Nobody Will Sail Off With This Sunset Title

Suddenly, things aren’t looking quite so clear in the Sunset League. Huntington Beach entered the season as the odds-on favorite to repeat as league champions, but Esperanza and Los Alamitos have other ideas.

Esperanza, picked to finish in the middle of the pack by most league coaches, is 4-0 and took a 188-192 lead after nine holes against Servite, ranked No. 2 in the county.

Los Alamitos, also 4-0, posted scores of 386 and 395 last week and moved into The Times’ top 10 county rankings.

“It’s a tough league,” Esperanza Coach Al Safallo said. “Huntington is the favorite, but we’re hoping to make it tough on them. I thought we had potential and so far I like what I see.”

Safallo called the 188 against Servite at Los Coyotes “the best round the team has played in years.”

Sophomores Jay Choe and Mike Dunn have solidified a lineup that is headed by seniors Kevin Purnell and Brent Slonecker. Perhaps the surprise of the team has been the play of junior Ryan Saucedo, the quarterback for the Aztec football team last fall.

“He’s a competitor,” Safallo said.

Los Alamitos has seen vast improvement from four players who were on the junior varsity last season and junior Breene Murphy, the No. 6 varsity player in 1999. Cerritos Gahr transfer Chris Lee has also boosted the Griffins’ lineup.

TIGER TALES

Coming soon to a bookstore near you: “Tiger Woods Made Me Look Like a Genius,” a golf instruction guide by former Western High golf Coach Don Crosby.

Crosby, who retired from Western in January, is best known for his years as Woods’ high school golf coach. The book offers tips on how to shave strokes and also includes a detailed chart of all Woods’ high school rounds.

“As soon as he left, I became a pretty lousy coach,” Crosby said.

Co-written with Jim Palmer biographer James Dale, the 165-page book is available at most Internet bookstores and is scheduled to hit shelves in early April.

LOOKING AHEAD

League play begins for most county leagues this week. The Sea View League figures to be a battle every day and opening day is no exception with Irvine and Newport Harbor meeting at Big Canyon.

San Clemente and Capistrano Valley, the top teams in the South Coast League, open league play against each other today at Pacific.

Top nonleague matches of the week include Brea Olinda and Esperanza today at Yorba Linda and Newport Harbor and San Clemente Wednesday at Santa Ana Country Club.

If you have an item or idea for the boys’ golf report, you can fax us at (714) 966-5663 or e-mail us at peter.yoon@latimes.com