Darnold broke his right hand in Friday's Trabuco Hills game, and is hoping he will be able to return for the last week of league play in mid-February. The 6-5, 215 junior had returned to action in late December after missing the team's first nine games with a broken foot.
Without their leading scorer, San Clemente was held to single-digit scoring in three of the four quarters, and only one player, sophomore forward Cole Fotheringham, scored in double digits. He had 11.
The Tritons kept it close by mixing up their defensive looks, trailing by only seven at the half and five after three quarters. But San Clemente came out cold in the fourth quarter, missing on the offensive end while the
Dolphins were able to convert on their end. This forced the Tritons into a trapping defense to play catch up, something Dana Hills was able to exploit to its advantage in the final minutes and pad its margin of victory.
Other than Fotheringham, Triton scoring came from Nick Crankshaw and Elijah Morris, 6 each; Cade Griffin and Gage Shelmidine, 5 each; Joe Mann, 2; and Rico Young, 1.
On Friday, the Triton Varsity travels for a 7 p.m. Sea View League contest at Laguna Hills.