A victory to remember

CORONA DEL MAR — Three-fourths of the fans cleared out before the Sage Hill School boys’ water polo team jumped in the pool. The main attraction at Corona del Mar High ended.

For the two dozen fans who stuck around for the second CIF Southern Section playoff match Wednesday night, they saw the Lightning make history.

Sage Hill closed out the evening with a bang. The Lightning defeated Schurr of Montebello, 11-7, in the first round of the Division III playoffs, recording the first postseason victory in the program’s history.

Senior Andrew Dorne finished with seven goals as the Lightning (11-7) accomplished a feat in a pool that has played host to an abundance of playoff victories. Sage Hill’s coach, Tom Norton, was a part of the success at CdM before graduating in 1993.

Norton watched his alma mater win its Division I first-round game against Esperanza in the same pool earlier. The pool isn’t really Sage Hill’s because it plays home games at the Marian Bergeson Aquatics Center because the Lightning don’t have an on-site pool.

One thing Sage Hill does own is a playoff win.

Norton is the first coach to guide the private school to its first playoff victory after it failed to do so in the opening round the previous four years.

The school has been around since the start of the decade. The Lightning are trying to end this one on a strong note.

Things will only get difficult from now on. Next for Sage Hill is a quarterfinal match at No. 1-seeded Murrieta Valley (25-2) on Friday.

“I’m proud of the guys,” said Norton, who’s in his fourth year at Sage Hill. “The team is just starting to come together, which is perfect timing. They’re starting to figure things out offensively.

“We’ll give it our best shot on Friday and try to hold [Murrieta Valley] under 10 goals. We hold the No. 1 team under 10 goals, consider it a victory.”

The Lightning will need a more balanced attack for any chance to keep the quarterfinal close.

Beside Dorne, only two other players, Eric Hallett and Alex Manolakas, scored for Sage Hill against Schurr (11-3). Hallett and Manolakas finished with two goals apiece.

The two teams knew little about each other before the game. Sage Hill finished second in the Orange Coast League and Schurr second in the Almont League. The two teams from these two leagues known for success are Laguna Beach and Montebello.

Sage Hill still hasn’t been able to challenge Laguna Beach in league, but it has improved over the years.

Dorne has been a big reason for Sage Hill’s development as a solid water polo program.

Staying with Murrieta Valley won’t be easy. Goalie Jake Blitzer, who made 14 saves Wednesday, will be busy for sure.

“We know they’re going to be really good,” said Dorne of the Nighthawks, who have reached a section championship in each of the last four years. “We’re just looking to … keep the same kind of game plan [of counterattacking].

“Hopefully, if things work out, potentially we can beat them and move on to the semis.”