Mesa tries for repeat

Patrick Laverty

Costa Mesa High, the CIF Southern Section Division III co-champion a

year ago, enters the 2004 girls soccer playoffs as the No. 7 team in

the final poll released Monday and will open defense of their title

against La Habra in the first round Saturday.

The Mustangs (15-5), champions of the Golden West League for the

second straight season, enter the postseason on a 12-game winning

streak, all league games, and have allowed just one goal over that

span, while scoring 46.

La Habra (10-8-2) finished in third place in the Freeway League

and will travel to Costa Mesa for the first-round game.

“La Habra’s a good team,” Costa Mesa Coach Dan Johnston said.

The Mustangs possible second-round opponents include Norco

(15-5-5, second place in Mountain View League) or Cajon (15-7-2,

second-place San Andreas League) and a quarterfinal matchup could pit

Mesa against No. 2 seed Sunny Hills (16-2).

“You’ve got to play them sometime,” Johnston said.

Walnut, who shared the championship with the Mustangs last season

after the title game ended in a 0-0 tie, is the No. 1 seed after

finishing the season 22-1-1.

“This is a totally different team,” Johnston said. “The players

that were on that team are helpful. They know what needs to be done.”

In Division II, Corona del Mar (9-8-2), which finished third in

the Pacific Coast League, is on the road Saturday for a first-round

matchup against Century League champion El Dorado (14-6-1).

“I’m happy we don’t have to travel far,” Corona del Mar Coach

Bryan Middleton said.

If the Sea Kings advance to the quarterfinals, which they did last

year, they could face league rival Tesoro, which earned the No. 4

seed. Prior to that game, the Sea Kings could meet Murrieta Valley

in the second round, a school they defeated in the first round last

year.

“We graduated nine seniors [from last year’s team],” Middleton

said. “We’re a younger team this year, it’s been a rebuilding year.

My goal was to make it to the playoffs and take it one game at a time

from there.”

By finishing third in the Academy League, Sage Hill School (8-6-3)

earned a playoff spot in Division VI. The Lightning also open play

Saturday, on the road against San Joaquin League champion Fairmont

Prep (8-5-2).

A victory would pit Sage Hill against either Milken Community

(12-4-2) or Ontario Christian (11-9-3) in the second round.