EIGHTH GRADE CHAMPIONSHIP:Seabees cold in final

NEWPORT BEACH — There are two boys’ basketball banners that hang in the Ensign Intermediate School gym.

One lists the regular-season Coastal Athletic League champions throughout the years, and the other banner is for the playoff championship teams.

The Ensign eighth-grade boys will add to only one of those banners, after suffering a 28-19 loss to Dwyer Middle School on Thursday in the playoff championship game.

The loss was the first of the season for the Seabees. Ensign, which cruised through the league season with a perfect 6-0 record, finished 8-1.

“They’re a real quality group of kids,” Ensign Coach Scott Cameron said. “They’ve been dedicated to defending, and they’ve learned a lot about the defensive side of the ball. Now they have to learn how to put the ball in the basket.”

That wasn’t a problem early on for the Seabees, who jumped out to an 8-2 first-quarter lead on three baskets from Ryan Andrews and a lay-in by Hayden Cornwell.

Still up 8-6, after the first quarter, Ensign only scored two points in the second quarter on Cody Caldwell’s basket and added just two more in the third when Chris Whitelegge scored.

The dry spell allowed Dwyer of Huntington Beach to grab a 15-12 lead after three quarters. It was partially due to the Oilers’ zone defense, a change from when Dwyer went man-to-man when the teams met during league.

Ensign won the previous matchup by seven points.

“It was hard to get the ball to the wings,” said Ensign guard Parker Norton, who had two rebounds. “We were in first place in the regular season. We just didn’t play our best this game.”

Ensign got within five points, at 19-14, on Cornwell’s put-back with three minutes left in the game.

But the Seabees couldn’t get closer, as Dwyer iced the game with 11 fourth-quarter free throws.

As seventh graders last year, the Ensign squad also lost to Dwyer in the championship game. But Whitelegge, who had three steals Thursday, said he was proud of the team.

“Definitely,” he said. “[It was fun] playing with all your friends and making it to the championship both years.”

And, as the team makes the transition to Newport Harbor High next year, they’ll probably stay close-knit.

“Every one of them is my friend,” Norton said. “We had a lot of fun together this year in practices and at the games.”

Also contributing for the Seabees were Teddy Steffel, Tracy Beblie, Austin Mahaffey, Mark Sakioka, Jason Cernius, Nolan Mena, Luis Torres and Brad Tuz.

Coastal Athletic League

Eighth-grade Championship

Dwyer 28, Ensign 19

Score by Quarters

Dwyer 6 4 5 13 — 28

Ensign 8 2 2 7 — 19

Dwyer -- Or 9, Cason 8, Garrity 6, Wilgus 3, Childs 2.

3-pt. goals -- Or 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

Ensign -- Andrews 8, Cornwell 4, Sakioka 3, Caldwell 2, Whitelegge 2.

3-pt. goals -- Sakioka 1.

Fouled out -- Norton, Whitelegge.

Technicals -- None.