Sea View League

SAN CLEMENTE - Newport Harbor High junior Daniel Kush shot 73-76--149 and finished tied for fourth Tuesday in the final round of the Sea View League boys golf championship at the par-72 Talega Golf Club. The top six advanced to the CIF Southern California individual regionals May 14 at Green River. Aliso Niguel's Matt Schreiber earned medalist honors by carding a 5-under 67, giving him a 36-hole total of 139, beating out teammate Joseph Kim (68-72--140)

Newport Harbor High's freshman football team reigns as Sea View League champion following a 12-0 victory at Foothill last Thursday. Combined with a 36-8 win over Woodbridge the previous week, the Sailors finish 9-1, 5-0 in league. Thursday's championship victory was the third shutout of the season for Coach Joe Urban's team, which was blessed with talent and size. "I'm truly speechless," said Urban in the aftermath of the title game. "You played with great hearts."

Richard Dunn The last time the Newport Harbor High boys tennis program competed for a league title, its coach, Jeff Thomsen, was a member of the team. And, since the program is still seeking its first Sea View League win of the new millennium, the second-year coach is trying to go lightly on the expectations. But it's hard not to get excited about incoming talent, especially diamonds in the rough, as the Sailors have experienced in 2003. "Last year was definitely a tough year, a rebuilding year, for sure, but this year we've made huge strides," Thomsen said.

IRVINE - The Newport Harbor High boys tennis team dropped its Sea View League opener with host Irvine, 18-0, Tuesday afternoon. The Sailors, 1-4 overall, will host La Quinta today at 3 p.m. in a nonleague matchup. SEA VIEW LEAGUE Irvine 18, Newport Harbor 0 Singles - Deck (NH) lost to Aarnaes, 2-6, lost to Shah, 2-6, lost to Shu, 3-6; Hirst (NH) lost, 1-6, 3-6, 1-6; Uhl (NH) lost, 0-6, 2-1, 1-6. Doubles - Duncan-Lutfy (NH) lost to A. Wang-J.

Newport Harbor High senior Jessica Ball was named Co-Most Valuable Player of the Sea View League to lead a solid core of Sailors who also garnered all-league laurels, while helping lead the Tars to the league title and the CIF Southern Section Division I crown. Senior Carolyn Conway and junior Anne Belden received first-team all-league recognition, while senior Sarah Mutt and junior Ashling Taylor gained second-team status. Ball, who shared the league's top award with Foothills' Jillian Kraus, scored 53 goals for Coach Bill Barnett's Sailors, who finished 27-3, including a 5-0 record in the Sea View League.

Tony Altobelli IRVINE - In a game saturated with Newport-Mesa high school baseball standouts, the Pacific Coast League All-Stars edged the Sea View League All-Stars, 6-4, at Saturday's fifth annual South County Showcase, held at Windrow Park. With 12 PCL standouts from Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools and four Newport Harbor standouts on Sea View's side of the field, there were plenty of heroes on both sides of the field. It was the Sea Kings who got the PCL's offense going early.

Steve Virgen NEWPORT BEACH - It didn't matter that Peter Belden wasn't playing for the Newport Harbor High boys water polo team on Wednesday. The Sailors, ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division I, really didn't need their top scorer and team captain as they cruised to an 11-2 victory over Aliso Niguel to clinch the Sea View League championship. Belden was late to Wednesday's 6 a.m. practice because he said he overslept. He showed up an hour late and Coach Bill Barnett suspended him for a game.

Steve Virgen IRVINE - Aaron Peirsol has said he swims for Newport Harbor High to win, but to also have fun. So, when he was faced with a decision, a week ago, to either improve his future career or be with the Sailors, he knew his priorities. But, that doesn't mean Peirsol's decision pleased everyone, mainly Newport Coach Jason Lynch. Peirsol, a three-time world-record holder and backstroke king, chose to miss the Sea View League preliminaries Wednesday and the finals, Friday at Heritage Park, so that he can promote his professional efforts through a television program that will take place in the Bahamas.

NEWPORT BEACH - The Newport Harbor High boys' basketball team spent the past week out of town together. The Sailors traveled to Chicago. They played in a tournament 90 minutes outside of the Windy City. They even practiced on the Notre Dame campus. Before the New Year, they returned to Newport Beach. Their resolution had to have been to get back on the winning side. On their first chance this year, the Sailors failed. The losing continued as Newport Harbor lost at home to Woodbridge, 54-41, in a nonleague contest on Tuesday.

