Here's the short story: Hart racked up some nice yards but kept pulling out the six-shooters and aiming at their own feet. Four interceptions by Norton including one that was returned for a TD. By a lineman! San Clemente seems to have this uncanny ability to stick with Hart. The Hart defense was there when it counted, stuffing SC twice on the one-foot line in the last minute.

Here's the detail.

SC won the toss and deferred. SC kicked the ball VERY high and very short and the up man along the sideline (Elledge) immediately did the right thing -- fair catch. Hart started at the 27: run by Howell for 2 (sort of looking for the hole syndrome), an incomplete pass which was knocked down by a d-lineman, a four yard pass to Wolfe and then a punt. Not an auspicious start.

SC got the ball on the 33. The first thing I noticed about the Tritons was the really closed spacing between the linemen -- shoulder to shoulder: run by Verhagen for 3, pass to Melton for 6, run by Verhagen for 6, run by Verhagen for 4 (from the slot), run by the QB for 8 after he was flushed, run by Verhagen for 11, run by Verhagen for a 3 yard loss, pass to Melton for 4, pass for 6, a delay penalty on fourth down which forced a field goal attempt from 36 which missed.

Hart started at 20 and immediately lost 5 on a procedure call. Norton then threw long along the sidelines to Howell who never even turned. It was intercepted and returned to the Hart 34. This is really inauspicious. (And this was far more Norton throwing badly or Howell running the wrong route rather than anything the defender did.)

SC: run (V) for no gain, run (V) for 10, run by Fortin for 6, run by Verhagen for 3, run by Fortin for 4, run by Verhagen for 2 and then a pass to Verhagen for 9 yards and a TD. 7-0 Tritons at 1:27 of the first quarter.

The whole kickoff scenario was repeated exactly (high, fair catch) so Hart started at the 30 this time: pass to Ciccone for no gain, run by Norton for 4 (flushed), pass to Whitmore for 36. The next play was sort of emblematic of Hart's night - a hold plus a dead ball foul for a loss of 29 yards (1st and 39 - yikes!). Next play: 19 to Surratt (END OF QUARTER), 19 yards to Ciccone, 2 yard run by Howell from the double tackle formation, run by Norton (fumbled snap) for a loss, pass to Wolfe for 8, pass to Wolfe for 1 and then run by Norton for 2 on fourth down and Hart turned the ball over to SC at the 10-yard line.

SC: Incomplete, run by Verhagen for 4, incomplete and punt.

Hart started at the 50: incomplete to Ciccone, pass to Ciccone for 10, run by Howell for 13, run by Howell for 12, run by Howell for 7, run by Norton for 3, run by Howell for 4 and run by Howell for 1 and a TD. 7-7 at 5:16 left in the half.

SC: run by Fortin for 3, run by (?) for 2, offsides against SC, run by Fortin for 3 and a punt.

Hart started at the Hart 45: Pass to Surratt for 12, then an illegal block after the play ended (?) made it a net 2, run by Norton for 6, pass to Ciccone for 20, pass to Ciccone for 2 down to the 8 yard line, incomplete, run by Norton for a 3-yard loss and then another INT.
SC took a knee to end the half.

At the half, Norton was 12 of 17 for 143 yards – respectable numbers. However, he also was intercepted twice and had no TDs. Howell had 41 yards on 7 carries and a TD. The SC offense was not exactly potent: the QB was 5 of 7 for 33 yards and a TD while the Tritons had 51 yards rushing on 17 carries.

Hart's clock management at the end of the half was a little out of kilter. Hart got the ball down to the 8 with all three time outs remaining and about 1½ minutes on the clock. Instead of running Howell, Hart tried one pass to Wolfe for an incomplete, then a run by Norton. Hart then let most of the time run off before calling timeout. Norton rolled right and then instead of eating the ball when he had nothing, he threw a floater up which was intercepted at about the 3 and allowed SC to run out the clock. Hart probably should have given Howell at least one shot running since the Indians had all three timeouts but it was not to be. 7-7 at the half.

