Volleyball, swimming top the list

Costa Mesa High had to wait until the spring, but the two shining lights of the boys’ athletic year for the Mustangs did not disappoint once their seasons started.

As expected, both the swim and volleyball teams turned in strong seasons.

The volleyball team won the Golden West League ? its first league title in the program’s 30-year history ? and did it with an undefeated league season.

In capturing the league crown, Costa Mesa dethroned crosstown rival Estancia, which had won the title the previous three seasons. Coach Chris Komer’s Mustangs swept the Eagles, with the second win coming in a thrilling five-game match.

Costa Mesa stormed back from down, 7-3, in the final game to take the match. It was only the beginning for the Mustangs, who went on to mow through the remainder of the Golden West League schedule without dropping a game.

The Mustangs headed into the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs at 19-5. With eight seniors on the team, there was a sense of urgency and Costa Mesa did not suffer the same pitfalls it did in 2005 when it lost in the first round.

On its way to the section final, the Mustangs only dropped two games in four matches. In the title match against Santa Monica, the team that bounced the Mustangs from the playoffs the previous season, Costa Mesa lost in four games.

With a dominant season, the postseason awards poured in. Ryan Bagwell was named league Most Valuable Player and all eight seniors received all-league recognition. Outside hitter Trevor Smith, libero and setter Tony Krikorian and middle blocker Mitch Caldwell were first-team honorees.

Setter Andrew Melcer and middle blocker Will Lefebvre were second-team picks and libero Edward “Mic” Mietten received honorable mention.

The swim team brought more success in the spring.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Mustangs won the league title. Costa Mesa easily surpassed its closest competition by triple digits with 367 points at league finals.

The Mustangs used depth to win the title. Only one individual finished in first, though Costa Mesa did win two of three relays.

James Fowler won the 50-yard freestyle in 22.78 seconds and the 100 free in 50.45. He was also a member of both winning relay teams.

Fowler finished 17th in the 50 free and 18th in the 100 free and Sam Edmon was 18th in the 200 at the CIF Division III preliminaries.

In the fall, the water polo team finished second in league, after winning the title in 2004, and made the Division II playoffs thanks to the play of senior Kyle Thorsness.

The Mustangs exited with a 15-10 first-round playoff loss to Mater Dei, in which Thorsness led the team with six goals. Costa Mesa finished the season with a 20-8 record.

Thorsness was tops in Orange County with 157 goals and plans to walk on at Long Beach State. Thorsness was also named league MVP and was a second-team All-CIF Division II selection. He was also named to the Newport-Mesa Dream Team and scored 11 goals in a game twice during the season.

The season also brought change for the team. Boys’ Athletic Director Tim Postiff stepped down as the team’s coach after four years to pursue a postgraduate degree. The position was filled with alumnus Robert Grayeli. Grayeli won a section title as a player at Costa Mesa and was named CIF Division II Co-Player of the Year in 1995.

The basketball team entered the season with high expectations, returning seniors Brian Molina, Tony Krikorian and Scott Knox, who played on the varsity team together since they were freshmen.

The trio won a school-record 18 games, finished second in league and advanced to the Division III-A quarterfinals with the school’s first postseason win in 42 years in 2004-05.

The Mustangs did not crumble under the pressure, winning 17 games, going 10-2 in league for a share of the title and advancing to the second round of the playoffs in 2005-06. It was the second league title in the program’s 46-year history.

Molina, the team’s point guard, was named Golden West League Co-MVP after averaging 9.5 points, 5.3 assists and 2.8 steals a game. Knox cracked the first team after averaging 15.4 points and 5.4 rebounds.

Krikorian and Moses Titus received honorable mention in the coaches’ all-league voting.

Knox, who was selected to play in the Orange County All-Star Game, joined Molina on the Newport-Mesa Dream Team.

Coach Sean Lance quietly continued to build a tennis program.

The team went 10-2 with the only two losses coming to league champion Estancia.

Lance plucked a bunch of students off the honor roll and helped convert them into tennis players. The team made the playoffs for the second straight season and senior John Dang was strong at No. 1 singles.

The golf team turned in a strong season going 10-8, 4-4 in league and continued to improve, with the top five players Kyle Smith, Steven Wright, Garrett Vosh, Willy McCoy and Eddie Rodriquez all shooting less than 50 in a match for the first time late in the season.

The Costa Mesa football team began the season 0-7, but a switch back to the smashmouth double wing offense produced two straight wins and had the Mustangs in playoff contention heading into the season finale. It wasn’t to be as Costa Mesa finished 2-8, 2-4 in league.

The Mustangs suffered a tough loss even before the season opener when senior running back Ivan Ruiz tore his anterior cruciate ligament a week before the season. He only missed the first four games though and returned to rack up 545 yards rushing and three touchdowns, including a 135-yard, two touchdown performance on 30 carries in a 24-0 victory over Ocean View.

Senior offensive lineman Robert De La Cruz and junior defensive back Cody Waldorn were named first-team all-league.

Tony Krikorian, who rushed for 417 yards on 79 attempts and fellow senior Juan Diaz, who played both offensive and defensive tackle positions, were named to the second team.

Krikorian, De La Cruz and Diaz were named to the Dream Team as well.

Mustangs’ Coach Jay Johnson, the team’s third head coach in three years, resigned in late April when he could not secure a teaching position.

The track and field team finished fifth at the league meet May 4 at Orange High, qualifying four athletes for the section preliminaries.

Junior Asa Hawks was the lone league champion for the Mustangs, topping the field in the 200 meters in 22.72.

The 1,600 relay team of Daniel Lepper, Josh Lowe, Gilbert Johnson and Hawks qualified for the CIF Division III prelims. All four are juniors who aim to improve next season.

The cross country team finished sixth at league finals at Central Park in Huntington Beach, but there was a glimpse of a brighter future.

Juniors Luis Genis (16:44) and Mitch Friedman (16:46) finished 12th and 13th, respectively.

In baseball, the Mustangs swept rival Estancia and were in the playoff hunt with three games remaining under first-year coach Jim Kiefer.

It was the fifth straight season the Mustangs had taken the season series from the Eagles.

Costa Mesa entered the season with only one player possessing significant varsity experience in senior Alex Dominguez.

Dominguez, a pitcher, and junior John Rybarcyzk both earned second-team all-league laurels and were selected to the Dream Team.