La Habra

Patrick Laverty The difference between Nos. 4 and 7 is a lot greater than three. Corona del Mar High's football team, ranked seventh in CIF Southern Section Division IX, suffered its worst loss since 1997 at the hands of No. 4 La Habra Friday, 45-0, in a nonleague game at La Habra High. The loss left Sea Kings Coach Dick Freeman searching for answers at the wrong time considering Pacific Coast League play begins next week. How does Corona del Mar bounce back from this defeat?

CdM football pre vs. La HabraHighlanders needed overtime to avert CdM's first-round playoff upset bid last season.The Corona del Mar High football team rides a four-game winning streak, including the school's first CIF Southern Section playoff victory in 10 years, into tonight's CIF Division IX quarterfinal against La Habra at Orange Coast College. But the No. 2-seeded Highlanders enter the game kickoff with a four-year foundation of success that includes section championships in 2002 and 2003.

Barry Faulkner After completing a rugged preleague schedule with a 41-14 loss to highly regarded La Habra, Corona del Mar High football coach Dick Freeman was willing to wax philosophical at Newport Harbor High. But then, what choice did he have? "It was a great learning experience," Freeman said of a five-week slate that included four opponents ranked in their respective CIF Southern Section divisions, two of which (Costa Mesa and Troy) the Sea Kings beat.

When Olga Cammer started her teaching career a decade ago, she wasn't thinking much about accolades. The Costa Mesa resident had wanted to teach since she was in the sixth grade, and when she scored a position at Sierra Vista School in La Habra, she considered it a dream fulfilled. "This is natural to me," said Cammer, who lives on the Westside. "I'm not trying to be the superstar." A week ago, that changed, as Cammer was named one of Orange County's five teachers of the year.

The Newport Harbor High freshman boys' basketball team recently won the Segerstrom and La Habra tournaments. In the La Habra Tournament, the Sailors pulled off an upset with a 62-52 win over Santa Margarita in a semifinal. Santa Margarita had beaten Newport Harbor earlier in the season. But the Sailors exacted revenge with the 10-point victory over the Eagles. Newport Harbor eventually won the tournament by downing the host, La Habra, 60-54, on Dec. 16. Chris Anderson led the Sailors (11-2)

For Friday's CIF football playoff games -- Corona del Mar at La Habra: Take 55 north to I-5, head north. Merge onto 57 north. Take 57 north and exit at Imperial Highway. Turn left, heading west, on Imperial. Turn right on South Idaho Street. Turn right onto Highlander Ave. School is at 801 West Highlander Ave. in La Habra. -- Sage Hill at Linfield Christian: Take 55 north. Merge onto 91 east. Take I-15 south. Exit at Rancho California Road, turn left.

EDITOR’S NOTE: These people have been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of an intoxicant. They are considered innocent until proved guilty. COSTA MESA Thursday Susan Lee Thurschick, 42, Costa Mesa Paul Esteban Bond, 23, Mission Viejo Michael Leroy Picht, 56, Costa Mesa Friday Michael Vincent Duran, 22, Riverside Jennifer Susan Paul, 35, Santa Ana Chelsea Catherine Linder, 21, La Habra Saturday Stephen Anthony Montano, 40, Huntington Beach Richard Macias, 26, Laguna Niguel Eugene Canela Delacruz, 28, Costa Mesa Rosalba Flores, 30, Garden Grove Maria Yadnera Campos, 33, Costa Mesa Sunday Anthony Michael Caputo, 21, Orange Christian Nicole Yapshing, 20, Huntington Beach Kenneth John Baxter, 58, Ellensburg, Wash.

Jackie McCoy had 16 points, six rebounds and five assists to help Corona del Mar High defeat La Habra, 59-42, in the third round of the Troy girls basketball tournament Thursday. Carrie Hawkins added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Sea Kings while Courtney Kawata chipped in with 11 points. Andrea Gruber contributed with eight assists. The Sea Kings took a 25-17 lead at halftime and went on a 10-2 run to open the third quarter. Corona del Mar plays Orange Lutheran today at 8 p.m. for fifth place at Kennedy High.

LA HABRA ? Jarrett Daniel's single with two out in the top of the eighth inning lifted Newport Harbor High's baseball team to a 3-2 victory over La Habra in the first round of the Newport Elks Tournament on Friday. The Sailors (1-0) loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth, but a failed squeeze play left them with runners at second and third with two outs. Daniel followed with a single to drive in Chris Thompson with the go-ahead run. Tyler Parker pitched a scoreless eighth inning for Newport Harbor, striking out two. The Sailors play host to Ocean View in a second-round pool play game at 10 a.m. today.