SC got a decent return on the halftime kickoff but it got moved back 10 on a block in the back.: Incomplete, run (V) for 2, incomplete and punt.

Hart started at the SC 40 after another weird set of circumstances on the punt. Hart put two guys back, Ciccone and Elledge. Elledge took it and got about a 25-yard return but then Hart got moved back on a hold. Pass to Ciccone for 27, run by Howell for 13 and a TD. Hart 14-7 at 10:20 and things are looking rosy.

SC started at the 21 after a 19 yard return: pass for 10, pass for 14, run for 7, run for 3, pass for 16, incomplete, pass for 4, incomplete, pass for 10 on fourth down at the 25, run for 5 and then pass for 10 and a TD. 14-14 at 6:39.

Hart started at the 39: 36-yard pass to Wolfe (1-yard pass and a lot of running by Wolfe), incomplete, run by Howell for 5, pass to Ciccone for 16, run by Howell for 3, run by Howell for 1 and a TD. Hart 21-14 at 4:02.

SC: Hart tried an onside pooch kick. It was perfectly executed by the kicker but the other players screwed it up by not flattening the SC guys so SC got the ball at the 46. First play was an incomplete and almost intercepted by Arndt, the right DE. On the next play, SC ran a draw up the middle for 15 but Wolfe stripped the ball at the end of play and Hart recovered the fumble.

Hart started on the 26 and Norton tried to throw it farther than he has arm -- another very long INT.

SC started at the 29: incomplete, run for 10, incomplete, run by QB for 13 after being flushed, run for 9, run for 3, incomplete, incomplete and then an INT by Surratt.

Hart started at the 16: run by Toledo for 2, run by Toledo for 11, pass to Wolfe for 12 (QUARTER), incomplete, pass to Ciccone for 7, pass to Ciccone for 10, run by Howell for 9, run by Toledo for 1, run by Norton for 11, incomplete, pass to Ciccone for 17 and a TD. The PAT missed and it was 27-14 at 8:43.

SC started at the 15, run for 6 incomplete, incomplete, punt.

Hart started at the 25: run by Howell for 5, run by Norton for a 1 yard loss, pass to Surratt for 9, run by Howell for 1, run by Toledo for a 3-yard loss -- then the play all D-linemen dream about. Norton was hit as he passed and the ball went just a couple of feet and into a D-lineman's arms. He returned it about 36 yards for a TD and suddenly it was a game again: 27-21 with 4:45 remaining.

SC tried an onside kick but the kicker put it out of bounds at the 49 (only 9 yards) so Hart started the drive in SC territory and it was the Daniel Howell Show: run by Howell for 5, run by Howell for 10, run by Howell for 3, run by Howell for 29 and a TD. Howell tacked on a 2 point conversion and it was 35-21 with 2:51 left.

It wasn't over by a long shot. SC got a 35-yard return out to the 36 and then got 15 more tacked on for a late hit by Hart so SC started at the Hart 49: pass for 29, run for 4, pass for 9 and a first down at the 7, incomplete on first down, pass for 6 on second down to the one yard line. Verhagen took a shot at it and got stuffed at about the 1 ft line on third down. SC called timeout. Hart called timeout. The QB tried it and really got stuffed and the ball ended up at the 3.

Hart: run by Norton for 2, run by Howell for 13, Norton with a knee and its over.

In the second half, Norton was 7 of 12, 124 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs. His totals for the night were 19 of 29, 267 yards with 1 TD and 4 INTs.

Berquist was 9 for 23, 108 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT in the second half for a total of 12 of 30, 141 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT.

Howell finished the night with 136 yards on 20 carries and 4 TDs. Collectively, SC had 126 yards rushing on 29 carries.

Hart seemed to be constantly on the verge of completely dominating the game only to do something really foul -- dumb penalties, poor clock management, ill-considered passes. Nevertheless, the Indians for the sixth year in a row -- and for the 8th time in the last ten years -- are in the championship game.

Go Indians!

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