Top Performers: San Clemente vs. Mission Viejo
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San Clemente upset Mission Viejo 20-10 last Friday and put itself in great position to win the South Coast League championship. It was the first win for San Clemente over Mission Viejo at Mission Viejo since 1998. Aiden Rubin Aiden…
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Continue ReadingSan Clemente upset Mission Viejo 20-10 last Friday and put itself in great position to win the South Coast League championship.
It was the first win for San Clemente over Mission Viejo at Mission Viejo since 1998.
Aiden Rubin Aiden Rubin 5'9" | RB San Clemente | 2024 CA led San Clemente in rushing with 238 yards on 29 carries including a 50-yard touchdown run. Chase Valousky led Mission Viejo with over 100 yards.
Here are some top performers that stood out to me from this game.
SAN CLEMENTE
Friday was my first time seeing Tagoa’i and I was blown away by how versatile he is as a defender.
He can be an excellent pass rusher which he demonstrated by having two big sacks. Tagoa’i is a sure tackler who can fly up to stop the run.
I like that he can play in the box or drop into pass coverage when needed. It makes sense that they use his big 6-foot-4 frame in pass coverage. He made it clear why he is one of the top defensive prospects in the 2025 class.
Rubin is a rugby guy who never stops moving his legs and can turn a 1-yard run into a 6-yard run.
He is faster in person than I expected and can make guys miss in the open field.
What impressed me the most about Rubin is his ability to duck under big defenders who arm tackle and avoid contact. He’s definitely an All-County high school player and we will see if some colleges joint the party late.
Gonzales was a positional MVP at the Prep Redzone Stock Up Showcase in January and I already knew he was a good athlete.
I was impressed with his ability to play in man coverage on occasion against a high-level receiver prospect. He has good instincts while playing zone and jumped a route for a pick-six late in the game.
Gonzales is also a fine tackler for his size and can just play football.
Highlights
Fuimaono was one of the better athletes on the field last Friday.
He is a hard-hitter who has good lateral speed to get to the flat quickly. What impressed me the most about him was his ability to evade offensive linemen at the second level and make tackles.
I also believe he could put up big numbers at running back if Rubin were somehow unavailable. Puka has a motor and is fun to watch play linebacker.
Highlights
MISSION VIEJO
Williams is one of the best defenders in the county at getting into the backfield. If you watch his film against Long Beach Poly you would think you were watching JJ Watt.
He has excellent body control and never gets caught over-pursuing or leaning too far forward. Williams has a good mix of speed and power moves and while I am not a fan of the inside spin move, he does it fast enough to make it difficult for tackles.
The Mission Viejo pass rush in general made it hard for San Clemente to throw, but Williams stands out as a rusher.
Highlights
Bell was finally healthy but didn’t have a huge game. The reason he made this list was his ability to create separation and get open in man coverage.
On one of the first plays of the game, he ran a deep post and was wide open against 2-man coverage. He was open several times during the game but only had two catches due to the San Clemente pass rush and other factors.
Highlights
Anderson covers so much of the field as a cover 2 safety or in any coverage. He was a big reason San Clemente struggled to throw the ball because even when they got clean throws off, Anderson was right there to deliver a deflection or big hit.
He also can fly up the field to stop the run and made a few touchdown-saving tackles on Rubin runs. Anderson has great instincts as a safety and it’s easy to see why he gets so many interceptions.