Garbers, Saffell to sign with Cal
Chase Garbers and Michael Saffell attend high schools only nine miles apart.
In college, they will be on the same campus and on the same football team. Saffell wants to snap the ball to Garbers on the next level.
Garbers, a quarterback at Corona del Mar, and Saffell, a center at Edison, said they both plan to sign their national letter of intent with Cal’s football program on Feb. 1, the first day seniors can sign with a college.
Newport Harbor senior running back Cole Kinder said he is looking at schools in the Mountain West Conference and Pacific-12 Conference.
“Cole will be playing [for an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision program] for sure,” said Kinder’s dad, Tom, via text. “Not sure where yet as he is weighing his best options both athletically and academically. He will decide closer to [national signing day].”
Newport Harbor senior long snapper Alex Michaelsen said he has a scholarship offer from Army. He added that he wouldn’t be signing on Feb. 1.
“I am still waiting it out,” said Michaelsen, who also has a preferred walk-on offer from Cal. “I am also talking to a few other schools [USC, Northern Arizona and San Jose State].”
Arwin Rahmatpanah, a CdM senior center, said he is going to be a preferred walk-on player at Cal.
“I’m just waiting on the [acceptance] letter that tells me I am officially in,” Rahmatpanah said in a text. “They had reviewed my [application] and said it all looks fine and will be good to go.”
Seahawks continue to win in league
Ocean View has won its last 20 boys’ basketball games in the Golden West League.
The last team to beat the Seahawks is Westminster, on Jan. 23, 2015.
With Wednesday’s 73-45 win at Segerstrom, Ocean View closed out the first round of league play 5-0. Paul Head scored 21 points and made four three-pointers.
The Seahawks, who placed first in league the past two seasons, start the second part of league at Loara (10-12, 2-3 in league) on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Mehkel Harvey, Head and Seth Mishler have led Ocean View, which is 16-6 overall and ranked No. 12 in the CIF Southern Section Division 3AA poll.
Burzell returns to Laguna Beach
Blake Burzell, the No. 3 leading scorer in Orange County, made his first appearance in the New Year for the Laguna Beach boys’ basketball team.
Burzell had 12 points, 15 below his season average, in the Breakers’ 71-25 blowout win at home against Saddleback in an Orange Coast League game on Wednesday.
Burzell, a junior, missed the previous five games, including four in league. Coach Bret Fleming sat out Burzell because of a coach’s decision.
With Burzell, who is committed to Duke for baseball, defending league champion Laguna Beach wrapped up the first round of league at 3-2, good enough to share second with Costa Mesa. Both schools trail Godinez by two games.
CdM’s O’Connor hurt again
After missing time earlier in the boys’ soccer season because of a groin injury, CdM senior midfielder Will O’Connor is now out with a broken wrist.
O’Connor played a big role in the Sea Kings’ success in the Pacific Coast League this season and last season. The Sea Kings entered Thursday’s league contest with Woodbridge in first place at 4-0-1.
Last season, CdM won league by going 9-1. O’Connor recorded 10 goals as a junior.
With O’Connor hurt, the Sea Kings will continue to rely on Grant Joyce. Going into Thursday, Joyce had a team-best 13 goals, while Niko Urban had five, tying him for second with O’Connor.
Pacifica Christian sister schools in top four
Two Pacifica Christian schools made the top four in the CIF Southern Section Division 6 boys’ basketball poll. One is in Newport Beach and the other in Santa Monica.
Pacifica Christian Orange County (15-2), in its first season playing on varsity, is No. 2, while Pacifica Christian Santa Monica (10-7), which opened in 2004, is No. 4.
The sister schools don’t have a game scheduled during the regular season, but they could possibly meet in the postseason.
CdM’s Le receives offer
After leading Orange County in receiving yards, Corona del Mar junior TaeVeon Le has received an offer from Colorado State’s football program, said Sea Kings Coach Dan O’Shea.
Le, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound wide receiver, has two offers. The first team to offer him was Yale.
Last season, Le made the All-Orange County and All-Pacific Coast League first teams, and shared the Daily Pilot Dream Team Offensive Player of the Year award. He finished with 78 catches for 1,294 yards and 22 touchdowns, all CdM single-season records.
Estancia alumni baseball event
Estancia’s alumni baseball games are on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m., and former players and coaches are invited to participate and donate to the program.
The first game is between former players, while the second game at noon is between the current team and alumni.
