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  • San Clemente head coach Jaime Ortiz gets doused after his...

    San Clemente head coach Jaime Ortiz gets doused after his team defeated Murrieta Valley, 45-35, Friday night in the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley. The Tritons claimed their first section football title.

  • San Clemente's Jack Sears celebrates running for a score versus...

    San Clemente's Jack Sears celebrates running for a score versus Murrieta Valley. raises his fist after running for a touchdown during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente team show their excitement as the team is...

    San Clemente team show their excitement as the team is named the CIF-SS Division 2 Champions at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente's Jack Sears poses with a plaque with teammates...

    San Clemente's Jack Sears poses with a plaque with teammates after defeating Murrieta Valley in the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente fans cheer for the team during the CIF-SS...

    San Clemente fans cheer for the team during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente's Jack Sears throws a pass during the CIF-SS...

    San Clemente's Jack Sears throws a pass during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente's Austin Moore tackles down Murrieta Valley's Hank Bachmeier...

    San Clemente's Austin Moore tackles down Murrieta Valley's Hank Bachmeier during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente's Brandon Reaves is being congratulated by friends and...

    San Clemente's Brandon Reaves is being congratulated by friends and teammates after defeating Murrieta Valley in the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • Murrieta Valley's Isaac Adame shows his disappointment after being defeated...

    Murrieta Valley's Isaac Adame shows his disappointment after being defeated by San Clemente Friday.

  • Murrieta Valley players show their disappointment after being defeated against...

    Murrieta Valley players show their disappointment after being defeated against San Clemente the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente's Isaac Rex, center, kisses the CIF-SS Division 2...

    San Clemente's Isaac Rex, center, kisses the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship plaque after defeating Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente's Isaac Rex, center, kisses the CIF-SS Division 2...

    San Clemente's Isaac Rex, center, kisses the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship plaque after defeating Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente's Jack Sears, left, and Keith Jones celebrate Sears'...

    San Clemente's Jack Sears, left, and Keith Jones celebrate Sears' touchdown during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente's Jack Sears, bottom, celebrates a touchdown with Chris...

    San Clemente's Jack Sears, bottom, celebrates a touchdown with Chris Kane during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente head coach Jaime Ortiz give instructions during the...

    San Clemente head coach Jaime Ortiz give instructions during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente fans show their excitement during the CIF-SS Division...

    San Clemente fans show their excitement during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • Murrieta Valley's Josh Nelson, right, tackles San Clemente's Brandon Reaves...

    Murrieta Valley's Josh Nelson, right, tackles San Clemente's Brandon Reaves during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente's Jack Sears throws a pass for a touchdown...

    San Clemente's Jack Sears throws a pass for a touchdown during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente's Jack Sears, second from right, sprints with the...

    San Clemente's Jack Sears, second from right, sprints with the football during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente's Jack Sears pumps his fist after the team...

    San Clemente's Jack Sears pumps his fist after the team scores a touchdown during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • Murrieta Valley players enter during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship...

    Murrieta Valley players enter during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game against San Clemente at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente's Isaac Rex, left, catches a pass over Murrieta...

    San Clemente's Isaac Rex, left, catches a pass over Murrieta Valley's Josh Nelson during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • Murrieta Valley's Marquis Spiker celebrates his touchdown during the CIF-SS...

    Murrieta Valley's Marquis Spiker celebrates his touchdown during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game against San Clemente at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • Murrieta Valley's Marquis Spiker sprints for touchdown during the CIF-SS...

    Murrieta Valley's Marquis Spiker sprints for touchdown during the CIF-SS Division 2 Championship game against San Clemente at Murrieta Valley on Friday, December 2, 2016. (Photo by Kyusung Gong/Orange County Register)

  • San Clemente's Isaac Rex lunges for as many yards as...

    San Clemente's Isaac Rex lunges for as many yards as he can get in the CIF-SS Division 2 title game.

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MURRIETA VALLEY – Everywhere around the San Clemente football team you’ll see their mantra: “One Town, One Team.”

And finally, in their third straight CIF-Southern Section final and for the first time in the school’s 52-year history, the Tritons have their one title.