NEWPORT BEACH — Members of the Newport Harbor High girls' soccer team joined hands to make a long line after their Sunset League opener. Then they rolled into each other. The mass of bodies eventually turned into a big circle near the middle of Davidson Field, like a big hug. Despite a tough preseason, it's nothing but positive vibes for the Sailors. They believe this is the year they can make an impact in league. They got off to a good start Thursday evening, dominating play and beating Marina, 3-0. Junior Josie Jogwe scored twice and assisted on senior Natalie Swift's goal for the Sailors (2-8-3)

The Estancia High football team is one step away from winning an outright league title for the first time in 21 years. Estancia got closer after beating host Calvary Chapel, 48-27, Thursday at Jim Scott Stadium, improving its Orange Coast League record to 4-0. Estancia closes out the regular season at home Friday against Costa Mesa in the Battle for the Bell rivalry game. With a victory against the Mustangs, Estancia can wrap up its first undefeated league crown since 1989, when the program finished 5-0 in the Sea View League.

When/where: Tonight, 7 at Newport Harbor High Key Sea Kings: Sr. RB Clay Reinhardt (701 yards, eight TDs rushing; 178 yards, two TDs receiving); Sr. QB Mitch Gardner (866 yards, 13 TDs passing); Sr. ILB David Detrick (56 tackles); Jr. OLB Frazier Anderson (48 tackles); Sr. ILB Preston Risser (47 tackles). Key Warriors: Sr. TB Jalen Craver (1,075 yards rushing, 11 TDs rushing and receiving); Sr. QB Max Neser (1,135 yards, 14 TDs passing, 590 yards, 11 TDs rushing)

When/where: Tonight, 7 at Newport Harbor High Key Sailors: Sr. WR-CB-PR-KR Parker Norton (35 catches for 342 yards and three TDs); Sr. LT-DT JB Salem; Jr. DB Titus Hasson Key Oilers: Jr. QB Mike Chislock (705 yards and four TDs and one INT on 51 of 93 passing, five rushing TDs); Jr. LB-RB Nolan Biegel (295 yards and six TDs on 36 carries); Jr. WR Ramon Vargas (17 catches for 329 yards and three TDs) Breakdown: Newport Harbor (3-2) opens Sunset League play after dropping back-to-back nonleague games … Newport Harbor expects right tackle Dillon Gillette to return from a concussion suffered on Oct. 1 and have fullback-linebacker Ryan Andrews in the lineup after he injured his shoulder in practice last week … Quarterback Austin Rios will most likely miss the opener after suffering a concussion last week in a 17-6 loss at Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach … Huntington Beach (4-1)

The Newport Harbor High football team kicks off the season tonight against a program it last dropped an opener to eight years ago. The Sailors go for their eighth straight opening-game win when they play host to Trabuco Hills at 7. The streak started after Newport Harbor fell to the Mustangs in 2002, then the Sailors beat them the following season. Those two meetings are the only times Newport Harbor and Trabuco Hills have played. They might play again in November. The Mustangs moved to the South Coast League, which is part of the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs.

CORONA DEL MAR — At the end of the first day in helmet and pads, Coach Jason Hitchens brought up concussions to his Corona del Mar High football team. He mentioned the new CIF Southern Section rule dealing with head injuries. Referees can now take players out of games if they believe they have concussion symptoms. "If you get dizzy, feel nauseous and if you get headaches during the game, you've got to tell us," Hitchens told his players. "You're coming out of the game if you have these symptoms.

The Sunset League will have one of its original high school football teams back and it will affect the strength of the league. Huntington Beach returns to the 73-year-old league this fall after it left five years ago, right before Newport Harbor rejoined. Gone is Esperanza, which starting in 2005 won or shared the league title for four straight years. Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley said the switch does not really matter to him. The Sailors have been competitive in the Sunset League the past four years, finishing 3-2 every time and two years ago they split the league crown.

The last time the Newport Harbor High girls’ volleyball team received a No. 1 seed in the CIF Southern Section playoffs, the Sailors won the championship in 2002. Coach Dan Glenn will gladly take another. The Sailors earned the top seed in the Division I-AA playoffs and their reward is a first-round bye. Newport Harbor is one of two local teams qualifying for the postseason that don’t play in the first round. Newport Harbor (25-6) helped itself by winning a share of the Sunset League championship.

When/where: Tonight, 7 at Newport Harbor High Key Sea Kings: Sr. LB Alex Swigert; Sr. RB J.D. Abbott (660 yards and six TDs on 66 carries); Sr. DL Riley Conroy Breakdown: The Sea Kings (4-1) open Pacific Coast League play against defending champion Laguna Hills (3-2) … This is a contest between two top-10 ranked teams in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division poll. CdM is No. 3 and Laguna Hills is No. 6 … The Sea Kings had two weeks to prepare for the Hawks, who have dropped nonleague games to Trabuco Hills and El Toro, teams ranked No. 3 and No. 6, respectively, in the Southwest Division … CdM is trying to become the first team to beat Laguna Hills since the Hawks joined the Pacific Coast League in 2006.