A year of accomplishments

Mike Sciacca

When students at Laguna Beach High reflect on what they accomplished

in athletics during the just-completed 2001-02 school year, they can do

so with great pride.

From the fall of 2001 through the spring of 2002, several Artists

teams made their presence felt in the various CIF Southern Section

playoffs, and two of those teams -- girls’ tennis and boys’ soccer --

came away with the coveted prize: a CIF-SS championship.

“Overall, it was a very, very successful sports year for our school,”

Laguna Beach Athletic Director Mario Morales said during the final week

of the school year. “Our kids and coaches worked very hard, and the

school can be proud of what we accomplished.”

Below is a look, by season, at some of the prominent finishes by

Laguna Beach High athletic teams.

FALL

The athletic calendar was launched by competition in football, girls’

volleyball, boys’ water polo, cross country, girls’ golf and girls’

tennis.

The big story of the fall was written by the Artists’ girls’ tennis

team . . . once again.

Entering postseason competition with the No. 2 seed from the Pacific

Coast League, Laguna Beach proceeded to breeze past its playoff opponents

en route to the Division V crown.

On their way to the title, the Artists, led by Lindsay Butterwick,

blanked both Fairmont Academy and Villanova Prep by 18-0 scores, downed

La Reina, 15-3, edged Campbell Hall in the semifinals, 10-8, then

defeated Chadwick, 12-6, to win the team championship.

It was the third consecutive CIF-SS title for the program.

The Artists’ cross country teams had a fruitful fall, as well, as both

the boys’ and girls’ squads reached the Division IV championship finals.

In girls’ volleyball, Laguna Beach rolled past Notre Dame/Riverside,

St. Bonaventure and LaSalle in the Division IVAA playoffs. The Artists

were denied a CIF championship by Marymount as they fell, 3-1, in the

final.

During the regular season, they earned a sweep of their most heated

rival, Corona del Mar.

“Although we expect a lot from our program, not many others outside

this program expected much from this team,” volleyball coach Shawn

Patchell said. “The girls excelled, however, and were able to sweep a

highly regarded Corona del Mar team.”

The boys’ water polo team turned in a successful season as it finished

second in the Pacific Coast League and reached theDivision II semifinals.

LEAGUE CHAMPS:

Girls’ volleyball.

ALL-CIF:

Jason Boyd, football; Sean Tiner, Nick McConnell, Hugh Sandys, boys’

water polo; Sara Salem, Brittany Wood, Leanne Kubisak, girls’ volleyball.

WINTER

The boys’ soccer team gave the school its second CIF Southern Section

championship before the New Year, as they came out of nowhere to win the

Division V title.

The squad entered the playoffs as only the No. 3 team out of the

Pacific Coast League. But behind the play of Ryan Wolfe, Austen Ezzell

and Patrick Bell, the Artists stormed past St. Margaret’s, St. Monica,

Pasadena Poly and Ontario Christian, and then completed their improbable

tournament run by beating Fillmore, 2-1, in the division final.

Wolfe, a senior forward, was named the Division V Offensive Player of

the Year.

Winter competition consisted of boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and

girls’ soccer, girls’ water polo and wrestling.

ALL-CIF:

Ryan Wolfe, Austen Ezzell, Patrick Bell, boys’ soccer; Tracy Herdman,

Lina Moore, Annie Preble, girls’ water polo.

SPRING

The spring sports schedule consisted of baseball, softball, boys’

volleyball, track and field, swimming and diving, boys’ tennis, boys’

golf and badminton.

Freshman Shawn Pfendler etched his named into the school’s swimming

annals by establishing two new records.

In track and field, four Artists -- Anil Adams, Ryan Simpson, Brendan

Bowler and Addison Dowd -- qualified for the CIF-SS Prelims meet.

The boys’ volleyball team placed second in the Pacific Coast League

and reached the Division IV quarterfinals. Two of their bigger wins of

the season came in the form of a sweep of rival Corona del Mar.

ALL-CIF:

Matt Anderson, Ben Dwyer, volleyball.

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports for the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot. He

can be reached at 494-4321 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.