OC-Born Quarterback To Make Super Bowl LX Appearance

DANA POINT, CA — An Orange County athlete is looking leave his mark on Super Bowl LX, after Seahawks Quarterback Sam Darnold clinched a 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Seattle this past weekend.

The Orange County native locked in the playoff win soon after throwing a 13-yard touchdown that gave the Seahawks a narrow lead over the Rams. Despite an oblique injury, Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns in the Sunday victory.

He completed 25 of 26 passes and had no turnovers.

"He just shut a lot of people up," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald told AP. "Really happy for him."

The win pits the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots for the upcoming Super Bowl LX.

It will be Darnold's first Super Bowl appearance after an eight-season career consisting of five teams.

The Dana Point-born quarterback attended San Clemente High School, where he played football, baseball and basketball.

Basketball coach Mark Popovich said Darnold's basketball skills helped translate into football, telling the Los Angeles Times that he's the "only guy [I've] ever had who could get a defensive rebound and launch a 70-foot pass on target, pretty much in the same motion, to a guy breaking out in the fastbreak."

Darnold will make his first Super Bowl appearance against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 3:30 p.m.