Shadowlands

Looking back, 5 years ago this week:

Newport Harbor High’s girls water polo team upsets No. 4-seeded

Los Alamitos, 4-3, to advance to the semifinals of the CIF Southern

Section Division I Playoffs against undefeated Long Beach Wilson. The

Tars burst to a 2-0 lead on a pair of lob shots by Jocelyn Manderino

and Kyndra Cox before Los Al ties it, 2-2. Cox would score again an

Alden Moore adds a goal for the victors.

Estancia High escapes, barely. A last-second shot by San Dimas’

Josh Smith caroms off the rim, giving the Eagles a 47-46 victory to

reach the boys basketball semifinals in CIF Division III-A. A

relieved Sam Nelson tips the ball toward midcourt following the

missed shot to run out the clock. The Saints mistakenly foul with 34

seconds left, even though the shot clock would have reset, giving

them another shot. San Dimas has only five team fouls, but lets 24

seconds tick away before sending the Eagles (19-9) to the line.

Estancia fails to pad the lead as the wayward foul shot is tipped out

of bounds by an Eagle, setting up the Saints’ final offensive

possession. The Eagles rebound from a 35-25 third-quarter deficit.

Nelson scores 12 of his team-high 14 points in the final nine minutes

and 30 seconds, while Peter Andersen posts seven of his 12 points in

the first half. James Dawkins has 10 points and six rebounds, while

Ryan Simpson collects nine points and 11 boards.

As sunlight fades away, Estancia’s Noe Estrada scores on a header

from Jose Quintana’s corner kick three minutes, 22 seconds into the

second of two 10-minute sudden-death overtime periods to give the

visitors a 3-2 victory over host Mayfair. The win puts the Eagles in

the quarterfinals of the CIF Division IV boys soccer playoffs, where

they eventually meet Laguna Beach (16-4-2). The Eagles come back from

a 2-0 deficit when Quintana tallies a goal off of an Irving Islas

assist in the 31st minute. The Eagles’ defense of Ramon Garcia, John

Aldrete, Luis Avalos and Estrada, along with goalkeeper Brad Wayman

(nine saves, six in the second half), hold Mayfair at bay. Junior

midfielder Mario Miranda scores his first goal of the season to even

it, 2-2, in the 72nd minute. The Eagles pile on Miranda following his

goal. Garcia twice strips the ball from Mayfair forwards on

breakaways in the first overtime.

Looking back, 10 years ago this week:

Costa Mesa High’s girls basketball team advances to the semifinals

of the CIF Division III-A Playoffs with a 62-48 victory over host

Lompoc of the Northern League. The Mustangs erase a 16-9

second-quarter deficit with a spurt by Olivia DiCamilli (14

second-quarter points and 28 overall). The Mustangs win their 20th in

a row to improve to 24-4 as they next face Culver City. Lompoc never

gets closer than six after Yool Kim and Heather Robinson add a layup

and a free throw, respectively, to pad the lead in the second

quarter. Mesa’s April VanSweden guards Lompoc’ standout Kimberly

Wuest, holding her to 2 of 8 from the field in the first half.

Robinson finishes with 20 points while VanSweden adds nine and Kim

and Jessica Lurmann each tally eight.

It’s on to the finals of the CIF Division IV-AA boys basketball

playoffs for Corona del Mar after upsetting second-seeded Banning,

71-61. CdM’s Kyle Thompson hits a baseline three-point shot with 3:12

left in the contest to put the Sea Kings up, 58-51, helping to stage

a 12-4 run for the designated home team. CdM shoots 30 of 39 from the

free-throw line, including 15 of 16 in the final quarter. Four Sea

Kings score in double figures and Chris Quinn adds muscle inside with

10 of his 14 rebounds coming in the fourth period. Center Preston

Smead scores seven of his team-high 13 points in the second quarter

as the Sea Kings roll to a 32-25 halftime cushion. Quinn, Todd

Merriman and Eli Wendell each tally 12 points for the victors.

Behind 30 points from four-year varsity standout Michaela Ross,

the Newport Harbor girls basketball team rolls to its fifth straight

win, a 67-44 victory over Bassett, to earn a spot in the CIF Division

III-AA semifinals. The Sailors (20-6) jump to leads of 16-6 and

31-14, with Ross sinking 5 of 6 first-quarter field-goal attempts.

She later misses nearly nine minutes with foul trouble. Newport wins

the rebounding battle, 47-22, and forces 22 turnovers to clinch the

first 20-win season in the program’s history. Genevieve Evarts adds

11 points and seven rebounds while Gina Heads tallies six points,

seven boards, five assists and three steals.

-- compiled by Bryce Alderton