Saddleback

Thirteen turned out to be a lucky number for the Laguna Beach High girls' basketball team. The Breakers played their first game of the New Year on Tuesday and earned their 13th victory by handling visiting Saddleback, 61-12, in an Orange Coast League opener for both teams at Dugger Gym. Jackie Cenan led the scoring with 30 points and Mandi Wisbaum hit three, three-pointers and finished with 21 points. Alexandra Lewis and Francesca Cecutti led the Breakers, who improved to 13-1 overall, in defensive rebounding.

Laguna Beach could not get its offense in gear last Saturday in its Pop Warner Football meeting with Saddleback, and their lack of offense led to a 14-0 loss to the Golden Bears. Saddleback scored touchdowns on two of its first three possessions of the game and then kept the Seahawks off the scoreboard. Despite giving up the two early scores, Laguna Beach dug in and kept Saddleback scoreless the final three quarters behind the defensive play of Lorenzo Torriero, Dillon Giaraffa and Devin Hands.

The Laguna Beach baseball team has gotten off to a hot start in the 2006 season. Coach Dave Dopf's Breakers won their third straight game by defeating Saddleback Tuesday, 9-4. The victory allowed Laguna to finish in first place in its pool in the Foothill Division of the Newport Elks Tournament. The Breakers played at Garden Grove Thursday in a tournament semifinal game. The score was not available at press time. Laguna had to rally from a 1-0 deficit Tuesday to defeat Saddleback.

With two wins under its belt in the District 55 All-Star Tournament, the Laguna Beach Little League 11-year-old All-Star team was looking to add a third Saturday against Saddleback to stay in contention for a possible district championship. But it was undefeated Saddleback that continued onward toward a possible title as it won, 13-6, at Chapparosa Park in Laguna Niguel. The loss eliminated Laguna from the tournament. Laguna finished district play with a record of 2-2. Laguna took a 1-0 lead by scoring in the first inning.

The five senior members of the Laguna Beach football team will take their final bows of their prep careers tonight at Guyer Field. The Breakers close out their 2010 season by hosting Saddleback in the Orange Coast League finale for both teams. Four of those seniors, quarterback Austin Paxson, receiver/free safety/kick returner Chris Paul, running back Mike Hyden and offensive lineman/linebacker Taylor Preston will suit up one final time. A fifth senior, two-way lineman Ben Hanson, is sidelined with a knee injury that has kept him out of league play.

It's been a week full of exams for the Laguna Beach High boys' basketball team. On Wednesday, the Breakers passed another Orange Coast League test. Laguna wrapped up the first round of league play at Saddleback and pulled away during the final three quarters to earn a 66-40 victory over the Roadrunners. The 26-point triumph put the defending-champion Breakers at 5-0 in league and upped their overall record to 12-9. Most important, it kept them alone in first place. Saddleback is at the opposite end of the league at 0-5. "It was a 26-point win, but we were a little lackluster," Laguna Coach Bret Fleming said.

They cut down the nets Thursday night at Dugger Gym. The Laguna Beach Breakers had every right to celebrate, having gone on the road to play their Orange Coast League and regular season finale at Saddleback and then returned to campus with a 45-37 boys' basketball victory that put the icing on another league championship. Although they traveled for the game, they came back to their own gym to do what championship teams do. It was "net time. " "It has become a tradition here to cut down the net if we win league, whether we play at home or on the road," said Laguna Coach Bret Fleming who has led the Breakers to five consecutive league titles in the five-year history of the Orange Coast League.

What a way to start a new league season. Laguna Beach High's boys' soccer team launched Orange Coast League play at Guyer Field Wednesday and recorded a big victory as the Breakers shut down visiting Saddleback, 3-0. Laguna, ranked No. 10 in CIF Southern Section Division 5, took a 1-0 halftime lead and went on to win its sixth game. Saddleback, the No. 3 team in Division 5, won the OCL title a year ago. "We knew playing the defending league champs was not going to be easy and Saddleback showed why they have been ranked so high so far this year," Laguna Coach Dan Richards said.

A league championship may be out of reach, but the Laguna Beach football team still has plenty to play for. At 7 p.m. Friday, the Breakers close out both Orange Coast League and regular-season play against Saddleback at Segerstrom High in Santa Ana. The Breakers already are assured a CIF playoff berth and can wrap up sole possession of third place in the league standings with a victory over the Roadrunners. "To me, I've been trying to sell the fact to the kids that it's important to finish strong," Laguna Coach Mike Churchill said.

One day after suffering a tough, last-inning loss to Costa Mesa, the Laguna Beach softball team bounced back Tuesday to get back into the win column in Orange Coast League play by routing visiting Saddleback, 13-2, at Thurston Middle School. The Breakers took the lead for good in their first at-bat to improve to 3-2 in league and 8-5 overall. "You have to teach the kids to have short memories," Laguna Coach Mike Hunter said of his team's ability to rebound from an 8-7 loss against Costa Mesa to handle Saddleback.

