Shadowlands

Looking back, 5 years ago this week.

Corona del Mar High and Newport Harbor both advance to the first round

of the CIF Southern Section boys volleyball playoffs.

The unseeded Sailors (11-6) hammer their way to a 15-7, 15-13, 15-9

triumph over host Aliso Niguel (14-4), to earn the right to face

Capistrano Valley (16-1) in the first round. The Sailors build a 9-0 lead

in the first game, as junior setter Travis Nelson deals assists to four

Harbor hitters, including senior Dana Mesenbrink, who finishes with a

team-high 11 kills and junior Scott Archbold, who adds 10. The Wolverines

build leads of 6-3 and 8-6 in the second game, but Mesenbrink, the Tars’

lone senior, spearheads a balanced attack to help Harbor regain a 14-8

edge.

The Sea Kings (11-4) cruise over Ontario Christian 15-7, 15-6, 15-5 to

advance in CIF Division III competition to meet Capistrano Valley

Christian (14-1).

Ontario Christian has leads of 5-3 in the first game and 2-0 in the

second, but CdM hitters Blair Hoppe and Tim Andrews swing well. Hoppe had

17 kills, seven for scores, while four of Andrews’ 11 kills also result

in points.

Dennis Alshuler has 10 kills and three blocks, while Greg Burden adds

five kills and an ace. Billy Messenger has two aces and two kills for the

Sea Kings, who tally six straight points to close out the first game. CdM

takes a 6-2 second-game lead.

Four Costa Mesa High athletes move on to the CIF Division III Finals

in track and field after competing at the CIF Southern Section Division

III preliminaries at Long Beach City College.

Sophomore distance runner Bruce Hancock betters his personal record by

five seconds (4:24.85) to win the second of three heats in the 1,600

meters/ It’s the second-best time of the prelims.

Mustang senior Eric Solis qualifies third in the 1,600 (4:25.25) and

fifth in the 800 (1:57.89), winning both his heats.

Solis, Hancock, junior thrower Matthew Rudesill (shot put) and junior

girls middle-distance standout Gegi Van De Walker (800) all qualify for

the CIF Division III Finals. Van De Walker becomes the only area athlete

to advance to the finals, going 2:26.0 to win the first of five heats.

For the second time in four years, the Newport Harbor sailing team

brings home the Mallory Trophy, awarded each year to the national

champion.

The team wins the trophy at the High School Dinghy Nationals in Miami,

beating 19 teams. Newport takes the trophy by nine points over

second-place Palmetto of Florida.

Harbor leads the regatta by six points after the first day, its best

race coming from skipper Patrick Hogan and crew Kassy Thompson, as they

sail to the team’s only bullet for the regatta on the last day of the

race.

On the second day, Hogan and crews Greg Dougherty, Heather Porter and

Thompson sail to two seconds, two thirds, a fourth, a fifth and an

18th-place finish in the A division.

In the B division, skippers Brian Bissell and Porter sail well with

crew members Alison Hill and Troy Treaccar.

Looking back, 10 years ago this week.

In a must-win Sea View League matchup, Corona del Mar erases an

eight-run deficit to defeat visiting University High (13-11, 7-8 in

league), sending the Sea Kings (13-10, 7-8) into the CIF 3-A playoffs.

The game that lasts more than three hours ends when shortstop Theo Rokos

sends the first pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning over the

right-field fence for a 10-9 Sea King win. Rokos’ blast is CdM’s fourth

home run on the day. Rokos also stars in the seventh, as the Sea Kings

rally from a 9-7 deficit to tie the score and send the game to extra

innings. In the seventh, second baseman Mike Susson walks and C.W. Ramsay

singles to left to put the tying runs on first and second. After an

apparent botched bunt attempt results in Susson being forced out at

third, Rokos comes to the plate with CdM down, 9-8, with runners on

second and third with two outs. He lines a single to right to score Mike

Knecht with the tying run. The long road back for CdM begins in the

second with Ramsay’s solo home run to right. The Sea Kings do damage in

the third, on a walk and subsequent singles by Rokos and Jeff Matsen.

After a double play, lightning strikes for the Sea Kings. Catcher Tim

DeCinces hits his fifth home run of the season over the right-field

fence, and Susson follows by sending a blast over the left-field fence

for back-to-back home runs that make it 8-5 University. Dan MacMillan

earns the victory for CdM, pitching 5 1/3 shutout innings, allowing five

hits, one walk and a hit batter, while striking out four. CdM coach Scott

Magers says it may be the best high school game he has ever seen. CdM’s

dramatic victory is its second of the week over University.

A 7-2 win over crosstown rival Costa Mesa, as well as a 12-8 Laguna

Hills win over Laguna Beach, gives the Estancia baseball team a

third-place finish in the Pacific Coast League and a berth in the CIF 3-A

playoffs. In the Eagles’ final league game against Mesa, pitcher Kyle

Wilson throws a complete-game, three-hitter for the 7-2 win. Going into

the game, Estancia trails Laguna Beach by one game. Estancia senior first

baseman Steve King doubles, triples and scores three runs against the

Mustangs. The Eagles’ hitting attack comes early, staking Wilson to a 6-0

lead after two frames. Third baseman Mike Smith comes through with a

two-out double to drive in two runs in the second inning. Mesa finishes

the year 6-19, 3-12 in league.

Corona del Mar diver Sandy Zubrin scores 464.85 points to outdistance

her nearest competitor by 78 points and win the championship in the CIF

3-A diving championships at Heritage Park in Irvine.

Estancia senior Matt Fuerbringer, a three-year star in basketball and

volleyball, is named the Pacific Coast League Athlete of the Year, as

voted by the circuit’s athletic directors. Fuerbringer, a Stanford-bound

volleyball player is a two-time All-CIF performer in basketball, leading

the Eagles to a CIF State Division III championship, a Southern Section

title and a Southern California Regional crown by averaging 20.7 points

and 10 rebounds. He then leads the Eagles to their first CIF berth in

volleyball. He hammers a school-record 44 kills in a late-season league

victory and amasses 25 of the team’s 34 kills in a first-round CIF 4-A

playoff loss to Huntington Beach.

-- compiled by Bryce Alderton