Miller’s Field Goals Help Laguna Hills Stop San Clemente

MISSION VIEJO —  The officials’ arms were raised over their heads, the crowd roared. But Laguna Hills kicker Ryan Miller looked as if he didn’t believe what he’d just seen. And done.

Miller’s 37-yard field goal, his third of the game, provided the winning points in Laguna Hills’ 23-21 victory over San Clemente on Friday night at Mission Viejo High.

“He’s out there kicking from 45 yards out in warm-ups and I’m telling him ‘Get up there at the 20. That’s where we need you,’ ” Laguna Hills Coach Steve Bresnahan said. “Good thing he was kicking from where he was.”

Twice earlier in the game, Bresnahan called on Miller to kick 36-yard field goals. The second of the two brought Laguna Hills to within 21-20 with 9 minutes 5 seconds left in the game. The final kick came after a Laguna Hills’ drive stalled at the San Clemente 21-yard line with 3:06 left.

Miller might not have needed to pull out the game, but a third-down pass play from quarterback Justin Vedder to tight end Chris Baedeker slipped off the diving receiver’s hands in the end zone.

Miller’s kick was plenty high, but seemed to be fading to the right as it neared the goal post. Luckily for Laguna Hills (4-0), it was good by about a foot or so.

“He struggled in the first couple of games with extra points, so we took away the kickoffs from him,” Bresnahan said. “So all he had to worry about were punting and kicking.”

San Clemente--which is 2-2, but vastly improved over recent seasons--had one final chance to win, but quarterback Brett Hall fumbled after a hard hit at the Hawks’ 26 with 2:25 left.

It was about the only bad thing to happen to Hall all night. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 210 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and outdueled Laguna Hills’ highly efficient Vedder, who completed six of 11 for 155 yards and two touchdowns.

But the Hawks got 166 yards in 27 carries and one key fumble recovery from running back Dan Ciska. A senior, Ciska pounced on a San Clemente fumble at the Laguna Hills’ 37, setting up the Hawks’ final scoring drive.

“We gave them the game,” San Clemente’s first year Coach Mark McElroy said.

“We have a lot of character on this team. There’s no question that, just like in the loss to Canyon Country Canyon (in the season opener), we’re going to learn from this game. And it will make us a better team.”