SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. -- For years, San Clemente High football coach Jaime Ortiz has heard from college coaches about how his campus is one of their favorites stops while on the recruiting trail. Part of that is due to the steady stream of talented football players who have come through the school, but mostly it’s because any time spent in the isolated beach town feels like a vacation.
“I have a lot of college coaches who tell me, ‘Hey, when I retire, hook me up,’” Ortiz said.
Located about 70 miles down the coast from downtown Los Angeles, roughly halfway to San Diego, San Clemente represents the southern-most tip of Orange County.