CdM’s Middleton earns coaching honor

Corona del Mar High girls’ soccer coach Bryan Middleton has been named the California Coaches Assn. Southern California Girls’ Soccer Coach of the Year.

Middleton will be honored at the California Coaches Assn. awards banquet in Sacramento on June 17. He is also a finalist for the state Girls’ Soccer Coach of the Year, which will be announced during the presentation.

Though the Sea Kings went 22-1-3 this season, Middleton said the award was more about honoring his 15 years leading the program.

“I’m definitely honored that I received this award,” he said. “It shows definitely the body of work of being a coach at CdM over the last 15 years with the girls’ program. Even though we haven’t won the big one, we have shown consistency in making the playoffs 14 out of 15 years, eight of them to the quarterfinals.”

Besides coaching at CdM, Middleton also has served on the CIF Southern Section advisory board for the past several years, and is the vice president of the California High School Soccer Coaches Assn. He also serves on the CIF State soccer advisory committee.

“Those extra duties, I think, help in garnering this award,” he said.

Middleton has a 198-102-52 overall record at CdM, and six Pacific Coast League titles, including this past season.

BIG WIN FOR COSTA MESA BOYS’ TENNIS

Costa Mesa High boys’ tennis swept the Battle for the Bell series against rival Estancia on Thursday, and the Mustangs did so in exciting fashion.

Costa Mesa’s Nick Warner won the final match on court as the Mustangs earned a 9-9 (86-76 on games) victory.

Warner swept his three singles sets, including an exciting 7-6 (7-4) win over Estancia’s Jake Hastings. Costa Mesa’s No. 2 doubles team of Gavin Trueblood and Devon Rogan won two of three matches. Rogan stepped up in place of Joel Ramirez, Trueblood’s usual doubles partner, who was out sick with food poisoning.

Estancia’s No. 1 doubles team swept, but the Mustangs were able to earn their second tight win over their rival this season. Costa Mesa also beat Estancia, 10-8, on April 4. After Thursday’s match, Gordon Bowley of Costa Mesa United presented the Mustangs with their city championship medals.

“The match did not finish until after 6 p.m.,” Costa Mesa co-coach Ryan Broccolo, who coaches the team with his wife Meg, wrote in an email. “Both teams had great sportsmanship and Estancia has good coaching, a great team and was gracious in defeat.”

The Mustangs have been building their program. Just two years ago, they did not have a team, and last year they only had five players and did not win a match.

“This year our No. 1 goal was to get the kids excited and to have a full varsity and JV team,” Broccolo said. “The rest is a bonus, and wow have we been spoiled!”

Costa Mesa heads into the final week of the regular season battling Godinez and Estancia for second place in league, behind Laguna Beach. Costa Mesa is 3-2 in league, Estancia is 3-3 and Godinez is 2-3.

The Mustangs close out league with three matches next week. They’re at Laguna Beach on Monday, play host to Godinez in a key match Tuesday and close out at last-place Saddleback on Thursday.

BACK BAY BOYS’ WATER POLO PLAYERS SIGN

Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor high school boys’ water polo each had players sign on Wednesday’s signing day.

CdM had goalie Matt Moran-Flores sign with USC, while TJ Morton is headed to Bucknell. Nick Britt will play for Claremont McKenna, and Tamir Avital signed with Cal.

Newport senior Connor Turnbow-Lindenstadt, the Sailors’ leading scorer last season, signed with UC San Diego.

matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo