MURRIETA — Vista Murrieta football coach Coley Candaele hoped Friday night’s playoff opener against Damien would be more of a defensive struggle.

Damien’s Travon Garrison Jr. (3) runs for yardage against Vista Murrieta at Vista Murrieta High School in Murrieta on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

The game turned into a track meet, which didn’t necessarily favor the Broncos, who are playing without Oregon-bound senior quarterback Bryson Beaver.

Vista Murrieta turned to its ground attack to keep pace. And in a game that seemed like a marathon, it was a 4-yard sprint through the middle by senior Aiden Williams with 28 seconds remaining that propelled the Broncos to a 36-31 win over Damien in a CIF Southern Section Division 2 first-round game.

Williams d

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