Archive for the ‘Prep Sports’ Category

by Randy Angel

With only a week of action under their belts, the boys volleyball teams from Mira Costa and Redondo will get a litmus test this weekend when the squads compete in the prestigious Best of the West tournament in Poway.

Mira Costa is ranked No. 2 in the CIF Southern Section Division I pre-season poll behind Loyola. There is a strong possibility the Mustangs will face at least one of their division opponents. Among the 32 teams competing in the tournament, which includes top teams from the San Diego area and Hawaii powerhouses Iolani and Punahou, six teams join Mira Costa as top-ten teams in the Southern Section’s Division 1 rankings.

Coach Mike Ninnis’ Mustangs opened their season with a 25-13, 25-19, 25-19 victory over Long Beach Wilson. Kevin Donohue recorded 11 kills and Eric Mochalski added 10 for Mira Costa, who will play Bellarmine (San Jose), Mission Viejo and Cathedral Catholic Friday in pool play.

Mira Costa tuned up for the upcoming tournament with a non-league game against Bishop Montgomery Tuesday. The Mustangs swept the Knights 25-10, 25-13, 25-13 behind Chris Orenic’s six kills. Bryce Miller had 18 assists and Kyle Burgoyne added four kills and nine digs. Bishop Montgomery is ranked No. 2 in Division 4.

Redondo began its season by defeating Los Alamitos for the first time in four years. Ryan Olson had 13 kills and seven aces, Riley Theunissen added nine kills and Michael Vellutato contributed 28 assists and four aces. Redondo recorded 16 aces in the 25-19, 25-13, 25-13 victory.

Last weekend, the Sea Hawks earned a fifth-place tie in their own Varsity Pre-Season Classic. Olson was selected to the all-tournament team, recording 45 kills and 10 aces in three matches.

The Sea Hawks defeated South (No. 1, Div. 4) before losing to St. John Bosco (No. 4, Div. 1) in three games. Redondo rebounded to beat Santa Monica (No. 6, Div. 3) 2-0. Palos Verdes (No. 9, div. 1) tied for third in the tournament and will also represent the South Bay in Poway this weekend.

In a non-league match Tuesday, Redondo defeated North 25-13, 23-25, 25-19, 26-24.

Redondo’s pool play matches in the Best of the West tournament will be against Poway, St. Francis and Chico tomorrow. The Sea Hawks play a non-league match at Mater Dei Tuesday at 6 p.m. ER

by Randy Angel
Umbrellas remain at the ready, fireplaces still glow in the evenings and local youth recently enjoyed a few days off from school for “Ski Week.” But the season has changed for high school athletes who begin their spring season this week. 

On the diamond, Mira Costa and Redondo begin their baseball seasons with new head coaches. On the court, both schools continue their rivalry in boys volleyball with Mira Costa ranked No. 2 in the CIF Division I pre-season poll, and on the track, a pair of accomplished distance runners will lead the Mustangs and Sea Hawks in girls track. 

 

Baseball
Both schools open their seasons competing in the El Segundo Tournament. Mira Costa plays at San Pedro tomorrow at 3:15 p.m. before hosting Long Beach Poly at 11 a.m. Saturday and Torrance at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday. 

Cassidy Olson begins his first year as skipper for the Mustangs after a one-year – and controversial – stint at rival Redondo. Mira Costa comes off a 20-12 season and a second-place finish to Palos Verdes where it went 7-1. 

Olson will benefit from returning first team All-Bay League selections Kyle Demarco and Jake Jelmini along with second team honorees James Glawe and Lucas Whitehill. 

Demarco was the team’s leading hitter in 2009, boasting a .429 average. He will anchor the infield at the shortstop position. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Jelmini led the team with a .611 slugging percentage while Whitehill led the Mustangs in home runs (5) and RBIs (36). Glawe will play a key role on the pitching staff. 

After serving many years as an assistant coach, Bradey Thurman returns as head coach at Redondo. He’ll have the task of turning around a program that finished 10-19 last season, including a disappointing 1-9 league record. 

Key returners are third baseman/pitcher Chris Jump, shortstop/pitcher Alex Mistuloff, outfielders Joey Hoy, Nick Ridio and Shawn Sokolsky and second baseman Daniel Marquez. 

The Sea Hawks open the El Segundo Tournament at South in a 3:15 p.m. contest tomorrow. They host Narbonne at 11 a.m. Saturday and travel to Oak Park for a 3:15 p.m. game Tuesday. 

Boys Volleyball
Mira Costa ran the table in the Bay League in 2009, finishing with an impressive 33-2 season record. Unfortunately, its second loss came in an upset to Mater Dei in the semifinals of the CIF Division 1 playoffs. 

Head Coach Mike Ninnis continues to run the perennial powerhouse volleyball program that is Mira Costa. This season’s edition will be led by 6-foot-5 Eric Mochalski, a third team All-CIF selection last year.
Joining the basketball star will be first team All-Bay League players D.J. White and Davis Waddell. Second team honoree Kevin Donohue will help form a strong nucleus for the Mustangs. 

Mira Costa hosts Long Beach Wilson tomorrow at 7 p.m. and Bishop Montgomery Tuesday at 6 p.m. 

 

Redondo comes off a second-place finish in the Bay League and a 14-1-1 record. The young Sea Hawks lost to San Clemente in the opening round of the 2009 playoffs. 

Coach Duncan Avery will rely heavily on first team All-Bay League outside hitter Ryan Olson (6-6) along with second team selections Michael Vellutato, a 6-foot setter, and 6-foot-5 middle blocker Austin Moore. 

The Sea Hawks host the Redondo Varsity Pre-season Tournament tomorrow and Saturday before playing at North Tuesday at 4:45 p.m. 

Softball
Coach Dick Amberik has four All-Bay League players returning to his Mustang squad, which finished with a 12-17-1 record and was runner-up to Palos Verdes in league play. 

Catcher/outfielder Katie Saunders (.412, 19 RBIs, 6 triples) and middle infielder Amanda Gard (.286, 17 runs) will join second-team all-league centerfielder Jonele Conceico (.449) and outfielder/pitcher Amanda Padilla (.445) as team leaders. 

Mira Costa opens its season competing in the Cypress Tournament this weekend. 

Redondo kicks off its season playing in the Downey Classic Saturday. Coach Jennifer Dessert also has four returning all-league players. The Sea Hawks, who had only two seniors on their 2009 roster, finished fourth in the Bay League and the season with a 9-18 record. 

Pitcher/first baseman Brett Aspel (.326) and catcher/outfielder Sonia Colavita (.329, 14 RBIs) are returning first team All-Bay League players. Second team members returning are catcher/outfielder Cindy Zamudio (.388) and centerfielder/third baseman Linda Park (3 HR). 

Boys Lacrosse
Mira Costa Coach Dave Vinci’s boys team competes in the Foothill Tournament Saturday at 5 p.m. The defending Bay League champions host Peninsula Monday at 7 p.m. before traveling to Chadwick for a 4 p.m. match Tuesday. 

The Mustangs went 13-5 in 2009, falling to undefeated Loyola 8-7 in the finals of the LA Regional Tournament. 

Coach Phil Comito’s Redondo squad begins its season at Crespi next Thursday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. The Sea Hawks finished the 2009 campaign with a 6-8 record. 

Girls Lacrosse
Redondo begins its fourth season Monday, March 15 hosting Peninsula at 6 p.m. Coach Tom Borgia’s Sea Hawks are the defending league champions and are coming off a surprising 17-2 season that saw the team reach the title match of the LA County Championships. 

Mira Costa comes off a 16-5 season and was the only team to beat Redondo during the regular season. Coach Patty Perkinson’s Mustangs play at Peninsula Wednesday. 

Boys Tennis
Last season, Mira Costa was ranked No. 8 in CIF Division 1 entering the playoffs. The Mustangs play at Marina today at 3 p.m. before taking on Loyola Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the Bay Area Classic Tournament. 

Redondo hosts Santa Monica today and El Segundo Monday before traveling to South Tuesday. Each match is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. 

