Building winners

Larry Hirst, the boys varsity basketball coach at Newport Harbor

High, must be smiling these days.

In addition to his team’s quest for glory in the CIF Playoffs,

Harbor’s three lower-level teams (freshman, sophomores and junior

varsity) have each produced winning records this season, hopefully

helping to produce talent that will move on to the varsity level.

That’s just what fifth-year Harbor JV Coach Bryan Cottriel

attempts to do with his players -- mold them to become varsity-ready.

He’s doing a good job this year with a team that has gone 19-4

overall and is tied with Aliso Niguel for first place in the Sea View

League heading into Wednesday’s game against Woodbridge. Winning or

sharing the league crown would be the first for a Harbor JV team

since 1992, Cottriel said.

“The key is to get experience, and step into a starting spot on

varsity,” said Cottriel, who in addition to designated team

practices, sets aside time to work one-on-one with players to further

develop ball handling, shooting and defensive drills.

Cottriel’s instruction has produced two tournament titles (Edison

and Fountain Valley) and a third-place finish (Kennedy).

“This is probably the hardest-working group and the best athletes

I’ve had in five years of coaching the JV’s,” Cottriel said. Cottriel

returned three starters from last year’s 16-6 squad including Alex

Orth, who Cottriel said “keeps things together.

“Alex always comes up with the loose ball and gets key baskets

when we need it.”

Taylor Young and Raffi Mouradyan have been the two leading scorers

all season. Mouradyan has scored 29 points twice, with Young

averaging about 15 points and 10 rebounds per game.

“Those three guys won’t let us lose,” Cottriel said.

Newport has scored 90 points in a game this season, and is

averaging about 70.

“My philosophy is that if you play good defense, you can score at

will,” Cottriel said. “Taylor and Raffi have given us a lot of

freedom on offense.”

*

The Harbor freshman boys basketball team headed into its game

Wednesday against Woodbridge one game behind the Warriors for the

league lead.

Newport (19-5, 7-2 in league) has thrived on unselfishness and the

will to win, said Coach Bob Torribio.

“No one asks how many points they scored after games,” Torribio

said. “Everyone plays hard and has fun.”

Forward Ted Slater has keyed Harbor’s defense with scoring coming

from Sean Eddington and Elijah Jensen, who both average 10 points a

game, Torribio said.

Tom Jackson handles the point guard position, with help from James

Coder and Ricky Sepulveda at forward and guard, respectively.

“Coder and Sepulveda are interchangeable with intensity and

integrity,” Torribio said.

Sepulveda canned four three’s in a game last week and Jensen

scored 12 points in the first half in another game.

“We have a lot of balance,” Torribio said. “We can either play two

big men and three guards or four big men and one guard. There are a

lot of good athletes here.”

*

First-year sophomore coach Jerry Murray calls his team the

‘Breakfast Club’ because it practices in the mornings before school.

The players must be eating their Wheaties because Newport (12-9)

sits in second place in league at 6-2 heading into its game Wednesday

at Foothill.

Guard Tyler Cornwall is averaging 16 points per game with 6-foot-3

center Alex Yerkes tallying eight a game.

Derek Brayton has provided solid rebounding with defense and has

improved the most from the beginning of the season, Murray said.

Johnny Cefalia also plays the role of defensive stopper and Thomas

Martin provides a spark off the bench for Newport, Murray added.

Yerkes runs the offense well and Anthony Santos is the only player

to have competed in each game this season.

Guard Vinny Nasza is “our Tasmanian Devil,” Murray said. “He stops

(opponents) in the dust.”

Another player who has improved ten-fold for Newport has been

Miguel Perez, who never played organized basketball prior to this

season. *

In Sea View League play, the Newport Harbor High girls soccer team

scored 26 goals and only allowed five to finish 4-1-1, and 7-5-1

overall

The offense was led by forwards Malorie McMains and Lyndsi Foster

(team captain), while the midfield was controlled by Amanda Laz,

Jennifer Ryder, Hallie Mitchell and Sienna Palmer.

Defensive halfback Jessica Gavilan had many headers and showed

steady ball skills.

“The team came together quickly and learned what they needed to do

to win,” said Coach Josh Ruderman. “I am very happy with their

results.”

*

Newport Harbor High’s frosh-soph and junior varsity girls water

polo teams each won Sea View League titles, beating Foothill

Wednesday.

The frosh-soph won, 9-1, and are 20-0 overall.

Ashling Taylor scored three goals to go with Leah Robertson and

Cali Manderino’s two scores each. Brindeis Klein and Jesse Womble

each scored once for Newport. The JV’s (19-1) received four goals

from Sabrina Cook to go with Sarah Mutt’s two and one from Samantha

Klippert.