Celia Mann | Social Media Editor
May 23, 2025
On Saturday, May 17, the San Clemente Boys Lacrosse team won their first CIF Championship in the program’s history.
After beating Oak Park High (10-3), Palos Verdes High (6-3), and league rival Aliso Niguel in an impressive shut-out (5-0), the Tritons were on their way to a championship. In a thrilling match against Dos Pueblos High at Fred Kelly Stadium, they secured a win with a score of 8-7 to win the title of Division II Champions.
Even more impressive, Dos Pueblos was previously undefeated in their season, and had even triumphed over San Clemente with a score 7-5 on April 11. However, when it mattered most, the team showed up. Furthermore, Dos Pueblos was held to a single-digit scoring game only three times throughout the season- two of which were by San Clemente.
Throughout the season, the Tritons held their opponents to a single-digit score in 19 of their 21 games, with goalie Jackson Blunt allowing an average of only five goals per game. They continued this defensive streak in the playoffs, with only 13 goals allowed in four total games. This is all thanks to the tight defense head coach Brendan Finnerty has built within the team.
Not only did the defense shut down Dos Pueblos’ many attempts to score, but San Clemente’s offense showed up too. Second year varsity player Landon Castor said “I had faith that we could win it all. The boys and I showed up and got it done.” As a sophomore, he scored three of the eight goals in the championship game. Leading goal-scorer and senior attacker Kai Morgan also put away 3 goals, helping to secure the win.
With 17 seniors leading the team, winning a CIF Championship was a clear goal this season. The strong leadership and experience these seniors brought to the team instilled a belief among them that they could go all the way.
Sophomore Patrick Nelson explained, “I’m so happy I was able to accomplish it with this group of guys. It doesn’t feel real.”
Even under the pressure of the biggest game of the season, and all of program history, the boys rose to the occasion and finished what they started.
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