Megan Lander | Student Life Editor
January 10, 2025
The San Clemente High School varsity basketball team is celebrating their monumental win this past week as champions of the 2025 South Coast Boys Basketball League. Over a total of eight games, SC won an impressive seven games and only lost one. This Socal League is a combination of 5 highschool basketball teams in the area: San Clemente, Dana Hills, San Juan Hills, Tesoro, and Trabuco Hills.
While every basketball game is special, this one had a unique twist. Not only was it the final round, but San Clemente went head to head against San Juan Hills and were tied at both six wins and one loss at the start of the game. This determined the championship for the league games.
While playing at San Juan Hills High School earlier on in the games, San Clemente had their first and only loss to San Juan Hills. San Juan’s star player, senior Mason Hodges, “played like mini Jokic” according to Junior Kevin Zhang. The score ended with San Juan claiming victory at 77-66 points. Despite this fall back, SC decided to keep pushing for their goals.
In another game, San Juan faced Tesoro and lost at 57-61 points. If San Juan were to win this round and went up against SC with 7 wins and 0 loses, the championship would have resulted in a tie if San Clemente won. This one loss allowed for an even match against SCHS and SJHHS in the championship since they had an equal number of wins and losses.
Last Tuesday on February 4th, both teams had their game faces on since whoever wins takes it all home. San Juan buses lined up outside the San Clemente gym, the bleachers groaned with excitement as it suffocated under the full student section, and people showed their spirit by wearing camo; the make-or-break game was about to take place. After four long and tense quarters, the San Clemente boys varsity team won the South Coast League games at 54-49 points!
One main highlight during the game was when player Davis Blake shot a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. The clock ticked in slow motion as Blake took a step back outside of the 3-point-line, sinking a basket in the last second. The student section cheemred jumping up and down celebrating the gamble it took for that extra point.
Once the last quarter was over and San Clemente took home the crown, the supportive student section stormed to the middle of the court to celebrate with their peers who just won for the season. Junior James Simons said that “it was the best moment to be with everyone on the court. It was a relief to see that [his] friends won.”
Overall, San Clemente deserves this big win after a back and forth with San Juan. With highlighting performances from Davis Blake after his clutch buzzer basket, this win makes them the ultimate champions. This victory is a reflection of the hard-work and dedication put in by the team, preparing them for next year’s championship.
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