Confident Marina Gains New Stature Among Top Teams

It’s nothing new for Sunset League coaches to regularly check their rearview mirrors, but this year they might be surprised by who is coming up behind them.

Marina, which finished last in the always-tight league race last year, has quietly emerged as one of the top teams in the county.

The Vikings, 8-0 and ranked sixth, scored a convincing 179-191 victory Tuesday over No. 4 Esperanza.

Senior Robbie Kramer, who qualified for the Southern Section championships as an individual last year, has again been solid, and junior Ryan Weeger and sophomores Daniel Chin and Mike Zaniboni have given Marina depth.

Danny Baedeker, a junior transfer from Denver, is the only newcomer to a lineup that returned five starters.

“We took our lumps last year,” Viking Coach Frank Ruotolo said. “But this year we’re playing confidently.”

Still, Ruotolo knows the league is as deep as ever and the Vikings have a long haul to win their first league title since 1993.

Huntington Beach, the league champion the last three years, barely escaped with a one-shot victory over Fountain Valley. Esperanza was undefeated until running into Marina, Edison is off to a good start and Fountain Valley lost its first two league matches by one stroke each.

“It could be a three-way tie for first place by the time it’s over,” Ruotolo said. “I’m not even bringing that up yet with our team . . . I don’t want to put any pressure on them.”

WHAT, NO CRYSTAL BALL?

With two victories over defending league champion Newport Harbor and a school-record team score of 176 against Laguna Hills last week at Leisure World, Woodbridge already rates as a surprise this season.

But despite the play of senior John Clarke and sophomore Billy Moon, who shot 34 and 33, respectively, in the victory over Laguna Beach, Coach Tracy Roberts is apprehensive about declaring his team a favorite to win the Sea View League.

“Our first three players are pretty solid,” he said. “But after that you need Tarot cards and a Ouija board to tell who is going to play well each day.”

O.C. CHAMPIONSHIPS?

Orange Lutheran Coach Les Salisbury envisions his annual tournament as the Orange County prep championships, but it’s not quite there yet.

The tournament takes place April 3 at Willowick and features top-ranked Santa Margarita and No. 2 Servite along with Irvine, Brea Olinda and the host Lancers, all of which have been ranked in the top 10 this season. Bellflower, Canyon and Mater Dei round out the eight-team field.

Salisbury said he’d hoped to get all teams from the preseason Orange County top 10, but failed to draw Huntington Beach--which won the event last year--San Clemente, Sunny Hills, Aliso Niguel and Villa Park.

Salisbury acknowledged he did not consider that some teams play league matches on Tuesdays. “Next year, we’ll have it on a Monday,” Salisbury said.

INTERIM EAGLE COACH

Andy Sulick, coach of the Santa Margarita freshman-sophomore team, has been named interim coach of the varsity, Athletic Director Richard Schaaf said.

Sulick will begin his stint April 2 when Tim O’Hara leaves the Eagles to become football coach at Savanna.

Schaaf said a decision has not been made on whether Sulick will be hired permanently.

If you have an item or idea for the boys’ golf report, you can call us at (714) 966-5849 or e-mail us at peter.yoon@latimes.com

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

BOYS’ GOLF TOP 10

Orange County Sportswriters’ Poll

(records through March 26)

*--*

Pos. School League Rec 1. Santa Margarita Serra 3-0 2. Servite Serra 4-2 3. Hunt. Beach Sunset 4-0 4. Esperanza Sunset 7-0 5. Capistrano Valley S. Coast 7-1 6. Marina Sunset 7-0 7. San Clemente S. Coast 5-2 8. Corona del Mar P. Coast 6-1 9. Woodbridge Sea View 5-1 10. El Toro S. Coast 4-1

*--*