Newport Harbor High senior discus thrower Ethan Cochran said he plans throw for the UC Berkeley men's track and field program after high school. (Scott Smeltzer, Daily Pilot)

Newport Harbor High discus thrower Ethan Cochran said he plans to sign a national letter of intent with the UC Berkeley men’s track and field program on Wednesday, which is National Signing Day.

Cochran, the CIF State champion in the boys’ discus last season, said he chose the Golden Bears over Oregon, UC Irvine and Alabama because he felt the school is the all-around best fit for him.

National Signing Day for track and field, football, boys’ water polo, soccer, cross country and field hockey marks the first day high school seniors can sign with a college.

— David Carrillo Peñaloza, @DCPenaloza

Estancia High running back Robert Murtha is one of three Newport-Mesa football players making the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclassmen teams. (Kevin Chang, Daily Pilot)

Estancia High running back Robert Murtha made the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclassmen third team for juniors, while Costa Mesa middle linebacker Oronde Crenshaw and Newport Harbor left tackle Sam Bush each made the first team for sophomores.

Murtha, who earned All-CIF Southern Section Southern Division honors and the Orange Coast League Offensive Player of the Year and Daily Pilot Newport-Mesa Dream Team Offensive Player of the Year awards, rushed for an Estancia single-season school record 2,216 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Murtha led the Eagles (10-3, 5-0 in league) to back-to-back undefeated league titles for the first time and to the semifinals of the playoffs for the first time.

Crenshaw, a first-team All-Orange Coast League and Newport-Mesa Dream Team pick, led the area with 130 tackles. He had eight tackles for losses, five sacks and two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown.

Crenshaw kept Costa Mesa (8-3, 4-1 in league) in contention for a league title in the regular-season finale and helped the Mustangs return to the Southern Division playoffs after missing the postseason in 2010.

Bush, a second-team All-Sunset League and Newport-Mesa Dream Team selection, helped Newport Harbor (5-6, 3-2 in league) place third in league and reach the Pac-5 Division playoffs.

— David Carrillo Peñaloza, @DCPenaloza

Vossen said Hirst, 50, is taking a personal leave of absence and there is a possibility that Hirst can return to his post as coach. Vossen said he could not comment as to why Hirst, who was in his 16^th season, decided to step away from the program with nine Sunset League games left to play.

Vossen said Bob Torribio, an assistant coach, is taking over for the Sailors (5-11, 0-1 in league), who have lost nine straight games. Torribio has stepped in twice before for Hirst. The last time was last season, when Hirst collapsed because of dehydration during a game.

Hirst returned and the Sailors missed the CIF Southern Section playoffs for the second time in the past three seasons.

Hirst also took a one-year sabbatical during the 2008-09 season to spend more time with his family. The Sailors had reached the postseason for 12 straight years under Hirst before he stepped away three years ago.

— David Carrillo Peñaloza, @DCPenaloza

Marissa Booker, in her first year in charge of a varsity program, led the Sea Kings to a place they reached two of the previous three years with another coach. The program’s third trip in four years to a section title match ended on the same note.

The Sea Kings again fell short. They came so close this time.

Top-seeded Los Angeles Marymount rallied to beat second-seeded CdM, 27-25, 21-25, 23-25, 25-18, 15-12, as the Sailors defended their Division I-A section crown at Cypress College on Saturday.

The Sailors stormed the court, while the Sea Kings broke down.

The Sea Kings (31-4) looked stunned. They had given one away to Marymount (30-4).

…Continue reading Another bitter defeat

What they played for back then, a CIF Southern Section Division I-AA girls’ volleyball title, was also at stake Saturday.

The rematch at Cypress College didn’t last as long, though. The Griffins swept the Sailors, 25-17, 26-24, 25-23.

The Sunset League rivals played on a neutral court again, but it sure seemed like Los Alamitos was at home. A huge student crowd came out to watch the Griffins (35-3).

Fans wore red, chanted and jumped for most of the night. The second-seeded Griffins used the support to beat Newport Harbor (25-9) for the third time this year.

…Continue reading Sailors swept in final

In the previous contests, the two programs never played for what they met for in the regular-season finale at Jim Scott Stadium.

Estancia and Costa Mesa played for a league title.

Winner claims the Orange Coast League title, the Battle for the Bell and eats ribs. The Eagles made history, as they wrapped up back-to-back undefeated league titles for the first time with a 28-14 victory.

The way Estancia (8-2, 5-0 in league), ranked No. 4 in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division, pulled it off was impressive.

…Continue reading Eagles soar to title

The backfield got a little bit smaller on Thursday.

