Mission Viejo vs. San Clemente Preview: Players to Watch

Over the past 10 years or so, Mission Viejo and San Clemente have developed one of the best public school rivalries in Southern California. Mission Viejo has dominated the South Coast League for the past 20 years and the team that has played the most competitive games with them is San Clemente. The Diablos won nine consecutive league championships until San Clemente handed them their first league loss since 2008 in 2018 in a close game at San Clemente. Mission Viejo easily beat San Clemente in a revenge game the last time the two teams met in 2019. The coaches and players are open about not liking each other and the rivalry is intense. There are many quality players in this game and below are a few I think are the most important for each team in this particular game. <strong>Micah Carreon, Mission Viejo, 2021</strong> Carreon is not only the best pass rusher on Mission Viejo but he will also be crucial in stopping the run game in this one. San Clemente wants to run the ball and get their backs in open space. If Carreon can get in the backfield and get to the running backs before a cutback lane develops, it will be huge for the Diablos defense. Carreon is committed to Northern Arizona and had four sacks in his last game against San Juan Hills. <hr /> <strong>Brenndan Warady, Mission Viejo 2021</strong> Warady is an outside linebacker/safety hybrid who will be tasked with covering San Clemente’s tight ends and slot receivers. The Tritons can move the ball on the Mission Viejo defense by using the short passing game. Warady will be crucial in preventing the short passes in man and in zone coverage. https://twitter.com/BrenndanWarady/status/1380923016775753729?s=20 <hr /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25046" first="Mavin" last="Anderson"], Mission Viejo, 2021</strong> Anderson is already signed with Cal which is probably why sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="25408" first="Mikey" last="Matthews"] is getting twice as many targets. San Clemente’s defense likes to bracket receivers and take away their opponents primary option and I expect them to do that to Matthews which opens the door for Anderson. He didn’t get to play against San Clemente last season and he definitely wants to go out with a big game and win. https://twitter.com/FootballRecruit/status/1043917539883900928?s=20 <hr /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25441" first="Kadin" last="Semonza"], Mission Viejo 2023</strong> The sophomore signal-caller is playing his best football right now but San Clemente is the best team he will play this short season. The Tritons are going to try to pressure him and make him make difficult decisions very quickly. Semonza has the ability to extend plays with his legs and he may need to do that a few times in this game. If he can avoid the pressure and give his receivers time to get open in a scramble drill, the Mission Viejo offense will have a huge game. https://twitter.com/SBLiveCA/status/1376056029369278464?s=20 <hr /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25216" first="Ryder" last="Fitch"], Mission Viejo, 2021</strong> Fitch is a lock down corner who had a busy day covering Division 1 bound receiver <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/02/inside-look-at-wca-club-team-oc-elite/">Braden Pegan</a> last week. San Clemente’s top target is <strong>Anthony Hall</strong> and I expect Fitch to be lining up against Hall the majority of the game. He closes to the ball well and is equally good in man and zone coverage. He is an experienced player who can line up anywhere on the field and even make big plays in special teams. https://twitter.com/prepzone/status/1175236987885772800?s=20 <hr /> <strong>Lachlan van Rosmalen, San Clemente, 2022</strong> San Clemente doesn’t ask its junior quarterback to do much, but he has played very well in his role this season. He has completed 62 percent of his passes for 641 yards and six touchdowns to just one interception. It will be interesting to see how he does playing from behind if the Diablos take a lead. He played from behind against Capo Valley but San Clemente quickly regained the lead due to field position and the running game. This will be a huge test for van Rosmalen. https://twitter.com/KDahlgrenPhoto/status/1373464330805473283?s=20 <hr /> <strong>Kanious Vaughn, San Clemente, 2021</strong> You can make a case that Vaughn has been San Clemente’s best defensive player this season. Mission Viejo has an excellent offensive line bit I still expect Vaughn to get pressure on Semonza and force him out of the pocket. If Vaughn and the San Clemente defense can’t get a pass rush on Semonza, it will be a long day for the Tritons. He recently was offered a preferred walk-on to the University of Arizona. https://twitter.com/Tritonfootball/status/1378432411151654912?s=20 <hr /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25114" first="Bentley" last="Redden"], San Clemente, 2021</strong> The BYU signee only has 12 catches with two touchdowns this season but I expect him to be crucial in his final high school game. It’s very difficult to beat Mission Viejo with the deep ball and the recipe for success is with the short pass and Redden is great in the short passing game. San Clemente may look to exploit mismatches with Redden and smaller linebackers who will be covering him. https://twitter.com/KDahlgrenPhoto/status/1373464330805473283?s=20 <hr /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25122" first="James" last="Bohls"], San Clemente, 2021</strong> Bohls was always a physical specimen but he has really shown he can be a dominant running back this season. He has been the most important player on the San Clemente offense and when it matters most against Mission Viejo, I expect Bohls to get a lot of touches. The Diablos shut him down last season and Bohls will use that chip on his shoulder to show he can have a big game against an elite team. He has had a nice career at San Clemente and wants to cap it with a league championship. https://twitter.com/ocvarsityguy/status/1378177768005935104?s=20 <hr /> <em><strong>Other key players:</strong></em> [player_tooltip player_id="25408" first="Mikey" last="Matthews"], Mission Viejo Joshua Welles, Mission Viejo Kenny Manassero, Mission Viejo Caden Herr, Mission Viejo Owen Ricketts, Mission Viejo Caiden Robertson, San Clemente Noa Serpa, San Clemente Keegan Even, San Clemente Anthony Hall, San Clemente Ryland Swarthout, San Clemente