Cmhs

On a blistering hot day in Costa Mesa last week I addressed a group of football players at Costa Mesa High School that were far younger and smaller than my normal football audiences. They have been participating in a uniquely beneficial program designed to broaden their horizons. Katrina Foley, a parent with a son on the team, created a speakers series to bring experts from the world of football and other disciplines on campus to share their wisdom and experience. The players reminded me of my own early years in Los Angeles.

The Costa Mesa High School cheer team took top honors over the weekend at the Best of the West Cheer and Dance Invitational in The Pyramid at Cal State Long Beach. The Mustangs won first place and were named division champions, according to an email from CMHS Cheer Coach Kori Johnson. "The team won a trophy, individual medals and a championship banner and this year's title of Best of the West," Johnson wrote. The event was sponsored by U.S. Spiritleaders Cheer and Dance Competition.

BOYS' BASKETBALL Costa Mesa 72, Yucca Valley 43 TEMECULA — Nick Hefner scored 26 points to lead the Mustangs to a third-place finish in the Linfield Cage Classic Friday at Linfield Christian. Sean Comer added 16 points, six rebounds and five assists for Costa Mesa (9-5). Hefner and Nick Dawson were named to the all-tournament team. The Mustangs play host to Garden Grove Wednesday at 7 p.m. * GIRLS' BASKETBALL Newport Harbor 33, Costa Mesa 24 COSTA MESA — Cierra Haas came off the bench to score 11 points and grab eight rebounds for the Sailors in a consolation game of the Costa Mesa tournament Friday.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL Costa Mesa 61, Crean Lutheran 40 The Mustangs began their season opener with a 21-2 run in the first quarter en route to the win Tuesday night at Costa Mesa High. Jacqueline Guerrero led Costa Mesa (1-0) with 17 points, while Olivia Oritz and Alexa Loredo added seven points each. Sheena Reskey and Ebelin Roman scored six points each for Costa Mesa. — Newport Harbor 40, Laguna Beach 31 Jennifer Lopez scored 17 points to lead the Sailors in their season opener at Newport Harbor Tuesday night.

BOYS' BASKETBALL Costa Mesa 60, San Juan Hills 51 ANAHEIM — Sean Comer scored 21 points and Kyle Hefner added 18 to help the Mustangs win their pool at the Godinez tournament on Wednesday at Loara High. The Mustangs (2-0) play Fountain Valley in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 6:15 p.m. — Estancia 68, Rancho Alamitos 56 GARDEN GROVE — Senior Josh Mendoza had 32 points, including five three-pointers, to help the Eagles win their pool at the Garden Grove tournament on Wednesday.

Jason Smith has stepped down as the baseball coach at Costa Mesa High after one season, said Jim Kiefer, the boys' athletic director, on Thursday. Kiefer said Smith resigned last week because Smith plans to relocate his family to Texas. Under Smith, the Mustangs finished in last place in the Orange Coast League with a 2-13 record. Costa Mesa, which went 4-20 overall, missed the CIF Southern Section playoffs for the second straight season. Kiefer said Costa Mesa plans to hire a coach in the summer.

COSTA MESA - For three quarters of the Battle for the Bell boys' basketball rivalry game at Estancia High, it wasn't much of a battle. These games between the Eagles and Costa Mesa tend to favor the Eagles whenever they are at home. The home team this time around was outhustled, outplayed, outrebounded and outscored. Not much was going right for the Eagles before the start of the fourth quarter on Wednesday. That five-game winning streak at home against the Mustangs seemed over, until they made one last run. A 17-point deficit at the start of the final quarter was trimmed to four with 72 seconds left.

There were events that involved Costa Mesa High School cheer or athletics when Sue Ross would show what she was all about: amazing, loyal and loving. "She would say, 'I am doing chemo in the morning, but I can be there by 3,'" said Kori Johnson, the Costa Mesa cheer coach. "Or she would say, 'I'm getting a blood transfusion, but I can be there later in the day.'" Ross, a Costa Mesa booster whose two daughters are on the school's cheer squad, died of cancer Sunday morning at age 53. She is survived by her husband, Kea, and their two daughters, Andrea and Allie.

The Costa Mesa High School cheer team took top honors over the weekend at the Best of the West Cheer and Dance Invitational in The Pyramid at Cal State Long Beach. The Mustangs won first place and were named division champions, according to an email from CMHS Cheer Coach Kori Johnson. "The team won a trophy, individual medals and a championship banner and this year's title of Best of the West," Johnson wrote. The event was sponsored by U.S. Spiritleaders Cheer and Dance Competition.

