Saddleback

Where/when: 6 p.m. Saturday at Saddleback Key Pirates: Fr. QB Alex Cappellini; Fr. TB Domenic Betts; Fr. TB Dylan Chynoweth; So. DL Ross Pitsenberger; So. CB Evan Law. Key Gauchos: So. RB Donnell Dickerson (753 rushing yards, nine TDs last season); So. WR Rodney Woodland (43 receptions for 488 yards and five TDs last season). Breakdown: The Pirates are coming off a 2-8 season, while the Gauchos, ranked No. 5 in California and No. 10 in one national preseason poll, were 8-3 a year ago … Cappallini beat out two other freshmen to earn the nod at quarterback for OCC, for which Andrew Young and Dalton Gervais are also expected to see action … Also debuting for the Pirates is first-year offensive coordinator Jack Wigmore, who guides the newly installed spread offense … Betts, a scat back with impressive credentials at Banning High of Banning, gets his first game action since his senior prep season in 2008 … Saddleback has won four straight in the series and outscored OCC, 89-20, the last two seasons … Law and Pitsenberger are the only two starters returning from an OCC defense that ranked third against the run and ninth overall among 37 schools in the Southern California Football Assn.

GIRLS' TENNIS Costa Mesa 17, Saddleback 1 SANTA ANA — Mustangs sophomore Mahina Won-Milhon swept at No. 1 singles in the Orange Coast League match Thursday at Saddleback. Won-Milhon lost just two games for Mesa (2-0 overall and in league). At No. 1 doubles, seniors Jacky Dang and Lisa Vu lost just three games and also swept. Costa Mesa plays host to Calvary Chapel on Tuesday. * Newport Harbor 15, Edison 3 HUNTINGTON BEACH — The three-time-defending Sunset League champion Sailors opened league play on the road on Thursday.

The Corona del Mar High boys' soccer team will be at home for its CIF Southern Section Division III quarterfinal today at 3 p.m. against Saddleback, but it will be fighting against great odds. The Sea Kings (9-11-2) will be without senior captain Bryan Burke, who was assessed two yellow cards in CdM's 2-1 win over Orange Wednesday. Not only that, Corona del Mar will most likely be down to its third goalie, Jaffar Kattan, who usually plays in the field. Aman Sahni, who starts at goalie, was in the emergency room Wednesday dealing with the effects from what is believed to be a concussion, Sea Kings Coach Pat Callaghan said.

WOMEN'S TENNIS Orange Coast 8, Saddleback 1 MISSION VIEJO - Krystal Hernandez won at No. 2 singles for the Pirates in the Orange Empire Conference match Tuesday. Nory Call (No. 3), Nicole Pham (No. 4), Remi Sutton (No. 5) and Claire Crossman (No. 6) also won in singles for OCC (7-3, 5-1 in conference). * SOFTBALL Doubleheader COSTA MESA - Host Vanguard dropped a pair to Azusa Pacific in Golden State Athletic Conference play on Tuesday.

MEN'S GOLF Orange Empire Conference four-way SANTA ANA — Mike Squillace and Lyon Lazare both shot one-under-par 71 to help Orange Coast (371) top Saddleback (376), Cypress (394) and Riverside (403) Wednesday at Santa Ana Country Club. It was Saddleback's first loss in conference this season. OCC (11-2 in conference) remains in second place in the OEC with one conference match remaining in the regular season. Tyler Paul (75), Matt Parkovich (76) and Jeff Fuzzard (78)

BOYS' GOLF Corona del Mar 190, Dana Hills 191 NEWPORT BEACH - Senior Mike Moorhead recorded a one-under-par 34, earning medalist honors in a nonleague match and helping the Sea Kings rally late at Newport Beach Country Club on Thursday to close out the regular season undefeated for the first time in the program's history. The Sea Kings went 22-0 overall, their most wins in history, said CdM Coach Mike Starkweather. Starkweather, who's in his 18th season at CdM, was proud of the Sea Kings' comeback win. "I thought we were going to lose the match," said Starkweather, adding that his team was down four strokes before the last group, which included Moorhead and Hale Furey, finished.