It had been quite awhile, 17 days, to be exact, since the Laguna Beach softball team last saw game action. The last time the Breakers stepped on a diamond for competition, they played a nonleague doubleheader March 23 at JSerra. On Tuesday, they got back into action and, despite the long break, came up with a big win. Laguna launched its Orange Coast League schedule Tuesday against Saddleback and needed just five innings to turn back the visiting Roadrunners at Thurston Middle School.

A top-three finish in the Orange Coast League girls' basketball standings will be on the line Friday for the Laguna Beach Breakers. Laguna and Costa Mesa are both tied for third place in the standings and will break that deadlock when they clash at 6 p.m. at Saddleback High. The Mustangs set up the game by handing the host Breakers a 36-31 defeat Wednesday at Dugger Gym. The win allowed Costa Mesa to climb into a tie for third with Laguna. Both teams finished 6-4 in league play.

The Laguna Beach High boys' soccer team got the best of Saddleback when the teams met in an Orange Coast League opener on Jan. 9. On Tuesday in Santa Ana, the host Roadrunners returned the favor by blanking the visiting Breakers, 4-0. The loss left Laguna 2-3-2 in league, and 7-3-4 overall. Saddleback improved to 4-2-1 in league and 12-3-3 overall. "We are very disappointed with this game, not only because of the result, but also at how we responded when we went a couple of goals behind," Laguna Coach Dan Richards said.

Things pretty much went the way the Laguna Beach High boys' basketball team had wanted them to go Wednesday at Saddleback. That outcome, sets up a bigger things on Friday. The Breakers began to dictate the Orange Coast League game midway in the opening quarter, took a commanding halftime lead, and went on to take a 61-26 victory from the Roadrunners. Laguna held a 34-11 halftime advantage in improving its league-leading record to 7-0. The Breakers, ranked No. 11 in CIF Southern Section Division 4-AA, are 18-6 overall.

Thirteen turned out to be a lucky number for the Laguna Beach High girls' basketball team. The Breakers played their first game of the New Year on Tuesday and earned their 13th victory by handling visiting Saddleback, 61-12, in an Orange Coast League opener for both teams at Dugger Gym. Jackie Cenan led the scoring with 30 points and Mandi Wisbaum hit three, three-pointers and finished with 21 points. Alexandra Lewis and Francesca Cecutti led the Breakers, who improved to 13-1 overall, in defensive rebounding.

What a way to start a new league season. Laguna Beach High's boys' soccer team launched Orange Coast League play at Guyer Field Wednesday and recorded a big victory as the Breakers shut down visiting Saddleback, 3-0. Laguna, ranked No. 10 in CIF Southern Section Division 5, took a 1-0 halftime lead and went on to win its sixth game. Saddleback, the No. 3 team in Division 5, won the OCL title a year ago. "We knew playing the defending league champs was not going to be easy and Saddleback showed why they have been ranked so high so far this year," Laguna Coach Dan Richards said.

Through the first portion of the 2012-13 girls' basketball season, the Laguna Beach High Breakers have achieved several milestones. Where the Breakers stand now, compared to this point of the season one year ago, is, well, a world's difference. Laguna so far is enjoying a 12-1 season. Last year, the Breakers went 0-18. During holiday play that ended Saturday, they captured the championship of the Desert Christian Academy Tournament by defeating Palm Springs, 54-27, in the title game.

At 7 p.m. Friday, a showdown for the early lead in the Orange Coast League championship race will go down at Jim Scott Stadium, where Laguna Beach travels to face Estancia. The game pits teams ranked in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division top 10 poll. It's the No. 3 Breakers (5-0-1) vs. the Eagles (4-2), who are tied for the No. 10 spot. In the preseason Southern Division rankings, Estancia was No. 3 and Laguna No. 4. For all the ramifications Friday's game holds, Laguna Coach Mike Churchill said thoughts about the game weren't mentioned until Saturday, the day after the Breakers started their league journey with a 49-6 victory over Saddleback.

Having put the finishing touches on a near-perfect showing in nonleague play, the Laguna Beach football team sets its focus on the start of the Orange Coast League season. The league race opens Friday for the Breakers, who host Saddleback at 7p.m. at Guyer Field. Laguna won for the fourth time in five nonleague games Sept. 28 by racing past visiting Pioneer of Whittier, 59-7. The Breakers, the No. 2-ranked team in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division, averaged 52 points per game in going 4-0-1 in nonleague action.

The Laguna Beach High boys' water polo team passed its first test in Orange Coast League play Wednesday and took its initial step in an attempt to maintain its stranglehold on the league title by routing visiting Saddleback, 25-4. The Breakers had the game in hand by the end of the first quarter, where they took a 7-0 lead. They extended their advantage to 15-1 by the half. Thirteen Breakers scored, with Riley Thomas leading the way with four goals. Camron Hauer and Caleb Scott both scored three goals and Connor Hauer, Jack Dodson, Nolan Del Toro, Aki Andersen and Rian Atherton each scored twice.