Mesa’s liquid assets show strength

Chris Yemma

Three teams highlight the 2004-05 Costa Mesa High boys athletic year,

but one in particular stands out after winning a CIF Southern Section

title.

The Mustangs swim team, keyed by the 400-yard freestyle relay unit

of seniors Adam Douglas and Evan Spencer, along with junior Kyle

Thorsness and freshman James Fowler, won its third straight Golden

West League championship.

The relay team won the CIF Southern Section Division III title --

with a bit of luck.

It initially appeared the quartet finished second to Murrieta

Valley, but the Nighthawks were disqualified when a swimmer jumped

early. The infraction gave the crown to Mesa.

The foursome clocked its fastest time all season in 3 minutes,

16.85 seconds at Belmont Plaza on May 14. Douglas swam the fastest

100-yard split for the Mustangs (47.94).

The Mustangs finished fourth in the overall team standings in

Division III.

Douglas, the league champion in the 100 and 200 free, finished

third in both events in CIF Division III, while Thorsness finished

fourth in the 100 free and 50 free at CIF.

Thorsness, Douglas and Spencer were also instrumental in the fall

for the water polo team, which claimed a league title in undefeated

fashion and reached the CIF Division II quarterfinals, bowing out to

Los Alamitos. The Mustangs defeated La Habra, 10-6, in the first

round of the playoffs.

Thorsness, the team’s leading scorer, totaled 132 goals over 25

games, an average of 5.3, and scored four against La Habra.

Douglas scored two against the Highlanders, as Mesa won its first

playoff game since 1997.

The Mustangs finished 19-7.

The winter season brought basketball to the forefront, as the team

won its first playoff game in 42 years with a 65-50 dismantling of

visiting Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks in a CIF Southern Section

Division III-A second-round contest in February.

Under the guidance of first-year coach Ryan Schachter, along with

the long-range shooting ability of junior Scott Knox, the Mustangs

finished the season 18-10, 9-2 in the Golden West League, where they

were second behind crosstown rival Estancia.

Knox, selected to the Daily Pilot Newport-Mesa Dream Team for the

second straight year, led all area players with 69 three-pointers, a

slight drop from 91 the year before, but a plus for the team,

Schachter said in March.

Knox, also a first-team All-CIF selection, scored 23 points

against Notre Dame on 8-of-19 shooting. Sixteen of his points came in

the first half, and in the opening minutes, he was 4 for 4 with three

three-pointers and a deuce. Costa Mesa bowed out in the quarterfinals

to top-seeded and then-reigning state champion Centennial of Compton.

Other key players for the basketball team were senior Jeff

Waldron, junior Tony Krikorian, junior Brian Molina, senior Brandon

Aleson, sophomore Larry Puente and junior William Lefebvre.

Knox help lead the volleyball team in the spring, while Waldron

helped spark the baseball team.

The volleyball team, led by junior outside hitter Ryan Bagwell,

reached the opening round of the CIF Division III playoffs, falling

to Santa Monica in three games. Coach Dave Sorrells’ squad finished

12-5.

Bagwell, who had 12 kills against Santa Monica, finished the

season with 221 kills and 50 service aces and was named to the

Newport-Mesa Dream Team. The Mustangs finished second in league.

The baseball team, keyed by Waldron, along with seniors Alex

Pisarski, Ryan Szwast, Dylan Hunter and Andrew Sanford, finished

9-15-1, 2-9-1. Hunter led the team with a .389 batting average while

Pisarksi was second (.353) and Szwast third (.309).

Pisarski was the team’s top pitcher, posting a 3.92 ERA with 32

strikeouts.

The spring season brought about a surprise contender in the tennis

team, which finished third in league to advance to the CIF Division V

playoffs, falling in the first round to Rosemead on games, 87-74.

The team was led by Huy Le, Brian Nguyen, John Dang, Huy Dang and

Thomas Kosnosky.

Senior Joe Amburgey helped heat up the winter season with his

dominance on the wrestling team. Amburgey became the first Costa Mesa

wrestler to win a Golden West league championship, claiming the

171-pound weight class in February. He advanced to the first round of

the CIF Division tournament.

Coach Paul Serio, who finished up his first season at the helm of

the wrestling team, said in February that Amburgey might return to

help coach the team next season.

Three-sport star Waldron’s main area of focus was football, as the

receiver led Newport-Mesa with 757 receiving yards en route to Dream

Team recognition. He made at least one catch in 12 straight games

dating back to the 2003 season and finished this season with 42

receptions.

Senior teammate and offensive lineman Bryce Carich was

instrumental on a front wall that paved the way for 1,599 team

rushing yards on 411 carries, a 3.9 per carry average.

The football team finished 2-8, 2-4.Senior Robert Angle led the

golf team throughout the spring season, earning medalist honors in

three matches, Coach Tom Baldwin said. The squad, also aided by

seniors Joe Freeman, Troy Wright and Stephen Wright, along with

freshmen Garrick Vohs and Eddy Rodriguez, finished the year 12-5. The

team finished fourth in league.

Sophomore Luis Denis finished 18th at the league cross country

finals in 16 minutes, 55 seconds to help the team finish fifth.

The track and field team was led by sophomore Asa Hawks, who took

third in the 400 meters in 53.21 at league finals, and Krikorian, who

finished third in the triple jump (40 feet, 8 inches).

The Mustangs soccer team finished the year 3-15-1, 1-10-0.