Seniors Leaving Their Mark

The Class of ’97 comes from nearly every corner of Orange County. They come from public and private schools, large ones and small. They are the players to watch because of their talent, potential or the intriguing circumstances in which they find themselves.

Each will say this is the year they have waited for. They are seniors. It’s their year. Finally. And their resumes bellow the same thing: “Look at me!”

And so we do.

BADMINTON

Joyce Cabuhat, Magnolia

Cabuhat, a senior at Magnolia, plans to study medicine in college and doesn’t think she’ll have enough time to play badminton after she graduates. Opponents will be glad to see her leave. She was The Times’ Orange County badminton player of the year in 1996 and led the Sentinels to the Division II finals, where they lost to Loara, 11-8. It marked only the second time in school history that a Sentinel athletic team advanced to a section final. The baseball team got that far in 1977.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Jennifer Saari, Brea Olinda

After a Jan. 21 loss to Mater Dei in which she took some heat for not shooting enough, Saari (13.3 points per game) averaged 18 points and shot nearly 50% from the three-point arc over the next 11 games. Her overall ballhandling (5.6 assists) was invaluable to the Ladycats, and any hopes of returning to a state title game after a two-year absence rests with her recovery from a strained knee suffered in the playoffs that affected her play. That’s the question: Is she the same player this year that she was before the injury?

BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY

Michael Murray, Santa Margarita

Murray, the defending Sea View League champion won his second consecutive Southern Section individual title, taking the II-A honors as a junior.

Swept through league dual meets undefeated a year ago before placing fifth at the state Division II finals in 15 minutes 41 seconds.

GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY

Katie Nuanes, Santa Margarita

The lone area athlete to qualify for the Foot Locker National Championships last fall, Nuanes led the Eagles to the Southern Section Division II-A team title as a junior.

Nuanes won the Sea View League in a personal-best three-mile time of 17 minutes 8 seconds, then finished second in the section finals and third at the state Division II finals.

FOOTBALL

Greg Cicero, Servite

Cicero injured his throwing hand in Friday’s 24-20 victory over Esperanza, but he remains, nonetheless, the most highly touted quarterback in the county. Despite the injury, which happened late in the first half of the season opener for the third-ranked Friars, Cicero completed 20 of 34 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound senior tested his hand in practice Monday and coaches were still trying to evaluate the severity of the injury.

Cicero passed for 2,360 yards and 28 touchdowns in leading Servite to the 1995 Southern Section Division V championship game.

GOLF

Jin Park, Sunny Hills

When the PGA Tour stopped in Los Angeles last February, Park qualified for the field, at 16 to become one of the youngest to play in the event.

He struggled at Riviera, missing the cut with a 156 total, but no county golfer was more consistent in the high school postseason.

Park, who as a freshman helped the Lancers to a Southern Section team title, was a total of one-over par at the three major postseason events. His 72 in the CIF-Southern California Golf Assn. Championship helped Sunny Hills to fourth place.

BOYS’ SOCCER

Albert Mendez, Santiago

Mendez, a first-team Times all-county selection last year, will be going for his third consecutive county scoring title and his third straight Garden Grove League MVP award. Last year, Mendez scored 52 goals and had 16 assists in leading Santiago to a 20-2-1 record and a second seeding in the Southern Section Division III playoffs. As a sophomore, Mendez scored 41 goals.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Riki Ann Serrins, Santa Margarita

Tactical, experienced and tough, Serrins is one of the top goalkeepers in the county. She led her under-16 club team, the Mission Viejo Shamrocks, to the 1995 national final. Last season for Santa Margarita, Serrins gave up seven goals and shut out eight teams in 21 games to help the Eagles maintain their No. 1 ranking throughout regular season. Santa Margarita lost to Los Alamitos, 1-0, in the quarterfinals of the Southern Section Division I tournament.

SOFTBALL

Toni Mascarenas, Pacifica

She is no longer the best pitcher on her team, giving way to junior Amanda Freed, but Mascarenas is perhaps the best all-around player in the county. A three-time Times all-county selection as a utility player, she was 10-1 with a 0.28 earned-run average last year, played spectacular at shortstop and batted .411, scored 33 runs, hit six home runs and drove in 21--from the leadoff spot. Although Mater Dei is favored to win another section championship, Pacifica would love the chance to meet the Monarchs along the way.