WOMEN'S TENNIS Orange Coast 8, Saddleback 1 MISSION VIEJO - Krystal Hernandez won at No. 2 singles for the Pirates in the Orange Empire Conference match Tuesday. Nory Call (No. 3), Nicole Pham (No. 4), Remi Sutton (No. 5) and Claire Crossman (No. 6) also won in singles for OCC (7-3, 5-1 in conference). * SOFTBALL Doubleheader COSTA MESA - Host Vanguard dropped a pair to Azusa Pacific in Golden State Athletic Conference play on Tuesday.

CORONA DEL MAR - Corona del Mar High senior Melanie de Arakal loves her football analogies. Before the CIF Southern Section Division 3A girls' basketball playoffs began, she pulled out another one. She said she saw the New York Giants do something similar during pre-Super Bowl television coverage. During a CdM girls' basketball team meeting, de Arakal handed everyone a poker chip. The chip was supposed to represent the individual accomplishments and accolades of each individual player.

A day after his Estancia High boys' soccer team closed out the regular season last week, Coach Robert Castellano said he was still tough on his players. Castellano reminded them that the real season begins this week. The Eagles are back in the CIF Southern Section playoffs after a one-year hiatus. They start on the road Thursday at 3 p.m. The other two local programs in the postseason open on the same day and time, but Corona del Mar is at home and Sage Hill is away. Estancia (11-4-5)

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Orange Coast 56, Saddleback 47 COSTA MESA - Ashley Engeln scored 14 points to help the Pirates upset the Gauchos in the Orange Empire Conference game Friday. Megan Hanson had 10 points, while Jenna Arnett (eight rebounds) and Tessie Pikula had eight points each for OCC (11-16, 3-7 in conference). OCC led, 32-27, at the half. The OCC defense held the Gauchos to just 30.8% shooting from the floor (16-of-52) and forced 22 turnovers, including 13 steals.

COSTA MESA - Through three quarters Tuesday, Estancia High guard Ben Beck was on track to outscore Saddleback all by himself. The junior had produced 21 points, two more than what the Roadrunners combined to score. Beck never played again in the Orange Coast League contest at home. The Eagles had no use for Beck in the final quarter, as they went into it up 37 points. They wound up with a 68-31 win, their biggest margin of victory of the season. Can you believe Estancia Coach Agustin Heredia was concerned before the contest?

BOYS' BASKETBALL Costa Mesa 52, Saddleback 22 COSTA MESA — Jordan Walden scored 11 points to lead Costa Mesa in the Orange Coast League game Friday. Marcus Hayes added nine points and Nick Dawson had two points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals for the Mustangs (16-6, 5-1 in league). * Edison 63, Newport Harbor 28 NEWPORT BEACH — Chance Beauchamp had seven points to lead the Sailors (0-6 in the Sunset League) Friday. * Godinez 40, Estancia 28 SANTA ANA — Ben Beck had nine points to lead the Eagles in the Orange Coast League game Friday.

Orange Coast College will change conference alignments in football for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, trading its current six-team alignment for a seven-team grouping that features teams that have traditionally had more success. The Pirates, who competed in the Central Division East Conference the last two seasons, will shift to the National Division Southern Conference. They will be joined by former East Conference members Golden West and Santa Ana, as well as Orange County rivals Saddleback and Fullerton, and San Diego County representatives Grossmont and Palomar.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Orange Coast 58, Southwestern 43 COSTA MESA - Ashley Engeln led the Pirates with 18 points and five assists to help OCC advance to Saturday's championship semifinals of the Erin Tomlinson Coast Christmas Classic Friday. Nisma Ali added nine points for OCC (6-6), which plays against Canyons at 7:30 p.m. Saddleback plays against Irvine Valley in the other semifinal at 5:30 p.m.