Youth scene: Boys aim high with skills show

The Aim High Hoops basketball club showed its talent at halftime of the Corona del Mar High boys’ varsity game against Woodbridge Friday night.

Aim High’s 10U and 12U performed, demonstrating drills, layups, weaves and three-pointers.

Showcasing their skills were 10U players Tarik Aliyazicioglu, Brandon Figueroa, Jack Garza, Max Goffman, Niklye Gould, Anthony Hall, Chase Hall, Levi Fernandez and Joe Ruiz, as well as 12U players Anthony Beltran, Tyler Chacon, Chris Cox, Shan Dharod, Kyle Hatch, Mikey Ruiz and Layson Savant.

Aim High has a skills clinic every Friday night 6-8 at the Newport Coast Community Center.

For more information about Aim High Hoops visit AimHighHoops.net.

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Gang Green undefeated champions

Newport AYSO Region 97

Boys’ Under 12

Gang Green capped a 14-0 season with a win over the Stingers in the AYSO boys’ under-12 championship game.

The 2-1 victory was the closest game that Gang Green had seen all season. The team went 10-0 during the regular season, outscoring opponents, 55-12, and then continued their winning streak through four playoff games, outscoring opponents, 17-3.

Gang Green, coached by Tom Elsten and Doug Shepherd, included: Hayden Elsten, Sean Harper, Alec Lamond, Dillon Lippman, Brandon Lezama, Jack McClintock, Ryan Meyers, Casey Nelson, John Shepherd, Salen Stuart and Yuza Taddeo.

Elsten, Harper and McClintock will be continuing play on the Region 97 BU12 all-star team.

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Newport AYSO GU9 Wipeout Impresses at Rockstar Cup

The girls’ under-9 Newport AYSO Wipeout traveled finished second in the Tustin Premier Soccer Club tournament sponsored by Rockstar Sunday.

Playing against club teams from all over the state the Newport girls impressed all interested observers as they battled in the final against the Pateadores based in Irvine.

After a defensive first half ended in no score thanks to the solid goaltending of Madeline Alaluf, the Pateadores scored late to capture the crown, 1-0.

However, the story of the tournament was the AYSO Wipeout girls, who plowed through three club teams to make it to the final. By the end of the tourney the club circuit whisper was, “Where did these girls come from?”

In its first match against Chelsea from Yorba Linda, the Wipeout rode the wave of goals from Alison Corr and Jayd Sprague to a 2-1 win.

Next up was a solid Corona Eagles team who ultimately proved no match for the Newport girls in a 4-0 affair. Against the Eagles, the Wipeout’s stubborn defense led by Keilani Lee, Lauren Braun and Emma Martin, shut out every attack.

Meanwhile the Eagles were bombarded with shots by left midfielder Caroline Farley, but it was Tyesha Aguilar, Sprague and Corr who each netted goals. Then, in the precursor to the final match, the Wipeout faced a stingy NHB team from Huntington Beach. But much like they had done throughout the tournament, the girls leaned hard on their center midfielder, Trinity Rodman, to show them the way. Rodman fed Corr and Sprague for two more goals leading the way to a 2-0 victory as the team was cheered on by its injured mid-fielder, Peyton Kassouf.

The 8- and 9-year-old girls were no longer unknowns at the conclusion of the tournament. Though there were many sad faces following the championship loss, it was not long after that the girls realized they could leave Tustin with their heads held high.

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Newport-Mesa NJB Division I

Lakers 48 Spartans 46

Behind the scoring of Jake Whelan and Hagen Truninger, and the tough defense of Mitchell Steinke and Nick Sperr, the Spartans led throughout the game.

But Beau Roth scored the game’s last basket with six seconds remaining, giving the Lakers the lead at the final score of 48-46. Mitch Dean led the Lakers’ defense, blocking five shots while gathering seven rebounds. The Lakers shared the ball offensively, with John Redoutey, Harrison Hewitt and Patrick Halle each in double figures.

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