However, there would be no Dolphin magic in the final seconds. They reached as far as the 40 before a sack and a couple of incomplete passes ended the game. … The SJH defense had six sacks, including two each by Brennan Walsh and Jacob Venegas, and two interceptions in the end zone—both by William Blum in the first half. … Vail passed for 161 yards, but Brian Scott's 41 yards rushing was a meager team-high for the Dolphins. ... Dana Hills won a share of the title in 2012 with Laguna Hills and Capistrano Valley, but this year’s modest .500 overall record was due to its strength of schedule.  Its nonleague opponents were a combined 30-20, including three from the Southern Section’s toughest Division, the Pac-5: Trabuco Hills (6-4), Fountain Valley (7-3) and JSerra (7-3). … Dana Hills went into the game ranked No. 10 in the section’s Southwest Division. … The five-team Sea View League will get two automatic playoff berths. San Juan Hills will be the first-place entry and Dana Hills the second-place entry. There was a three-way tie for third place but it’s unlikely Capistrano Valley, Laguna Hills or Aliso Niguel would receive an at-large bid.