Breakers open season with bang

GARDEN GROVE — A year ago this time, the Laguna Beach High football team was about to embark on what would become a record-setting year and one of the best in the program's history.

Friday in Garden Grove, the 2012 Breakers picked up where their predecessors left off.

Laguna again assaulted the school record book on the opening night of their season, a night that for the most part, couldn't have turned out much better than a 62-14 victory over host Bolsa Grande. The Breakers scored early and often, took an insurmountable lead by halftime, then rode out a running clock in the second half, to one of its biggest wins in school history.

The Breakers led, 55-14, by the half. The 55 were the most points ever scored in a half for a Laguna team. The 62-point total is the third most points in a single game. Senior running back Drake Martinez scored five first-half touchdowns in the first half, four on the ground and another, on a stunning, 78-yard punt return. The five TDs in one half also was a school record.

Martinez, who along with the rest of the Laguna starting line-up sat out the second half, scored five touchdowns in a game for the second time in his career. He shares the single-game touchdown record with receiver Chris Paul, who also accomplished the task twice, and running back Donnell Darling.

Martinez's punt return was the eighth longest in school history.

He finished with 147 yards on seven carries in two quarters of play.

Senior running back Robert Clemons set the night in motion by returning the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. He later scored on a 39-yard punt return and now has five career returns for touchdowns. That mark ties the school record (five) for returns originally set by Dick Burt (1945-46).

Clemons would have the school record at six returns, but the first of his two second-quarter punt returns for a touchdown was wiped away by a penalty.

Martinez and Clemons were two of the Breakers' team captains for the game.

"You know, it was one of those funny games where I wanted to do some things out there, but the game got out of hand real quick," Laguna Coach Mike Churchill said. "Every coach is scared to death of that first game but really, we couldn't have asked for a better start. We made some mistakes, but they are correctable."