SHADOWLANDS

Looking back, 5 years ago this week.

Newport Harbor High wrestler Jason Deere advances to the State Meet in

Stockton after he finishes as runner-up in the Masters Meet at Fountain

Valley High. Deere, a junior in the heavyweight class, wins three matches

to advance to the Masters final. He records two victories in overtime and

enters the State Meet as the No. 2 seed, despite a nagging shoulder

injury.

The Orange Coast College women’s basketball team romps visiting Santa

Monica with a 89-61 victory in he first round of the Southern California

Regional Playoffs. Sophomore guard Monica Geraci fights off nausea and

scores a career-high 21 points, while dishing nine assists, snagging nine

steals and grabbing eight rebounds. Coach Mike Thornton’s Pirates are

also led by Jamie Shine, who scores 18 points and pulls down 17 rebounds.

The Corona del Mar boys volleyball team opens the season with a 15-0,

15-0, 15-4 sweep over Costa Mesa. Brian Coleman, a 6-foot-4 senior

outside hitter for the Sea Kings, records 12 kills and 12 digs, while

setter Derek Newcomer finishes with 28 assists and five digs. Junior

Brian Leahy leads the Mustangs with seven digs, six blocks and four

kills, while 6-foot-8 Sean Hylton has five blocks, four digs and three

kills.

The Costa Mesa softball team scores 18 runs in the second inning en

route to a 28-1 victory over Liberty Christian in the Costa Mesa/Daily

Pilot Softball Invitational. Sophomore Julie Collett hits her second and

third home runs of the season and chips in a triple to headline a 24-hit

attack. Kim Daniels hits 4 for 4 and Kristin Chisolm finishes 3 for 3

with four runs and four stolen bases.

Newport Harbor pitcher Molli Mullen throws a no-hitter to lead the

Sailors’ softball team to a 10-0 victory over Los Amigos in the Costa

Mesa/Daily Pilot Invitational. Mullen records seven strikeouts and walks

just four batters in a game that ends after five innings because of the

10-run mercy rule. Jill Nelson bats 2 for 2 with two runs and Lori

Metcalf goes 2 for 3 to pace the 11-hit attack for the Tars.

Looking back, 10 years ago this week.

The Battle of the Back Bay unfolds in boys soccer in the CIF Southern

Section Division 1-A semifinals. Newport Harbor High ends a 20-year

drought of a semifinal berth and defeats Corona del Mar, 3-1. The

Sailors’ Branon Coluccio opens the scoring, finishing a pass from Joey

Perez. Bryce Rose and Shane Perluss score one goal each for a 3-0 Harbor

lead, 15 minutes into the second half. CdM’s Justin Pierce scores on a

rebound. Harbor shares the 1-A championship with Centennial of Corona

after a scoreless tie in the finals later in the week.

The Estancia boys basketball team advances to the CIF Division III-AA

final at the Sports Arena after a 63-38 pounding on host Ganesha. Coach

Tim O’Brien’s Eagles build a 39-16 halftime lead en route to their 14th

straight victory. Estancia’s Mike Haas scores a game-high 17 points,

including five three-pointers. Paul McDaniels (16 points) and Son Ly (10)

also finish in double figures. The Eagles, however, lose, 48-45, in the

finals to Pomona. Estancia still qualifies for the state tournament.

With a strong second-half performance, Costa Mesa’s Rachel Thomas

leads the Mustangs’ girls basketball team a 59-42 victory over La Canada

in the CIF Division III-A semifinals. Thomas scores 10 of her 16 points

in the second half to key a 20-8 run. Mesa sophomore Olivia DiCamilli

scores 26 points and grabs 16 rebounds. The Mustangs then lose in the

finals, 73-71, as St. Bernard wins on a heartbreaking buzzer-beating

shot. DiCamilli scores a team-high 25 points as Mesa still qualifies for

the state tournament.

The Estancia girls basketball season comes to an end after a 65-55

loss to Lompoc in the CIF Division III-AA semifinals. Melody Earle shoots

12 of 19 from the field and scores 29 points, despite suffering an ankle

injury in the first quarter. Patrice Lumpkin finishes with 12 points and

eight rebounds. Lisa McNamee’s Eagles end their season with a 25-2

record.

-- compiled by Steve Virgen