Sailors are still building

For the second consecutive year, the Newport Harbor High girls’ golf team will be very young.

Still, seventh-year coach Scott Tarnow said he expects improvement from last year, when the Sailors were winless against Sea View League foes.

“We should be better than last year,” Tarnow said. “It’s good to get some girls who want to go out there and play. We just have a really, really young team. We don’t have much senior leadership.”

In fact, the team has only one senior — Taylor Funk.

Newport Harbor will be trying to overcome the loss of Natalie Draganza, who accepted a golf scholarship to Boston College.

Draganza was Sea View League individual champion and league MVP each of her first three high school seasons. But she missed much of last year with a torn rotator cuff.

Joining Funk this season will be players who have experience.

Junior Kendall Horn is entering her third varsity season, while junior Ali Grace and sophomore Tiffany Kim are also returners.

Brittney Phillips, a sophomore, will also be on the varsity roster, as should freshmen Morgan Moody, Ali Thomas and Lauren Draganza, Natalie’s younger sister.

Although they are only freshmen, Tarnow said they have all impressed him early on.

“I’m pretty excited about the freshman girls,” Tarnow said. “I can see them being really good down the road.”

Newport Harbor has moved to the Sunset League this year, which also includes Edison, Esperanza, Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos and Marina.

“I think it’s a very tough league for all sports, not just girls’ golf,” Tarnow said. “Those schools are very competitive, so it should be a lot of fun.”

Tarnow said the Sailors are hurt by the lack of a junior varsity program, which denies incoming players the chance to learn basic skills at the lower level.

“I talked to one coach and he said he had 30 girls out there,” Tarnow said.

“We have 12 girls out this year and one is hurt.”

The Tars open the season Tuesday against Dana Hills.

THE SAILORS

Lauren Draganza Fr.

Taylor Funk Sr.

Ali Grace Jr.

Kendall Horn Jr.

Tiffany Kim So.

Morgan Moody Fr.

Brittney Phillips So.

Ali Thomas Fr.

Coach: Scott Tarnow

(seventh year)