Laguna Surges with Five Straight Wins
Baseball (13-8, 3-2)
When Laguna found out they would be competing in the Sunset Conference, baseball was one of the sports that most felt would struggle to compete in the new league with larger more competitive schools that besides Corona del Mar are more than double the size of the Breakers. This seemed apparent when the squad lost five straight earlier this season capped by a 14-3 blow-out loss to Edison on March 13. Coach Jeff Sears, in his seventh season overall at Laguna, has kept the team believing they can compete and Laguna has clearly stepped up to the competition. The current streak started with a pair of wins against Newport Harbor (11-7, 2-3), giving Laguna a complete 3-0 series sweep of the Tars. It has been a team effort with different players stepping up to give the Breakers the winning edge. Last Saturday on the Great Park fields, Breakers upset OC #9 Capistrano Valley 7-4 with a sixth inning four-run outburst to take the game. Kolton Freeman’s three hits and three runs batted in were key. Peyton Fullerton received the pitching win. On Monday, April 1, the Breakers defeated Irvine 2-0 scoring their runs in the first inning, then holding off the Vaqueros limiting them to two hits. On Tuesday, Nolan Smith was the star with a key run-scoring double to lift the Breakers to a 2-1 win over Fountain Valley and a shot at the tournament title. Breakers played Yorba Linda (12-6) for the Ryan Lemmon Tournament title this past Wednesday night and are off until April 10 when they host South High School from Torrance in a non-league game at Skipper Carrillo Field. La Sierra is here in another non-league game on April 11.
League play resumes April 16 at Marina (14-8, 3-2) followed by Marina here on April 18, Corona del Mar (13-7-1, 2-3) here on April 23 and the last regular season game at Corona del Mar on April 23.
2019 Breakers have leaped in the Max Preps rankings into the program’s highest rating ever since the rankings started in 2005. This year’s schedule is missing the usual 15 “Orange Coast League blowouts” with very tough D1 and D2 opponents. Jeff Sears is in his seventh season with Laguna tying him with Norm Bourcki (1963-69) for the most seasons at the helm. Sears is 125-73 entering the Yorba Linda game and passed former coach Mike Bair (117-34) in career wins when Laguna defeated Troy 5-2 on Feb. 20.
Check the updated player statistics on the Breaker’s Maxpreps website.
Lacrosse
Laguna Boys (0-8, 0-4) were defeated by Newport Harbor 24-0 at home on March 29. Breakers best chance for a league win will be April 3 at winless Marina. The girls team (0-7, 0-3) dropped two games losing 19-1 at Mission Viejo on April 1 and 12-8 to Tustin at home on April 2. Girls are off until April 16.
Softball (4-7, 0-2)
Breakers were no match for Newport in their second meeting this season as the Tars won 14-0. Laguna had games with Fountain Valley and Corona del Mar before taking a week off for Spring Break. Season resumes on April 16 when they host Newport.
Swimming
Laguna concluded their league dual meets this past week too late for this week’s report. League finals are April 25.
Boys Tennis (6-9, 2-2)
Laguna is still in the race for a playoff spot despite a 15-3 loss to Wave League champion Edison this past Tuesday, April 2, when the squad was shorthanded due to injuries and other commitments that left the remaining team at a disadvantage on the Charger courts. Breakers should be full strength when they finish league play this week at Newport Harbor on April 4 and at Marina on Friday, April 5. Laguna, the 2018 D4 CIF champion needs to sweep both matches to earn a spot in the D3 SSCIF playoffs and their 47th trip to post-season. The league individual tournament is April 23 and the SSCIF team playoffs begin April 30.
Track & Field
With the dual meet season concluded, Breakers will be participating in a number of invitational meets leading up to the Sunset Wave League meet set for April 25 at Laguna. This past weekend, Mateo Bianchi was the lone Laguna winner taking the 3200-meter run at the Trabuco Hills Invitational with a time of 9:25.60. Laguna will be sending a contingent to the Arcadia Relays this weekend and to the Oregon Relays the following weekend.
