Broncos in the News

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LA Times' coach of the year: Coley Candaele of Vista Murrieta
Vista Murrieta erases past disappointment, unseats perennial champ
All eyes on QB Stevens as Vista Murrieta opens season
Vista Murrieta uses strong defensive effort to beat Santiago
PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: Broncos tops in 2011
LA Times' coach of the year: Coley Candaele of Vista Murrieta Coley Candaele left the relaxing beach community of Carpinteria to start a new football program at Vista Murrieta nine years ago.

Everything came together this past season, when the Broncos won their first Inland Division championship and went 14-0 on the field. Candaele has been selected The Times' coach of the year.
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Vista Murrieta erases past disappointment, unseats perennial champ MURRIETA — Third time's a charm?  Not exactly. Vista Murrieta quarterback Nick Stevens left nothing to chance Friday night. The Broncos' first-year starter scampered for a go-ahead touchdown with 26 seconds left, and their vaunted defense dialed up one last stop against top-seeded Corona Centennial as second-seeded Vista Murrieta hung on for a 35-28 victory in the CIF Southern Section Inland Division championship. "Unbelievable performance by our kids to battle back after they fell behind late," Vista Murrieta coach Coley Candaele said. "Our last drive, they executed almost perfectly. It's absolutely not the game I expected.
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All eyes on QB Stevens as Vista Murrieta opens season MURRIETA – Nick Stevens understands he'll have a number of eyes fixated on the No. 7 jersey he'll wear onto the field Friday night in Vista Murrieta's season opener. It's simple, really. The Broncos are coming off back-to-back Inland Division championship game appearances. They return a number of defensive stars, and Stevens is replacing a three-year starter at quarterback who's now at the University of Washington.
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Vista Murrieta uses strong defensive effort to beat Santiago MURRIETA --- After a disappointing defensive effort a week ago, Vista Murrieta coach Coley Candaele was all smiles about his defense this week. His Broncos smothered Corona Santiago 25-0 on Friday night in front of a packed crowd at Vista Murrieta High. "We were very disappointed in our effort on defense a week ago," Candaele said of last week's 31-28 victory over Etiwanda. "We weren't disappointed in how we played defense, but the effort and energy. Tonight I think we got back to Bronco defense." Vista Murrieta (2-0) forced three turnovers, got three sacks and stuffed every scoring opportunity Santiago (1-2) had. The Sharks had just 169 yards of offense.
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PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: Broncos tops in 2011 Vista Murrieta's boys track and field team served notice last July, ironically enough, in a non-CIF-sanctioned event. And most of the Broncos sports programs have been on a roll ever since. With a strong finish in track and field and outright Southwestern League championships in baseball, softball, boys track and field, football and girls volleyball, Vista Murrieta edged Murrieta Valley to win The Californian's All-Valley Program of the Year Award for 2011. Vista Murrieta, paced by a 257-point push from the track team on The Californian's point scale, placed first with 633 points. Murrieta Valley, which got a 154-point effort from its swimming teams, was second with 591 points.
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Countdown to Spring Practice

SWL Standings
Team League Overall
Vista Murrieta 0-0 0-0
Chaparral 0-0 0-0
Murrieta Valley 0-0 0-0
Great Oak 0-0 0-0
Temecula Valley 0-0 0-0
Murrieta Mesa 0-0 0-0

Vista Murrieta uses strong defensive effort to beat Santiago

MURRIETA --- After a disappointing defensive effort a week ago, Vista Murrieta coach Coley Candaele was all smiles about his defense this week.

His Broncos smothered Corona Santiago 25-0 on Friday night in front of a packed crowd at Vista Murrieta High.

"We were very disappointed in our effort on defense a week ago," Candaele said of last week's 31-28 victory over Etiwanda. "We weren't disappointed in how we played defense, but the effort and energy. Tonight I think we got back to Bronco defense."

Vista Murrieta (2-0) forced three turnovers, got three sacks and stuffed every scoring opportunity Santiago (1-2) had. The Sharks had just 169 yards of offense.

Sophomores Tyler Cook (two sacks) and Curtis Bolton (one sack) led the attack up front.

"We have two sophomores starting at defensive end, and that is a new experience for us," Candaele said. "They did some nice things out there for us."

Bolton's sack just before halftime may have been a game changer. Bolton landed a hard, but clean, hit on Sharks quarterback Michael Darr on a third-and-9 play. Darr laid on the field for several minutes and did not return.

Santiago struggled in the second half with backup quarterback Christian Wufflestad. Wufflestad threw an interception on the opening drive of the second half, lost a fumble that ended up getting returned for a touchdown and threw for only 29 yards.

Trevor Warner picked off that Wufflestad pass and ran it back 34 yards to the Santiago 9. Two plays later, quarterback Nicholas Stevens found Darion Williams in the end zone to push the lead to 17-0 with 9:17 left in the third quarter.

Williams helped his team once again in the fourth quarter, but this time it was on special teams as he blocked a punt out of the back of the end zone for a safety with 5:14 to play to make it 19-0.

On the first play of Santiago's next possession, Wufflestad's fumble was scooped up by Michael Almodovar and returned 10 yards to the end zone to make it 25-0 with 42 seconds to play.

Vista Murrieta's offense didn't post any big numbers, but Candaele wasn't concerned.

"That is going to happen when you are playing with short fields all night," Candaele said. "As long as we are playing good defense and protecting the quarterback then I'm fine."

Stevens split time with sophomore Randy Beggs, but Candaele said there is no quarterback controversy.

"Nick is our starter and deserves to be our starter," he said. "Our defense was doing very well and we just wanted to get the sophomore some experience. And some experience when the game still mattered."

Stevens was 4-of-7 passing for 74 yards and touchdown. Beggs was 0-for-2. Aaron Piecukonis was the Broncos' leading rusher with 28 yards and scored one touchdown.


By AARON MENDONCA For The Californian 

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