 

Track and Field
Redondo’s boys are defending Bay League champions. The Sea Hawks travel to Beverly Hills today for a 2:45 p.m. meet. The squad will compete in the Paramount Relays Saturday at 8 a.m. 

Mira Costa hosts Warren today at 2:15 p.m. The Mustangs host a three-way meet with El Segundo and South Saturday. 

Swimming
Mira Costa begins its season in the J. Marrow Invitational in Beverly Hills on Tuesday, March 23. The Mustang boys and girls teams placed second in the Bay League last season. The boys finished 14th in CIF Division 2. 

Redondo swims at El Segundo today at 3 p.m. Both teams finished fourth in the Bay League in 2009. ER

 

by Randy Angel

Mira Costa had its last hope of bringing home a CIF title for the winter sports season quashed Wednesday when its girls basketball team lost in the quarterfinals.

Coach Don Braunecker’s Lady Mustangs ended their season with a 65-49 road loss to No. 4 Summit. Jasmine Rutledge scored a team-high 17 points, Joelle Herron added 16 and Kylie Nakamine had 12 points for fifth-ranked Mira Costa.

Mira Costa began its quest for a CIF Division 1A title with a 54-23 home victory over Los Alamitos when Jordyn Priestley hit 6-of-8 of her 3-point attempts and scored a game-high 22 points for the Mustangs. Rutledge recorded 10 points, 14 rebounds and five steals and Nakamine added 11 points. 

In the second round Saturday, Priestley was held to just seven points, but nailed her second 3-pointer of the game with just eight seconds left in regulation, giving the Mustangs a 33-30 victory over visiting Chaparral. 

Rutledge scored a team-high 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds and had four steals. Joelle Herron added eight points for the Mustangs. 

The girl’s loss came a day after Mira Costa’s boys basketball and soccer teams saw their seasons end with disappointing losses.

Coach Henry Myar’s boys basketball team, which entered the Division 2A playoffs as the No. 10 seed, gave second-seeded Pasadena a battle for most of the game, much to the delight of the overflow crowd at Fischer Gym some who were shooed away from standing in front of the shot clock.

But fouls and turnovers led to a 77-68 loss, costing Mira Costa what Myar believes would have been the program’s first appearance in the semifinals. The Mustangs reached the quarterfinals for the first time in six years.

“I thought I was going to try new ground and get to the semis,” Myar said after congratulating his players on their season. “I thought our guys had a terrific year. I’m really proud of them. They started out by winning the Pacific Shores Tournament, which we’ve never done before and they won three out of four games in their other two tournaments.”

Mira Costa kept pace with the aggressive Pasadena team that Myar said resembled Bay League champion Leuzinger, the No. 3 seed in Division 1A.

“Our scouting reports showed they are similar teams,” Myar said. “They have a lot of athletes and players that do well.”

In the first half, Mira Costa fought off a high-pressure defense to create breakaways and hang with the favored Bulldogs. Elliott Ozer hit one of his three 3-pointers at the buzzer giving the Mustangs a 32-29 lead at halftime.

“I couldn’t see the shot clock but had a pretty good idea of the time left,” said Ozer, who finished with a game-high 25 points. “We outplayed them (Pasadena) most of the game but the change of tempo and the mistakes in the fourth quarter hurt us. We did a lot better than I thought we’d do this season. We made a good run.”

The physical contest created a number of infractions but the disparity in fouls (Mira Costa made 12-of-14 free throws while Pasadena connected on 33-of-40) hindered the Mustangs, who held a six point advantage midway through the third period.

As Thomas Johnson sat on the bench with foul trouble, Pasadena outscored Mira Costa 8-2 to tie the score at the end of three quarters.

The Mustangs regained the lead before what Myar believes was the turning point of the game.

“It’s a two-point game and we get called for an offensive foul,” Myar related. “Then we have a couple of turnovers and all of a sudden it’s an eight point game.”

Eric Mochalski scored 20 points, including an electrifying dunk to cap off a steal, and Johnson added 12 points and eight rebounds.

Mira Costa began its quest for a CIF title with a 54-50 road victory over Del Rio co-champion La Serna. Ozer scored a game-high 21 points and gathered five rebounds, Johnson added 12 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks and Mochalski contributed 10 points and five rebounds for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs kept the ball rolling Friday, beating No. 7 Sergerstrom 64-57 to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2004. Johnson played a stellar game at center scoring 20 points, grabbing 20 rebounds and blocking seven shots. Ozer added 18 points and Mochalski contributed nine points, seven rebounds and three blocks for Mira Costa.

Boys Basketball 

Redondo entered the post season as the Bay League’s No. 3 team and defeated visiting J.W. North 65-51 in the opening round of the Division 2AA playoffs. 

Jamar Cannon scored 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Austin Moore recorded 12 points, Brandon Boyd added 10 points and six assists and Dylan Irwin contributed nine points and seven rebounds in the Sea Hawks, but that’s as far as they would go. 

After his offensive barrage in the first-round win, shooting star Jamar Cannon was held to nine points Friday and host Redondo fell to No. 5 Murrieta Valley 58-48. 

Irwin did his best to make up the scoring deficit, recording 16 points while adding nine rebounds and two steals at the center position, but it wasn’t enough for the Sea Hawks, who ended their season with a 17-11 record. 

Bay League runner-up Peninsula (19-8), suffered an 86-83 overtime loss to visiting Villa Park in the opening round of the Division 2A playoffs. 

Leuzinger (22-6) earned the third seed in Division 1A and have had little trouble so far in the playoffs. The Olympians defeated Lancaster 90-65 and Capistrano Valley 76-60 before eliminating No. 11 Roosevelt 68-45 Tuesday. Leuzinger advances to the semifinals where it will face No. 2 Loyola (26-2) Friday at a neutral site to be selected by Leuzinger. 

Palos Verdes (9-16) represented the Bay League in Division 3A, but was no match for second-seeded Harvard-Westlake, losing 79-43 in the opening round. The division’s top-seeded team, Serra (27-2) began its run for a CIF title beating Servite 78-47 and Pacifica/Garden Grove 88-53. The Cavaliers throttled No. 9 Golden Valley 102-63 Tuesday and will face No. 4 Gahr (25-5) Friday at a neutral site to be determined by Gahr. 

Bishop Montgomery and North earned the ninth and tenth seeds, respectively, in Division 3AA. Bishop Montgomery defeated Artesia 56-48 and North survived a scare, beating Buena 75-72 in overtime. 

The teams weren’t so fortunate in the second round. Bishop Montgomery (16-10) lost at No. 8 La Habra 59-52 and North (18-11) fell to No. 7 Arroyo Grande 72-64. 

In Division 4AA, Pioneer League representatives El Segundo and Lawndale were seeded sixth and twelfth, respectively. After beating Santa Paula 76-61, El Segundo defeated No. 10 San Juan Hills 66-61 in the second round. The Eagles (19-11) lost to No. 2 Lutheran/Orange 69-52 Tuesday in the quarterfinals. 

Lawndale (13-16) defeated host Estancia 47-36 in the first round and San Luis Obispo 58-44 last Friday. The Cardinals were eliminated by No. 4 Bishop Amat 63-49 Tuesday. 

In Division 5A, No. 10 Vistamar (El Segundo) and No. 16 Chadwick lost their second-round games. After defeating Nuview Bridge 47-45, Vistamar (17-8) lost to No. 7 Bellarmine-Jefferson 56-38. Chadwick (12-11) beat Wildwood 74-60 before losing to top-seeded Renaissance Academy 63-42. 

Boys Soccer 

The first round of the CIF Division 1 playoffs was brutal for the Bay League teams, with Mira Costa being the lone survivor. 

Bay League runner-up and ninth-seeded Mira Costa edged visiting Crespi 3-2 with a second-half comeback capped off by Mathias Gesser’s winning goal in the 59th minute. Nick Ziglio and Jake Wilson scored the first two goals for the Mustangs. 

Mira Costa (18-3-5) advanced to the second round, playing at fifth-seeded Edison Tuesday. After the Chargers scored in the 12^th minute, the Mustangs did all they could to catch up but failed to find the back of the net, suffering a 1-0 season-ending loss. 