LA JOLLA - The Corona del Mar High boys' tennis team won the La Jolla Country Day School Invitational Saturday. In the final, CdM played its best tennis defeating Harvard-Westlake, 7-2. CdM defeated La Jolla, 9-0, and Cathedral Catholic, 9-0, on Friday. CdM beat a strong Torrey Pines team 7-2 in the semifinals. The format of three doubles sets and six singles showcased CdM's depth. Alec Adamson went undefeated in singles and doubles and teamed with Carson Williams. Chaz Downing and Josh Kliger played great doubles in the semifinal and final matches.

Submitted by Dan Pittman Don Lewis, president of the Board of Directors of Community SeniorServ, which serves Costa Mesa and is the state’s largest safety net non-profit agency providing social, nutrition and health services to older adults and their families, announced today that its Chief Executive Officer Randy A. Platt will be leaving the organization in January of 2010. Lewis said that the Board’s executive committee is actively seeking a fulltime replacement for Platt, who will be joining Silverado Senior Living, a nationally recognized healthcare company, to lead its Hospice and At Home divisions.

Editor’s note: These people have been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of an intoxicant. As with all suspects, they are considered innocent until proved guilty.   Newport Beach March 3 Tiffany Ballard, 26, Columbia Falls, Mont. March 4 Jimmy Huynh, 24, Santa Ana Friday John Robinson, 27, Newport Beach Ashley Lund, 22, Costa Mesa Nicholas Zink, 29, Laguna Niguel Jennifer Adams, 28, Ontario Saturday Erin McDermott, 28, Newport Beach Bradley Tozzi, 31, Costa Mesa   Sunday Patrick Piersall, 24, Newport Beach   Costa Mesa March 3 Karen Cowick, 49, Newport Beach Rosa Gonzalez, 51, Costa Mesa Armando Beltran, 31, Santa Ana Tom Riggle, 34, Anaheim James Moran, 27, Costa Mesa Tyler Cornwell, 22, Newport Beach March 4 Michael Morahan III, 50, Newport Beach Thursday Joseph Jamokha, 23, Anaheim Susie Broxon, 45, Costa Mesa Friday Samuel Arthur, 27, Costa Mesa Robert Strunk, 46, Jasper Saturday Jennifer Brown, 26, La Habra Michael Macrorie, 26, Encinitas Marion Clark, 59, Costa Mesa Steven Jacobs, 42, Santa Ana Danny Neill, 57, La Habra Sunday Hugo Tello, 22, Anaheim Zenas Balbuena, 34, Long Beach Cynthia Olivos, 18, Santa Ana Filberto Lopez, 32,...

Rachael Cram lives in a home where hand-me-down shoes are common. When she outgrows a pair, she often passes it down to her two younger sisters — although she said she doesn’t inherit footwear from her older sister, because her feet are too big. Saturday at the Orange County Fair, though, Rachael and her family found a different use for beat-up shoes. The Cypress High School freshman, a member of the La Habra Hilltoppers 4-H Club, spent the afternoon manning a booth at the Ralphs Family Fair Way in which fairgoers could drop off their used footwear to be sent to Reuse-A-Shoe: a charity that breaks down old shoes and converts their material into sport courts, playground equipment and more.

Following a massive investigation by the FBI and IRS called “Operation Homewrecker,” federal prosecutors are accusing 18 people of mortgage fraud schemes centered around a Costa Mesa business. Desperate homeowners seeking ways to avoid foreclosure were scammed out of millions of dollars and still lost their properties, according to prosecutors. Federal officials in Sacramento unsealed two separate federal indictments Monday, both implicating La Habra resident Charles Head, 33, who ran Costa Mesa-based Head Financial Services, and a number of the company’s employees.

COSTA MESA — Costa Mesa High baseball coach Jim Keifer said he is expecting big things from a certain young pitcher who had his first start of the season Saturday. That kid, sophomore Tyler Peterson, showed glimpses that he can deliver on those expectations when he helped lead the Mustangs to a 4-1 victory over visiting Santiago in a pool-play game of the Newport Elks Tournament’s Costa Mesa Division. Peterson struck out seven, walked none, allowed five hits and gave up one run in five innings.

Staying safe while having fun on New Year?s Eve just got easier. Orange County Transportation Authority is offering free bus service on all routes between 6 p.m. Monday and 4 a.m. Tuesday. ?The Night Owl? service is provided to keep drivers safe on a night where many travel to parties. The program?s aim is to deter people from drinking and driving. Route 43, La Habra to Costa Mesa by way of Harbor Boulevard and Whittier Boulevard, and Route 57 from Newport Beach to Brea along State College Boulevard and Bristol Street are among the routes that will be operating late-night service.