High School Roundup: Breakers boys’ water polo stays perfect in league
With the regular season winding down and the CIF Southern Section playoffs looming, the Laguna Beach High boys’ water polo team is flexing its collective muscle.
The Breakers, the top-ranked team in CIF Southern Section Division 3, won their third Orange Coast League game in a convincing manner when they sprinted past visiting Sage Hill Wednesday, 23-3. The Breakers overwhelmed the Lightning in the first quarter in taking a 9-1 lead. It was 14-2 by halftime.
Twelve Breakers hit the scoring column led by Sean Whitlock’s six goals. Trent Sadler scored three goals and Cade Baldridge, Jack Dodson, Nolan Del Toro and Larsen McCarrol each scored twice.
The win moved Laguna to 3-0 in league and 15-4 overall.
Prior to Wednesday’s league encounter, the Breakers played a pair of key nonleague games in the past week.
In a big, Division 3 game played Oct. 16, Laguna led wire-to-wire to dispose of second-ranked and visiting Murrieta Valley, 11-6. The Breakers started strong and took a 3-0 lead two minutes into the game, all three goals coming from the arm of Baldridge. They led, 5-1, after one quarter and were still on top, 5-3, at halftime.
Murrieta Valley drew to within 6-5 two minutes into the second half but as it did at the outset of the game, Laguna finished strong and went on to outscore the Nighthawks, 5-1, the remainder of the way.
Baldridge had a game-high in scoring (five goals) and steals (five). Sadler scored three goals, Dodson two goals, Aki Andersen had three assists and three steals, and goalie Garret Hartley had 10 saves.
The Breakers won despite losing starter Jakob Colladay who fouled out of the game in the second quarter. Colladay had a goal and assist before picking up his third foul.
“I was really proud of our preparation, execution and effort overall as a team,” Laguna Coach Ethan Damato said. “Our first and fourth quarters was some of the best polo we have played all year. Our fast start really set the tone for the pace of the game and we finished the game like a seasoned group should. I also thought we showed mental toughness and resolve withstanding the runs Murrieta made at us and overcoming foul trouble with Jakob (Colladay) fouling early in second (quarter).
“With that said, we are looking at the second and third quarters and the missed opportunities we had during that stretch as an area for us to improve and build on. We were 0-5 or -6 on 6-on-5 during that stretch so we know we have to keep getting better.”
Two days later, Laguna hosted Los Alamitos on Saturday and took care of the Division 1 Griffins, 14-4. Colladay led the way with four goals, two assists and three steals. Baldridge scored three times and had two steals, Dodson, Andersen and Greyson Benson each scored twice, Whitlock had three steals, and Hartley five saves.
“We looked sluggish in the first half but played very well in the second half,” Damato said. “Holding any team to four goals is a great defensive effort. Our 6-on-5 is still a work in progress and will need to improve moving forward but I was pleased overall.
The Breakers are in northern California Friday and Saturday to compete at the North-South Challenge. They start the tournament at 1:45 p.m. Friday against Atherton Menlo at Atherton Sacred Heart Prep.
“This is only our second time ever being invited to play in this tournament which is a tremendous honor in itself,” Damato said. “We are really excited to travel, play some new teams and see where we stand with the best teams in the state. This is a great group of guys we have here and I’m really happy for the team that we are going together.”
Laguna returns to OCL action next Wednesday when it plays host to Saddleback at 3:15 p.m.
—
Girls’ Golf
Laguna Beach golfers took top honors at the two-day Orange Coast League Tournament, which concluded Monday at Mesa Linda Golf Course (par 70) in Costa Mesa. Three Breakers took first-team all-league honors, and three made the second team. The battle for the MVP of the league went down to a playoff between two Breakers, Halle Redfearn and MaryKate Quellmalz.
On the final day of the tournament, the first round of nine holes played Oct. 15 at Mesa Linda, Quellmalz shot 86 for the day and finished with a two-day total score of 123. Redfearn shot the low score of the final day, carding an 85, which also gave her a combined total score of 123. The tie for first place assured both Breakers first-team league honors and a spot in next week’s CIF Individuals, but that tie was broken with a sudden-death playoff.
Quellmalz and Redfearn teed off at Hole No. 1 (long par 4, No. 1 course handicap). On the green, Quellmalz missed a 12-foot put, and Redfearn made her four-foot put to win by one stroke to become the 2014 league MVP.
