Murrieta Valley shocks unbeaten San Clemente 39-38: 5 takeaways
SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA — Play for the win or settle for overtime?
For Murrieta Valley, there wasn't much of a discussion. The Nighthawks converted a two-point conversion with 90 seconds left to play on their way to a 39-38 victory over host San Clemente on Friday night.
Murrieta Valley and San Clemente went back and forth for nearly three hours in a game that was never separated by more than seven points. The two teams, who were tied at 17 at the halftime break, combined for one punt and zero turnovers.
Below are five takeaways from Friday's game.
Offense wins the night
San Clemente entered Friday's showdown with one of the Southern Section's most dominant defenses. The Tritons had allowed 34 total points in five games, holding four opponents to 10 points or less.
"We were just so prepared for this team," Murrieta Valley quarterback Bear Bachmeier said. "I think the mentality from practice drove this big win."
Outside of a punt on their second drive of the game, Murrieta Valley was able to move the ball with ease. The Knighthawks, like the Tritons, scored touchdowns on each of their first three second half drives.
“We felt like last year when we played that we moved the ball pretty well so that gave us confidence that it would be the same this year," Murrieta Valley head coach George Wilson said.
San Clemente was able to score points on six of their eight possessions Friday night. Their lone exception in the first half came when Murrieta Valley kicked a game-tying field goal with seven seconds left and the Tritons decided to kneel prior to halftime.
In the second half, the Tritons weren't stopped until their final drive of the night in which a sack and a dropped pass across the middle on fourth down sealed their fate.
Bear Bachmeier continues to rise
Murrieta Valley junior quarterback Bear Bachmeier showcased a little of everything on Friday night that makes him a four-star recruit and one of the nation's most sought after signal callers in the 2025 recruiting class.
Bachmeier used different arm angles in addition to completing a shovel pass and a Patrick Mahomes-esque underhand pass. His two touchdown passes, to sophomores Derrick Johnson and Julian Treadwell, were put in spots where only the receiver would be able to bring the ball in despite being covered tightly.
“When he makes good decisions, he’s very difficult to deal with," Murrieta Valley head coach George Wilson said. "He’s such a gifted passer and when he puts the ball down he’s an issue.”
In the running game, Bachmeier is able to churn for extra yards using his strong lower-half and even used a stiff arm on a cornerback to break free for a 20-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
“I wear (number) 47 so I’ve gotta turn into a fullback when I cross the line and I turn into Derrick Henry mentality," Bachmeier said postgame.
Aiden Rubin's breakout season
The story surrounding San Clemente's 5-0 start to the season has been the Triton's dominant defense. On offense however, San Clemente has unleashed a weapon in senior running back Aiden Rubin. Averaging 131 yards per game and more than six yards per carry, Rubin found the end zone 11 times in five games.
Rubin didn't slow down Friday despite the Triton's taking their first loss of the season. He rushed for a career high four touchdowns, each coming from more than 20 yards out. In the wild third quarter that featured three touchdowns in less than four minutes, Rubin found a hole on the right side and ran away from the defense for a 72-yard touchdown.
Dorian Hoze steps up for Murrieta Valley
Murrieta Valley senior running back Asa Chatman, one of California's most talented skill players, missed Friday's game with an injury. Tasked with picking up the main share of the carries on Friday was junior Dorian Hoze. In his limited amount of touches early in the season Hoze had made the most of them, averaging 64 yards per game in a secondary role.
“He’s a great back and he’s been a great back for us," George Wilson said. "The only thing that changed was his volume of carries. He did what we thought he’d do, and we were confident in him.”
Hoze scored each of the final two touchdowns of the night for Murrieta Valley and showed his elusiveness that led to more than 10 yards per carry while he was backing up Chatman during the first month of the season.
Gamble pays off for Nighthawks
Following Aiden Rubin's fourth touchdown of the night, Murrieta Valley trailed 38-31 with 7:18 to play. The Nighthawks began their drive at the 30-yard line. They proceeded to put together a methodical drive, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run by Dorian Hoze with 91 seconds to play.
Murrieta Valley then called timeout, hinting at their decision for a two-point conversion that could possibly win them the game. Following the timeout, quarterback Bear Bachmeier took the snap and followed his blockers, diving into the end zone to give Murrieta Valley their first lead since midway through the first quarter.
“Once the clock started to get under three minutes, I was thinking we’ve got to win it right now," Wilson said. "Let’s try to end it.”
-- Bodie DeSilva | bodie@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveca
