Breakers brought home titles

From start to finish, the 2009-2010 school year contained plenty of accolades for the Laguna Beach High athletic program.

Whether it was fall in Fresno, or late-spring in Irvine, Laguna Beach teams and athletes turned in outstanding performances that led, on several occasions, to honors and championships.

Below are some of the key athletic highlights from the school year that were reported in the Coastline Pilot:

Fall

Senior Maddie Jaeger won three matches with ease to take the Orange Coast League singles title in girls' tennis and advanced to the CIF Individuals tournament. Also advancing were two Breakers doubles teams, Claire Jaeger and Bianca Sganga, won the OCL doubles title, and Alison Azera and McKenna Nokes. Jaeger and Sganga won the title by default over Azera and Nokes because Nokes was running in the league cross country finals and wasn't able to get back in time for the doubles championships. The Breakers, as a team, also won the regular season league championship.

The boys' water polo team again took the Orange Coast League championship and advanced to the semifinal round of the Division III playoffs were the Breakers fell to eventual champion Montebello, 10-5.

In girls' golf, senior Grace Komoroczy and junior Christianne Kinder were named first-team All-Orange Coast League, while senior Jenni Coury and sophomore Taylor Weiss earned second-team status. Komoroczy finished second in the league individually, and the Breakers also finished second to Estancia in the team standings. Komoroczy advanced to the CIF Southern Section Girls' Individual Championships.

In a showdown to determine the Orange Coast League champion on the football field, Laguna Beach pounced on Costa Mesa, 49-34, on Senior Night at Guyer Field. The victory gave the Breakers their first league title since 2006. The 2009 Breakers set several records during a season that ended in a first-round playoff loss to Beckman: rushing yards, game (Alec Jaffe, 361, Oct. 23 vs. Calvary Chapel); touchdown passes, game (Austin Paxson, five, Sept. 11 vs. Corona del Mar); touchdown passes, season (Austin Paxson, 24); touchdown passes, career (Austin Paxson, 33); catches, game (Chris Paul, 15, Oct. 1 vs. Garden Grove); touchdown catches, game (Chris Paul, four, Sept. 11 vs. CdM); touchdown catches, season (Chris Paul, 18); touchdown catches, career (Chris Paul, 26). Paul went on to be named league MVP and Jaffe the Offensive MVP.

"I was really happy with how the offense played and I was glad to see the defense come together at the end of the year and win league," Coach Jonathan Todd said. "I'm excited for next year. We'll miss our seniors a lot but the future looks bright."

In girls' volleyball, Laguna reached the CIF Division I-A semifinals where it lost to Dos Pueblos. During the course of the season, the Breakers picked up quality wins over Corona del Mar, Huntington Beach and El Dorado, won another Orange Coast League title and advanced to at least the semifinals of CIF for the sixth straight year.

The Laguna Beach boys' cross-country team, led by a dominating senior class, ran all the way to the finish line in Fresno. The Breakers not only won the CIF Southern Section Division IV title, but a week later, went on to capture the Division IV state title at Woodward Park. It was the program's third state championship and first since 2004. Laguna Beach junior Matt Neev finished second individually at state, followed by seniors Blake Hofmeister (fifth), Andrew Shapero (11th) and Tommy Newton-Neal (16th).

"The dominant feeling of this state championship was relief," Coach Dave Brobeck said. "It was probably the hardest state championship because we were favored. In '89 and 2004, we weren't expected to be there. This go-round, it just felt really good, a great punctuation mark to finish a nearly perfect season."

Girls' volleyball player Paulette Grand Pre, football players Chris Paul, Austin Paxson and Ethan Quirarteand boys' water polo players Nolan McConnell, David Brunner, Spencer Dodson, Robbie Quellmalz and Robert Chew, all earned All-CIF honors for the fall sports season.

Winter

In an Orange Coast League girls' basketball game Jan. 25, Emily Writer scored 53 points in the Breakers' 71-64 loss to Costa Mesa, to set a new score single-game scoring record. That total broke her own school record which she set in 2009 when she scored 51 against the Mustangs.

By beating Godinez, 1-0, on Feb. 4, the girls' soccer team clinched third place in the Orange Coast League and secured a Division III playoff berth in the process. By doing so, it marked the first time in its history that the program had made the playoffs in back-to-back years.

The Orange Coast League boys' basketball title has been up for grabs four times since the league was formed at the start of the 2006-07 school year and in each instance, Laguna has done the taking. By defeating host Godinez, 48-38, on Feb. 10, the Breakers, who returned only one significant starter from the previous year, sewed up their fourth-straight league crown "It's a great feeling (to win league again)," Coach Bret Fleming said. "This one was a little unexpected, but it's a credit to the kids. They kept working and kept fighting." Senior guard Adam Selevan was named league MVP.

Hoping to repeat as CIF champion in girls' water polo, top-seed Laguna fell just short of that goal in a 6-5 loss to No. 2 Palos Verdes in the Division II title game in Irvine. It was the fourth title game appearance for the program in six years. Senior utility player Lexie Ross was named league MVP. Ross, juniors Jessie Holechek, Jessica Shusko and Etianne Manetta, and sophomore Yoshi Andersen, made the All-CIF Division II team. Ethan Damato was named co-coach of the year in the division.

Spring

For the first time since 2007, Laguna fielded a softball team. Coach Mike Hunter's 18-player roster included 10 freshman, and the Breakers played a junior varsity Orange Coast League schedule. "I like start-ups," Hunter said. "I fix programs that are broken. It's great to see the progression of the girls, how far they can come along. I love the challenge." The Breakers went on to a 13-5 season that included a 6-0 league mark.