Playoff bound!

Mike Sciacca

It was just a few weeks ago that the Laguna Beach High girls’

basketball team was in a rut, mired in last-place in the Pacific

Coast League standings.

The silver lining to their unenviable residence was that there was

no where to go but up.

And, the Breakers did just that.

“I am just so, so proud of these girls, the way they came back

from nowhere, to this,” said Laguna coach Stacy Howard, whose

Breakers finished strong, rallied to a third-place league finish, and

earn a CIF Southern Section playoff berth.

Laguna opened the Division IV-AA playoffs Thursday The girls’

basketball team was one of three Laguna winter athletic teams to be

awarded a playoff berth.

Joining the girls’ in the postseason was the boys’ basketball team

and the girls’ water polo team.

Mark Hill’s boys’ basketball team opened the Division IV-AA

playoffs Wednesday with a first-round game at Heritage League

cochampion Milken Community of Los Angeles.

A victory over Milken Community would put the Breakers into

tonight’s second-round against the winner of Wednesday’s first-round

matchup between Serra and Murphy.

Rick McKee’s girls’ water polo team began its bid for the Division

II championship Thursday with a home game against Cypress, the

second-place team from the Empire League.

A victory over Cypress advances the Breakers into Saturday’s

second-round, where they would face the winner of the first-round

game between El Dorado and El Segundo.

Also Thursday, Howard’s girls’ basketball team played a

first-round game at Pioneer League runner-up Palos Verdes.

Should the Breakers prevail, they’d play a second-round game

Saturday at Camino Real League champion Serra, which received a

first-round bye.

It is the first postseason berth for the Laguna boys’ basketball

program since 2000, which was the last of six consecutive playoff

appearances for the school.

Laguna’s girls’ water polo program reached the Division II

semifinal round last year. The program won a CIF championship in 2001

and reached the quarterfinal round in 1999, 2000 and 2002.

It is the first postseason playoff berth for the Laguna girls’

basketball program in 16 years.

The program’s playoff history is modest, as the school has dropped

the only two playoff games it has ever played, one each in 1988 and

1975.

“I’m really, really excited for the girls,” said Howard, whose

team is 11-11 overall. “I think we got a good draw, too. We’ve been

working hard for something like this for the past five years, both

the players and the coaching staff.

“Although it’s been very exciting around here, the nostalgia has

worn off. For the girls, it’s been back to business, as usual.”

School has been out for Laguna Beach students throughout the week,

but practices have been in full session, all in preparation for the

first-round games.

Howard said she planned to take her team up to Palos Verdes early

Thursday, to “bond by spending the day together,” prior to the 7:30

p.m. tipoff.

“We have our sites on bigger things now,” Howard said. “It’s

really great that we have reached the playoffs, but we’re not

satisfied to just get there. We want more.”

Mark Hill guided Laguna’s boys to a playoff berth in his first

year at the school.

His Breakers also came on strong at the close of the season to

finish 12-14 overall and earn an at-large berth to the Division IV-AA

playoffs.

“I’m extremely happy and pleased with the playoff berth,

especially so for our seniors,” Hill said. “It’s an opportunity for

these seniors to play a CIF playoff game for the first time in their

careers.”

McKee is also in his first year as head coach of Laguna’s girls’

water polo program and led the Breakers to a runner-up spot in the

PCL.

Laguna took on Cypress Thursday without the services of leading

scorer Addison Doud, who is out sick.

“The girls have responded really well to Addison’s absence,” McKee

said. “It took a couple of weeks to adjust but they have pulled

together and have played as a team. Our freshman has stepped it up on

the playing-side of the game, and Kat Gordon has stepped it up with

her leadership.”