Trojans, T-wolves win

Two youth basketball teams from California Elementary School in Costa

Mesa claimed championships in the Southern California Municipal

Athletic Federation Orange County tournament March 21.

The Trojans, made up of seventh- and eighth-graders, used their

size, speed and depth to overwhelm a team from Garden Grove in the

final, 52-30.

The Timberwolves, comprised of third- and fourth-graders, finished

the season undefeated, following a 43-29 victory in the final against

a team from Garden Grove.

The Trojans (9-1) defeated another team from Garden Grove in the

semifinals, after posting a 55-18 triumph over Buena Park in the

first round. Aashish Varma, Andrew Ayala, Nicholas Pope, Eddie

Tomasek, Luu Nguyen, Sean Ulrich, Connor McKendry, Ly Nguyen, Troy

McClanahan and Ryan Redding made up the Trojans.

Six teams from Costa Mesa’s Recreation Division qualified for the

tournament.

Another team from Garden Grove pushed the Timberwolves (9-0) to

the limit in the second round, but Costa Mesa prevailed, 37-36.

In the final, Costa Mesa used a 16-4 third-quarter run and

eventually pulled away for the title.

Timberwolves’ players included Brandon Haas, Robert Sullivan,

Danielle Moran, Jeff Carlyle, Jordan Parke, Kimo Wakim, Melinda

Sullivan, Brandon Kingsley, Scott Wagner and Robert Blackwell.

In Newport-Mesa National Junior Basketball All-Star action:

* Newport-Mesa’s eighth-grade team won two of three games March

27-28 to qualify for the NJB national tournament.

R.J. D’Cruz led all scorers with 20 points to lead Newport to a

51-41 victory over Santa Ana South in an elimination game.

David Dalton grabbed eight rebounds and scored eight points as

Newport took a five-point lead into halftime.

Newport jumped to a double-digit lead in the second half on the

strength of a full-court press.

Travis Kuhns (nine points) and Brandon Davis (six points)

contributed to Newport’s scoring.

In earlier tournament action:

* Newport 65, Santa Ana 52:

D’Cruz led Newport with 17 points while Kuhns added eight points

to go with seven points and eight assists from Niko Hernandez.

Ian McEwan added six points and four rebounds while John Swift

tallied six points, four rebounds and four assists.

Trey LaGrandeur grabbed five rebounds in the first quarter and

finished with four points.

Taylor Stevenson helped lead Newport’s charge.

* Los Alamitos 68, Newport 60:

Newport, which lost to Los Alamitos -- the tournament’s top seed

-- by 35 points a week earlier, showed grit, but came up just short.

Newport took a brief lead at the beginning of the second half,

receiving strong defense from Hernandez, who finished with 10 points.

Will Kelly added nine points and tough defense to go with 14

rebounds and eight points from Brandon Whitefield.

In other NJB competition:

* The Newport-Mesa Fighting Blue Hens captured the Division 1

seventh- and eighth-grade National Junior Basketball Championship

with a 58-52 come-from-behind win over Anaheim.

Co-captain Will Kelly led the Hens with 18 points and five steals

while fellow co-captain John Swift added 12 points and six assists.

Branden Whitfield tallied 12 points and 15 rebounds to go with 10

points and four steals from Matt Joslyn.

Parker Rhodes contributed six points, three steals and three

assists and played stellar defense.

Jake Stachowwiak, Clay Beaver and Chris Benvenuti spearheaded a

swarming full-court press that helped Newport overcome a seven-point

halftime deficit.

Newport finished their season 12-1.

In Newport-Mesa fifth-grade All-Star news:

* The girls went undefeated in area play to win the South Orange

County sectional NJB tournament Saturday and Sunday,

Team members include: Kassie Stratton, Samantha Archie, Laura

Martinez, Kylee Malone, Kelsey Woo, Ellie Nadal, Duran Sharp, Saylor

Schroff, Allie Moskovits and Alex Aiello. Sam Aiello and Lonnie Nadal

coached the team.