Titles abundant for Laguna prep teams

There is plenty to celebrate on the Laguna Beach High campus this week, as three fall sports teams claimed Orange Coast League championships.

Boys’ water polo, girls’ tennis and girls’ volleyball each earned league titles and those teams, along with the Breakers’ boys’ cross-country team, finished league competition with perfect records.

Boys’ Water Polo

Fourth-ranked Laguna (Division II) capped league play Wednesday with an easy 13-2 victory over host Costa Mesa.

The victory was the ninth straight for the Breakers, who finished league play with a 6-0 record and improved to 19-8 overall.

Peter Phelps led the scoring with five goals, Brad Fair, Pierre Masson and Nathan McConnell all scored twice and Cameron Brinkman and Max Munoz each had one goal.

Warren Murrell and Harrison Phelps split time in goal and recorded seven saves.

Laguna went from a 2-1 lead after one quarter to a 5-1 halftime advantage. The lead increased to 8-2 through three quarters and the Breakers outscored the Mustangs, 5-0, in the final stanza.

At 4 p.m. today, Laguna concludes regular season play with a key match at fifth-ranked Mission Viejo. The CIF playoffs begin next week, with first-round action slated for Nov. 10.

“If we win at Mission, we hold onto that fourth seed,” Laguna Coach Rick McKee said of the CIF bracket pairings, which will be revealed Sunday. “There’s a little bit of pressure on us, but it’s a great thing and will help this team get ready for CIF.

“This team is peaking at a great time right now.”

In previous action, Laguna notched another league win at the expense of visiting Estancia, 10-2. The Breakers jumped out to a 5-0 lead through the first quarter of play and settled into a commanding 9-0 advantage at the half.

Brinkman led the way with four goals, Fair scored twice and Munoz, Johnny Holcomb, Max McDonald and Kevin Westlake each scored once.

Girls’ Tennis

A tough schedule at the outset of the season prepared Laguna for the Orange Coast League race, and the Breakers all but dominated league play in taking the championship with a 9-0 record.

Laguna (11-9 overall) concluded league and regular season play Wednesday with a 16-2 win over visiting Costa Mesa. In singles play, No. 1 Madeline Jaeger and No. 2 Alex Yates-Robinson both swept and No. 3 Ali Hunter won two of three sets. In doubles action, the No. 1 team of Lauren Thigpen/Sarah Russell and No. 2 Heather Tran/McKenna Nokes swept and No. 3 Kim Smith/Allison Azera won two of three.

“They really did come through,” Laguna assistant coach Jonee Earl said of the Breakers winning the league title. “Those difficult games early in the season helped them get ready for league. I think this team is ready for CIF.”

On Monday, the Breakers took care of host Estancia, 11-7, in league play. Laguna was strong in doubles action as Thigpen/Russell swept by scores of 6-2, 6-0, 6-1 and Tran/Nokes (3-6, 6-2, 6-0) and Smith/Azera (1-6, 6-0, 6-1) each won two of three.

Jaeger also won two of three, 1-6, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 1 singles.

In a league match played Oct. 26, Laguna cruised past visiting Calvary Chapel, 14-4. The Breakers won seven of nine in singles play and seven of nine in doubles action, with the No. 1 team of Hunter/Russell earning a sweep.

Laguna is competing at 1 p.m. today at the Orange Coast League Individual finals at Costa Mesa Tennis Center. The CIF team tennis playoffs begin Tuesday.

Cross-Country

Laguna competed Thursday at the Orange Coast League finals at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa, but the final results and team standings were not available at press time.

In its final league dual meet of the year, Laguna’s sixth-ranked girls (Division IV) posted a 22-35 win over host Costa Mesa. Laguna runners took four of the top five spots, as Melissa Lenker finished second (21:08), KativaStrickland dropped 27 seconds from her previous best time to finish third (21:22), Ashley Eaton was fourth (21:30) and Cassidy Robinson was fifth (21:51).

Other top 10 placements for the Breakers included Zoe Heath in eighth place (22:11) and Kelly McCarter in ninth (22:31).

Laguna’s girls finished league dual meets with a record of 2-1, with its loss coming on Oct. 4 to undefeated Estancia.

Laguna’s boys concluded a perfect league dual meet season by defeating Costa Mesa, 21-37. Dave Brobeck, coach of the second-ranked Breakers, elected to run just two varsity regulars — seniors Jeremy Eaton and Michael Brown — and the duo finished one-two in the race. Eaton was first in a time of 16:40 and Brown was second at 16:53, both running “controlled efforts” over the three-mile course, Brobeck said.

Brobeck said that for the first time since early September, his seven varsity runners competed together at Thursday’s league finals.

He said he will select nine runners to make up the Laguna squad that will compete at the No. 11 CIF Prelims at Mount SAC, following Thursday’s league finals.

Girls’ Golf

Laguna continued its best golf season ever Monday by competing at the CIF Team Regionals tournament at El Prado Golf Course in Chino Hills. The Breakers, who have advanced the farthest in a single season of any Laguna golf team in school history, did not qualify for the team finals, which were held Wednesday in Ojai.

Senior Sasha Speare, the Orange Coast League’s individual champion, will bear that banner Monday when she competes at a CIF Individual regional tournament at Las Posas Country Club in Camarillo. A top finish there would advance Speare to Thursday’s state tournament, Coach Barbara Williams said.