MISSION VIEJO – Three years ago, the Capistrano Valley High Cougars of Coach Brian Mulligan won the CIF Southern Section’s 2A championship while finishing their season at 25-7.
Friday night, the 2019-20 version of the Cougars rolled past visiting San Clemente, 75-53, to improve to 2-0 in the South Coast League and 17-1 overall.
It wouldn’t be startling if the Cougars take a, say, 25-3 record into the 2AA playoffs, with eight more league games and non-league contests remaining with Washington Prep and St. Augustine – upper-tier teams in the L.A. City and San Diego sections, respectfully.
But – and this isn’t to suggest he is looking beyond his team’s Monday night home South Coast game with El Toro – Mulligan knows that the path this squad would have to follow to a Southern Section title could be even more harrowing than in 2017.
The No.’s 1 (Santa Clarita Christian), 2 (Chaminade), 3 (Heritage Christian) and 4 (St. Bernard) teams in this week’s 2AA ratings will be on the first Southern Section Open Division “Watch List” next week, while Rolling Hills Prep, Alemany (tied for the Cougars at No. 6), Oak Park and St. Francis are led by players who signed with NCAA Division I-affiliated programs in November.
“By far,” Mulligan, in his 25th season as the school’s head coach, said when asked before the game if this was the toughest Southern Section division the Cougars have been part of.
The Cougars (whose only loss came to JSerra, the No. 2 team in Orange County – behind Mater Dei and ahead of Capistrano Valley) start only one “non-guard”, in 6-foot-8 Spencer Egbert (nine points, including a 3, and four rebounds Friday), who began his career at San Clemente.
The Tritons (12-8 and 1-1) broke out to a 9-4 advantage with Max Rumph (who scored eight of his eventual 14 points in the first quarter) hitting three consecutive layups and Jack Carroll nailing a 3.
But that’s when the Cougars’ terrific guard play kicked in, as seniors Conner Gleason (pictured/who finished with a game-high 17 points) scoring nine points and Zach Roberts hitting the first two of his eventual five 3s to put their team up, 20-14, after a quarter.
Another senior, Brody Summer, hit a 3 to just before intermission to push the advantage to 14 points at intermission and ultimately finished with nine points.
The fifth starter, 6-3 playmaker Max Redfield, scored 10 points with four rebounds and four assists and is among the better junior “point guard” prospects in Southern California.
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