Mater Dei

BOYS' LACROSSE Newport Harbor 6, Mater Dei 3 NEWPORT BEACH - Alex Opyd scored two goals, helping the Sailors to their fifth straight win in Saturday's nonleague game. Matt Porteous, Jake Turner, Brian Team and Kole Escher also scored for Newport Harbor (5-3). Ritter Hagadorn and Luke Toohey had two assists each, and Zac Vayda made nine saves and scooped up three ground balls. Jack Murrel led the defensive effort with seven ground balls, seven takeaways and two knockdowns.

GIRLS' SOCCER Mater Dei 2, Corona del Mar 0 SANTA ANA - The visiting Sea Kings lost for the first time since Dec. 10 in the nonleague regular-season finale. CdM (20-2-2), the Pacific Coast League champion, rested standouts Maddie O'Connor (ankle) and Annie Alvarado (general soreness), Sea Kings Coach Bryan Middleton said. CIF Southern Section playoff pairings will be announced Monday.

Left tackle Sam Bush, who made the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclassmen first team for sophomores last football season, is transferring out of Newport Harbor High to Mater Dei, said Bush's father, Blaine, on Thursday. Blaine said his son's decision to leave Newport Harbor at the end of the school year and attend Mater Dei was based on his faith, the private school's curriculum and football program. He added the move was also a very difficult one for Bush, a 6-foot-5, 290-pounder, who earned Daily Pilot Newport-Mesa Dream Team and second-second All-Sunset League honors last season, his first starting on varsity for the Sailors.

SANTA ANA — The previous two matches for Corona del Mar High against Mater Dei this season have been short lived. Those two matches at the Orange County Championships in March weren’t supposed to go past three games due to the best-of-three format. The third meeting between these two boys’ volleyball teams lasted three games. Not exactly the way the Sea Kings wanted it to play out Tuesday night. Mater Dei swept CdM, 25-18, 25-20, 25-22, in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs.

For Matt Barkley Thursday was a return to the school where he made his name and received an honor that football coach Bruce Rollinson said was long overdue. Jon Walters called his feat a culmination of the work he had put in during his time at Mater Dei High. Barkley and Walters, both from Newport Beach, were honored during a special all-sports rally at Mater Dei. Barkley had his jersey retired and put into a display case at the school's gym. Walters put in a robe, a symbol for the greatness he produced as a water polo player.

The Mater Dei High boys' frosh/soph water polo team captured the championship of the Gray Lunde Memorial Tournament in Newport Beach Saturday. The Monarchs defeated Huntington Beach in the final. Mater Dei beat Corona del Mar in a semifinal match, 4-2. Newport Harbor beat CdM, 6-3, for third place. The Mater Dei championship team includes Newport Beach residents Luke Wyatt, Ford Secrist, John Taschner, Ben Seybold, Ben Teishied, Colin Davis, Matt Brennan, Spencer Carroll and Peter Seidner.

COSTA MESA - The Costa Mesa High girls volleyball team dropped a 15-6, 15-12, 15-13 nonleague match with visiting Mater Dei Tuesday. However, the Mustangs (4-5) played well enough to nearly steal the second and third games, according to Coach Jeff Culver. Mesa rallied from an 11-4 deficit to take a 13-12 lead in the third game and was deadlocked, 12-12, before falling in the second game against the Monarchs, ranked No. 2 in Orange County behind Newport Harbor.

Newport Harbor High's club surfing team had too much in every department Wednesday morning as Mater Dei fell to the unbeaten hosts, 85-41, as Newport came within five points of a complete sweep. Newport Harbor, now 7-0, went 1-2 in every event in ideal conditions with 3- to 4-foot waves at the 56th Street site. Geoff Rill, David Neira, Erica Hosseini and Will Anderson were heat winners in the short board, and teammates Morgan Hill, Brian Pearson, Alex Knost and Matt Doheny backed them up with seconds.

SANTA ANA - Much of the talk in high school boys' water polo over the past week has been about the CIF Southern Section Division 1 seedings. Coaches have made cases for being No. 2 or No. 3. A big reason that's important is that nobody wants to face No. 1 Mater Dei until they absolutely have to. The Monarchs again showed why they are the team to beat in Division 1 in their home pool on Saturday night. They came out very strong and cruised by Newport Harbor, 15-4, in the regular-season finale for both schools.

COSTA MESA - The Costa Mesa High boys tennis team lost, 15-3, to visiting Mater Dei Friday afternoon in nonleague action. The Mustangs (1-2) will play at Aliso Niguel Monday at 3:15 p.m. NONLEAGUE Mater Dei 15, Costa Mesa 3 Singles - Bernard (CM) lost to Van't Hof, 1-6, lost to Herrel, 4-6, def. Maguire, 7-5. Lilaram (CM) lost, 1-6, won, 6-4, lost 4-6; Solomon (CM), lost, 0-6, 3-6, 4-6. Doubles - Chindalah-Au (CM) lost to Desa-Nguyen, 1-6; lost to Plou-Pham, 0-6, lost to Miles-Brown, 1-6; H. Nguyen-Ayopian (CM)

The premiere of "Touchdown Newport," along with the short film "What It Takes," sold out at Lido Theatre Tuesday night as part of the Newport Beach Film Festival. The majority of the audience appeared to enjoy both movies, as each provided emotional and exciting moments. The event was such a success, an encore screening has been added Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Big Newport. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online. "Touchdown Newport," the documentary about the 1970 Newport Harbor High football team, made its debut Tuesday night.