Boys Volleyball (10-5)
Breakers opened league play at #2 ranked Huntington Beach last Friday evening, March 29, and battled the Oilers to a five set thriller falling 25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 17-25, 18-20 loss. Huntington (20-4) scored the final five points in set 3 to start their comeback. In the fifth set, Laguna was up 13-12 before the hosts came back to extend the set and earned the win on a Laguna unforced error. Geste Bianchi led all players with 28 kills while Andrew Reavis added 21. Aryton Garcia had 51 assists, 14 aces, and two solo blocks in his best match of the season. Prior to the Spring Break, Laguna faced #1 Newport Harbor (28-0) this past Wednesday and were at Corona Del Mar on Friday, April 5.
Season will resume on April 18 when Laguna will travel to Newport Harbor to begin round two of Sunset Surf league play. Breakers will also participate in the in the Redondo Classic April 19 and 20.
SSCIF Poll for April 1 [Top 16 will be D1 for the playoffs]:
1 – Newport Harbor, 2 – Huntington Beach, 3 – Redondo Union, 4 – Loyola, 5 – Corona del Mar, 6 – Mira Costa 7 – Santa Barbara, 8 – Tesoro, 9 – San Clemente, 10 – Newbury Park, 11 – Servite, 12 – Los Alamitos, 13 – Laguna Beach,14 – Santa Margarita, 15 – Edison 16 – Palos Verdes, 17 – Saddleback Valley Christian, 18 – Esperanza
The 34th Annual Alumni game is slated for Friday, April 26, at Dugger Gym and will include Senior Night and a tribute to honor the late Rolf Engen, who was instrumental in the success of the program in the 1970s.
Girls Sand Volleyball (11-0)
3/27 – Varsity d. Saddleback Valley Christian 7-0 (OCBVL)
1s: Peri Brennan & Piper Naess won 21-3, 21-3
2s: Cambria Hall & Ella Tyus won 21-9, 21-13
3s: Bella Mullin & Olivia Nitoglia won 21-13, 21-7
4s: Mikayla Smith & Kylee Matheson won 21-11, 21-6
5s: Sophie Black & Madison Rogers won 21-11, 21-11
4v4: Brennan, Naess, Hall & Tyus won 28-8
3/27 – JV loses 3-4 vs. Los Alamitos (OCBVL) – JV is now 3-2 for the season
1s: Emma Bladergroen & Alessandra Nitoglia lost 17-21, 14-21
2s: Lucky Hauer & Luisa LoFranco lost 21-15, 20-22, 7-15
3s: Sydney Freeman & Lucy Loughlin won 21-9, 21-17
4s: Annabelle Kieswetter & Jacqueline Witteman lost 12-21, 22-24
5s: Amelie Sadler & Natalie Olson lost 16-21, 19-21
4v4: Bladergroen, Nitoglia, Hauer & LoFranco won 28-24
3/28 – Varsity d. St Joseph/Lakewood 2-1
1s: Cambria Hall & Ella Tyus won 21-4, 21-8
2s: Piper Naess & Natalia Hagopian won 21-10, 21-9
3s: (Laguna forfeits)
3/28 – Varsity d. Long Beach Poly 2-1
1s: Cambria Hall & Ella Tyus won 21-17, 21-10
2s: Piper Naess & Natalia Hagopian won 21-10, 21-6
3s: (Laguna forfeits)
Varsity Schedule
Wed, April 3 @ Huntington, Newland St – 3:30pm vs. Huntington Beach
Wed, April 17 @ Huntington, Newland St – 3:30pm vs. Mater Dei
(Playoffs: April 22 – May 2)
IBVL: Check out these matches/schedules at www.IBVL.org. Breakers are in the Orange Division.
JV Schedule
Wed, April 3 @ Huntington, Newland St – 3:30pm vs. Huntington Beach
Wed, April 17 @ Huntington, Newland St – 3:30pm vs. Mater Dei Red
(Playoffs: April 22 – May 2)