The top 12 scores from the first day of the league tournament Oct. 15 advanced to the league finals. Laguna had six players advance and Quellmalz led all players after the first day with a score of 37. Redfearn was in second place, one stroke behind with a score of 38. Also advancing for the Breakers were Leslie Dwight and BellaRose Robinson, who were tied for fourth place with scores of 41, and Hailey McCullough and Hannah Burnett, who both shot 45 and were in a four-way tie for eighth.
Below are the final all-league standings. The top four finishers earned a spot in next week’s CIF Individuals tournament.
First Team All-League: 1. Halle Redfearn, Sr., Laguna Beach (123 score; won playoff); 2. MaryKate Quellmalz, Sr., Laguna Beach, (123); 3. Melissa Cruz, Fr., Calvary Chapel, (126); 4. Maddie Njust, Soph., Calvary Chapel (133); 5. BellaRose Robinson, Fr., Laguna Beach, 135); 6. Bella Rosete, Soph., Estancia (140; won card-off).
Second Team All-League: 7. Leslie Dwight, Sr., Laguna Beach (140); 8. Paige LaBare, Jr., Costa Mesa (143); 9. Hannah Burnett, Jr., Laguna Beach (149); 10. Hailey McCullough, Jr., Laguna Beach (154); 11. Laura Morel, Sr., Estancia (158); 12. Catie Webster, Sr., Costa Mesa (167).
—
Girls’ Volleyball
The Breakers eased past Costa Mesa Tuesday and swept the visiting Mustangs, 25-11, 25-6, 25-12, at Dugger Gym. Jamie Robbins had nine kills, Briana Boyd 13 assists and seven digs, and Katelyn Carballo seven digs for the Breakers.
Laguna, ranked third in CIF Southern Section Division 2AA, improved to 6-0 in league play and 12-10 overall. The Breakers defeated Costa Mesa for the 54th time in 55 meetings between the schools, and have now won 86-consecutive league matches, the ninth-longest league winning streak in CIF Southern Section history.
In a league match Oct. 15 at Godinez, Kelsey Paul had eight kills and 14 digs, Alexandra McKeown and Dani Quirate six kills each, Carballo had 10 digs and Boyd 22 assists for Laguna, which swept the Grizzlies, 25-9, 25-10, 25-10.
“We are playing well and looking forward to being prepared for CIF,” Laguna Coach Raul Papaleo said.
The Breakers played a league game Thursday at Saddleback. The score wasn’t available at press time. Next week, they play host to Estancia at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday and play at Calvary Chapel at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
—
Girls’ Tennis
The Breakers sewed up the Orange Coast League championship Tuesday by taking a 16-2 match from visiting Estancia. The Breakers, ranked seventh in CIF Southern Section Division 2, had sweeps at both No. 1 and 2 singles and doubles in improving to 9-0 in league.
Kira Hamilton won her set (6-1) at No. 1 singles where substitute Iman Berri won the next two sets, 6-0, 6-0. Ashley Fair won her three sets at the No. 2 line, 7-6, 6-0, 6-1. At No. 1 doubles, the team of Bailey Jaeger/Kelly Keller won, 6-0, 6-0, 6-1, and the No. 2 duo of Madeline Loomis/Kathleen Kimball won by 6-0, 6-1, 6-0 scores.
At No. 3 doubles, Malia Helms/Natasha Keces won both sets in which they played, 6-1, 6-0.
In a nonleague home match Monday against Sage Hill, Laguna scored an 11-7 win over the Lighting. Hamilton won two sets (6-2, 6-4) at No. 1 singles, and the Breakers scored nine points in doubles by sweeping: Ashley Shelton/Loomis (6-3, 6-0, 6-1), Jaeger/Keller (6-0, 6-1, 6-0), and Helms/Keces (6-1, 6-4, 6-1).
—
Cross-Country
The Breakers will conclude their regular season Wednesday, when they compete at the Orange Coast League finals at Irvine Regional Park in Orange.
—
Boys’ Sand Volleyball
The Breakers improved to 5-1 with a 6.5-0 sweep of Orange Lutheran. The win kept the Breakers in a first-place tie with Newport Harbor (5-1) in the South Division standings of the Orange County High School Beach League.
Orange Lutheran, a member of the North Division in the league, fell to 2-4.
—
CIF Weekly Rankings
Boys’ Water Polo: Laguna Beach (No. 1, Division 3).
Girls’ Volleyball: Laguna Beach (No. 3, Division 2AA).
Girls’ Tennis: Laguna Beach (No. 7, Division 2).
Boys’ Cross-Country: Laguna Beach (No. 4, Division 4).
Girls’ Cross-Country: Laguna Beach (No. 3, Division 4).