Division Becomes Royal Scramble

Now that Loyola High has been knocked out of the Southern Section boys’ volleyball playoffs, Royal can be penciled in as Division I champion, right?

Not so fast, say Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor and Anaheim Esperanza from Orange County.

No. 4-seeded Corona del Mar (15-2) eliminated Harvard-Westlake in a five-game quarterfinal match last week, and unseeded Esperanza (17-1) upset No. 2-seeded Loyola.

Newport Harbor (20-1), seeded No. 3, has been a top-five team throughout the season and hasn’t dropped a game in the playoffs.

Thus, top-seeded Royal (26-0), which plays Corona del Mar in a semifinal match today at Newport Harbor, is not exactly printing championship T-shirts.

“We’ve got a challenge, a good one,” Coach Bob Ferguson of Royal said. “I think our kids were excited at first [when Loyola lost], but then they realized that there must be other pretty good teams out there.”

If the Highlanders, who have never won a Division I title, and Esperanza advance to the final on Saturday, it would be a rematch of the title match two years ago, when Esperanza beat Royal in four games.

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Who knew that a finger could mean so much to a team?

Richard Nelson, the UCLA-bound setter-outside hitter at Alemany, has spurred the Indians to an appearance in the Division II semifinals since his return from a broken pinky.

He missed seven matches, the Indians suffered in Mission League play, and Alemany appeared doomed entering the playoffs.

But since Nelson’s return, the unseeded Indians (11-6) have defeated league champions Beverly Hills, Foothill and Bishop Montgomery on the way to the semifinals against No. 2-seeded San Marcos (18-2) today at Dos Pueblos.

“I think the time off ignited a fire in him,” Coach Jamie Quaglino said.

Equally important, Quaglino said, Nelson’s absence led to the development of several other players, including outside hitter Joe Chavez, middle blocker Adam Steele and setter Kevin O’Shea.

“That’s really been something that’s helped us in the playoffs,” Quaglino said. “You can stop one guy, but when you’ve got other guys to keep them honest, that’s a huge plus.”

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And, for the last City Section note of the season. . . .

Coach Doug Magorien of Taft is sporting a new look after promising his team he would dye his hair blond if the Toreadors won the City Championship.

Taft swept Monroe, winning its first title since 1990 and leaving Magorien with a promise to keep.

“A couple guys were upset I didn’t do the full bleach look, but I split the difference,” said Magorien, who settled for blond highlights. “Of all the people I’ve talked to, about 70% said they liked it, unless they’re lying.”