Woodbridge

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.

CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs Quarterfinal Estancia (9-2) vs. Woodbridge (6-5) When/where: Friday night, 7 at Irvine High Key Eagles: Jr. RB Robert Murtha (1,865 yards and 17 touchdowns on 244 carries); Sr. OT Zach Bateman; Sr. DE Andy Ugalde (91 tackles and 11 sacks) Key Warriors: Sr. DE-TE Kyle Kelley; Sr. RB Derek Calderon (1,646 yards and 15 TDs on 253 carries); Jr. WR-DB Nick Greenberg (30 catches for 337 yards and three TDs) Breakdown: Estancia is coming off its first playoff victory in 31 years when it defeated Magnolia, 42-7, in the first round last week at Jim Scott Stadium … The Eagles, who are seeded fourth, have never won back-to-back playoff games in the program's history … Woodbridge will try to upset another league champion, Estancia, which won the Orange Coast League title, after the Warriors stunned Garden Grove League champion Rancho Alamitos, 43-21, in the first round … Estancia faces its fourth Pacific Coast League opponent this season … The Eagles are 1-2 against PCL teams this year … Woodbridge is 4-0 all-time against the Eagles.

Woodbridge High has developed a reputation of success in cross country, but this season both the boys' and girl's teams are exceeding the expectations of many, including those of their coach. Warriors Coach George Varvas believes in his team and knows each of his runner's capabilities. But even he had to pinch himself after the Pacific Coast League finals at Irvine Regional Park Nov. 4. Woodbridge not only swept both the boys' and girls' team titles, but they set school records with their times - the boys running the three-mile course in a combined 76 minutes, 3 seconds and the girls in 86:28.

IRVINE - You have to go all the way back 22 years for the last time Corona del Mar High stood at 6-1. That same year, in the following football game, the Sea Kings lost. The Sea Kings almost experienced the same fate Thursday night. They didn't let history repeat itself. Oh, did they come close to getting upset. The top-ranked team in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division survived, coming from behind to beat Woodbridge, 31-30, and remain undefeated in Pacific Coast League play.

Corona del Mar (6-1, 2-0) vs. Woodbridge (3-4, 0-2) When/where: Thursday night, 7 at Irvine High Key Sea Kings: Sr. QB Brent Lawson (1,379 yards, 16 TDs and six INTs on 83-of-148 passing); Sr. RB Erik Fisher (792 yards and eight TDs on 146 carries); Sr. OLB Aaron White (39 tackles and nine sacks) Key Warriors: Sr. RB Derek Calderon (755 yards and seven TDs on 147 carries); Jr. WR Nick Greenberg (18 catches for 218 yards and three TDs); Sr. LB Blake Rusick Breakdown: Corona del Mar, ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division poll, is unbeaten in its last seven Pacific Coast League games dating back to last season … Woodbridge hasn't won its last five league games dating back to 2010 … The Sea Kings are allowing 13.4 points per game, while the Warriors are giving up 21.1 points per game … CdM is off to its best start since 1989, when it went on to claim the CIF Southern Section Division VI title … Woodbridge, which is 7-5-3 all-time against CdM, last defeated the Sea Kings in 1999.

CORONA DEL MAR - A largely inexperienced Corona del Mar High girls' tennis team has gained that experience throughout the season. The Sea Kings, who returned just two starters from a year ago, have shown improvement throughout the second half of their Pacific Coast League schedule. It probably still won't be enough to make the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs. CdM lost a key league match at home to Woodbridge on Tuesday, falling on games, 76-72. The result, along with Northwood's win over Irvine on games, all but eliminated CdM from playoff contention for the first time in recent memory.

Next time they won't overlook the skinny kid. Ryan O'Connor, who spreads out 145 pounds on his 6-foot frame, might not pose an intimidating presence at first glance, but put a golf club in his hands and everything changes. O'Connor, who will enter his junior year at Woodbridge High next month, schooled the field when he became the youngest golfer — at age 16 — to win the Tustin Ranch Golf Club's 2011 Club Championship in late-July. O'Connor shot a two-round total of 156, rallying from a two-stroke deficit with a 76 in the final round to win by three strokes.

Turns out Austin Daye has a little more time on his hands these days than he expected. The former Woodbridge High basketball star is now an NBA player locked out by the league along with all the league's players because of a labor dispute. But Daye, who has played two seasons for the Detroit Pistons, was scheduled to conduct his second annual basketball camp this August in Irvine, NBA lockout or not. Daye averaged 31 points and 12 rebounds his senior season at Woodbridge and went on to play collegiately atGonzaga, where he averaged 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in two seasons with the Bulldogs.

It's been more than a week now, but those in and around the Beckman High baseball team are still basking in the glow of a CIF championship. Beckman beat Pacific Coast League rival Woodbridge, 4-1, at Dodger Stadium on June 2 to win the CIF Southern Section Division III title, followed immediately by the obligatory pile of bodies in the middle of the infield. Beckman finished the season at 25-6 overall and 13-2 in league, and ranked 24th in California by Cal-Hi Sports. But what made the season so special for the Patriots was the process, and enduring the day-to-day grind of the season.

It doesn't take a Harvard grad to know that sprinter Gabrielle Scott is fast. Scott knows it, and she isn't a Harvard grad. Yet. Scott will run track and attend the prestigious Ivy League school starting in the fall, but for now, the Woodbridge High senior will focus on graduating high school and maybe, just maybe, winning a state title in the 400 meters. She'll have a chance if she continues to improve, and based on her performance last week at the Orange County Track and Field Championships, she's going in the right direction.