Shadowlands

Looking back, 5 years ago this week:

The Costa Mesa High girls water polo team (11-13, 3-2 in the Pacific Coast League) gain entry into the CIF Southern Section

Division III Playoffs as the league’s No. 3 entry with an 8-3 victory

at Laguna Beach coupled with an Aliso Niguel win over Laguna Hills.

Cari Howse (four goals) and Annette Grubisich (two) with Amy Devey

and goalkeeper Stephanie Lombardo (single goals each) pace the

Mustangs.

Newport Harbor High’s girls water polo team clinches the Sea View

League title over arch-rival Corona del Mar, 9-3. Harbor (17-6),

ranked No. 4 in Orange County, opens the scoring 46 seconds into the

game on way to a 2-0 lead after one quarter. The Sailors score five

goals in the third period, led by Kyndra Cox’s four. Alden Moore

scores two goals for the victors while CdM senior Meagan Hardt

tallies two goals. CdM goalkeeper Kerry Barklow makes 13 saves on 23

shots.

Capped by six goals to pick up three wins in a five-day period,

the Newport Harbor High boys soccer team finishes Sea View League

play with a 3-1 win over visiting Irvine. The Sailors (7-5-3, 5-3-2

in league) are tied for third place with El Toro, but lost the season

series to the Chargers and must hope for an at-large berth into the

CIF Playoffs. Harbor outshoots the Vaqueros, 27-7. Kevin Byrnes, Eric

Werner and Brett Baker score goals for the Sailors as Manny Oropeza,

Trey Meek, Chapin Kreuter, Luis Cifuentes, Zach Wells, Ryan

Hernandez, Josh Yoches and Brian Newquist blast shots for the Tars.

Just two days earlier, Newport Harbor upsets Woodbridge (the county’s

fourth-ranked team), 2-0. A cross from Kreuter to Austin Ahlgren

forces the Warriors to play catch up. Harbor goalkeeper Diego Grella

pounces on a ball in front of a charging Arman Millikien.

Looking back, 10 years ago this week:

Picked to finish fifth in the Pacific Coast League before the

season, the Estancia High boys basketball team wraps up a share of

the league title with a 72-63 victory over visiting Laguna Beach.

Senior forward Jim Faulkner says he dedicates the game to his

friend’s brother, Ricky Candlish, who has leukemia. Faulkner, headed

for Southern Utah University on a scholarship, pours in a season-high

34 points including 22 in the second half as the Eagles overcome a

28-26 halftime deficit. Estancia’s Joel Warrick drains the Eagles’

final two threes to give them an 11-point lead.

Jeremy Loflin (189 pounds) of Costa Mesa High shuts out Laguna

Hills’ Jack Fearing, 6-0, to capture the Pacific Coast League

individual championship. Loflin is the only area participant to win a

league title. But Mesa’s Eric Strout (132) and Cesar Gonzalez (145),

along with Estancia’s Joel Loza (140) and Mike Bravo (125), also

qualify for the CIF Division III meet. Loflin (12-1) records four

quick pins in the first period. He defeated Fearing, 8-3, in a league

dual match a month earlier.

The Newport Harbor High girls basketball team earns a share of its

first-ever Sea View League title with a punishing 84-41 victory over

Irvine. The Sailors (18-6, 3-1) finish in a deadlock with Woodbridge.

The trio of Genevieve Evarts, Michaela Ross and Gina Heads combine

for 61 points, led by Evarts’ 24. Tina Bowman collects 12 points and

13 rebounds.

A second consecutive 7-0 season is in the books for the

eighth-grade boys basketball team from Ensign Intermediate in Newport

Beach, following a 41-35 victory over TeWinkle in the district

championship. Co-captains Danny Pulido and Jeremy Henderson each

tally 13 points in the championship game. Pulido, named to the

all-tournament team for the victorious PTI team at the annual NJB

Holiday Classic, averages 15 points to lead the team in scoring and

is an effective shot blocker. Peter Cunningham, Greg Wertham and

Ethan Wells round out the starting five with bench help from Kenny

Bowen, Joe Urban, Jason Szolomeyer, Quin Wise, Eddie Truxton, Rosendo

Salinas and Ben Phoenix.

Corona del Mar High’s boys soccer team clinches a spot in the CIF

Division I-A Playoffs with a 4-2 Sea View League victory over Irvine.

Junior Tim Timmons and senior Brian Smith combine for nine saves for

the Sea Kings (19-1-4, 8-1-4). CdM, ranked No. 4 in the county

coaches’ top 10 poll, score three times in the first half and build a

4-0 lead upon junior forward Jason Boyce’s second goal of the game

and team-leading 25th of the season. Halfback Dustin Lee scores seven

minutes into the contest on a carom off a shot by Boyce that Irvine

keeper Scott Gyurina deflects. Bill Pimmer drives 40 yards with the

ball and through three defenders on his way to put one in the net,

giving the Sea Kings a 3-0 lead. Halfback Paul Fruchbom and Doug

Smith assist on Boyce’s second goal.

-- compiled by Bryce Alderton