San Clemente High Coach Jaime Ortiz entered the 2012 season thinking he had a plan.
A senior named Sean Donnelly would start at quarterback, Ortiz figured. The veteran had waited his turn and learned under Travis Wilson, the quarterback who went on to set the school record for career starts at Utah.
When training camp began, though, one kid was threatening to wreck Ortiz’s careful planning. His name was Sam Darnold. A sophomore, he was the youngest player on the team, and his dynamism on the ground and tidy proficiency in the pocket almost dared Ortiz to start him.