San Clemente pushed ahead and outlasted second-seeded Murrieta Valley, 45-35, to capture San Clemente’s first division football title in the CIF-SS Division 2 championship on Friday at Murrieta Valley High.

“You can’t put it into words,” San Clemente quarterback Jack Sears said. “It’s an amazing feeling. The guys before me paved the way. I was just glad I could carry the torch to help this team get there.”

Sears threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

Sears’ second touchdown run was a 67-yarder down the San Clemente sideline to extend the Tritons’ lead back to 10 points, 45-35, with just less than six minutes remaining.

“He put a signature win on his legacy at San Clemente High School,” Tritons coach Jamie Ortiz said of the senior Sears. “That’s a big win for this community, for this team.”

Murrieta Valley (11-3) was the third seeded team San Clemente (11-3) beat in its title run.

Murrieta Valley was averaging nearly 64 points per game in the playoffs, but the Nighthawks were held scoreless in the first quarter for the first time this season.

“Going into the game, all we heard about was how great Murrieta Valley’s offense was,” Ortiz said. “Our defense had a little chip on their shoulder. We had something to prove.”

San Clemente’s defense didn’t shut down Murrieta Valley as Marquis Spiker caught nine passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns, and Olita Palmer ran for 223 yards and two touchdowns.

However, the Tritons made stops when they counted on three fourth downs and forced a pivotal turnover on Murrieta Valley’s first possession of the second half.

San Clemente led 17-14 coming out of halftime when Austin Moore sacked Hank Bachmeier to force a fumble that Ryan Russell recovered at the Murrieta Valley 38.

“I was looking off somewhere else,” Sears said. “I couldn’t bear to watch it.”

On the ensuing possession, Sears almost had to watch a turnover fumble of his own as he was popped running into the end zone, but Keith Jones recovered.

Brandon Reaves ran for a 4-yard touchdown to extend the Tritons’ lead to 24-14.

San Clemente and Murrieta Valley traded scores, and the Tritons never got out ahead by more than 10 points.

With that 10-point lead after Sears’ big late run, the defense made its most impactful stop.

Moore stuffed Palmer behind the line of scrimmage for Murrieta Valley’s only negative yardage play of the game to set up a fourth-and-11 at the Tritons ‘40.

Bachmeier dropped back and tried to get one more pass to Spiker, but Reaves shadowed Spiker and broke up the play to seal the title.

“I knew they were going to go to him,” Reaves said. “He’s their best receiver, so I just manned-up on him and locked him down,” Reaves said.

Reaves ran for two touchdowns and had a TD catch.

Austin Whitsett helped San Clemente control the clock with 19 carries for 107 yards.

San Clemente set the pace on its opening drive going 10 plays, eight rushes and two passes, for Tristan Trager to knock in a 21-yard field goal to take the lead, 3-0.

Murrieta Valley got aggressive on its first possession going on a fourth-and-six at its own 46-yard line.

San Clemente broke up Hank Bachmeier’s pass attempt, and the Tritons offense marched the other direction.

Sears converted his own fourth down attempt on a short play at the Murrieta Valley 15-yard line. Sears followed up by rolling right and hitting Issac Rex on a 5-yard touchdown pass to open the second quarter for the 10-0.

The Tritons held Murrieta Valley, averaging nearly 64 points per game in the playoffs, scoreless in the first quarter for the first time this season.

It wasn’t for long as Murrieta Valley hit the scoreboard just over two minutes later as Olita Palmer burst up the right side 22 yards for the score.

Leading 10-7, San Clemente continued to grind on the ground with Sears and Austin Whitsett.

Sears found Issac Rex near the goal line on an 11-yard play to set up Reaves’ 1-yard touchdown run for a 17-7 lead.

Murrieta Valley hit the turbo again just three plays later when Bachmeier hit Marquis Spiker up the seam on a 58-yard TD pass for a 17-14 deficit.

San Clemente took the game’s first three-and-out, and Murrieta Valley was stopped on fourth down at midfield again on a big hit by Riley Croft.

Sears hit two big passes, but San Clemente fumbled away a shot at points before the half.