Laguna sinks Tritons at home

Home proved to be sweet for the Laguna Beach High boys’ water polo team Tuesday.

The Breakers played their first home match of the season Tuesday and came up with a big victory as they defeated San Clemente, 14-5.

San Clemente came into the match ranked eighth and Laguna was ninth in the CIF-Southern Section Division II poll.

The win was stirring in that Laguna was coming off a 25th-place finish at last weekend’s South Coast Tournament.

“Going into the game I was confident that we were beginning to play well together,” Laguna Beach Coach Rick McKee said of Tuesday’s home opener. “I wasn’t sure how we would respond to a quality opponent given that we did not play high level teams to finish the South Coast tournament.

“We responded very well. We grabbed an early lead from a very strong move out of two meters by junior Pierre Masson. From that point on, we never looked back.”

Junior Nathan McConnell scored a career-high six goals to lead the rout of the Tritons. Masson contributed four goals followed by two from Peter Phelps and one apiece from Cameron Brinkman and Brad Fair.

Goalie Warren Murrell recorded eight saves.

Laguna had won its final three matches at the South Coast Tournament to earn a 25th-place standing in the 32-team event.

The Breakers opened the tournament with losses to Redlands (12-8) and Granite Hills (14-12) but came back to defeat former Pacific Coast League rival University (8-7), Tustin (12-4) and San Marcos (14-5).

“We opened very out of sorts, two starters were out sick or hurt,” McKee said. “Once they came back we hit a very good stride.”

The Breakers opened the Villa Park Tournament Thursday with games against Aliso Niguel and Mission Viejo. The scores were not available at press time.

The tournament continues today through Saturday.

“We are coming together as a team and at a great time,” added McKee, whose Breakers play league foe Estancia and former league rival Northwood in back-to-back matches Wednesday and Thursday. “We will be working at improving and continuing to get stronger.”

Boys’ Cross-Country

Despite resting many of their top runners, Laguna still managed to win the small schools division competition at the Sunny Hills Invitational.

In addition, Laguna’s frosh-soph squad captured first-place at Sunny Hills — its third, big invitational title — and has not lost this year.

The Breakers, after running the Laguna Hills, Woodbridge and Sunny Hills invitationals to open the season, have the weekend off. They return to racing Wednesday when they host Estancia at 3:15 p.m. in the Orange Coast League opener for both schools.

“Enthusiasm is high and we are off to an excellent start,” Laguna Coach Dave Brobeck said. “The trick now is to manage injuries, train correctly and have fun.

“We will not be running at full strength against Estancia. I will sit any runner with a history of shin or knee problems. Our home course is hilly and very demanding. Still, I am confident that we can win this meet.”

Girls’ Tennis

Continuing to play a gauntlet of a schedule at the outset of the 2006 season, Laguna Beach dropped a pair of nonleague matches to Troy and Northwood.

The Breakers fell to Troy, 15-3. The three points came in doubles play with Lynsday Kinstler and Allison Azera winning 6-2, 6-1, and Lauren Thigpen and Sarah Russell winning 6-3.

“They are a very, very good team,” Laguna interim coach Jonee Earl said of the Warriors who are ranked No. 3 in CIF-Southern Section Division I. “They had strength over us nearly all across the board.”

Laguna came back Tuesday to face another ranked opponent in Northwood, and the Breakers dropped a 13-5 home match to the eighth-ranked Timberwolves. Thigpen and Heather Tran swept at No. 1 doubles and Madeline Jaeger won two of three in singles play for the Breakers.

Laguna, which has already played No. 1 Sage Hill (Division IV) and No. 2 Dana Hills (Division I), takes on No. 8 Edison (Division II) at home Monday.

The Breakers begin Orange Coast League play Thursday at home against Calvary Chapel.

“Right now we’re running through a buzz-saw, and there are some really good teams still to play in front of us,” Earl said.

CIF-Southern Section weekly rankings:

Girls’ Volleyball

Division II-AA: 1. Laguna Beach; 2. Corona del Mar; 3. Troy; 4. St. Lucy’s; 5. University; 6. Norco; 7. South Hills; 8. Ayala; 9. Oxnard; 10. Laguna Hills.

Boys’ Cross-Country

Division IV: 1. Big Bear; 2. Laguna Beach; 3. Morro Bay; 4. Maranatha; 5. Oaks Christian; 6. Malibu; 7. Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks; 8. Crespi; 9. Paraclete; 10. St. Joseph’s.

Girls’ Cross-Country

Division IV: 1. Maranatha; 2. Marlborough; 3. Paraclete; 4. La Reina; 5. Morro Bay; 6. Laguna Beach; 7. Westridge; 8. Louisville; 9. Big Bear; 10. Desert Christian.

Boys’ Water Polo

Division II: 1. Santa Barbara; 2. Servite; 3. Villa Park; 4. Ventura; 5. Mission Viejo; 6. Riverside Poly; 7. Santa Margarita; 8. San Clemente; 9. Laguna Beach; 10. Mater Dei.