Shadowlands

Looking back, 5 years ago this week:

Orange Coast College’s men’s volleyball team celebrates a

five-game victory over rival Golden West by throwing Coach Chuck

Cutenese into the pool adjacent to Peterson Gym. Then, the players

take turns diving in. The Pirates need every ounce of energy to eke

out a 13-15, 16-14, 15-8, 5-15, 15-12, victory, which means a

probable Orange Empire Conference championship. The Pirates (18-1,

14-1 in the OEC) have not lost a match since the Rustlers defeated

them, 3-1, in February. Coast storms back with leads of 4-1, 9-6 and

13-8 in Game 2 before Juan Mercer and Nicolas Dominik supply a block

on a kill attempt for a sideout and a Rustler hit goes long to give

OCC the game. Six kills by Newport Harbor High product Josh

Richardson pace Coast in Game 3. The teams battle in the fifth and

deciding game with Golden West taking a 12-11 lead. Mark Pozsgai and

the 6-foot-7 Mercer combine for a block that clinches the match and

sends the crowd into a wild celebration. Pozsgai tallies a team-high

24 kills with setter Ryan Hiskey collecting 69 assists.

Corona del Mar High’s Liz Morse records a 2:17.45 to win the 800-meter run in the Trabuco Hills Invitational track and field meet

to post Orange County’s best time of the season. Jamie DeNoewer of

Costa Mesa HIgh cruises to second place in the 1,600 in 5:15.71.

Mustang senior distance runner Bruce Hancock posts season bests in

the 800 and mile runs with second-place finishes in each.

Estancia High’s boys and girls swim teams roll to nonleague dual

meet victories over visiting Saddleback. The girls clinch first in

all 11 events to topple Saddleback, 105-58, with Blake Frino picking

up wins in the 200-yard individual medley (2:44.90) and the 100

breaststroke (1:28.28). Sophomore Lauren Cassity is also a multiple

winner with firsts in the 50 freestyle (26.72) and 100 butterfly

(1:11.93). Peri Baker’s 1:18.79 wins the 100 backstroke and Katie

Menden turns in a 1:05.53 in the 100 free. Summer Flaherty wins the

500 free (6:24.99). The Eagle boys take care of the Roadrunners,

93-71. Matt Hoss and Paul Secrest each tally personal records in

individual events and swim on two winning relay teams. Clint Calkin

takes the 100 breaststroke and handles a leg on two winning relays.

Costa Mesa’s boys swim team takes first in the 400 free relay --

the final event of a Pacific Coast League dual meet with rival

Estancia -- to win, 88-82. Mesa’s Matt Tipton, Travis Spunaugle,

Hunter Taylor and Chris Biron win by 20 yards. The Mustangs sweep the

200 free and place the top two in the 200 free and IM. Tipton

clinches the free (2:01.82) and freshman Mike Whitman cruises in the

IM (2:23.50). Mesa leads, 23-17, after two events. Estancia wins the

next two events as Secrest storms to a 24.40 in the 50 free and Hoss

turns in a 52.49 in the 100 fly. Jesse Gamboa turns in a personal

record in the 500 free to take second, besting his previous-best time

by 21 seconds. P.J. O’Brien leads the way with wins in the 500 free

(5:11.93) and the 100 breaststroke (1:10.89) for Mesa (1-1).

Looking back, 10 years ago this week:

Corona del Mar High’s baseball team seemingly does everything

wrong, but defeats the third-ranked team in Orange County in Katella,

11-8, in comeback fashion, to advance to the semifinals of the Coast

Tournament. The Sea Kings commit five errors, yield five unearned

runs, strike out 10 times and manage just six hits [all singles], but

ultimately benefit from 12 walks and some timely hitting. The Sea

Kings score nine times after being walked or hit by a pitch.

Pinch-hitter Jeff Matsen takes a fastball on the shoulder to plate

the fifth CdM run and Jeremy Goldstein smacks a two-run single up the

middle to put the Sea Kings in front, 7-6. Bryson Groat relieves Cam

Hoover with CdM down, 6-4, in the third inning and gains the win to

improve to 2-1. Groat scatters seven hits with two runs allowed.

Katella strands 11 runners from the third inning on.

Visiting Newport Harbor High beats Back Bay rival CdM in five

games, 14-16, 15-1, 15-5, 7-15, 15-13. Newport (4-3, 4-1 in the Sea

View League) sputters in the first game, then dominates games two and

three, only to have to hold on in the finale. The Sailors build a

12-5 edge in the final game, but after 11 consecutive sideouts, the

Sea Kings (4-4, 3-1 in league) rally to pull within 14-13. A kill by Greg Slick gives the Sailors a sideout and a CdM attempt falls wide,

giving Harbor the victory. Junior outside hitter Mitch McCoy leads

the Sailors with 31 kills and 10 digs while Dan Thomassen, a 6-3

middle blocker, adds 15 kills and nine stuff blocks. Todd Jameson

adds 16 kills followed by Slick’s 13 and 19 by Eric Vallely. Vallely

also collects seven digs. Brooks Hoppe leads CdM with 26 kills and

six blocks and senior Kyle Thompson adds 20 kills and four blocks.

Harbor rolls off 15 straight points after losing the opening point in

the second game. CdM pulls within 6-5 in Game 3 and 3-2 in the fourth

game before Newport applies the pressure.

Estancia’s baseball team explodes for three home runs against host

Laguna Beach in a 9-2 Eagle win in Pacific Coast League play. Art

Martinez opens the game with a homer and twin brothers Jairo [two-run

in the third] and Pedro [three-run in the fifth] Arceyut also tee off

on Artist pitchers. Pedro Arceyut’s blast is his second of the

season. Senior right-hander Victor Martinez improves to 3-0, getting

12 groundball outs while striking out two and yielding three hits.

-- compiled by Bryce Alderton