Champions crowned in league

Laguna Beach kids from second to eighth grade practiced and competed from December to February in Laguna’s new flag football league.

“This was the first year we brought this league to Laguna and we had great success,” said Chris Herry, the league’s organizer and assistant coach at Laguna Beach High, in a release.

Herry had more boys signed up to play than he had teams with coaches. There were four elementary division teams that competed against one another and four junior high teams competing against one another. After three football skill training days, followed by four sets of games, the championship match was Feb. 28 at Laguna Beach High.

The winners of the elementary division were Johnny Mitchell, Drake Gulla, Nolen Smith, Scotty Plowden, Colin Johnson, Bobby Gavin, Cole Hunt, Jonathan Ranabarger, Anthoney DiGienova, Andrew Ranabarger, Luc LaMontagne, Sam Burgi, Jake Petig and Peter Weiland. The team was coached by Dick Burgi, David LaMontagne (head coach), John Gavin and Jim Weiland.

It was a defensive struggle and a very close final game that was tied at 6 until the last play. Touchdowns by the winning team were run by Luc LaMontagne and Nolen Smith, who scored on the last play of the game to clinch the championship.

The winners of the junior high division were were Carson Cushing, Zach Washer, Conner Brashier, Judge Washer, Jack Wills, Ben Greenwood, Dylan Kramer, Dante Amodeo, Koa Todd and Tyler Jackson. The team’s head coach was Jonathan Todd, who’s also the coach at the high school.

With a final score of 28-0, the winning team played great defense behind the solid play of Wills, Amodeo and Jackson. Touchdowns by the winning team were run by Koa Todd (two) and Jackson, as well as a pass from Washer to Koa Todd.

The next football league will be in the fall of 2010.

“” David LaMontagne, Community Correspondent

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Laguna wins in Garden Grove

The Laguna Beach High junior varsity baseball team won the Garden Grove frosh/softball baseball tournament recently. The team went 5-0. It received stellar pitching performances from Alex Lebond, (nine strikeouts in a shutout against Godinez); Jackson Rees (10 strikeouts in a shutout against Garden Grove); Larry Stewart (11 strikeouts in a win against Katella ); Eli Cassard (scrappy win at Norwalk) and Rees in the championship game against Orange (six strikeouts).

“” Bill Rees, Community Correspondent