BOYS’ SWIMMING

Philippe Demers, Santa Margarita

If you asked every swimming coach in Orange County, it would be safe to say that at least 90% of them would call Demers the best high school swimmer in the county. At Southern Section Division I finals last year, Demers not only won both his events, but set a section record in the 100 butterfly. While his fly is awesome, look for him to possibly get a record in the 200 freestyle.

GIRLS’ SWIMMING

Carly Cox, Capistrano Valley

Cox is a good all-around swimmer. And because she is strong in three of the four strokes, she was a key component for her team last year. She has a reputation as a good butterflyer, she has especially come on as a top distance swimmer. If she continues to drop her times in the 500 freestyle, she could have a chance to win the event at Southern Section finals.

BOYS’ TENNIS

Chris Chung, Sunny Hills

Chung is the latest in the line of standout tennis players at Sunny Hills. He follows Dave Robbins, Kevin Kim, Joseph Gilbert and John Han. Chung, a first-team Times all-county selection last season, lost only two of 51 sets during his junior season. Chung didn’t play many tournaments this summer, but he is looking forward to his senior year. “I’m going after the CIF team title this year and a couple of individual titles--Ojai and the CIF singles title,” Chung said.

GIRLS’ TENNIS

Faye DeVera, Villa Park

To some, it might seem as if DeVera has been in high school forever. She was The Times Orange County player of the year as a sophomore and junior, and a Times all-county selection as a freshman. Last season, she led the Spartans to a Southern Section Division II title. She won the Century League singles title as a freshman and a junior. In three years, she has lost only three dual-match sets. About the only thing DeVera hasn’t done is win a Southern Section individual singles title. Last year, she lost in the finals to Oxnard Rio Mesa’s Zuzona Stunova in three sets.

BOYS’ TRACK AND FIELD

Elliott Parks, El Toro

The defending state meet champion in the high jump (6 feet 10 inches) is arguably Orange County’s finest all-around jumper in the past decade.

Parks, who won the county long jump title with a personal best and meet record 22-8 3/4 and the Sea View League title in the triple jump with a best mark of 44-6 1/2, led the Chargers to the county and league team titles a year ago.

GIRLS’ TRACK AND FIELD

Carrie Axton, Los Amigos

Axton emerged on the scene last spring, and is one of the nation’s elite discus throwers entering her senior year. She won the Masters Meet with a personal-best throw of 150 feet.

Axton advanced to the state meet after winning the Orange County Championships, Garden Grove League and Southern Section Division III titles.

BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL

David McKienzie,

Huntington Beach

McKienzie is an explosive player and fun to watch. Before last season, he transferred from Long Beach Wilson and infused Huntington Beach with strength in the middle, leading the Oilers to the Division I semifinals. He has not yet decided where he will play in college and said he still is considering about four schools. One of them is Long Beach State, where his sister, Joy, was an all-American and won an NCAA title.

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

Amy Nihipali, Esperanza

Nihipali, a middle blocker, was one of 18 girls selected to participate in tryouts last summer for the youth national team. Her height (6-2) and talent helped Esperanza reach the first round of the Southern Section Division I tournament last season. This season, Nihipali is surrounded by several experienced players and the Aztecs are expected to improve on last year’s performance in playoffs. She has orally committed to UCLA.

WATER POLO

Jeff Pflueger, Foothill

The Knights are favored to win another Southern Section Division I title despite the loss of Brian Brown, The Times Orange County player of the year. Pflueger is a main reason.

A three-year starter, Pflueger is an explosive driver with a good outside shot. He is also effective inside and is a strong defender. Said Coach Jim Brumm: “He’s a very good ballplayer.”

WRESTLING

Joe Calavitta, Calvary Chapel

Since his freshman year, Calavitta has steadily improved. But just how good he could be was a question his coach, John Azevedo, asked himself. Calavitta, 17, answered Azevedo’s question by winning his first state championship, at Stockton this year in the 135-pound weight class, and there is no indication he will stop improving. “I think after winning state, Joe proved to himself that he could beat the best. He is one of the best wrestlers I’ve ever coached. He’s focused, determined and dedicated to his goals as a wrestler,” Azevedo said.

Contributing to this report were correspondent Matt Farmer and staff writers Martin Beck, Erik Hamilton, Martin Henderson, Dave McKibben, Paul McLeod, Mike Terry and Wendy Witherspoon.