Championship form abounds

Newport Mesa 8th Grade All Net Advances to Nationals

The top-seeded Newport-Mesa Breakers eighth grade All Net

basketball team won its bracket in the sectional tournament to earn a

spot in the national tournament Saturday and Sunday.

Newport beat Riverside East, 73-61, in its first game.

Gus Ellis and Kyle Caldwell each had 13 points to go with nine

rebounds while Robbie Boyer added 13 points. Joe Eberhard tallied 10

points and six assists while Brandon Boothe (nine), Jamie McGee

(six), Jonathan Howse (five) and Ali Meshkin (four) all contributed

to the scoring.

Against East Anaheim Newport then coasted to a 58-36 win over East

Anaheim behind the scoring of Ellis (13), Eberhard (10), Boyer and

Boothe (nine), Meshkin (six), Howse (five), Caldwell (four), and

McGee (three).

The two wins put Newport into Sunday’s elimination round against

Anaheim Hills. Newport came out hot and took a 20-6 first quarter

lead en route to winning 52-32. Boyer led the scoring with 16 and

McGee chipped in 11. Eberhard had eight points while Meshkin and

Ellis each had six. Boothe, Caldwell and Howse capped the Newport

scoring.

In other NJB action:

* The Newport Beach sixth grade All Net team went undefeated at

the sectional tournament to advance to the national tournament Friday

through Sunday at the Long Beach Pyramid.

The Shredders (16-1) were the only undefeated team in their

bracket, which featured the highest-ranked teams from the regular

season.

J.D. Root hit three three-pointers in the championship game after

Michael Pierce controlled the opening tip.

Ryan Rolfes, Ethan Ayres and Matt Viles provided trapping defense

while Brian Hurst, Luke Christiano and Jon Picarelli constantly drove

to the basket.

Matt Fisher added some key putbacks.

In third- and fourth-grade action:

* Globetrotters 47, Lakers 32:

The Globetrotters (15-2) clinched the postseason tournament with

the victory March 14.

Rob Rosenast, Blake Grable and Aaron Hawkins led the offense in

the title game while Michael Moorhead, Nick Hanna, Jeff Lloyd, Danny

Marshall, Andrew Deverian and Aaron Khosh anchored the defense.

In 13- and 14-year-old action:

* Newport Waves 54, Capo-Dana 51 (overtime):

The Waves trailed by two points with less than a minute left in

overtime before staging a comeback to win the postseason tournament.

Harlan Webster hit the tying two-pointer and, with 15 seconds

remaining, Zak Maurer-Erickson grabbed the rebound off a missed

Warrior shot. Maurer-Erickson then found Max Haase, who hit a running

three-pointer to seal the victory.

Haase led all scorers with 15 points while David Dalton added 14

points and 11 rebounds. Maurer-Erickson scored nine points to go with

12 rebounds and Cameron Chase added eight steals.

Travis Sorenson tallied five rebounds while Youssef Farfan added

three rebounds. Andrew MacDonald showed strong leadership for the

Waves (11-1), who won the conference crown.

In sixth-grade Boys & Girls Club action:

* Eastbluff Black 37, Eastbluff Red 17:

The Eastbluff Black team (Lakers) capped an undefeated season with

the victory.

Kevin Lipman led the Black team in rebounding while Austin Bagby,

Benny Townsend and Jack Gerdau supplied added pressure.

Point guard Luke Christiano ran the Laker offense and got

substantial help from Connor Bathen.

Connor Gaughan added several rebounds despite the strong presence

of Joey Booth, Michael Borchard and Beau Attyah.

Zach Martin, Andrew Iverson and Sabastian Welch held the Lakers’

offense to half of their scoring average.

In seventh- and eighth-grade action:

* The Eastbluff Boys & Girls Club basketball team won the league

championship in the seventh- and eighth-grade division.

Led by Chais Pinesett, the Red Rockets lost just once in the

regular season.

Coach Gene Rhodes credited the team’s camaraderie and sound

defense for its success.

Team members include Andrew Singer, Pinesett, Gregory Stone, Jack

Lansford, Jeffrey Jones, Brandt Lange and Parker Rhodes.

The Red Rockets will represent Eastbluff in competition against

Back Bay rival Harbor Area Boys & Girls Club.