San Clemente

Camp Pendleton's commanding officer said he is displeased with the "incorrect and deeply hurtful" comments made about a Marine sergeant who was fatally shot by an Orange County sheriff's deputy in a dark high school parking lot. "While I am confident they will do the right thing in the end, I am less than satisfied with the official response from the city of San Clemente and Orange County," Col. Nicholas Marano said in a written statement Thursday....

A veteran Orange County sheriff's deputy feared for the safety of two young girls sitting in a parked car when he shot and killed a Marine sergeant in a dark high school parking lot, authorities said Friday. Sgt. Manuel Loggins Jr. was shot Tuesday as he started to get into the SUV where his two daughters — ages 9 and 14 — were sitting, authorities said. Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Department, said the deputy was fearful that Loggins — who he said appeared to be acting irrationally — was about the drive off with the girls.

A decorated Marine who was fatally shot by an Orange County sheriff's deputy in a high school parking lot was described Thursday as a deeply religious man who regularly went to the campus track with his young daughters for early-morning prayer walks. Sgt. Manuel Loggins Jr. was shot to death during the predawn hours Tuesday under largely unexplained circumstances in a parking lot at San Clemente High School. Loggins' daughters, 9 and 14, were sitting nearby in the family SUV at the time of the shooting.

Hark, the red-flanked bluetail sings! Yes, that red-flanked bluetail — the bird species that until this week had been spotted just once in North America outside of Alaska. Avid birders have been vocalizing like crazy about the discovery, which was made Tuesday by biologists on San Clemente Island, a 21-mile-long sliver off the Southern California coast. PHOTOS: Readers share bird images "Birders get very excited about this kind of thing," said Kimball Garrett, ornithology collections manager at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

It doesn't happen often, but the two most gifted prospects on the field Saturday night at Angel Stadium will be a pair of All-American offensive linemen. Max Tuerk of Santa Margarita and Kyle Murphy of San Clemente are considered perhaps the two best blockers in California, and they'll each be trying to protect their quarterbacks and open holes for the running backs in the Pac-5 Division championship game. Tuerk, 6 feet 6, 295 pounds, has committed to USC. Murphy, 6-7, 275 pounds, is undecided, though Tuerk would like to see him become a Trojan too. "I went on a recruiting trip to Oregon with him," Tuerk said.

Revenge is sweet, especially when it comes in the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division semifinals. Johnny Stanton dived over the goal line from one yard out to complete a 10-play, 70-yard drive and John McGrory's extra point with 1:02 left lifted Santa Margarita to a 21-20 victory over host Mission Viejo on Friday night, avenging a 31-28 quarterfinal loss to the Diablos last season. Mission Viejo reached its own 40 with 20 seconds left, but wide receiver Max Redfield couldn't pull down a high fourth-down pass over the middle and the Eagles took over.

Santa Margarita (9-2) vs. Long Beach Poly (10-1) at Veterans Stadium, 7 p.m. FoxSportsWest.com: This quarterfinal playoff game is good enough to be for the Pac-5 Division championship. There's talent everywhere, and it's going to come down to making adjustments at the right time. Poly relies on speed and big plays. Santa Margarita tries to control the clock behind its big offensive line and versatile quarterback Johnny Stanton. Poly has tremendous athletes, such as receiver Richard Smith, defensive end Alonzo Williams and linebacker Matthew Rowe.

Bellflower St. John Bosco (7-3) at Mission Hills Alemany (8-2), 7:30 p.m. FoxSportsWest.com: Speed, speed, speed. That's what these two teams have. "It might be basketball on grass," St. John Bosco Coach Jason Negro said of what fans might see. St. John Bosco's offense has running backs Royce Moore and DaVonte Young, quarterback Rene Medina and receiver Bryce Treggs. Alemany has quarterback Devon Dunn and receivers Steven Mitchell and Jerico Richardson. "It's going to be skill versus skill," Negro said.

San Clemente (8-0, 2-0) at Mission Viejo (5-2, 1-0), 7 p.m.: The outcome of this South Coast League showdown could be determined by whether Mission Viejo running backs Jahleel Pinner and Buzzy Yokoyama are able to make it back from injuries. The Diablos are at their best when they can run the ball effectively, something that San Clemente has done all season because of a dominant offensive line, led by All-American Kyle Murphy. Mission Viejo has had two weeks to prepare for San Clemente.

In other circumstances, San Clemente would be having a season to cherish. The Tritons are 8-0, jogging memories as to the last time the program enjoyed this kind of start. "I believe 1978, some people say 1976," interim Coach Jon Hamro , who played for San Clemente in 1979 and 1980, said Saturday. Actually, a check of the records shows it was 1975, when the Tritons went unbeaten and untied before losing to La Habra Sonora in the second round of the playoffs. The interim tag attached to Hamro's title hints at the trouble that rocked the Tritons less than three weeks before their season opener.