Big week for Edison, Huntington athletes

The Sunset League boys’ tennis singles finals came down to an

all-Edison High final, much to the delight of Chargers coach Nick

Friendt.

“They did what I had hoped and expected and I’ve never been so

proud of two individuals,” Friendt said after sophomore Thomas

Shubert defeated senior Ryan Malawy, 6-2, 6-3, in the finals played

at SeaCliff Country Club.

Shubert entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed, having compiled

a 24-0 league record and overall mark of 47-3.

Malawy had earned the No. 3 seed by virtue of a 28-2 league record

and overall record of 53-7.

Shubert’s triumph marked the first time an Edison player has won

the Sunset singles title since Ryan Michas won as a sophomore in

1995.

Friendt said it is the first time since the early-1980s that it

was an all-Edison singles final.

A key game came in the first set when Shubert was up, 3-1, with a

break and served three double faults. Malawy had triple break point

but from there, Shubert won five in a row to hold serve and solidify

his break.

In his two years at Edison, Shubert has won the doubles

championship and the singles and has yet to lose a league match or

league final match.

Shubert continued his hot play since he qualified for the

semifinal round of the Ojai Tournament.

Malawy finished his Edison career with a 205-40 record and has

been All-Sunset League all four years.

Both Edison players will move on to the upcoming CIF Individual

Regionals.

In the semifinal round, Malawy defeated No. 2 seed Daniel Ikuta of

Esperanza, 6-2, 6-4, and Shubert defeated Taylor Leiby of Los

Alamitos, 6-2, 6-2.

In boys’ track and field, Edison emerged as champion of the Sunset

League despite Esperanza winning the league finals meet at Huntington

Beach High.

The Chargers, by virtue of going undefeated during the league dual

meet season, only needed a second-place finish at the league meet to

capture the overall title.

It was Edison’s first league crown in three years.

Among Chargers highlights were wins by Joe Gatel in the 1,600 and

3,200 meters, David Taff in the 110-meter hurdles and Rob VanDine in

the 800.

In boys’ swimming, Huntington Beach senior Bryce Elser won the

50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly and was named boys’ swimmer

of the meet at the Sunset League finals.

In baseball, Huntington Beach clinched its first Sunset League

baseball championship in 12 years by shutting out visiting Marina,

6-0.

It was only the third baseball title in the school’s 100-year

history.

Colin Balester pitched a complete-game victory and scattered five

hits while improving to 5-4.

One of those five hits was a double by Brandon Parillo.

Huntington mustered seven hits off a pair of Marina pitchers and

Ryan Holcomb, Cameron McMullen and Nick Kazoura each had an RBI for

the Oilers.

Edison dropped an 8-2 game to rival Fountain Valley. John Timoti

and Cort Ross doubled and Wes Kinkopf had an RBI for the Chargers.

In Golden West League baseball, Ocean View edged Santa Ana, 2-1,

as Jason Walker singled home the winning run in the fifth inning.

Robert Purpura improved to 3-2 with the win.

In boys’ volleyball, Huntington earned a share of the Sunset

League championship by sweeping Edison, 25-19, 25-15, 25-16.

The Oilers tied Fountain Valley, both with 9-1 records, for the

league title.

In softball, Krystal Heinle delivered a solo home run in the third

inning and struck out 15 in a complete game victory to power Marina

past Fountain Valley, 2-1, in Sunset League play.