Mira Costa outshot Edison 4-3 and held a 9-2 advantage in corner and free kicks, but that was little consolation for the Mustangs and goalkeeper Daniel Caves, who recorded two saves to keep his team in the game. 

Redondo concluded its season with a 3-1 loss to league champion West in the Bay League finale. The Sea Hawks finished 2-8 in league and 5-12 overall. 

The biggest upset of the opening round occurred when No. 3 West (18-2-3) lost just its second game of the season, falling at home to St. Francis 2-1. 

Leuzinger (15-5-4) lost at Esperanza 2-1 while wild-card winner Palos Verdes (11-9-5) gave top-seeded Millikan all they could handle, falling to the Rams 1-0 in two overtimes. 

In Division 4, Pioneer champion North defeated Calvary Chapel 2-1 in overtime and upset No. 6 Diamond Ranch on the road Tuesday. Noah Nutter recorded six saves for his 13th shutout of the season. The unranked Saxons (19-5-5) host No. 4 Norwalk (15-4-2) Thursday at 3 p.m. 

El Segundo (15-6-2) saw its season end when host University (13-5-1) shot down the Eagles on penalty kicks 6-5 after the teams were tied at 2-2 at the end of regulation. 

Wild-card winner South (11-7-5) lost a 1-0 heartbreaker at No. 7 Santa Monica (14-5-3) in the first round. Bishop Montgomery (7-10-2) had its season end with a 2-0 loss to visiting Channel Islands in wild-card competition. 

Vistamar (10-7), a freelance school in El Segundo, earned a berth in the Division 7 playoffs but lost to Rosamond 5-1 in the first round. 

Girls Basketball 

Redondo clobbered West 50-19 in its Bay League finale and, coupled with Palos Verdes’ loss, finished in a second-place tie with the Sea Kings with a 7-3 league record. Ella Mason scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Michelle Lowery added eight points for the Sea Hawks. 

Unfortunately for Redondo, it was the final game it would win this season, losing to eighth-ranked Long Beach Jordan 58-40 in the first round. Shayna Stuart scored 10 points to lead the Sea Hawks who finished the season with a 13-15 record. 

Palos Verdes represented the Bay League as the 5th seed in Division 3A and throttled visiting hosting San Marcos 60-27 in the opening round before beating Buena Park 66-49 Saturday. The Sea Kings (22-7) were eliminated Wednesday, falling to No. 4 Bonita 55-38. 

West (11-17) earned an at-large bid in the same division and upset 16th-seeded Wilson of Hacienda Heights 40-38 in the first round before falling at No. 1 Santa Margarita 59-28. 

In Division 2A, Peninsula (10-16) earned an at-large berth but lost to Pacific View co-champion Rio Mesa 60-55. Pioneer co-champion South (21-9) earned the 6th seed but was upset by No. 11 Rio Mesa 63-47 after downing Westlake 39-30 in the opening round. 

Pioneer co-champion North (24-4) earned a 5th seed in Division 3AA and defeated Newport Harbor 58-41 in the first round. The Saxons went on to defeat Beckman 62-23 Saturday but lost at No. 4 Buena 60-50 in the quarterfinals Wednesday. 

Torrance (11-14) earned an at-large bid and beat Marlborough 60-48 before losing a tough battle to second-seeded Inglewood 58-52 in the second round. 

In Division 4AA, Del Rey co-champion Bishop Montgomery was granted the No. 2 seed while El Segundo earned a 15th seed. Bishop Montgomery ran all over Lompoc 71-28 and El Segundo held off Ocean View 50-46 in first-round competition before the two South Bay schools faced each other at El Segundo Saturday. 

The host team was no match for Bishop Montgomery, which dominated El Segundo 72-25. El Segundo finished its season with a 13-15 record. 

Bishop Montgomery (25-6) defeated Alemany 59-58 in the quarterfinals and will host No. 3 Lutheran/Orange at Redondo Union High School Saturday at 7 p.m.

Serra, of Gardena, is the top seeded team in Division 5AA and earned an opening-round bye. The Cavaliers ran over Ontario Christian 66-23 in the second round and beat No. 9 St. Bonaventure 66-42 Wednesday. Serra (22-6) plays No. 12 Brentwood (11-17) Saturday at a neutral site to be determined by Brentwood.

Seeded fourth in Division 5A, Chadwick beat Sherman Indian 61-29 and Aquinas 49-43 before eliminating visiting Saddleback Valley Christian 51-34 Wednesday. The Dolphins (18-9) play top-ranked St. Anthony (20-9) Saturday at a neutral site to be determined. 

Girls Soccer 

Reaching the playoffs for the first time in five seasons, Redondo hosted Edison Friday in the opening round of the Division 1 playoffs. The scrappy Sea Hawks remained in a scoreless battle until Edison (13-5-4) scored in the 65th minute to end Redondo’s short-lived playoff run. The Sea Hawks finished the season with an impressive 14-6 record.

Mira Costa defeated Calabasas 1-0 in its wild-card match Wednesday after Alex Rosen scored the game’s lone goal in the third minute. 

In the second round of the playoffs, Mira Costa (16-6-3) fell behind 2-0 at the half to No. 4 Santa Margarita (17-2-3), rallying to tie the game on an Annie Curry with about one minute left. But with 10 seconds left in regulation, Santa Margarita scored to end the Mustang’s season. Morgan Hilby scored the first goal for Mira Costa. 

Despite completing its regular season undefeated, Palos Verdes could only garner a No. 10 seed in Division 1. Nevertheless, the Sea Kings were the only Bay League team to make it out of the first round after beating Rosary 1-0 Friday. 

Palos Verdes’ season ended on a sour note, losing its first game of the season to unranked Murrieta Valley (15-5-4).  Palos Verdes finished the 2009-10 campaign with a 21-1-4 record.

The final Bay League representative, West (10-11-4), fell to Dos Pueblos 2-0 in its wild-card match. 

In Division 5, South earned a No. 2 seed and defeated Village Christian 2-0 before eliminating Ramona Convent 3-1 Wednesday. The Spartans (20-5-3)play at Warren Friday at 3 p.m. 

Pioneer runner-up El Segundo (15-5-1) held the No. 4 spot but, despite outshooting its opponent 18-3, suffered a 2-1 upset at the hands of visiting Ocean View. Torrance (11-10-2) also failed to make it out of the first round, losing at No. 9 Lakeside 3-1. 

North (13-13-1) saw its season end with a 3-2 loss at Santa Ana in a wild-card match. 

In Division 3, Chadwick (15-4-2) began its postseason beating Artesia 1-0 and Righetti 2-1. the Dolphins play at Martin Luther King Friday. 

Vistamar (17-3-1) began its Division 7 playoff run with a 2-1 victory over visiting Connelly. The team traveled to No. 4 St. Genevieve for a second-round contest but lost 2-1. 

Girls Water Polo 

Bay League champion Palos Verdes throttled Tesoro 19-5 in the first round and remained on a roll, downing Newbury Park 20-5 Saturday. The Sea Kings advanced to the semifinals where they eliminated San Clemente 9-7 . The win marks the first time the Sea Kings have reached a CIF title match in girls water polo. Palos Verdes (24-8) will face top-seeded Laguna Beach (20-5) for the CIF Division 2 championship at 2:45 p.m. Saturday at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine. 

Bay runner-up Mira Costa (14-14) traveled to South Coast runner-up Dana Hills in its first-round match but lost in triple overtime 8-7. Marissa Purcell scored five goals and Laura and Emily Milstead had one each for the Mustangs. 

Redondo concluded its season with a 9-3 victory over West in its Bay League finale. Jaycee Baldus scored three goals and Devon Cohen and Tiffany Morales added two goals each for the Sea Hawks who finished 3-6 in league and 9-14 for the season. 

Peninsula (5-14) fell to visiting Mission Viejo 12-6 in a wild-card game. 

