A valiant comeback came up just...

A valiant comeback came up just short for the Newport Harbor High

frosh-soph boys water polo team Saturday at Newport Harbor in the

finals of the Gray Lunde Memorial Invitational Water Polo Tournament.

Trailing 4-1 going into the fourth quarter, the Sailors stormed

back to tie the game at 4, but the Spartans proved too strong and

scored two goals to win the tournament championship, 6-4.

Eric Carlson, Trevor Armstrong, Telford Cottam and Brett Auer each

scored for Newport, who won their earlier game against Laguna Beach,

8-5, Saturday. The Breakers took third in the tournament.

“We showed improvement in defense and team discipline,” said

Newport Coach Les Cutler. “This is a good foundation for the program

in the future.”

The Sailors led, 4-1, at the start of the fourth period against

Laguna Beach when Cutler inserted his reserves.

“We regrouped and maintained our composure,” he said.

Newport finished second in the tournament for the second

consecutive year.

The tournament honors 14-year-old Gray Lunde, a freshman Newport

Harbor water polo player who died of heart failure in the Newport

Harbor pool in October 1995.

Lunde’s parents attended the final game, Cutler said.

“I had not seen them for over a year, I was deeply moved by their

appearance,” he said.