Year in Review

It was another banner year for the county with two teams winning state championships--Newport Harbor and Santa Margarita--and four winning section titles--Newport Harbor, Santa Margarita, Calvary Chapel and St. Margaret’s.

There were superstar players like USC-bound April Ross, who led Newport Harbor to a second consecutive state title and third consecutive section title.

There were upstart players like Corona del Mar junior Dimitra Havriluk, who helped the Sea Kings end Laguna Beach’s 13-year stranglehold on the Pacific Coast League championship.

And there were heroic players like Calvary Chapel’s Christy Kimmel and Jessi Wright, who helped the Eagles win a section title despite an illness that kept starter Kelly Overby on the sidelines for most of the season.

But mostly, it was a season of firsts.

Santa Margarita won an unprecedented fourth consecutive section title and also won its first state title by beating nemesis Mountain View St. Francis, which had defeated the Eagles in the previous two Division II state finals.

And St. Margaret’s won its first section title and advanced to its first state final with Allison Bendush, on a reconstructed knee, leading the way. Bendush earned state MVP honors although her team lost to Ripon Christian in the Division V final.

“I would trade this trophy for the championship,” Bendush said. “Still, I won’t ever forget this season.