Yeilding Completes Comeback for the South

D.J. Yeilding of San Clemente scored with 54 seconds left in the game to give the South team a 9-8 victory over the North Saturday in the 12th Orange County all-star boys’ water polo game at Newport Harbor High.

Yeilding, a 6-foot-4 senior, wrestled the ball from two North defenders in front of the goalie box and scored the winner on a backhand shot.

“That was some matchup,” screamed South Coach Rick Rowland of Santa Margarita. “Yeilding made a great effort for that ball.”

The South came back from a 7-2 deficit to tie the score in the middle of the fourth quarter when Andrew Jensen of Santa Margarita scored his second goal.

Tyler Wawrzynski of Los Alamitos and Jeremy Janton of Katella each scored twice for the North, which looked as if it would run away with the game in the first half. But the South, which has won eight of the last 12 meetings, came out strong in the third quarter.

Said Rowland: “We stopped throwing the ball away like we did in the first half. We also took advantage of the six-on-five plays when we had them.”

The winning goal was one of three the South scored while a man-up.

Both teams seemed evenly matched, although the North was without All-American Robby Arroyo of Foothill, who was on a recruiting trip.

“Yeah, I think it would have made a difference, after all, he is one of the best in the county,” North Coach Grafton Weiss of Katella said. “But there were other things. We got in foul trouble.”

Yeilding, Jensen, two-meter man Spencer Dornin of Laguna Beach and Todd Hylton of Costa Mesa scored two goals for the South. Chris Ansevin added the other goal.

Jon Pharris of Newport Harbor started in goal for the South, playing two quarters with five saves. Eric Meadows of Capistrano Valley, the other South goalie, had four saves.

For the North, Kyle Baumgarner of Villa Park, Brett Benson of El Dorado, Matt McPherson of Foothill and Jace Crispin of Western scored. Nick Ellis of Foothill and Jason Hart of Brea Olinda were impressive in goal for the North, each with five saves.

--ERIK HAMILTON

In the Villa Park girls’ tournament:

No. 5 Newport Harbor 6, Canyon 5--Alden scored two of her three goals in the fourth quarter to help Newport Harbor (4-1) advance to the championship game. Canyon falls to 3-3.

Jenna Barto also scored three goals for the Sailors.

The championship rounds of the tournament had to be postponed until January because of unsafe levels of chlorine in the pool.

Costa Mesa 5, El Dorado 4--Costa Mesa Stephanie Lombardo had 24 saves as the Mustangs won the consolation-round game. Amy Devey led all scorers with three goals for Costa Mesa (4-2).

Huntington Beach 17, Whittier 6--Laura Fassnacht scored five goals for Huntington Beach.

Santa Margarita 9, Riverside Ramona 1--Gina Gajdos scored two goals for Santa Margarita (4-2).

In the Magnolia girls’ tournament:

Loara 4, Glendale 2--Ann Thieu and Anne Finck scored two goals each for Loara.

In nonleague girls’ water polo:

Fountain Valley 10, Hemet 4--Sharon Vanderpas scored eight goals for Fountain Valley (4-1).