High School Roundup: Breakers avenge earlier loss
In its first home game of the 2014 season, the Laguna Beach High boys’ water polo team handed out a little payback to Orange Lutheran.
The teams first met this season on Sept. 25 at the South Coast Tournament, with Orange Lutheran taking an 11-9 victory. On Oct. 2 at the Laguna pool, the Breakers got even with the Lancers by claiming a two-goal win, 13-11.
Laguna, ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division 3, took a one-goal lead at halftime 6-5, and the it still was a one-goal game heading into the fourth quarter.
Orange Lutheran was ranked fifth in Division 1.
Laguna’s balanced attack included Cade Baldridge scoring four goals with two steals, Jakob Colladay had three goals two assists and three steals, Jack Dodson three goals, an assist and four steals, Aki Andersen two goals, an assist and a steal, and Trent Sadler scored once to go with an assist and a steal. Garret Hartley recorded seven saves.
Laguna played its Orange Coast League opener Wednesday against Godinez, and hosted Dana Hills Thursday in nonleague play. Scores from both games weren’t available at press time.
The Breakers play a league game at 4 p.m. next Wednesday at Estancia, and host Murrieta Valley in a key 4:15 p.m. nonleague match Thursday.
Murrieta Valley is ranked second behind Laguna in CIF-SS Division 3.
Girls’ Volleyball
The Breakers started their Orange Coast League schedule Oct. 2 against Costa Mesa and swept the Mustangs, 25-14, 25-4, 25-14.
Sabrina Stillwell had five assists and 10 digs, Lexi McKeown five kills, Briana Boyd 14 assists and Jamie Robbins 11 assists for defending league champ Laguna, which improved to 7-10 overall.
The Breakers are 53-1 all-time against the Mustangs.
Laguna played league matches against Saddleback on Tuesday and Estancia on Thursday. Scores from both matches weren’t available at press time.
The girls’ volleyball program will host its annual Alumni Game Friday at Dugger Gym.
Next week, Laguna plays 5:15 p.m. league matches Monday at home Calvary Chapel, and Wednesday at Godinez.
Girls’ Tennis
The Breakers downed Estancia, 15-3, in Orange Coast League play, and also took a 12-6 nonleague match from Beckman.
In the Estancia match, No. 1 Kelly Keller (6-1, 6-1, 6-0) and No. 3 Ashley Fair (6-1, 6-1, 6-0) swept in singles action. Sweeping in doubles play for the Breakers were No. 2 Natasha Keces/Malia Helms (6-0, 6-1, 6-0) and No. 3 Summer Clawson/Iman Berri (6-4, 6-0, 6-0).
The Breakers took on Saddleback and Costa Mesa in league play Tuesday and Thursday. Scores from those matches weren’t available at press time.
Laguna plays three matches next week: The Breakers travel for a 3:15 p.m. nonleague game Monday at Santa Margarita, and take on league foes Godinez at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Saddleback High, and Calvary Chapel at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Costa Mesa Tennis Center.
Girls’ Golf
In an Orange Coast League four-way match at Ben Brown Golf Course (par 32), the host Breakers scored victories over Estancia (225-264), Calvary Chapel (225-266) and Costa Mesa (225-272). The three wins put the defending league champs at 6-0 in league.
Laguna’s BellaRose Robinson was the medalist for all three matches, shooting 41. All six Breakers shot in the 40s, the first time a Laguna team has had all six players score under 50 in the same match since the 2008 season, assistant coach Sean Quigley said.
“As coaches, it is rewarding to see our players working to improve each week and then having a great team performance,” Quigley said. “This demonstrates the primary advantage we have over our league opponents this year, which is team depth. Our No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6 positions have been posting good scores and consistently outplaying the four, five and six positions on the other teams. This has been one of the biggest reasons we are winning our matches.”
Laguna scores from Monday’s league four-way: Robinson, 41; Leslie Dwight, 45; MaryKate Quellmalz, 45; Halle Redfearn, 47; Anna Kunkel, 47; Hailey McCullough, 49.
In a previous OCL match Oct. 1 at Mesa Linda Golf Course (par 33) in Costa Mesa, Laguna defeated host Estancia, 210-239, in a match that put the Breakers into sole possession of first-place in the league standings. Quellmalz took medalist honors with a score of 37. Other Laguna scores: Robinson, 38; Dwight, 40; Redfearn, 44; McCullough, 51; Hannah Burnett, 53.
The Breakers have a league four-way match at 3 p.m. next Monday at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley. They’ll compete at the OCL Cluster and OCL Individual Finals at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Mesa Linda Golf Course.
Cross-Country
The Laguna boys’ and girls’ teams, idle since running the Orange Coast League Cluster Sept. 24, will be in Fresno Saturday for the Asics Clovis Invitational. The prestigious event will be held at Woodward Park, site of the upcoming CIF State Cross-Country Championships in late-November.
Both Laguna teams are entered in the Small Varsity division.
Twitter: @MikeSciacca