Notebook : El Toro Golfers Still Seeking Invitation to Their Own Party

El Toro plays host to the Southern Section Southern Regional golf tournament Monday at El Toro Marine Base, but the Chargers are still fighting for an invitation to the tournament.

El Toro (12-5, 6-3) will finish the Sea View League dual-meet season Friday against first-place Santa Margarita (15-0, 9-0). A Santa Margarita victory would create a three-way tie for second between Woodbridge, Newport Harbor and El Toro; to break that potential tie, the teams will compare scores on the first day of the league individual finals today at Temecula Creek Golf Club.

El Toro Coach Bob Bosanko didn’t expect his team to be in the running for postseason play. The Chargers lack a star such as three-time South Coast League champion Ben Garner, who is now a freshman at Washington. They are averaging about six over par for nine-hole matches; their best player, senior Jesse Hayden, is averaging about five over. Still, El Toro won its first six league matches.

“The kids played well enough to win close matches and that’s a tribute to them,” Bosanko said. “I was really surprised to be where we were. I’m not saying we can’t go out and shoot a great score at Temecula Creek and make the playoffs. Who knows?”

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Woodbridge’s Jason Chapple, who had been expected to challenge for the Sea View League individual golf title, is academically ineligible. Chapple, a senior who accepted a scholarship to play football and golf at San Jose State, said he received a D-plus in English. He said he blames himself for neglecting his studies and letting down his team.

“It’s a tough learning experience,” Chapple said. “But I’m glad it came in high school instead of college.”

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After Foothill, the county’s top-ranked softball team last week, struggled to lay down any sacrifice bunts and was upset by Villa Park, 1-0, Coach Joe Gonzalez admitted bunting has been a problem.

“That’s really a weakness,” he said, “and in this game, if you can’t bunt, you can’t win.”

Still, Foothill is 19-2.

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The boys’ volleyball regular season ends this week and a handful of matches have playoff implications. Highlighting the schedule are two county top-10 matchups.

Tonight in the South Coast League, No. 9 Trabuco Hills (9-5, 5-3) plays at No. 6 San Clemente (11-5, 6-2). Trabuco Hills defeated San Clemente in the first meeting and both are chasing first-place Capistrano Valley (9-5, 7-1), ranked seventh in the county.

Wednesday, Laguna Hills (11-3, 7-1) plays at No. 1 Laguna Beach (12-1, 7-1) with first place in the Pacific Coast League at stake.

Thursday, No. 8 Esperanza (9-5, 4-4) plays at No. 2 Fountain Valley (12-2, 7-1) in the Sunset League.

Also Thursday, El Toro (8-9, 5-3) plays at No. 10 Newport Harbor (7-5, 5-3) in the Sea View League and El Modena (12-1, 7-1) plays at Orange (14-2, 6-2) in the Century League.

Staff writers Michael Itagaki and Martin Henderson contributed to this story.