Grootegoed Wins Player of the Year Award

Matt Grootegoed of Mater Dei was honored as football player of the year Thursday night at a dinner sponsored by the Orange County Youth Foundation at the Brea Olinda Community Center.

The dinner was held to honor players selected to compete in the North-South all-star football game July 14 at Orange Coast College.

Grootegoed, a running back and linebacker, ran for 891 yards and 14 touchdowns for a Monarch team that was a Division I co-champion with Long Beach Poly. On defense, he had 95 solo tackles, seven tackles for losses, 11 pass defenses, two caused fumbles and six interceptions.

Grootegoed is headed to USC.

VOLLEYBALL

Former Arkansas outside hitter Chanda McLeod, a two-time all-county volleyball and basketball player from Marina, intends to transfer to UC Irvine, where she will be reunited with her former Orange County Volleyball Club coach, Charlie Brande, who now coaches the UCI men’s and women’s teams.

McLeod started 24 of 37 matches as a freshman for Arkansas last season and was among team leaders with 39 aces and 268 digs.

BASEBALL

Garrett Estabrook, a sophomore pitcher at Cypress College, has signed a letter of intent with Louisville.

Estabrook, a graduate of Bellflower St. John Bosco, was 6-1 this season with a 5.25 ERA. The left-hander pitched in 15 games, including six starts, and had 42 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings for the Chargers (36-12), who lost in the Southern California Regional championship game.

* There will be no shortage of good pitching at the North-South all-star baseball game sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Greater Anaheim on June 6 at Cal State Fullerton.

Villa Park’s Brandon Averill and Brea Olinda’s Mike Davern lead the North’s stockpile of arms, while Mission Viejo’s John Hudgins and La Quinta’s Jim Garvey head the South roster.

Averill is 8-1 with a 1.70 earned-run average and Davern finished third among Orange County pitchers with 111 strikeouts. Hudgins (10-2) posted a county-best ERA of 0.76 and led the county in strikeouts with 135. Garvey (9-2) had a 1.47 ERA as the Aztecs’ staff ace.

University’s Chris Conlin, who led the Trojans to the Pacific Coast League title and a top seeding in the Division II playoffs, will coach the South. Cypress’ Mark Steinert, who won his 100th game at the school this season, will coach the North.

Game time is 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and parking is $1.25.

North--Justin Angevine, El Dorado; Brandon Averill, Villa Park; Jerod Ball, Los Alamitos; Patrick Breen, Servite; Kent Carpenter, Esperanza; Kenny Castaneda, Savanna; Mike Davern, Brea Olinda; Peter Eberhardt, Whittier Christian; Erik Estrada, Sonora; Nick Fitzgerald, Los Alamitos; Brandon Gruber, Cypress; Chris Hanson, Tustin; Scott Hendrickson, Esperanza; Ryan Justice, Cypress; Elias Landeros, Tustin; Jon Lorenzen, Katella; Ron Prettyman, Los Alamitos; Matt Reese, Valencia; Ron Skyberg, Sunny Hills; Jeff Tuttle, Villa Park; Chris Van Camp, Valencia; Steve Yaden, Kennedy.

South--Chris Carey, Westminster; Scott Cheo, Capistrano Valley; John Clark, Fountain Valley; Jordan Cumsky, University; Matt Gamble, University; Jim Garvey, La Quinta; Connor Gleason, El Toro; Thomas Grove, Capistrano Valley Christian; Josh Hansen, Mater Dei; Glenn Hedgpeth, Edison; John Hudgins, Mission Viejo; Casey Janssen, Fountain Valley; Nick Lentine, San Clemente; Kellan McConnell, Capistrano Valley; Jason Mooneyham, Trabuco Hills; Terry Parker, Irvine; Chris Pearson, Woodbridge; Grant Plumley, El Toro; Chris Rix, Santa Margarita; Jesus Rodarte, Los Amigos; Robert Saltarelli, Marina; Chris Sinner, Irvine.

SOFTBALL

Samantha Jennings of Rosary High has signed to attend UC Davis, her coach, Tom Tice, said.

Jennings, a third baseman, is batting .324 with 18 runs batted in.

TRACK AND FIELD

Mark Blethen was named the men and women’s cross-country and track and field coach at Saddleback College, the college announced Thursday.

Blethen, who coached two years at Santa Monica College, replaces Taz Murtaugh, who also was an assistant football coach at Saddleback.