Los Alamitos’ Best Defense Leads to Upset of No. 6 El Toro in Water Polo

Joe Gentner, one of Los Alamitos’ top offensive water polo players, played the defensive game Thursday, shutting down one of the county’s top scorers for 3 1/2 quarters and helping the unranked Griffins to a 9-6 victory over sixth-ranked El Toro in the South Coast tournament at El Dorado High.

Gentner held El Toro’s Brett McCleave scoreless until 2 minutes 57 seconds left in the fourth quarter of the second-round game. McCleave finished with two goals.

Erik Geoffroy scored six goals for Los Alamitos, which defeated San Marcos, 7-2, in a first-round game. Los Alamitos will play San Clemente in a quarterfinal game at 6:30 p.m. today at El Dorado.

In other tournament games:

No. 2 San Clemente 11, No. 9 Santa Margarita 5--Josh Hewko scored seven goals and Pat McCann three. Garrett Marquis scored twice for Santa Margarita (8-2).

No. 3 Villa Park 11, Dana Hills 3--Charlie Fisher scored five goals for Villa Park. Fisher also scored five goals in a 9-1 victory over Tustin earlier in the day.

No. 5 Foothill 14, Poway 6--Brian Alexander scored five goals and Wes Fox four for Foothill (4-1). The Knights will play Corona del Mar in the quarterfinals.

In the Rowland boys’ water polo tournament:

Sonora 11, Upland 7--Senior Luigi Riccitelli, scored a team-high five for Sonora, was ejected from the first-round game early in the third quarter with the score tied 5-5.

Jason Sumpter picked up the slack, scoring all four of his goals in the third quarter to give Sonora the lead.

In Empire League boys’ cross-country:

Century 16, Kennedy 41--Edgar Vargas finished first in 16:14 for Century (1-0 in league) on Kennedy’s three-mile course.

Cypress 22, Loara 33--Sophomore David Napper ran the three-mile course in 16:09 to take first for Cypress (1-0).

In Empire League girls’ cross-country:

Century 15, Kennedy 40--Valerie Castelazo finished first in 21:08 for Century (1-0 in league) on Kennedy’s three-mile course.

In the Golden West League:

Santa Ana 15, Westminster 50--Janet Antunez ran the three-mile course at Irvine Park in 19:17 for Santa Ana (2-0 in league).

In the Sunset League:

Fountain Valley 22, Huntington Beach 33--Fountain Valley junior Julie Allen broke her second course record in a week, finishing the three-mile course at Central Park East in 18:38.

In nonleague girls’ golf:

No. 1 University 120, Edison 150--Medalist Angela Won of University shot a one-over-par 37 at Mile Square Park. Sunny Lee shot a 39 for the Trojans (5-0).

No. 7 Dana Hills 132, Laguna Hills 146--Carling Cho shot a three-over 39 for Dana Hills (2-3) at Monarch Beach.

In nonleague girls’ tennis:

No. 1 Corona del Mar 15, Capistrano Valley 3--Anne Yelsey swept at No. 1 singles for Corona del Mar (5-1).

No. 3 Troy 11, No. 5 Villa Park 7--Troy (3-2) won eight of nine doubles sets, led by Stacey Lee and Veronica Fermin, who swept, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1, and Michelle Dinh and Karen Eitan, who swept, 6-1, 6-0, 6-1.

Lindsey Nelson swept in singles, 6-0, 6-2, 6-0, for Villa Park.

No. 7 University 9, No. 6 Canyon 9 (University won on games, 79-65)--University’s Megan Biorkman beat Canyon’s Elizabeth Ferris in the final set of the match to secure the win. Tracy Lin swept at No. 1 singles for the Comanches (5-1).

Aliso Niguel 15, Trabuco Hills 3--Senior Donna Gentry and sophomore Erin Ivey swept their singles sets, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0, for Aliso Niguel (4-2). Ivey has lost only one game all year.

Esperanza 10, El Dorado 8--Senior Kelly Six swept her sets, 6-4, 6-0, 6-1, for Esperanza (3-3).

Katella 11 1/2, Valencia 9 1/2--Sisters Christine and Catherine Ricohermoso won their singles (6-2, 6-0; 6-2, 6-0) and doubles (6-0) sets for Katella (4-2).

In Garden Grove League girls’ volleyball:

Los Amigos 3, Rancho Alamitos 0--Kristen Orem had 10 kills and Nancy Sanchez had five aces for Los Amigos (2-2, 1-0), which won, 15-8, 15-13, 16-14.

Pacifica 3, Santiago 0--Jenae Woodward had three kills for Pacifica (2-1, 2-0), which won, 15-8, 15-10, 15-0.

In nonleague volleyball:

No. 4 Newport Harbor 3, No. 5 Corona del Mar 1--Taylor Govaars had 19 kills and 10 digs and Liz Lord had 13 kills as Newport Harbor (1-1) won, 15-7, 10-15, 15-7, 15-5. The Sailors blew a 10-3 lead in losing the second game, but jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the third and never looked back.

No. 6 Huntington Beach 3, No. 3 Irvine 1--Jennifer Gardikis had 17 kills and Sarina Bounpour had 14 for Huntington Beach (2-2), which won, 6-15, 15-10, 15-1, 15-9.