The Sailors lost junior Tala Teaupa for six to eight weeks after he suffered a broken collarbone during practice, Coach Jeff Brinkley said. The loss of Teaupa, a junior varsity starter last season, is a major one.

Brinkley expected Teaupa to compete for the starting tailback job after last year’s starter, Buzzy Yokoyama, transferred to Mission Viejo High for his senior year.

“Hopefully, he will be back when [Sunset League] play starts,” said Brinkley, whose team opens league play at home against Fountain Valley on Oct. 14. “He went down to the ground and [his collarbone] just broke.”

Without the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Teaupa, the Sailors turn to three seniors. But two of the players did not record any carries last season and one was hurt for most of the season.

Ethan Cochran, Titus Hasson and AJ Swies are in the mix. Cochran is more of a bruising back at 6-1, 220 pounds, while Hasson, a 6-1, 195-pounder, gives the Sailors a breakaway threat. Swies is the smallest of the trio at 5-9, 180 pounds.

The three will get their chances in Newport Harbor’s season opener at Trabuco Hills on Sept. 8. Whether they can duplicate Yokoyama’s numbers from a year ago, when he rushed for 1,250 yards and 12 touchdowns, is big question mark.

CdM first-year football coach Scott Meyer is ready for the high expectations. (Scott Smeltzer, Daily Pilot)

Coach Scott Meyer enters his first football season at Corona del Mar High with high expectations.

Where the Sea Kings sit on the CIF Southern Section Southern Division preseason poll only reaffirms the high hopes Meyer has in store this year.

The Sea Kings are ranked No. 4, the highest of any of the two Newport-Mesa programs cracking the section’s top-10 polls. Estancia is No. 9 in the Southern Division.

Both CdM and Estancia won outright league titles last season. The Sea Kings went unbeaten in the Pacific Coast League and the Eagles finished undefeated in the Orange Coast League.

Meyer took over a program that has reached the semifinals of the playoffs twice in the past three seasons. Meyer, an assistant last season at Long Beach Wilson, replaced Jason Hitchens, who stepped down to spend more time with family.

Coach Mike Bargas has led Estancia to the postseason in three of his first four years at the helm. The Eagles, who open the season at Bolsa Grande on Sept. 9, are looking for their first playoff victory in 31 years.

The opening round has not been an issue at CdM in two of the last years. Getting to the section title game has been.

The Pacific Coast League is robust again, with Beckman (No. 1), Northwood (No. 3) and Woodbridge (No. 5) ranked in the Southern Division.

The Sea Kings’ attempt at a 14-game season starts Sept. 2, when they open against Savanna at Glover Stadium in Anaheim.

One player missing in the building was Alexis Cage, the daughter of former NBA player Michael Cage.

She will not be around the CdM program this upcoming season.

The Sea Kings will be without Alexis, a 6-foot-3 incoming junior, who has already committed to play for the University of Washington, said CdM Coach Marissa Booker. The loss of Alexis is big one at CdM, which enters this year with a new coach and high expectations.

The Sea Kings are No. 2 in the CIF Southern Section Division I-A preseason coaches’ poll.

“She’s choosing not to play this year,” said Booker, unsure whether Alexis will attend CdM this school year.

“It was just kind of the best thing for her [to focus on her academics].”

Michael said his 16-year-old daughter’s decision was a hard one for her to make.

“She’s really going to miss playing high school volleyball,” said Michael, adding that Alexis might attend Monte Vista, an alternative high school in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. “She decided to focus more on her academics and pass on playing high school volleyball as she already has a scholarship offer.

“She wants to focus on getting better, train with her [TStreet Volleyball Club of Irvine], and finish her beach season. She understands that overtraining can be very dangerous.”

Michael praised Booker for supporting Alexis’ decision.

Without Alexis at outside hitter, Booker believes CdM can still make a run at a section title.

Booker, who came over from Vanguard University, where she coached the women’s team the past three years, has talent at CdM. The Sea Kings have a standout freshman in 6-1 Hayley Hodson and senior middle blocker Britton Taylor is one of a handful of returning players.

“If we take care of what we’re supposed to take care of,” Booker said, “we’re putting ourselves in a great position to be a contender.”

Booker, in her first stint as a high school head varsity coach, will try to do what the last person in charge, Darryl Gan, could not: guide CdM to a section crown.

If it happens, CdM will get to raise another championship banner on one of the freshly painted walls inside the gym.

Roy Englebrecht, a fight promoter from Newport Beach, announced last Thursday’s Fight Club OC card is available for $4.99 at www.fightcluboc.com. The card includes five bouts and entertainment footage.