In Division 5, Ocean League champion El Segundo (13-6) earned an 8th seed but lost to No. 9 La Habra 5-2. Torrance (19-12) played its final contest of the season last week, losing at Alta Loma 12-5 in the division’s only wild-card match. 

Prep League champion Chadwick earned the top seed in Division 6 and had little trouble defeating Cate 17-2. It was a different story for the Dolphins in their second round contest at Bonita Saturday. It appeared Chadwick’s season was over when Bonita went ahead 10-9 with just 1.6 seconds left on the clock, but Carlyn Robertson scored from mid-pool with 0.3 ticks left in regulation to send the match into not one — but five — overtime periods. 

Dana Ayoob’s goal in sudden death propelled Chadwick (20-7) into the semifinals where it lost to No. 3 Los Altos 7-4.

Wrestling 

No wrestlers from Mira Costa or Redondo finished in the top five at the CIF Inland Division Individual Championships at Fountain Valley High School, but three grapplers will represent the Bay League at the Masters Meet Friday and Saturday at Temecula High School. 

West sends two athletes to the event after Kyle Taketa (140) took 2nd and Kyle Pivovaroff (171) placed 4th. Peninsula’s Mitch Seymour qualified with a 4^th-place finish in the heavyweight division. 

In the CIF Coastal Division, North will send five wrestlers to the Masters, including champion brothers Johnson and Kenny Mai. Johnson placed 1^st in the 103-pound division and Kenny won the 112 weight class. 

Other Saxons to advance are Daniel Wada (2^nd, 119), Masato Fukushima (3^rd, 125) and Matt Wasan (3^rd, 130). 

Torrance’s Sam Lee captured first place in the 160 division while teammate Eric Carrillo finished 5^th in the 135-pound weight category. Charles Wood (285) qualified with a 5^th-place finish for South. 

Visit easyreadernews.com for updated game results. Complete brackets are available at cifss.org. ER

by Randy Angel

Mira Costa’s girls basketball team won its third consecutive Bay League crown, downing Palos Verdes 45-32 to complete an undefeated league season and earning the fifth seed in Division 1A as it enters the CIF Southern Section Toyota Championships.

Jasmine Rutledge scored a game-high 12 points while Joelle Herron and Kylie Nakamine added 10 points each for Head Coach Don Braunecker’s Mustangs, who rode a 12-game winning streak into the postseason. Mira Costa began its quest for a CIF title with a 54-23 home victory over Los Alamitos.

Jordyn Priestley was 6-of-8 on 3-point attempts, scoring a game-high 22 points for the Mustangs. Jasmine Rutledge recorded 10 points, 14 rebounds and five steals and Kylie Nakamine added 11 points.

In the second round Saturday, Priestley was held to just seven points, but nailed her second 3-pointer of the game with just eight seconds left in regulation, giving the Mustangs a 33-30 victory over visiting Chaparral.

Rutledge scored a team-high 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds and had four steals. Joelle Herron added eight points for the Mustangs.

Mira Costa (22-7) travels to Fontana Wednesday to take on No. 4 Summit (23-5) in a 7 p.m. quarterfinal contest.

Redondo clobbered West 50-19 in its Bay League finale and, coupled with Palos Verdes’ loss, finished in a second-place tie with the Sea Kings with a 7-3 league record. Ella Mason scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Michelle Lowery added eight points for the Sea Hawks.

Unfortunately for Redondo, it was the final game it would win this season, losing to eighth-ranked Long Beach Jordan 58-40 in the first round. Shayna Stuart scored 10 points to lead the Sea Hawks who finished the season with a 13-15 record.

Palos Verdes represents the Bay League as the 5th seed in Division 3A and throttled visiting hosting San Marcos 60-27 in the opening round before beating Buena Park 66-49 Saturday.

The Sea Kings (22-6) play at No. 4 Bonita (23-3) Wednesday.

West (11-17) earned an at-large bid in the same division and upset 16th-seeded Wilson of Hacienda Heights 40-38 in the first round before falling at top-seeded Santa Margarita 59-28.

In Division 2A, Peninsula (10-16) earned an at-large berth but lost to Pacific View co-champion Rio Mesa 60-55.  Pioneer co-champion South (21-9) earned the 6th seed but was upset by No. 11 Rio Mesa 63-47  after downing  Westlake 39-30 in the opening round.

Pioneer co-champion North (24-3) earned a 5th seed in Division 3AA and defeated Newport Harbor 58-41 in the first round. The Saxons went on to defeat Beckman 62-23 Saturday and will travel to No. 4 Buena (20-8) Wednesday.

Torrance (11-14) earned an at-large bid and beat Marlborough 60-48 before losing a tough battle to second-seeded Inglewood 58-52 in the second round.

In Division 4AA, Del Rey co-champion Bishop Montgomery was granted the No. 2 seed while El Segundo earned a 15th seed. Bishop Montgomery ran all over Lompoc 71-28 and El Segundo held off Ocean View 50-46 in first-round competition before the two South Bay schools faced each other at El Segundo Saturday.

The host team was no match for Bishop Montgomery, which dominated El Segundo 72-25. Bishop Montgomery (24-6) plays at Alemany (21-7) in the quarterfinals. El Segundo finished its season with a 13-15 record.

Serra, of Gardena, is the top seeded team in Division 5AA and earned an opening-round bye. The Cavaliers (21-6) ran over Ontario Christian 66-23 in the second round and host No. 9 St. Bonaventure (15-13) Wednesday.

Seeded fourth in Division 5A, Chadwick (17-9) beat Sherman Indian 61-29 and  Aquinas 49-43. The Dolphins advance to the quarterfinals where they will host No. 12 Saddleback Valley Christian (20-8).

Boys Basketball

On the final day of Bay League competition, West upset host Redondo 64-57, dropping the Sea Hawks into a third-place tie with rival Mira Costa, a 55-40 winner at Palos Verdes.

Redondo and Mira Costa finished with identical 16-10 season and 5-5 league records while Bay champion Leuzinger ran the table with a 10-0 league record and Peninsula went 6-4 to capture second place.

Redondo entered the post season as the Bay League’s No. 3 team and defeated visiting J.W. North 65-51  in the opening round of the Division 2AA playoffs. But that’s as far as the Sea Hawks would go.

After scoring 30 points in the first-round win, shooting star Jamar Cannon was held to nine points Friday and Redondo fell to visiting Murrieta Valley 58-48.

Center Dylan Irwin did his best to make up the scoring deficit, recording 16 points while adding nine rebounds and two steals, but it wasn’t enough for the Sea Hawks, who ended their season with a 17-11 record.

Mira Costa  began its quest for a Division 2A title with a 54-50 road victory over Del Rio co-champion La Serna. Elliott Ozer scored a game-high 21 points and gathered five rebounds, Thomas Johnson added 12 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks and Eric Mochalski contributed 10 points and five rebounds for Mira Costa.

The No. 10 Mustangs (18-10) kept the ball rolling Friday, beating Sergerstrom 64-57 to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2004.

Johnson played a stellar game at center scoring 20 points, grabbing 20 rebounds and blocking seven shots. Ozer added 18 points and Mochalski contributed nine points, seven rebounds and three blocks for Mira Costa, which hosts second-seeded Pasadena (22-6) Tuesday at 7 p.m.

The division’s sixth-seeded team, Peninsula (19-8), suffered an 86-83 overtime loss to visiting Villa Park in the opening round.

Leuzinger (20-6) earned the third seed in Division 1A and had little trouble defeating Lancaster 90-65 and Capistrano Valley 76-60. The Olympians host No. 11 Roosevelt (19-10) Tuesday.

Bishop Montgomery and North earned the ninth and tenth seeds, respectively, in Division 3AA. Bishop Montgomery (16-10) defeated  Artesia 56-48 and North (18-11) survived a scare, beating Buena 75-72 in overtime.

The teams weren’t so lucky in the second round. Bishop Montgomery lost at La Habra 59-52 and North fell to seventh-ranked Arroyo Grande 72-64.

