Sunset League

GIRLS' GOLF Sunset League finals FOUNTAIN VALLEY - Newport Harbor High senior Charlotte Skjonsby finished fifth Thursday at Mile Square Golf Club to advance to the CIF Southern Section Southern Individual Regionals. It was redemption for Skjonsby, who missed out on the league's final spot last year after losing in a playoff. The Sunset League takes the top seven. Skjsonby shot nine-over-par 81 Thursday. She shot three-over 40 at Lakewood Golf Course Wednesday.

HUNTINGTON BEACH - After close to two hours of intense action on the court, the Newport Harbor High girls' volleyball immediately left the gym. The Sailors had no reason to stick around at Edison on Wednesday night. They traveled, hoping to stay in contention for a Sunset League title. They lost ground in league play. The Chargers edged Newport Harbor, 26-24, 20-25, 33-35, 25-18, 15-12, to remain in the hunt for their first league crown in 10 years. The victory was Edison's third straight against the Sailors, two coming in league play.

NEWPORT BEACH - Newport Harbor High junior Curtis Fink has been feeling sick for more than a week. How sick? Fink said he vomited three times during the Sailors' nonleague victory over El Toro on Saturday. The past week, he's been down about 10 pounds. On Wednesday night, Newport Harbor had a must-win Sunset League showdown against Huntington Beach. It was not an ideal time for one of the Sailors' top players to be under the weather. Fink still came up huge. How huge?

NEWPORT BEACH - Since moving to the Sunset League five years ago, Coach Jeff Brinkley has enjoyed success in league openers. That didn't change Friday night as the Sailors kicked off league play with a convincing 33-7 victory against Fountain Valley. Brinkley saw his defense create havoc for the visitors, allowing him to improve his record to 5-1 in Sunset League openers. Getting off to the right start in a competitive league is vital. The way the Sailors see it, three victories in league most likely secures a berth into the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs.

NEWPORT BEACH - With more than a quarter century of coaching high school volleyball, Newport Harbor girls' head man Dan Glenn has developed an impressive tool belt when it comes to in-season repairs. So, after the Sailors lost a crucial Sunset League match, 25-23, 13-25, 27-25, 25-11, to visiting Los Alamitos on Thursday, Glenn immediately began fixating on elements of his team's play that he could, well, fix. One thing he will not be able to tinker with, however, is a scheduling anomaly that all but cost his team the benefits of a home match against the rival Griffins, who along with the Sailors have each claimed three league titles since Newport Harbor joined the league in 2006.

NEWPORT BEACH - Coach Jeff Brinkley said his Newport Harbor High football team needed some momentum going into a difficult Sunset League schedule. The nonleague games haven't been pushovers either. But Thursday night, the Sailors played perhaps their most complete game of the season. Newport Harbor turned it on after a slow start to blast Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach, 33-3, at Davidson Field. "We needed the momentum going into this league," said Brinkley, whose team opens Sunset League play at home against Fountain Valley on Oct. 14. On the night the press box was named after longtime Daily Pilot sports reporter/editor Roger Carlson, the Sailors (2-3)

Newport Harbor was the best softball team in the Newport-Mesa area this year. With her impressive statistics and leadership, my conclusion was that the Sailors' sophomore catcher, Bella Secaira, was the best player. I called her cell phone a few weeks back to set up a Dream Team Player of the Year interview, not thinking too much of it when she didn't call back that same night. When I got into work the next day, I had a voicemail from Bella. She apologized for not calling back sooner, saying she'd been busy with schoolwork and things going on in her personal life and, oh yeah, she'd been in a little accident.

Bella Secaira made her imprint on everything the Newport Harbor High softball team did this spring. The Sailors were red-hot at the start of the season, going 13-6 before beginning their brutal Sunset League schedule. Secaira was, too, batting near a .600 clip early on. The sophomore catcher helped the club win the silver bracket at the Costa Mesa tournament, finishing fifth overall. There was no MVP named for the La Quinta tournament, but Coach Tony Qualin said his vote would have gone to Secaira.

Buzzy Yokoyama, the Newport Harbor High football team's top running back, is transferring to Mission Viejo for his senior year, Sailors Coach Jeff Brinkley said Thursday. Yokoyama, a first-team All-Sunset League tailback, told Brinkley Wednesday that he will transfer. Brinkley declined to comment further and referred questions to the Yokoyama family. Jeff Yokoyama, Buzzy's father, declined to comment when reached by phone Thursday. Yokoyama's family is moving to Mission Viejo, Newport Harbor linebacker Ethan Cochran said.

BOYS' TRACK AND FIELD Sunset League finals NORWALK — Senior Mark Sakioka broke his own school pole vault record and the Newport Harbor boys won their first league title in at least 11 years at Cerritos College on Thursday, with the discus events completed Friday at Huntington Beach High. Newport Harbor finished with 119 points and is considered co-champion with Fountain Valley, which went 5-0 in dual meets, Coach Nowell Kay said. Los Alamitos was second at league finals with 97 points.