Corona del Mar Hires Boys’ Basketball Coach

Ryan Curry, who spent the past seven years helping Nevada Union High in Grass Valley, Calif., become a consistent contender in the Sac-Joaquin Section, has been named Corona del Mar boys’ basketball coach, Athletic Director Jerry Jelnick said Friday.

Curry, who will also teach English, replaces Paul Orris, who resigned in February after 15 seasons.

Orris, 53, said he would take at least one season off from coaching, remaining as a math teacher at the school. Orris led the Sea Kings to a 229-199 record, including Southern Section Division IV-AA championships in 1993 and ’95.

Curry, 35, guided Nevada Union to a record of 26-6 and the section semifinals this season after a quarterfinal appearance in 2000. Nevada Union was 120-80 under Curry.

He played at Chico State for four years and professionally in France for one season. His sister is Denise Curry, a three-time All-American at UCLA, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, and a former coach at Cal State Fullerton.

* Courtney Ferguson, a 5-foot-6 freshman guard, has left the women’s basketball team at Saint Mary’s and is expected to transfer to UC Irvine, Gaels assistant Coach Travis King said.

Ferguson averaged six minutes in 19 games and made six of 23 field goal attempts last season.

Irvine recently released point guard Maree Vincent for violating team rules.

SOCCER

Beau Lawson, from Sunny Hills High, scored an unassisted goal in the fifth minute of sudden death overtime to lift the Seahorses to a 2-1 victory over the Arizona Sahuaros in Premier Development League soccer Friday at Fullerton High.

Gabriel Castro scored for Arizona (0-7) in the 89th minute but the Seahorses (4-5-1) tied it in the 90th minute on a goal by Ben Meek.

* Defender Kayleen Howard of Brethren Christian High, midfielder Jenae Welch of El Toro and forward Sarah Higuera of Trabuco Hills and Orange Coast College have signed to play women’s soccer at Vanguard next season, Coach Kerry Crooks said.

Dave McLeish, who coaches the men’s team, said Canadian national youth team goalkeeper Tommaso Bianchi of St. Elizabeth High in Thornhill, Ontario, has signed with the Lions.

WATER POLO

The U.S. national youth water polo team will include five Orange County players.

Brian Alexander of Foothill, Logan Powell of San Clemente, Steven Jendrusina of Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar’s Garrett Bowlus and Michael March will play this summer for the team coached by Capistrano Valley’s Jason Lynch.

The team will play in tournaments in Yugoslavia, Romania and Greece in July.

BASEBALL

Three Esperanza High players will join five others from Orange County in the California State All-Star Baseball Games this weekend at Sacramento City College.

Pitcher A.J. Shappi, catcher Luke Sargent and infielder Dave Nicholson will represent the Aztecs and play alongside Sonora pitcher Brett Smith, Capistrano Valley pitcher Frank McLaughlin, El Dorado infielder Joe Turgeon, Canyon outfielder Rocky Roquet and University infielder Kevin Conlin. Foothill’s Vince Brown will coach the South team.

The games, which began Friday night, continue tonight at 7 and Sunday at noon.

* Senior all-stars from four Orange County leagues will play in Showcase 2001, a doubleheader today at Windrow Park in Irvine.

The Sea View League all-stars will play those from the Pacific Coast League at 3:30 p.m. At 7:30, the South Coast League all-stars will play the Century League.

Tickets are $1-$4.