Ensign rallies for title

The Ensign seventh-grade girls’ basketball team ended its season with a bang, defeating unbeaten Dwyer, 24-23, in the Coastal Athletic League tournament championship game Thursday.

Trailing most of the game and down 12 points to start the fourth quarter, Ensign staged a remarkable comeback. Kaitlynn Bell started the scoring with two quick baskets. Mackenzie Gaddis added two other baskets to cut the lead, and Sammie Yeager later helped seal the victory with her clutch free throws. Ensign outscored Dwyer, 17-4, in the fourth quarter and were led by the outstanding team defense of Ali Bonds, Carlee Kapana, Brooke Zachary and Rachel Whitelegge.

CdM wins title too

The Corona del Mar eighth-grade girls’ basketball team won the Coast Athletic League championship Thursday at Ensign Intermediate.

The 30-24 victory against a tough Dwyer team, marked the first time in school history that a CdM girls’ junior high basketball team has won back to back basketball championships. The same team won the 2008 Coast Athletic championship as seventh-graders.

After a tough loss in its first game of the season, the CdM girls rang off eight straight victories en route to the title. The team included: Elizabeth Russell, Molly Keasey, Katie Scott, Chanel Wosoughkia, Jamie Smith, Kendall Mulvaney, Sabrina Smith, Eliza Clark, Hannah Bagdasar, Sabrina Roy and Rebekah Lewis.

SOCCER

AYSO Region 97

Girls Under 12

Green Hornets 2, Purple Elephants 1: The game was a battle between the defenses, until Juliana Eifler scored for the Green Hornets midway through the second quarter. Carly Van Oostendorp, Lexi Van Oostendorp, Holly Halperin, Olivia Blanda, Mackenzie Mowery, Ashley Obuljian, Breelyn Viloria, Kylee Seeber, Haley Datt, Amanada Cox, Chloe Hyde and Kailey Hambek provided great offense and defense. Lani Kerrigan had two critical saves in goal. With two minutes left in the game, Jessalyn Andres buried a goal for a 2-1 victory.

Green Hornets 1, Blue Triangles 0: In the third quarter, Eifler scored a goal for the Green Hornets. Kerrigan and Halperin had some great saves as goalkeepers. Great defense by Andres, Seeber and Hyde kept the Blue Triangles from scoring. Hambek, Cox, Datt, Viloria, Obuljen, Mowery, Carly and Lexi Van Oostendorp all made great offensive plays.

Boys Under 12