Tars are champs

Steve Virgen

Playing with intense inspiration in a boy’s honor and possessing the

motivation to simply win, the Newport Harbor High frosh-soph boys

water polo team proved to be too much for the competition, winning

the Gray Lunde Memorial tournament at Corona del Mar High Saturday.

The Sailors defeated Esperanza, 5-3, for the championship. And,

perhaps just as important, Newport also earned an 8-5 victory over

Back Bay rival CdM in the semifinals of the tournament, which is in

honor of a former Newport Harbor player who died on the school’s pool

deck of a heart defect in October of 1995.

Les Cutler, who coaches the Sailors along with Brian Melstrom,

told the Newport players the meaning of the tournament and how

special it would be if they could win.

“We’ve always seemed to rise to the occasion in this tournament,”

Cutler said. “It was such an honor to win. [Lunde’s] parents were in

the stands for the championship game and it was such an honor to see

them and for us to have a connection with them.”

Newport broke away from a 2-2 first-quarter tie by scoring a goal

in the second, and two more in the fourth, while keeping Esperanza

scoreless in the second and third quarters. Blake Hockenbury scored

three goals for the Sailors, while Daniel Furman and Parker Gregory

added one goal each. Goalies Evan McLain (five saves) and Bryce

McLain (two saves) also contributed to Newport’s stingy defense.

To reach the championship match, Newport defeated Santa Margarita,

10-2, and Tustin, 11-4, Friday. CdM finished third, defeating Laguna

Beach, 5-4, Saturday afternoon.

“Teamwork definitely put us over the hump,” Melstrom said. “And it

was nice beating CdM.”

*--*

Gray Lunde Memorial Tournament Championship

Newport Harbor 5, Esperanza 3

Score by Quarters

Esperanza 2 0 0 1 -- 3

Newport 2 1 0 2 -- 5

Esperanza -- Rose 1, Vriens 1, Greiner 1.

Newport Harbor -- Hockenbury 3, Furman 1, Gregory

1. Saves -- E. McLain 5, B. McLain 2.

*--*