Pee Wee team earns playoff win

The first playoff game for the Newport Mesa Seahawks PeeWee Blue team was one of redemption as it defeated the Chiefs of Orange, 20-6, a team it had lost to the previous week.

The game started off right for the Seahawks when Nikolas DeKeyzer recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown.

Moving the ball on the ground was Jason Simaan, who gained 122 yards, including a 60-yard burst thanks in part to key blocking from Michael Brown, Garrett Cleary, Jack Beeker and Max Peterson. Wide receiver William Hunter once again proved to have sticky hands with a 40-yard grab and another catch for a 42-yard touchdown. Others picking up yardage running were Alan Yee and Nick Yi. Receivers Vik Ghadi and Chris Rybus provided quarterback Stephen Von Der Ahe many options for a total of 210 yards passing, including a 38-yard touchdown pass to Noah Linkon. Max Morin then converted the extra points.

On defense, Caden Gruber, JP Van de Voorde, Brandon Fryer, Jacob Fisher and Pasha Dastmalchi made key stops. Turning the game in favor of the Blue, Riad Benahmed and Max Duncan each recovered fumbles, one of which was on a kickoff which shut down the game for the Chiefs. The Seahawks face Bellflower in the next playoff game.

— Reader submission

AYSO Region 97

Boys’ Under 8

The Ensign Intermediate soccer field again was the site of a brilliant performance by two local boys’ under-8 teams. In the end, the Raiders’ five goals proved too much for the opposition of a team. Both teams had strong performance by all players, with Raiders forward Emmanuel Koulouris bagging two goals, as well as a strike for a goal by Ritchie Rimlinger his first of the season and ninth Raider player to score this season. The Raider coach had to power up on his goalkeeping duo of Troy Kennedy and Jacob Lehman to hold the opposition to the three huge goals they scored. Raiders strong two-man defense led by Elijah Ovalle, Dane Voorhees kept the game exciting, clearing and feeding the ball forward the other Raider players, Chris Bibona, Wil Haid, Zach McMillan, Koulouris and Rimlinger.

— Reader submission

Boys’ Under 6

Raptors vs. Orange Crushers

The Raptors came roaring through the game with goals by James Eadie and Blake Tomalas. Helping out or defense and stopping goals were Noah Sherman, Billy Ridley and Travis Yamakawa. Parker Bogard was awesome on offense keeping the ball up by the other team’s goal.

William Jacobsen and Arron Bard helped out the middle of the field in supporting on offense and defense.

— Reader submission