Lightweights: Championship Week

It was championship week for the Newport Harbor High girls water

polo and Costa Mesa boys soccer and girls basketball teams.

The Sailors and Mustangs earned league championships and Harbor’s

frosh/soph girls water polo squad added another El Dorado tournament

title to its mantle.

Coach Les Cutler’s Tars finished 12-0 in the Sea View League, making

it four years in a row that Harbor has finished undefeated in league.

The Sailors then took to the 16-team Tournament of Champions last

week. There they recorded victories over Milliken, 16-2, Laguna Beach,

3-2, Long Beach Wilson, 6-0, and Valhalla of San Diego, 7-2, for Harbor’s

second straight title in the El Dorado tourney.

Freshmen Carolyn Conway, Katie Erickson and Sabrina Cook and sophomore

standout Ashley Parole helped the Tars to victory.

Harbor’s junior varsity team was also undefeated in league and won its

third-straight league championship.

*The Mustangs junior varsity boys soccer team (13-5-3, 7-1-1) finished

as co-champions (with University) of the Pacific Coast League.

Coach Chad Hoener said there is plenty of hope for next year’s varsity

squad because of juniors Arturo Vasquez, Devon Stevens, Francisco Barrera

and Jordan Feldman.

Mesa was also led by its seniors in first-year student Dorian Venegas,

who is from Columbia. Hoener said senior Luis Molina was a solid player

who contributed significantly despite an injury.

*First-year Mustangs Coach Kristin Dye enjoyed a successful girls

junior varsity basketball season. The Mustangs finished 19-8 overall,

including a 12-game winning streak to close out the season en route to a

PCL title.

“I couldn’t ask for a better season,” said Dye who used a bit of

clothing inspiration to motivate an undefeated league season.

Already securing the league championship with four games left, Dye had

T-Shirts printed in that honor. She then told her Mustangs she would put

“Undefeated” on the back, if they could pull out a victory over Corona

del Mar.

It didn’t come easy, but Mesa squeaked by with a one-point margin of

victory. Mustangs junior Karlene Cluff made two free throws in the final

minute, leading to the win.

Mesa’s varsity squad has eight seniors who might be replaced by the

likes of twin-tower sophomores Mackenzie Jurekovic (5-foot-10) and

Christine Waggoner (5-foot-11).

Also, junior Neecy Akansel, a transfer from Newport Harbor, will now

be able to play varsity.

“She was awesome this year,” Dye said of Akansel. “She really jumped

right in.”

Dye also said that Coach Jim Weeks is taking all but three of her 11

players for varsity next season.

Sophomore Stacee Sanchez played shooting guard and was a leader for

the Mustangs, Dye said.

“Stacee leaves everything on the court every game,” Dye said. “She’s a

real clutch player and she’s a team player.”

*The Corona del Mar junior varsity girls soccer team earned the

Pacific Coast League title with an unbeaten record (8-0-1) and finished

13-5-1 overall.

Second-year Coach Jennifer Noonan, a product of CdM, said the Sea

Kings won the championship because of a total team effort.

CdM allowed just four goals in league this season and the Sea Kings

outscored the opposition, 45-16, posting nine shutouts.

Goalies Victoria Rice and Adrienne Patterson anchored a strong defense

that featured junior Asterid Soto, sophomores Amy Tyson and Christina

Taylor and freshmen Kellie Flint and Courtney Carnahan.

Freshman Elizabeth Alamaraz led the offense, scoring a team-high 13

goals, and was also the assists leader.

Freshman Brooke Burgner and sophomore Michelle Burgner also

contributed on offense, as did the midfield, juniors Stephanie Hardison,

Brittney Minna and Lacey Horning and freshman Natalie Sims, who were

responsible for several attacks.

“The team chemistry,” Noonan said of her team’s specialty. “They had a

commitment to the team and worked hard with a great attitude and work

ethic.”

Noonan received varsity coaching experience when she filled in for

Coach Ron Evans, who tended to a broken leg. Her sister, Stephanie, took

her place the final two games.

-- By Steve Virgen