Sailors surprise Aliso Niguel

* GIRLS HOOPS: Newport Harbor High’s girls basketball team

knocked off title contender Aliso Niguel Friday night on the loser’s

floor, 45-32, serving notice the Sailors’ 12-12, 2-5 record can be

deceiving.

Using a suffocating zone in the first half, Jen Thompson’s Sailors

frustrated Aliso’s major threat and the die was cast for the Sea View

League upset.

Jillianne Whitfield was the ringleader with 14 points, 11 rebounds

and five steals, and she had some big help from the likes of Victoria

Swigart (10 points and seven rebounds), Amanda Campbell (six

rebounds) and Vanessa Miller, who came off the bench to nail three of

five from outside the arc.

“It was really a team effort,” said Thompson. “And Whitfield, she

was just excellent. The (team) defense won it.”

Aliso Niguel entered with a 5-1 league record.

The Sailors are home on Tuesday against Irvine.

Eagles fly, 59-36

* GIRLS HOOPS: Following a three-point third quarter Estancia High

girls basketball coach Tami Rappa inserted her starters and a

full-court press defense. The strategy worked as the Eagles scored 27

fourth-quarter points en route to a 59-36 Golden West League victory.

Estancia remains atop the league (8-0).

“I was (irked) at their fans and their girls were playing overly

aggressive,” Rappa said. The Eagles led, 32-26, at the end of three

quarters, but responded with a strong fourth quarter.

Estancia (13-8 overall) had four players score in double figures

including Xochitl Byfield (13 points), Trisha Wase (11) with Tisha

Gray and Nancy Castro each with 10.

Wase grabbed seven rebounds followed by four each from Krystal

Mino and Gray.

The Eagles shot 11 of 17 (64%) from the free-throw line and

converted on 21 of 47 (44.6%) from the field, but made just 2 of 14

from three-point range.

CdM rolls up 5-3 win

* BOYS SOCCER: Corona del Mar High’s boys soccer team got back on

the winning trail Friday, posting a 5-3 victory over visiting Laguna

Beach to improve to 12-5-2, 5-1 in the Pacific Coast League.

Still smarting from a 2-0 loss to visiting Northwood on Wednesday,

the Sea Kings ran up a five-goal lead over the Breakers before a

liberal substitution rotation allowed Laguna Beach the opportunity to

regain some respect.

Junior forward Danny Whitaker was Corona del Mar’s scoring leader

with two goals, while junior Julien Cerutti, junior Dominic Rubino

and junior Jerritt Thayer each scored once.

Assists went to Chris Ringstrom and Brandon Barrett.

Thayer’s goal was unassisted and Whitaker and Cerutti each netted

a goal off a free kick.

“We played really well,” said Coach Pat Callaghan. “We’ve just got

to keep getting wins and get ready for Northwood (in the second round

on Feb. 12).”

The Sea Kings are at Tesoro on Wednesday in their next league

venture.

Sailors, Aliso Niguel tie

* BOYS SOCCER: Newport Harbor High’s boys soccer team was forced

to settle for a 2-2 standoff in a Sea View League game at Aliso

Niguel, despite playing so well that first-year coach Martyn Hansford

called it the Sailors’ “best performance of the year.”

Eric Nutter scored the first goal of the game on a picture-perfect

sequence.

Goalkeeper Mark Sparks made a save and Matt Tracy took his outlet

pass and drove the right side of the field before a standout pass to

Joel Walker. Walker cut inside a defender and pushed it to the far

post, where Nutter pushed it in.

Down, 2-1, the Sailors evened it on a Jose Surpas score. He shot

from 18 yards out, then sent it home on his own rebound.

The Sailors, 6-3-4, 4-2-1 in league, got a big performance from

left midfielder Chase Kelly. “He just completely dominated his

position,” said Hansford. Spears had two saves.

Estancia falls, 2-0

* GIRLS SOCCER: Estancia High’s girls dropped a 2-0 Golden West

League match against visiting Saddleback to fall to 3-8-6 overall.

Goalkeepers Marci Kirchberg (17 saves) and Stephanie Veliz (six

saves) were kept busy from the start.

The Eagles host Costa Mesa on Wednesday.

Mesa rumbles, 45-30

* WRESTLING: Costa Mesa High’s CIF Division I team duals-bound

Mustangs were 45-30 winners over visiting Saddleback High Friday in

wrestling, improving to 4-1 in the Golden West League behind unbeaten

Santa Ana.

Among the Mustangs’ winners Friday were Silvio Estrada (30-5) with

a pin at 130 pounds; Jesse Franco (30-5) with a pin in the second

round at 145; Matt Grubisich (30-8) with a pin at 4:10 at 140

pounds); and heavyweight Eric Reyes with a pin in 1:25.

Also winning were Christian Rivero with an 11-9 win at 125, Mike

Simonoff with a 16-10 victory at 160, and 171-pounder Adam Garcia

with a winning, 5-3, decision.