Newport Harbor sinks two foes

Bryce Alderton

The two-day Gray Lunde Memorial Invitational Water Polo Tournament

gives the Newport Harbor High boys frosh-soph water polo team a

chance to come together as a team as uttered by Les Cutler, Newport’s

coach for the tournament.

And Newport came together, to a tune of 9-3 victories in both of

its first two games of the Gray Lunde Memorial Invitational Water

Polo Tournament that honors the memory of the 14-year-old Lunde, a

budding water polo player for Newport who died of heart failure at

poolside in 1995.

The Sailors, 14-5, posted 9-3 wins over Capistrano Valley in the

opener Friday at Newport Harbor High and then against Fountain

Valley.

The Sailors scored steadily in both games, getting four goals from

Telford Cottom, two from Carson Hill and one each from Brett Auer,

Kyle Sherman and Eric Carlson against Fountain Valley.

Newport’s goals against Fountain Valley came in a variety of ways.

Hill scored one of his goals on a rebound after Auer’s shot hit

the top of the post and Trevor Armstrong and Cottom swam stride for

stride in the beginning of the fourth period. Armstrong tossed a pass

to Cottom, who one-timed the ball into the net for Newport’s final

goal.

One of Newport’s stronger defensive plays came when Drew Fabian

intercepted a pass at midpool and drove to score the Sailors’ seventh

goal with 1:46 left in the first half.

Newport goalie Darren Furman made seven saves, one blocking a shot

with both arms outstretched when Capo Valley had a six-on-five in the

fourth period.

The Sailors took an 8-1 lead into halftime and then Cutler

inserted reserves for the second half.

But the damage had already been done.

The Sailors play at 10:30 a.m. today at Newport Harbor -- if they

lose they play for third place at 1 p.m.; win and they play for the

championship at 1:50 p.m.