The stereotype for athletes from a private school might sometimes be that they're privileged, or even pampered. The Mater Dei High School boys' water polo team shatters that stereotype in the short film "What It Takes. " The movie, which runs 14 minutes, 17 seconds, is about the Mater Dei team that went through an intense four-day U.S. Navy SEAL training last June amid its quest to capture its fifth straight CIF Southern Section championship. "What It Takes" will have its screening before "Touchdown Newport," the 60-minute documentary about the 1970 Newport Harbor High School football team.

For Matt Barkley Thursday was a return to the school where he made his name and received an honor that football coach Bruce Rollinson said was long overdue. Jon Walters called his feat a culmination of the work he had put in during his time at Mater Dei High. Barkley and Walters, both from Newport Beach, were honored during a special all-sports rally at Mater Dei. Barkley had his jersey retired and put into a display case at the school's gym. Walters put in a robe, a symbol for the greatness he produced as a water polo player.

Colleen Elizabeth O'Toole Desio November 24, 1959-February 18, 2013 Colleen Elizabeth O'Toole Desio passed away on Feb. 18.  She is the beloved Mother of Ryan, Daniel, Michael, Stevie and Elizabeth Desio and wife of Stephen Desio; Beloved daughter of Don & Pat Davis; Beloved sister of Katie Pratt, Casey O'Toole, Maureen Mueller, Dan O'Toole and Peggy Saffel.  She is also survived by her 21 nieces & nephews. Colleen attended St. John the Baptist Catholic School, Mater Dei & Estancia High.  She was known by all her family & friends as a warm, fun loving woman and will be greatly missed by all.

The original high school plan for Tim Reinhardt was for him to attend Mater Dei, not Corona del Mar. The reason wasn't so much because of Mater Dei's storied football program. Reinhardt said his parents, Kelly and Bill, went to Mater Dei. What won out wasn't a football tradition, or his family's ties to the private school. "We just decided to go to Corona del Mar because we live so close," Reinhardt said. "We live right down the street. " The decision to stay local is one Reinhardt is happy he and his family made before his freshman year.

Susan Bush must hold back tears when she talks about the football season. She becomes emotional when discussing how meaningful this week is for her family and her sons, Sam and Peter. "They have worked so hard for so many months," Susan says, her tone shaking as she sits in the living room of her Eastbluff neighborhood home in Newport Beach. Her sons sit close by and her husband, Blaine, does too. They look at her with love. "I get choked up," she says softly. "I don't know if I ever had that drive when I was that age. " Susan has seen the rewards from the work.

IRVINE - The final goal of the season for the Corona del Mar High boys' water polo team was impressive. CdM senior Jake Wyatt passed the ball the length of the pool to senior Danny Marshall, who redirected it into the net at the buzzer Wednesday night at Irvine's Woollett Aquatics Center. Unfortunately for the Sea Kings, this wasn't a game-winning play or anything close to it. They were able to keep up with top-seeded Mater Dei for exactly one quarter before the Monarchs took charge.

Reid Chase is constantly moving in the water on offense and defense, making things happen for the Corona del Mar High boys' water polo team. Catch him outside of the pool, and you'll see the mustache that the CdM senior is growing. "I've just been growing it for CIF," Chase said. "It's No-shave November right now. " CdM was in a close shave on Saturday night at its home pool, facing rival Newport Harbor in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals. Chase helped the Sea Kings rally for a 7-6 victory, holding the Sailors scoreless for the final 12-plus minutes of the game.

CORONA DEL MAR - A fan kept yelling in the fourth set that Corona del Mar High's Hayley Hodson was running out of steam against Mater Dei. Hodson admitted she was fatigued, and 67 attempts can do that to the best of outside hitters. But Hodson was really more tired of losing to Mater Dei. The one girls' volleyball team to beat CdM twice this year wasn't going to on the Sea Kings' court Saturday. When her shot wasn't as lethal as it was in the first two sets in which the Sea Kings won, Hodson dug deep.

LAKEWOOD - All has gone according to plan for the Corona del Mar High girls' volleyball team in the first two rounds of the CIF Southern Section Division 1-AA playoffs. Coach Marissa Booker said she feels like the Sea Kings are getting better and better as a team. Individual players are doing the same. Senior outside hitter Grace Kennedy had 13 kills and a match-high 17 digs as CdM earned its second straight sweep. The Sea Kings dispatched Lakewood, 25-23, 25-17, 25-16, in a second-round match Thursday night.