Palos Verdes (9-16) represented the Bay League in Division 3A, but was no match for 2nd-seeded Harvard-Westlake, losing 79-43 in the opening round. Top-seeded Serra (27-2) began its run for a CIF title beating Servite 78-47 and  Pacifica/Garden Grove 88-53. The Cavaliers host Golden Valley in the quarterfinals.

In Division 4AA, Pioneer League representatives El Segundo and Lawndale are seeded sixth and twelfth, respectively. El Segundo (18-10) defeated No. 10 San Juan Hills 66-61 after beating Santa Paula 76-61. The Eagles play at Lutheran of Orange (21-7) Tuesday.

Lawndale (13-15) defeated host Estancia 47-36 in the first round before defeating San Luis Obispo 58-34 Friday. The Cardinals host No. 4 Bishop Amat (20-8) Tuesday.

Boys Soccer

The first round of the CIF Division 1 playoffs was brutal for the Bay League teams, with Mira Costa being the lone survivor.

Bay runner-up and ninth-seeded Mira Costa (18-2-5) edged visiting Crespi 3-2 yesterday and will face fifth-seeded Edison (20-4-2) tomorrow. Mira Costa’s second-half comeback was capped off by Mathias Gesser’s winning goal in the 59th minute. Nick Ziglio and Jake Wilson scored the first two goals for the Mustangs.

Mira Costa’s only two losses of the regular season were to Bay champion West (18-1-3, 8-1-1).  All soccer games with the exception of the final round are scheduled to start at 3 p.m.

Redondo concluded its season with a 3-1 loss to league champion West. The Sea Hawks finished 2-8 in league and 5-12 overall.

The upset of the day occurred when No. 3 West (18-2-3) lost just its second game of the season, falling at home to St. Francis 2-1.

Leuzinger (15-5-4) lost at Esperanza 2-1 while wild-card winner Palos Verdes (11-9-5) gave top-seeded Millikan all they could handle, falling to the Rams 1-0 in two overtimes.

In Division 4, Pioneer champion North (18-5-5) defeated Calvary Chapel 2-1 in overtime and advances play No. 6 Diamond Ranch (15-3-1).

El Segundo (15-6-2) saw its season shot down when host  University (13-5-1) beat the Eagles on penalty kicks 6-5 after the game ended at 2-2 in regulation.

Wild-card winner South (11-7-5) lost a 1-0 heartbreaker at No. 7 Santa Monica (14-5-3) yesterday. Bishop Montgomery (7-10-2) saw its season end with a 2-0 loss to visiting Channel Islands in Tuesday’s wild-card competition.

Vistamar (10-7), a freelance school in El Segundo, earned a berth in the Division 7 playoffs but lost to Rosamond 5-1 in the first round.

Girls Soccer

Redondo (14-6, 8-2) capped off its best season in years with a 4-2 overtime win at West. Samantha Witteman scored twice in the extra period to lead the Sea Hawks to a second place Bay League finish.

Reaching the playoffs for the first time in five seasons, Redondo  hosted Edison Friday in the opening round of the Division 1 playoffs. The scrappy Sea Hawks remained in a scoreless battle until Edison (13-5-4) scored in the 65th minute to end Redondo’s short-lived playoff run.

In a physical Bay League finale, Mira Costa tied league champion Palos Verdes 0-0. Even though the Sea Kings prevented Mira Costa from gaining its sixth straight league title, it was a moral victory for the Mustangs as they enter the postseason as the Bay League’s third-place team.

Mira Costa (16-6-3, 6-3-1) defeated Calabasas 1-0 in its wild-card match Wednesday after Alex Rosen scored the game’s lone goal in the third minute.

In the second round, Mira Costa fell behind 2-0 at the half to No. 4 Santa Margarita (17-2-3), rallying to tie the game on an Annie Curry with about one minute left. But with 10 seconds left in regulation, Santa Margarita scored to end the Mustangs season. Morgan Hilby scored the first goal for Mira Costa.

Despite completing its regular season undefeated, Palos Verdes (21-0-4) could only garner a No. 10 seed. Nevertheless, the Sea Kings are the only remaining Bay League team in the playoffs after beating Rosary 1-0 Friday.

Palos Verdes will host Murrieta Valley (15-5-4) Wednesday.

West (10-11-4) fell to Dos Pueblos 2-0 in its wild-card match.

In Division 5, South (19-5-3) earned a No. 2 seed and defeated Village Christian 2-0.  The Spartans will play at Ramona Convent (10-6-6) Wednesday.

Pioneer runner-up El Segundo (15-5-1) held the No. 4 spot but, despite outshooting its opponent 18-3, suffered a 2-1 upset at the hands of visiting Ocean View. Torrance (11-10-2) also failed to make it out of the first round, losing at  No. 9 Lakeside 3-1.

North (13-13-1) saw its season end with a 3-2 loss at Santa Ana in a wild-card match.

In Division 3, Chadwick (14-4-2) begins its postseason beating Artesia 1-0. The Dolphins host Righetti (19-6-1) Wednesday.

Vistamar (17-2-1) began its Division 7 playoff run with a 2-1 victory over visiting Connelly. The team will travel to take on No. 4 St. Genevieve in the second round Wednesday.

Girls Water Polo

In the final match of the regular season, Mira Costa held the lead four times in the first half, but couldn’t hold off Bay League champion Palos Verdes, losing to the Sea Kings 16-7. It concluded Palos Verdes’ run to a fourth straight league title, earning the Sea Kings (21-8) a No. 2 seed in the CIF Division 2 playoffs.

Palos Verdes (23-8) throttled Tesoro 19-5 yesterday and remained on a roll, downing Newbury Park 20-5 Saturday. The Sea Kings advance to the semifinals where they will play No. 3 San Clemente Wednesday at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine. The victor will play the winner of the Laguna Beach-Agoura match for the CIF Division 2 championship Saturday at the same venue.

Bay runner-up Mira Costa (14-14) traveled to South Coast runner-up Dana Hills yesterday but lost in triple overtime 8-7.

Marissa Purcell scored five goals for the Mustangs.

Redondo concluded its season with a 9-3 victory over West. Jaycee Baldus scored three goals and Devon Cohen and Tiffany Morales added two goals each for the Sea Hawks who finished 3-6 in league and 9-14 for the season.

Peninsula (5-14) fell to visiting Mission Viejo 12-6 in a wild-card game last Tuesday.

In Division 5, Ocean League champion El Segundo (13-6) earned an 8th seed but lost to No. 9 La Habra 5-2. Torrance (19-12) played its final contest of the season last Tuesday, losing at Alta Loma 12-5 in the division’s only wild-card match.

Prep League champion Chadwick earned the top seed in Division 6 and had little trouble defeating Cate 17-2.

It was a different story for the Dolphins in their second round contest at Bonita Saturday. It appeared Chadwick’s season was over when Bonita went ahead 10-9 with just 1.6 seconds left on the clock, but Carlyn Robertson scored from mid-pool with 0.3 ticks left in regulation to send the match into not one, but five overtime periods.

Dana Ayoob’s goal in sudden death propelled Chadwick (20-6) into the semifinals where it will face No. 3 Los Altos (19-4) Wednesday.

Wrestling

Nine grapplers from Mira Costa and five from Redondo qualified for the CIF Inland Division Individual Championships held last weekend at Fountain Valley High School.

Capturing first place in their respective weight divisions at the Bay League championships were Austin Phillips (112) and Tajee Mobley (135) from Mira Costa and Brennan Abramowitz (145) from Redondo.

Other Mustangs advancing to this weekend’s tournament are Weston Carico (125), Alan Hoa (130), Nathan Aquino (140), Justin Tam (152), Joshua Stern (160), Tyler Emery (171) and Edgar Herrera (189).

Sea Hawks joining Abramowitz at the individual competition are Raymond Gandara (103), Devan Robinson (119) and alternates Matt Ulizio (215) and David Feiner (285).

Visit easyreadernews.com for updated game results. Complete brackets are available at cifss.org. ER

by Paul Teetor

Cooper Pugnale, the little kid who grew up next to Live Oak Park shooting baskets every day, came off the bench Friday night to hit the two biggest shots of his life — two consecutive three pointers for a quick six to start the fourth quarter. His scoring spree capped an incredible 18-point Mira Costa comeback and ignited Fisher Gymnasium during the annual backyard brawl between the Mustangs and the Redondo Sea Hawks.

