But Newport Harbor (7-3, 3-2 in league) didn’t receive one of the league’s three automatic postseason berths.
Esperanza upset Edison, 16-3, at Orange Coast College Friday, forcing a five-team tie at 3-2 atop the league standings. A drawing was held later that night to determine the league’s three playoff representatives.
Newport Harbor wasn’t one of the three schools chosen at Edison High’s weight room.
Esperanza (7-3, 3-2) received the league’s No. 1 entry, followed by Fountain Valley (7-3, 3-2) at No. 2, and Los Alamitos (8-2, 3-2) at No. 3. Newport Harbor beat Esperanza and Los Alamitos this year.
But Edison (7-3, 3-2) was the first to receive at-large consideration because the Chargers defeated Newport Harbor. The Chargers were ranked No. 6 in last week’s Pac-5 Division poll. Edison was denied the division’s lone at-large berth.
Newport Harbor’s season is over, even though it shares the league crown with four other teams. This is the school’s first league title since 2005, when the Sailors won the Sea View League.
It’s the Sailors’ first Sunset League title since 1974. The Sailors played in the Sunset League from 1967-1980 and rejoined it in 2006.
• In a regular-season finale for the Orange Coast League championship, Costa Mesa High came out rusty Friday.
“We were off for two weeks,” Coach Jeremy Osso said.
It showed in the opening quarter as Laguna Beach scored the game’s first 22 points before the Mustangs battled back at Estancia High.
Defense and the ability to run the ball in the last three quarters helped Costa Mesa pull off a 38-30 comeback win, clinching the program’s first outright league title since 2002.