Brandi White seems to keep spraining her ankle on the soccer field. She has tweaked it three times this season. The last time was two days before Estancia High returned from the holiday break. She went down during an alumni match on Jan. 4. Coach Jessica Perry tried to keep her talented sophomore off her feet during the last 10 days. Perry let White return to action on Tuesday. White ended up helping the Eagles get off on the right foot in Orange Coast League play. She used the foot that's right to produce two goals, lifting the Eagles to a 2-0 victory against rival Costa Mesa at Jim Scott Stadium.

BOYS' BASKETBALL Costa Mesa 58, Torrance 44 DESERT HOT SPRINGS - Senior shooting guard Kyle Hefner finished with 19 points and four three-pointers in the Mustangs' opener in the Fairfield Division of the MaxPreps Holiday Classic at Desert Hot Springs High on Thursday. Sean Comer had 11 points and seven assists for Costa Mesa (8-4). Quinton Bell finished with nine points, 13 rebounds, four blocks and three steals, while Mason Tufuga added 12 points and 10 rebounds.

GIRLS' WATER POLO Costa Mesa 12, Tustin 10 Lauren Smith had eight goals and five steals for the Mustangs in Tuesday's nonleague victory at home. Bridgette Smitheram and Melissa Folkerts each had two goals for Costa Mesa (5-6). Antonia Velasquez made seve saves. The Mustangs open play in the Lil' Pickle Classic tournament at home Thursday at 4 p.m., against Etiwanda. — BOYS' BASKETBALL Garden Grove 59, Estancia 48 CYPRESS — Senior Josh Mendoza had 20 points and junior Caena McReynolds added 12 for the Eagles in consolation play at the Oxford Academy tournament on Tuesday at Oxford Academy.

“The best sister and aunt ever,” Jodi Palmblade died unexpectedly November 23, 2013 after falling while preparing to attend a community volunteer event. Jodi was born April 29, 1956 and moved to Costa Mesa in 1959.  She was valedictorian of her 1974 CMHS class, and graduated from UCI with both a B.A. (1978) and M.B.A. (1979).  While at UCI she joined Delta Gamma Fraternity where she served as president, and was a founding member of the Newport-South Coast alumnae group where she especially enjoyed working with the collegians at UCI. Jodi began volunteering as a teenager, organizing “Teenagers Against Dystrophy” in support of the Muscular Dystrophy telethon, a cause close to her heart as her brother suffered from the disease.  She was a 32-year member of the Junior League of Orange County and could always be counted on to take on any task and see it through to successful completion.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL Costa Mesa 61, Crean Lutheran 40 The Mustangs began their season opener with a 21-2 run in the first quarter en route to the win Tuesday night at Costa Mesa High. Jacqueline Guerrero led Costa Mesa (1-0) with 17 points, while Olivia Oritz and Alexa Loredo added seven points each. Sheena Reskey and Ebelin Roman scored six points each for Costa Mesa. — Newport Harbor 40, Laguna Beach 31 Jennifer Lopez scored 17 points to lead the Sailors in their season opener at Newport Harbor Tuesday night.

The cheerleaders from Costa Mesa High along with cheerleaders from Costa Mesa Middle School competed in their first competition of the season this past weekend and earned great success. The varsity team from CMHS defeated Newport Harbor, Olympian, Workman, Valley, Sonora, and San Marcos. The CMHS team earned a 94.5 total score earning it not only division champions but also highest score out of all high schools and highest score for the entire competition. In the varsity stunt group competition, Jazzy Jaime, Saydi Wright, Karly Brumbaugh, Alexis Dasca and Olivia Levalley beat two stunt teams from Newport Harbor and won first place.

Costa Mesa (4-3, 2-0) vs. Saddleback (0-7, 0-2) When/where: Saturday, 1 p.m. at Segerstrom High Key Mustangs: Sr. RB-MLB-KR Oronde Crenshaw (924 yards and 11 TDs on 120 carries, three kickoffs for TDs); Sr. TE-DL Joseph Quiroz (58 tackles, 5 1/2 sacks); Sr. DE Edgar Molina (41 tackles, four sacks) Key Roadrunners: Sr. RB-OLB Antonio Soto (569 yards and eight TDs on 102 carries); Sr. RB-CB Isiah Franks (400 yards and seven TDs on 59 carries); Jr. LB Chris Rios (59 tackles, three sacks)