“Cooper makes me look good every time I put him in the game,” said Mira Costa coach Henry Myar of the super sophomore, now a not-yet-fully-grown 5-foot-10 point guard. “I was not surprised he hit those two shots….in another game this year he hit three three’s.”

In the end, the Mustangs out-of-nowhere rally — they had shown no signs of being ready to make a fight out of it, falling behind 48-30 mid-way through the third quarter — set the stage for a roller-coaster last two minutes in which the lead changed hands four times. Finally Redondo pulled it out, 63-58, behind the fierce athleticism of senior star Jamar Cannon, whose fourth-chance stick-back after a furious scrum under the Redondo basket made it 62-58 and sealed the Sea Hawk victory. The hard-fought win gave Redondo a tie for second place in the Bay League with Peninsula and the possibility of a higher seeding in the CIF playoffs.

“This win should help us in the playoffs, even though it’s a crazy system that I don’t really understand,” said Redondo Coach Tom Maier. “But I know the higher our ranking, the higher our seed in the playoffs.”

The inspiring Costa comeback started with some determined power moves by the Mustang’s usual leaders, 6-foot-5 senior forward Eric Mochalski and 6-foot-2 junior forward Elliott Ozer, who both scored on get-out-of-my-way drives to the rack. Then Mochalski nailed a three-pointer and Ozer ripped the ball from the hands of 6-foot-6 Redondo center Dylan Irwin and raced all the way down court to chop the huge Redondo lead down to 51-45 by the end of the third quarter. A home crowd that was just starting to keep hope alive suddenly started to believe in miracles when Pugnale lofted a high-arching shot that fell through cleanly and cut the deficit to 51-48 to start the fourth quarter. When he did it again from the same spot a minute later the packed-to-the rafters crowd went nuts. Pugnale had just capped off a 21-3 Costa run to tie the game at 51-51 with six minutes left! Even the Redondo players admitted they were shocked.

“That kid wasn’t in our scouting report,” Cannon said. “But he sure can shoot.”

Brandon Trias hit two foul shots to grab the lead back for Redondo, but Mochalski immediately countered with a power drive to tie it 53-53. Costa freshman Cole Feaster drove the lane and threw up a prayer that got answered, giving the Mustangs the lead at 55-53 and driving the decibels even higher. But Cannon, who had been shooting blanks most of the night, drilled a straight-on 3 to take the lead back at 56-55. Mochalski again drove through traffic and hit a twisting turn-around to regain Costa the lead at 57-56. Banger supreme Thomas Johnson, a 6-foot-5 junior who dominated the boards with 17 rebounds and four blocks, made it 58-56 when he grabbed a rebound and hit a foul shot with two minutes left to drive the crowd into a frenzy.

Determined to avoid repeating the disaster of a one-point loss to Peninsula earlier in the week, the Sea Hawks turned to their star, Cannon, a 6-foot guard who was the best athlete on the floor but had struggled with his shooting all night. He drove the left lane hard, drew the foul and hit two free throws to level at 58-58. Then Irwin hit a driving runner to take the lead back, 60-58.

A minute later Irwin missed two tips and Brandon Boyd missed one before Cannon leaped above a thicket or flailing arms, grabbed the ball, came back down and in one motion turned and banked in a short stick-back that sealed the deal with 35 seconds left. 

The exciting win helped Redondo salvage the night following Mira Costa’s 51-38 win in the girls game earlier in the evening. Costa opened with an 11-0 run and maintained control all the way.

After his late burst, Cannon finished with 16 points to lead Redondo. Irwin finished with 14 points and Brandon Trias had 10 for Redondo. Mochalski had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Elliott Ozer had 13 points and seven rebounds for Mira Costa (15-9, 4-4).

Both teams suffered defeats Tuesday. While Redondo (16-9, 5-4) was losing to Leuzinger 79-50, Mira Costa (15-10, 4-5) dropped its game at Peninsula 70-63. Leuzinger (18-6, 9-0) are ranked No. 3 in Division 1A and Redondo is No. 11 in Division 2AA. In Division 2A, Peninsula (19-6, 6-3) is ranked No. 5 and Mira Costa holds the No. 7 spot.

The Bay League season concludes today with Redondo hosting West (6-19, 2-7) and Mira Costa playing at Palos Verdes (9-15, 1-9). ER

by Randy Angel
Former Redondo High baseball lettermen are invited to dust off their gloves and cleats, grab a bat and join fellow Sea Hawk players and supporters at the program’s annual baseball game to be held Saturday, Feb. 27 at Memorial Stadium.
The popular Home Run Derby begins the day’s activities at 9 a.m., where the only Pay-to-Play event will offer players a chance to relive their glory days by purchasing five swings for $10 or 10 cuts for $20. Re-buys will be allowed if time permits.
The top two contestants square off at 11:15 a.m. to determine the 2010 champion. Daniel Sanchez (class of ’91) won last year’s competition.
Players will be able to shake the rust loose when Coach Bob Martin holds batting practice at 11:30 a.m. The Alumni vs. Varsity game will follow at 1 p.m. Festivities conclude with a party at Hennessey’s, 1712 S. Catalina, at 6 p.m.
Entrance to the Home Run Derby and Alumni Game is free to students. A $5 donation is requested for adults.
RUHS has a long tradition on the diamond, fielding its first baseball team in 1915. To honor the players and coaches who helped build the tradition of the program, for the second year Diamond Yards Engraved Bricks are being sold for the Seahawk Baseball Wall of Fame.
Each brick can be engraved with up to three lines and will be used to re-brick the face of the first base dugout (now the home dugout). Bricks may be purchased online or at the brick table next to the snack stand throughout the day of the game.
To register for any of the Alumni Game activities or to place your order for the Wall of Fame project, visit www.leaguelineup.com/redondounionbaseball or call Coach Bob Martin at 310-567-4405 for additional information. ER

by Randy Angel
Mira Costa’s girls basketball team kept its undefeated league season alive Tuesday with a 53-39 win over Peninsula. Joelle Herron led the charge scoring 13 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking five shots.
The Mustangs are ranked No. 5 in Division 1A while the Bay League second-place team, Palos Verdes, holds the No. 2 spot in Division 3A. Mira Costa (18-7, 9-0) plays at Palos Verdes (20-5, 7-2) today at 6 p.m. in the league finale for both teams.
Seedings for the CIF Southern Section will be announced Sunday. Post-season action begins Wednesday.
Last Friday, the Lady Mustangs beat their rivals from Redondo for the second time in Bay League action, jumping out to an 11-0 lead in a 51-38 victory. Jordyn Priestley scored 15 points, Jasmine Rutledge added 14 and Joelle Herron tallied 10 for Mira Costa.
Redondo (12-14, 6-3) remained in the playoff hunt with a 60-36 victory over winless Leuzinger Tuesday. Ella Mason had a team-high 16 points and seven rebounds and Riki Murakami added 10 points for the Sea Hawks.
Prior to its loss to Mira Costa, Redondo beat Peninsula 55-48 which kept them in second place. Ella Mason had 15 points and 12 rebounds in the win.
The Sea Hawks host West today at 6 p.m.

Boys Soccer
Mira Costa (17-2-4, 7-2) plays at Palos Verdes (10-8-4, 3-3-3) today at 3 p.m. to wrap up Bay League competition. Palos Verdes surprised West Tuesday, tying the Warriors 0-0 in overtime. Mira Costa meanwhile was shutting out Peninsula 3-0 with goals by Andrew Macedo, Brent Boggs and Charlie Pitts.
West is ranked No. 3 and Mira Costa is No. 9 in the Division 1 poll.
Mira Costa dropped into second place last week with a 2-1 loss to West. Giovanni Navas scored the lone goal for the Mustangs.
Mira Costa clinched at least second place Monday with a 2-0 victory over Redondo. Boggs and Conner Henderson scored goals for the Mustangs.
Redondo concludes its Bay League season playing the role of spoiler when it faces West today. A Sea Hawk win would give Mira Costa a chance at the league title.
The Sea Hawks fell to Peninsula 1-0 last week in what was the Panthers first league win this season.

