Edison starts strong at Newport Rib Company Classic

The Edison High boys’ water polo team opened play Monday at the Newport Rib Company Classic and won its first two games at Costa Mesa High.

The Chargers started the tournament with a 16-2 victory over Los Amigos and followed that win with a 14-2 rout of Kennedy. Justin Harrison led all scorers with three goals in the win over Los Amigos. Harrison and fellow sophomores Alec Niederland and Troy Oates combined for 10 of the 14 goals against Kennedy. Nate Sfreddo had 14 saves in the two games.

Edison started Sunset League play Oct. 5 and fell, 13-5, at Newport Harbor. The Sailors are the second-ranked team in CIF Division 1.

The score was tied at 2 in the first quarter and Newport went on to hold a 4-2 lead at the half. The Sailors capitalized on missed shots and turnovers by the Chargers in the second half to pull away.

“We battled Newport to the end and with the exception of a four-minute stretch in the third (quarter), we actually played them evenly,” Edison Coach Diggy Riley said.

Edison takes on Sunset rival Marina at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Newport Harbor pool.

Fifth-ranked Huntington Beach ran its record to 18-3 Monday by posting a 16-4 nonleague win at JSerra. Ian Arnold scored a game-high four goals and Jovan Jeremic and Jameson Shively both scored three goals. Wes Kobel (eight) and Brandon Lucia combined for 15 saves.

Huntington opened its Sunset League slate on a winning note by defeating Fountain Valley, 19-2, on Oct. 5 at the Newport Harbor pool. Noah Harrison and John Lovat scored six and five goals, respectively, and Arnold scored three times to pace the Oilers. Nick Frens and Kyle Breznau both scored once for the Barons.

The Oilers and Newport Harbor tangle in a key league battle at 6:05 p.m. Wednesday. Fountain Valley plays Los Alamitos at 7 p.m.

Marina also made its Sunset League debut on Oct. 5. The Vikings fell, 15-2, to Los Alamitos at Newport Harbor. Kyle Ellis and Jason Choi scored for the Vikings.

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Girls’ Volleyball

It was sweeps night Tuesday in Sunset League circles as Edison moved to 4-0 by downing host Marina (25-18, 25-20, 25-11), Los Alamitos went to 4-0 by winning 25-6, 25-19, 25-18 over visiting Fountain Valley and Newport Harbor squared its record at 2-2 by holding off host Huntington Beach, 27-25, 28-26, 25-16.

In a key Sunset showdown Saturday, Edison, the second-ranked team in CIF Division 1-AA, came back from a game down to topple host and fourth-ranked Newport Harbor, 21-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-23. Cassie Strickland had 22 kills and 10 digs, Lauren Hoenecke had eight kills and Alexa Hasen seven kills and five digs.

The Sunset League schedule Thursday includes a huge match that has top-ranked Los Alamitos playing at Edison at 4:30 p.m. Huntington hosts Marina at 6 p.m. and Fountain Valley takes on Newport Harbor.

Liberty Christian ran its Express League record to 3-0 by picking up wins in the past week over Bethel Baptist and Orangewood. Rebekah Shouse had four kills, seven digs and 15 aces, Sarah Spitzer had three kills, five aces and two digs and Janae Crombie had five assists in a 25-10, 25-11, 25-16 win over Bethel Baptist on Oct. 4.

In turning back visiting Orangewood, 25-14, 25-20, 25-21, Shouse had 17 kills, 20 digs and four aces, Spitzer four kills and 12 digs, Kylie Burkholder six kills and five aces, Katie Hallam two kills and three aces, Ashley Skocililc two kills, two digs and an ace, Nicole Cheek 21 digs and Arin Mearig four kills and 26 assists.

michael.sciacca@latimes.com

Twitter: @MikeSciacca