Dolphins

Killer Whales are one of the fastest creatures in the ocean, traveling up to 30 miles per hour, and this past Saturday the Newport Hills Killer Whales certainly needed all of their speed to overcome the determined Lake Forest II Dolphins, 673.50-593.50 in South Coast Swim Conference action. Newport Hills was led by their 7-8 girls, 9-10 boys and 13-14 boys in its victory over the Dolphins. All groups won both their medley and freestyle relays, as well as all five individual events within their age groups: for the 7-8 girls that was the 25-yard freestyle, 25 breaststroke, 25 butterfly, 25 backstroke and 50 free, while for the 9-10 boys and the 13-14 boys it was the freestyle, breaststroke, fly, back and individual medley.

For a video, click here. For a photo gallery, click here. COSTA MESA — The soccer ball bounced off the foot of a girl named Grace and it floated into the upper right portion of the net. Pure joy followed. Loud cheers from little girls amid gasps from adults were heard as Carden Hall celebrated a championship that could be described as improbable. Yet, on the other hand, it seemed fitting, graceful even, that the Eagles won the girls’ third- and fourth-grade gold division title on penalty kicks against Andersen a year after losing to the Dolphins in a shootout.

For a video, click here. For a photo gallery, click here. COSTA MESA — These two girls’ soccer teams met at a younger age, a different time two years ago. Things sure don’t change whenever Andersen and Pegasus compete for a Daily Pilot Cup gold division championship. The two played Sunday afternoon in another hard-fought match. And Andersen outlasted Pegasus again, winning on penalty kicks, 4-1, after the fifth- and sixth-grade gold division title was tied, 2-2, in regulation.

For a video, click here. For a photo gallery click here. COSTA MESA — These two girls’ soccer teams met at a younger age, a different time two years ago. Things sure don’t change whenever Andersen and Pegasus compete for a Daily Pilot Cup gold division championship. The two played Sunday afternoon in another hard-fought match. And Andersen outlasted Pegasus again, winning on penalty kicks, 4-1, after the fifth- and sixth-grade gold division title was tied, 2-2, in regulation.

For a video, click here. For a photo gallery, click here. COSTA MESA — It was a tough fight in the gold division quarterfinals for girls’ fifth- and sixth-grade teams at the Daily Pilot Cup. Andersen and Harbor Day, almost perfectly matched teams at the start of the day, pushed each other hard for the whole game but when the dust settled, Andersen pulled through with a 4-2 win. At the start of the game, it looked like Harbor...

For a video, click here. For a photo gallery, click here. COSTA MESA — Carden Hall started off the game nearly scoring a goal, but it was Andersen who notched a 2-0 victory at Friday’s fifth- and sixth-grade girls’ gold division game at the Costa Mesa Farm Complex. The Dolphins are no strangers to winning at the Daly Pilot Cup. They’re vying for their third straight title in the gold division. Some of the girls on the team played on last year’s Andersen squad that won the championship for a seventh straight time in the girls’ third- and fourth-grade gold division.

NEWPORT COAST — The last time Sage Hill School played host to Chadwick in the playoffs, the opposing coach from the school in Palos Verdes Peninsula talked a lot afterward. Michael Cass said very little after Friday night’s CIF Southern Section Division V quarterfinal match. Cass walked off the volleyball court visibly upset. What transpired on the floor was a first in the usual postseason battles between these two boys’ programs the past four years. No team had beaten the other so badly in a quarterfinal match.

CORONA DEL MAR — Melissa Matsuoka now could let go of her racquet. She grabbed her right wrist and placed an ice bag on top of it Wednesday. Standing nearby was Corona del Mar High girls’ tennis coach Brian Ricker. Matsuoka walked over and asked him if she could take the next day off. “It’s up to you,” Ricker said. Matsuoka didn’t need an excuse. Ricker saw her wrist, the one helping her swing away. She earned today off after her stellar play against Dana Hills, ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section Division I coaches’ poll.

CORONA DEL MAR — A total team effort. That’s what most would call Harbor View Swim Team’s championship performance Saturday in the South Coast Swim Conference finals. But if one looks deeper into the heart of the effort, the main reason will be found, or at least an obvious example of that teamwork vibe. A handful swimmers of the Harbor View girls’ 15-18 division played in a club water polo tournament in Manhattan Beach on Saturday morning then went to compete in the season-ending SCSC finals at Corona del Mar High.