Girls Soccer
Redondo clinched its first playoff berth in six seasons with a 1-0 victory over Mira Costa, the Sea Hawks second win over their rival this season. Daniela Mattucci scored the game’s only goal in the 64th minute and Lydia Rutz was stellar in the net, making five saves for Redondo.
Jazmin Ponce scored two goals to lead Redondo (12-5, 7-2) to an 8-0 rout of Leuzinger Tuesday. The Sea Hawks play West today.
Mira Costa (14-4-1, 5-3) hosts Palos Verdes (20-0-3, 9-0) today at 3 p.m. Sea Kings are ranked No. 9 in Division 1.

Girls Water Polo
Mira Costa played at Palos Verdes yesterday and will find out Sunday where the team is seeded in the playoffs. Palos Verdes is ranked No. 2 in the Division 2 poll.
Led by Laura Milstead and Marissa Purcell, who scored three goals each, the Mustangs defeated Redondo 10-3 last week. Melissa Scholz added two goals in the win. ER

by Randy Angel
When Mira Costa and Redondo square off this week in the second of two Bay League meetings, the contests in nearly every sport will have playoff implications, adding fuel to the always heated rivalry.
On the hardwood, the Mustangs and Sea Hawks are in a battle for second place in boys basketball, each team doing its best to stay close to Bay leader Leuzinger. Mira Costa will seek to avenge an earlier 70-56 loss to Redondo when it hosts its rival tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. following the girls game at 6 p.m.
The Mustangs hosted West Tuesday after falling to Leuzinger 83-69 last Friday to open the second half of league play. Thomas Johnson led Mira Costa with 24 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots and Eric Mochalski added 13 points in the loss.
Mira Costa is ranked No. 7 in the CIF Southern Section Division poll while Redondo is No. 9 in Division 2AA. Leuzinger remains at No. 3 in Division 1A.
Redondo hosted Peninsula (No. 6 in Division 2A) Tuesday after Dylan Irwin moved the Sea Hawks one game ahead of Mira Costa with a blocked shot in the waning seconds of Redondo’s 49-47 victory over Palos Verdes last Friday. Brandon Boyd scored 14 points and Jamar Cannon tallied 12 points and gathered 10 rebounds for Redondo.
The Sea Hawks host Bishop Montgomery Saturday at 7 p.m. in a non-league contest. The Knights are ranked No. 11 in Division 3AA.
Redondo returns to league action Tuesday with another chance to knock off Leuzinger. A road win over the highly-ranked league favorite may warrant a higher seeding in the playoffs.
Mira Costa travels to Peninsula Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. game.
Other local teams ranked in the top ten are No. 1 Serra (Gardena) in Division 3A, North (10th, Div. 3AA), El Segundo (6th, Div. 4AA) and Lawndale (8th, Div. 4AA).

Girls Basketball
Mira Costa emerged from the first half of Bay League action undefeated and continued its winning ways with a 70-33 onslaught over Leuzinger. Jordyn Priestley led the charge with 14 points. Taby Anderson added 12 points, Joelle Herron scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Ashley Reece contributed 10 points and nine rebounds for the Mustangs who hosted West Tuesday.
Mira Costa is ranked No. 5 in Division 1A and hosts Redondo tomorrow at 6 p.m. The Mustangs defeated the Sea Hawks 40-29 in the first league meeting between the rivals.

Redondo moved into a second-place tie with Palos Verdes (No. 3 in Division 3A) after defeating the Sea Kings 37-36 Friday. Riki Murakami hit her third 3-pointer of the game with 15 seconds remaining in regulation to give the Sea Hawks the victory. Rachel Wilton had a team-high 11 points for Redondo.
The Sea Hawks play at Leuzinger Tuesday while Mira Costa travels to Peninisula.
Other local teams earning top ten rankings include South (6th, Div. 2A), North (5th, Div. 3AA), Bishop Montgomery (2nd, Div. 4AA) and Chadwick (4th, Div. 5A).

Boys Soccer
Mira Costa hosted West Tuesday in a key Bay League match. West, who is ranked No. 4 in Division 1, won the first of the two meetings 2-1, handing the Mustangs its only league loss entering the contest. Mira Costa holds the No. 6 spot in the Division 1 poll.
Dylan Cleland scored in the 58th minute to give Mira Costa a 1-0 victory at Leuzinger, keeping the Mustangs in the race for at least a share of the league title.
Mira Costa hosts Redondo tomorrow at 3 p.m. The Sea Hawks hosted Peninsula Tuesday after winning its second league game last Friday with a 2-1 victory over Palos Verdes. After Gonzalo Bazan scored a first-half goal, Michael Lunny scored in the 72nd minute to give Redondo the much needed win.
League action continues Tuesday with Mira Costa traveling to Peninsula and Redondo going to Leuzinger for 3 p.m. matches.

Girls Soccer
Mira Costa’s chances for a sixth-straight Bay League championship are growing slim as Palos Verdes keeps winning. The Sea Kings (No. 10 in Division 1) defeated the Mustangs 1-0 in overtime last week before Mira Costa played at West Tuesday.
The Mustangs travel to Redondo tomorrow for a 3 p.m. match. In the first round of league play, Redondo beat Mira Costa for the first time in six seasons. The Sea Hawks scored a moral victory last Friday in a 2-1 loss at Palos Verdes. When Redondo jumped out to a 1-0 lead, it marked the first time this season that Palos Verdes had trailed in a game.
After tomorrow’s rivalry game, Mira Costa hosts Peninsula and Redondo hosts Leuzinger. Both matches are scheduled for 3 p.m.
Other girls soccer teams ranked in the CIF top ten are Chadwick (10th, Div. 3), South (2nd, Div. 5) and El Segundo (4th, Div. 5).

Girls Water Polo
Mira Costa and Redondo faced each other yesterday in a rematch of last Friday’s contest when Mira Costa defeated its rival 12-5.
Katelyn DeCoste and Marissa Purcell each scored three goals while Jaycee Baldus led Redondo with two goals.
Mira Costa remained one game behind Palos Verdes beating Peninsula 11-4 Monday behind Purcell’s four goals. Laura Milstead scored twice for the Mustangs.
Bay League frontrunner Palos Verdes is ranked No. 2 in Division 2. El Segundo is 8th in Division 5 and Chadwick is 2nd in the Division 6 poll. ER

Redondo’s Michelle Epp battles Chelsea Strange during the Sea Hawk’s 1-0 upset over five-time defending Bay League champion Mira Costa. Photo by Ray Vidal

 

by Randy Angel

Redondo’s girls soccer team defeated Mira Costa for the first time in six seasons, dropping the Mustangs into a second-place tie with the Sea Hawks behind Palos Verdes. Jazmin Ponce scored the lone goal of the match on a free kick in the 38^th minute. It marked the first goal surrendered by Mira Costa in Bay League play this season.

Coach Patty Perkinson’s Mira Costa team must rebound from the upset loss after the team defeated Peninsula 1-0 Friday, marking the Mustang’s ninth shutout in its 11 wins. Morgan Hilby scored the lone goal against the Panthers. Mira Costa traveled to take on undefeated Palos Verdes Tuesday.

The Mustangs continue league action hosting Leuzinger tomorrow before playing at West Tuesday. Both matches are scheduled to 3 p.m. Mira Costa defeated Leuzinger 7-0 and West 2-0 in the first meeting of league play.

Redondo prepares for back-to-back 3 p.m. road matches with Palos Verdes tomorrow and Peninsula Tuesday.

Boys Basketball

Host Redondo jumped out to a 21-15 lead with 5:39 remaining in the first half, but couldn’t hold its lead against Leuzinger, who defeated the Sea Hawks 74-40 in a game that determined first place in the Bay League.

