Shadowlands

Looking back, 5 years ago this week.

With big plays, the Newport Harbor High football team crushes Back Bay

rival Corona del Mar, 55-8, in Battle of the Bay XXXV. Newport’s Brett

Baker starts things off with a 35-yard interception return for a

touchdown, just 49 seconds into the contest. Five minutes later, Danny

Pulido completes a 73-yard catch-and-run touchdown reception from Josiah

Fredricksen, who later throws a 48-yard TD to Brad LaBass. Ray Ohrel

scores on touchdown runs of 1, 49 and 35 yards and finishes with 203

yards on 20 carries, while Terence Felix scores on a 87-yard run to churn

123 yards on nine carries.

The Costa Mesa boys cross country team wins its second consecutive

Pacific Coast League title. The Mustangs place three runners in the top

four, as Bruce Hancock (15:40) grabs second, Jaime Carrillo (15:59)

finishes third and Eric Solis (16:15) takes fourth. The trio is better

known as Mesa’s three big dogs. Coach Joe Busi’s Mustangs, who win their

first league titles since 1980, capture first place in the PCL Finals,

after going 5-0 in dual meets.

The Costa Mesa freshman football team wins the Pacific Coast League

championship with a 28-20 win over Laguna Hills.

The Newport Harbor girls volleyball team completes an undefeated

season in the Sea View League with a 15-10, 15-3, 15-11 victory over host

Santa Margarita. Melissa Snow leads the Sailors with 15 kills and Shana

Bannert adds 10. Meghan Hauler contributes five service aces and eight

digs.

Looking back, 10 years ago this week.

Estancia High kicker Mike Smith drills a 30-yard field goal to give

the Eagles football team a thrilling 10-7 victory over crosstown rival

Costa Mesa in front of an estimated 3,000 at Orange Coast College. In a

game which neither team’s defense gives an inch, Estancia finally breaks

through offensively on its final drive of the game, setting up Smith’s

game-winner as quarterback Matt Johner receives some help from his

receivers. On the final drive, Johner hits Jeff Chamberlain three times,

all for first downs. Johner also completes a 7-yard pass to Robert Rimi

on a fourth-and-three situation. A critical facemask penalty by Costa

Mesa sets up Estancia at the Mustang 12, in position for Smith’s field

goal. Estancia’s Ricardo Aguilar returns an interception 28 yards for a

touchdown in the first quarter. Mesa’s Matt Jaglowski, who rushes for 87

yards on five carries, scores on a 19-yard run to tie the game before

halftime.

The Newport Harbor football team shocks previously unbeaten Tustin,

21-14. Sailors tailback Brandon Finney pounds away at the top-ranked team

in Division VI, amassing 133 yards on 31 carries. “I’m going to be sore

tomorrow, but it sure feels good now,” Finney says. The Sailors’

smash-mouth offense hammers away at the vaunted Tustin defense. Newport

quarterback Mike Ofer gets the Sailors on the scoreboard first with a

33-yard touchdown pass to Branon Coluccio. Finney scores on a 2-yard run

and Tony Mancuso plows one in from a yard out.

The Newport Harbor girls cross country team places three runners in

the top six to win the Sea View League title. Donna Mills leads the

Sailors with a second-place finish in a personal-best 18:05. Mary Crane

comes in third (18:06), while Gwen Twist finishes sixth (18:50). Corona

del Mar’s Dresden Howell comes in fourth (18:20) to help the Sea Kings

finish second.

Costa Mesa’s Katy Eklof defends her individual title and the Mustangs

come within one point of the team crown at the Pacific Coast League Cross

Country Championships at Irvine Regional Park. Eklof, who finishes in

17:56, paces a 1-2-4 finish that gives Mesa 42 points. However, Laguna

Hills is awarded the league title by virtue of a better finish from its

sixth runner.

-- compiled by Steve Virgen