Monarchs

Fans witnessed history Saturday night at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine. That history continues for the Mater Dei High boys' water polo team, which won its third straight CIF Southern Section Division 1 title with a 13-6 victory over Long Beach Wilson in front of an overflowing crowd. It was the Monarchs' fifth straight CIF title overall, the first two coming in Division 2. They have now won 79 straight matches, which is a Southern Section record. And Newport Beach residents were at the core of the team, making it happen.

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.

high school roundupCOSTA MESA -- The Costa Mesa High boys' soccer team fought to a 1-1 draw against Mater Dei in a nonleague contest on Monday. The Mustangs took an early 1-0 lead when Abel Benitez scored the first goal in the second minute play. The Monarchs pulled even with a goal in the 70th minute. Mesa will resume play after the holiday break. GIRLS' WATER POLO Estancia 13, Pacifica 11 COSTA MESA -- The Eagles used a six-goal first period en route to a nonleague win Monday at Costa Mesa High.

Bryce Alderton Seemingly deprived of luck for a majority of the first 11 games, the Newport Harbor High girls soccer team finally got the break it was looking for and made the most of it. After a Mater Dei player committed a hand ball within the 18-yard box, Parade Magazine All-American senior Amy Burlingham booted a ball that Monarch goalkeeper Tawny Poggio got her hands on but couldn't stop from sneaking into...

Lightning keep the game close, but come up short against Division II Mater Dei.NEWPORT COAST -- The Sage Hill School girls' basketball team knew the odds were slim on beating Mater Dei. But that didn't deter the Lightning from giving Mater Dei a few scares. The Lightning (2-1) suffered their first loss of the season Tuesday, 37-24, to the Monarchs in a nonleague game. The Lightning started the game with a defensive flurry. Center Haywood Wright ended Mater Dei's opening possession by blocking Mya Olivier's layup attempt.

Steve Virgen SANTA ANA - Look out Corona del Mar High, the Newport Harbor girls soccer team is for real and those Sailors are fearless. Newport, which will play at Back Bay rival CdM Saturday at 1 p.m., stunned host Mater Dei with a 2-1 nonleague win Thursday. The Sailors (6-5-1), winners of five of their past six, didn't dominate the Monarchs (10-3-3), but controlled the tempo, outshooting Mater Dei, 13-4, 8-2 in the first half. Newport Harbor avenged a 4-0 loss to the Monarchs, Dec. 1 at the Mater Dei Tournament.

CORONA DEL MAR - The match could not have started much better for the Corona del Mar High boys' water polo team. The Sea Kings scored the first two goals and saw visiting Mater Dei's starting center defender foul out. They even allowed themselves to have a bit of swagger. After CdM senior defender Colby Watson field blocked a shot near the end of the quarter, he waved his index finger at the Monarchs like former NBA center Dikembe Mutombo used to do after blocking a shot. "The Mutombo finger wag," Watson confirmed after the game.

A six-goal first quarter started the scoring for Mater Dei High and the visiting Monarchs went on to defeat Estancia High in a nonleague boys water polo game, 18-12, Wednesday. The Monarchs jumped to a 6-1 lead after one quarter and held off the Eagles, 8-12, 3-3 in the Golden West League, in the Eagles' final game of the season. Jess Hellmich led the Eagles with five goals while Frank Gamboa added four goals, Anthony Hermann contributed two scores and Ananth Varma scored one goal.

Tony Altobelli NEWPORT BEACH - If there ever was an opportunity to be happy over a loss for the Newport Harbor High boys basketball team, Sunday's 67-53 setback to powerhouse Mater Dei in the finals of the George Yardley Summer Cage Classic just might be it. "We knew going in that we were going to have to play the game of our life and even be a little lucky to beat Mater Dei tonight," Sailors coach Larry Hirst said....

Barry Faulkner INGLEWOOD - The two CIF Southern Section Division III-AA semifinal losers are facing off, but tonight's Southern California Regional boys basketball semifinal between Corona del Mar High and host Morningside (7:30 tipoff) is anything but a consolation game. The winner will advance to Saturday's 12:45 p.m. regional final at the Forum, which will produce one team to represent SoCal in state championship game in Sacramento. "If we take care of ourselves, we can compete with these guys," Orris said of the Monarchs (22-10)

Fans witnessed history Saturday night at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine. That history continues for the Mater Dei High boys' water polo team, which won its third straight CIF Southern Section Division 1 title with a 13-6 victory over Long Beach Wilson in front of an overflowing crowd. It was the Monarchs' fifth straight CIF title overall, the first two coming in Division 2. They have now won 79 straight matches, which is a Southern Section record. And Newport Beach residents were at the core of the team, making it happen.

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.

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.

CORONA DEL MAR - The match could not have started much better for the Corona del Mar High boys' water polo team. The Sea Kings scored the first two goals and saw visiting Mater Dei's starting center defender foul out. They even allowed themselves to have a bit of swagger. After CdM senior defender Colby Watson field blocked a shot near the end of the quarter, he waved his index finger at the Monarchs like former NBA center Dikembe Mutombo used to do after blocking a shot. "The Mutombo finger wag," Watson confirmed after the game.

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.

BASEBALL Orange Coast 5, Los Angeles Valley 4 COSTA MESA - Sophomore designated hitter Bryan Garza singled in two runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to propel the host Pirates in the opener of the best-of-three Southern California Regional series Saturday. Garza's walk-off heroics were made necessary when the Monarchs (20-18) rallied for four in ninth to force extra innings, then scored in the 10th to take its first lead. OCC's Eilert Meyers was two for four with two runs driven in, Stefan Sabol was two for five with an RBI and Boog Powell was three for five and scored a run to pace an 11-hit attack for the Pirates (32-4-1)

NEWPORT BEACH - In his 26 years at Newport Harbor High, Coach Dan Glenn called this girls' volleyball season an up-and-down one. A standout starter quit for the first time under Glenn's watch. Key players dealt with knee and shoulder injuries. The Sailors finished third in the Sunset League for the first time under Glenn. Newport Harbor has moved past all of the setbacks. The Sailors are now in position to win their eighth CIF Southern Section title with Glenn at the helm.

NEWPORT BEACH - Saturday afternoon marked Jon Walters' first time facing his former team in a high school game. Walters, now a junior at Mater Dei, transferred from Newport Harbor after his freshman year. He still has friends at Harbor. He and his sophomore brother, James, were on a 14-and-under club team with Sailors juniors Dan Stevens and Curtis Fink that won the Speedo Cup. In the water, it's a different matter for the Newport Beach resident. "Personal relationships don't mean anything in the game," said Jon Walters, who was declared ineligible his sophomore year by the CIF Southern Section after the transfer.

  ORANGE COUNTY, CA – The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation will honor two prominent Southern California business leaders for their patriotism and professional achievements, as well as for their contributions to the country and their local communities.  The awards will be presented by the evening's military guest of honor — Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James T. Conway — at the 27th Annual Marine Scholarship Ball on October 17th at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point.