Jamar Cannon scored 11 points, including three 3-pointers, in the first quarter but Leuzinger held the high-scoring guard to four points the remainder of the contest to win its ninth game in a row and secure its No. 3 ranking in the CIF Southern Section Division 1A poll. Despite the loss, Redondo retained its No. 10 ranking in Division 2AA.

Brandon Boyd added eight points for the Sea Hawks who played at West Tuesday. Redondo hosts Palos Verdes tomorrow and Peninsula Tuesday in the second of two league contests. The Sea Hawks defeated Palos Verdes 60-42 in the league opener for both teams before being upset at Peninsula 67-59. Peninsula is ranked No. 8 in Division 2A.

Mira Costa, ranked No. 7 in Division 2A, moved into a second-place tie with Redondo, Peninsula and West with a thrilling 56-53 victory over Peninsula Friday.

Eric Mochalski nailed a 3-point shot with 12.8 seconds remaining in regulation to lift the Mustangs to their second league victory.

Thomas Johnson, who tied the game with a free throw, led Mira Costa with 13 points, 11 rebounds and eights blocks while Mochalski finished with 12 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots.

Mira Costa begins the second round against Bay League opponents tomorrow when the Mustangs travel to Leuzinger before hosting West Tuesday. Both games start at 7:30 p.m. Mira Costa fell to Leuzinger 90-71 and beat West 56-53 in the first meeting between the schools.

Girls Basketball

Coach Don Braunecker’s Mira Costa squad beat Peninsula 63-40 last Friday before hosting Palos Verdes Tuesday in a battle between the two remaining undefeated teams in the Bay League. The Mustangs entered the game ranked No. 5 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1A poll and had outscored their opponents 1,007-885 this season. Palos Verdes holds the No. 2 slot in the Division 3A rankings.

Joelle Herron led Mira Costa to its victory over Peninsula with 16 points. Jordyn Priestley scored 15 points and Kylie Nakamine added eight points and six rebounds.

The Lady Mustangs travel to Leuzinger tomorrow and host West Tuesday. Both games tip off at 6 p.m.

Redondo topped Leuzinger 47-32 Friday to remain in the playoff hunt. Ella Mason had 14 points and seven rebounds for the Sea Hawks who begin the second round of league action hosting Palos Verdes tomorrow and Peninsula Tuesday.

Redondo looks to avenge a 52-38 league-opening loss to Palos Verdes. The Sea Hawks defeated Peninsula 37-32 in the first meeting between the schools.

Boys Soccer

Mira Costa remains in the race for the Bay League title after shutting out visiting Peninsula 3-0 Friday and Redondo 1-0 Monday. Joe Valenzuula scored the game’s only goal in the 17^th minute to lead the Mustangs past rival Redondo and Indheca Wycoff scored two goals and Chijioke Aranotu added one in the Mustangs win over Peninsula. Mira Costa is ranked No. 7 in the CIF Southern Section Division poll.

Mira Costa plays at Leuzinger tomorrow to open the second round of Bay League competition. The Mustangs look to avenge their only loss of the season when they host West Tuesday in a 3 p.m. match. West squeaked out a 2-1 victory over Mira Costa January 15 and is ranked No. 4 in Division 1.

Despite Alex Matei’s two goals, Redondo dropped to 1-2 in the Bay League after losing to Leuzinger 4-2 Friday. The Sea Hawks host Palos Verdes tomorrow and travel to Peninsula Tuesday for 3 p.m. matches.

Girls Water Polo

After defeating Newport Harbor (No. 2 in Division 1) for the first time, Palos Verdes refused to let what many consider the biggest win in the program’s history interfere with the team’s focus as the Sea Kings defeated Mira Costa 11-6 Tuesday.

Palos Verdes (16-5, 4-0) remained atop the Division 2 rankings while handing Mira Costa (6-6, 3-1) its first loss in Bay League action.

Laura Milstead led the Mustangs with three goals while Marissa Purcell added two scores and Summer Flanders had one.

Redondo comes to the Mustang’s campus tomorrow for a noon contest to make up a postponed game and returns Wednesday for a 3 p.m. showdown between the rival schools. Sandwiched in between is Mira Costa’s 3 p.m. Monday match with visiting Peninsula.

Redondo won its first league match last Friday with a 15-2 victory over West. Julia Uriarte scored five goals and Tiifany Morales added four tallies for the Sea Hawks.

Uriarte continued her scoring streak with five goals Monday in leading Redondo (8-9, 2-1) to a 12-10 win at Peninsula. Jaycee Baldus added four goals for the Sea Hawks who played at Palos Verdes yesterday.

Wrestling

Mira Costa and Redondo dropped their second league matches. The Mustangs (1-1) fell to defending Bay League champion West 66-12. Justin Tam (152) and Alan Hoa (130) had pins for Mira Costa.

The Mustangs host Peninsula today at 3 p.m.

Redondo (0-2) was defeated by Peninsula 57-18. Devan Robinson (125) and Blake Harris (160) had pins for the Sea Hawks who host West today at 5 p.m. The Warriors are ranked No. 5 in CIF Division 5. ER

by Randy Angel
After Mira Costa’s girls basketball team thwarted a Redondo comeback with a 40-29 victory over the Sea Hawks Tuesday at Redondo, the Redondo’s boys team used a 10-4 run to open the fourth quarter in its game, increasing its 44-41 lead to defeat Mira Costa 70-46.
Brandon Boyd appears to have fully recovered from the anterior cruciate ligament surgery that sidelined him most of the football season. Boyd led Redondo (13-5, 2-1) with 21 points while Brandon Trias added 13 points and Jamar Cannon scored 13 points.
The win sets up a showdown with league favorite Leuzinger (12-6. 3-0) in a 7:30 p.m. game tomorrow at Redondo. Leuzinger is ranked No. 3 in Division 1A while Redondo holds the tenth spot in Division 2AA. The Sea Hawks continue Bay League action Tuesday when they host Palos Verdes at 7:30 p.m.
Mira Costa’s Elliott Ozer scored a game-high 23 points and gathered 10 rebounds for the Mustangs, but it wasn’t enough for the seventh-ranked team in Division 2A. Eric Mochalski had 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists and Thomas Johnson added 12 points and 10 rebounds for Mira Costa.
The Mustangs (12-7, 1-2) continue league action hosting Peninsula tomorrow and Palos Verdes Tuesday. Both games are slated for 7:30 p.m.

Girls Basketball
Coach Don Braunecker’s Mustangs hold a 12-7 season record and are 2-0 in the Bay League, earning a No. 5 ranking in Division 1A. Mira Costa hosts Peninsula tomorrow and Palos Verdes Tuesday in Bay League contests. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. Palos Verdes is ranked No. 3 in Division 3A.
Kylie Nakamine scored a game-high 13 points to lead Mira Costa to its 40-29 victory over the scrappy Sea Hawks while Jordyn Priestley and Joelle Herron scored seven points each for the Mustangs.
Prior to the loss on Tuesday, Redondo had evened its league record at 1-1 after defeating host Peninsula 37-32. The Lady Sea Hawks host Leuzinger tomorrow before traveling to West Tuesday. Both games are slated to begin at 6 p.m.

Boys Soccer
The Mira Costa-Redondo soccer games scheduled for Tuesday were postponed due to the heavy storms.
In a match-up of undefeated and highly-ranked Division 1 teams, No. 7 Mira Costa fell to No. 4 West 2-1 last Friday after sophomore Andy Macedo had tied the score for the Mustangs.
Mira Costa hosts Peninsula tomorrow and Palos Verdes Tuesday in Bay League contests. Both games are scheduled for 3 p.m.
Redondo snapped a 17-match Bay League winless streak with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory at Peninsula Friday, evening its record at 1-1. Jorge Flores and Alex Matei scored goals for the Sea Hawks.

Girls Soccer
Mira Costa shutout West 2-0 for its second league victory last Friday. Annika Volbert and Kelsey Braunecker scored goals for the Mustangs, who will travel to Peninsula tomorrow and Palos Verdes Tuesday for 3 p.m. games.
Redondo evened its record at 1-1 after beating Peninsula 2-0 behind Jazmin Ponce’s two second-half goals. ER