Foothill’s top-ranked boys lacrosse team has beaten four teams in the Register’s Top-10 poll this season. The resume might be impressive, but the Knights’ out-of-county scheduling is what has prepared them for success.
Coach John Fox‘s team has taken on De La Salle of Concord, Monte Vista of Danville, Torrey Pines and La Costa Canyon from San Diego and will play three teams from Massachusetts next week.
“We’re looking for the best competition,” Fox said. “We’re trying to expand the boys’ horizons and have them see different styles of play.”
Every match against an out-of-county opponent presents a chance for the Knights to represent not only their school, but Orange County.
According to Fox, scouting non-county opponents can be a little bit tougher because of the lack of familiarity and the short amount of time the team has to prepare.
The Knights are 2-2 against out-of-county opposition, and will look to improve upon that with their trip to the East Coast next week.
But before that adventure, Foothill will take on No. 10 Beckman today at 2 p.m. at Irvine High in another matchup with a Top-10 team. The Patriots enter the match on a four-match winning streak and will attempt to beat a ranked team for the first time this season.
Capistrano Valley learns tough way
It was quite an eventful week for the second-ranked Capistrano Valley girls team.
On Tuesday, the Cougars lost a five-overtime thriller to No. 3 Aliso Niguel, 15-14. On Thursday, Capistrano Valley took its lumps against No. 1 Los Alamitos in a 20-6 loss.
Nobody will accuse the Cougars of scheduling cupcakes.
The effect of five overtimes seemed to it take its toll on Capistrano Valley when it played Los Alamitos two days after its marathon with Aliso Niguel. The Cougars looked like they were playing with tired legs and the Griffins took advantage.
Despite the losses, Capistrano Valley coach Ryan Gustafson said he was able to learn about his team.
“It showed us a lot about ourselves,” Gustafson said. “Especially the Aliso (Niguel) game. We really rallied behind each other; it really was a team effort.
“Unfortunately, you can’t have a letdown against the No. 1 team in the county (Los Alamitos). All in all, I’m very happy and still proud of my team. We’re still 7-2, still very good, and I’m looking forward to the second half of the season.”
Corona del Mar continues streak
The Miami Heat saw its 27 game-winning streak come to an end at the hands of the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
There’s a streak in Orange County boys lacrosse that is giving Miami a run for its money.
Corona del Mar entered this season with a 24-match winning streak … and that streak is still going.
The Sea Kings have won 32 consecutive matches after beating Newport Harbor, 15-7, on Friday night, but Coach G.W. Mix said he hasn’t given it much thought.
“We don’t pay much attention to it,” Mix said. “We don’t talk about it. There’s no point in talking about it, we take things one game at a time.”
According to Mix, it’s been easier to extend the streak this season thanks to the amount of returning players from last season’s undefeated team.
What might be scary for the rest of Orange County, even though Corona del Mar standsundefeated, Mix said there’s still plenty of room for his team to improve.
Contact the writer: amorales@ocregister.com
Boys Hot List
Five boys players who had a great week:
Cameron Stone, Foothill: Scored four goals in the Knights’ victory against Monte Vista of Danville.
Thomas Ahola, San Clemente: The goalkeeper recorded eight saves in a game against Trabuco Hills.
Alex Knox, Beckman: Chipped in three of his team’s 13 goals against University.
Ben Nguyen, Trabuco Hills: Recorded two goals and three assists Tuesday.
Casey Mix, Corona del Mar: Mix helped his team continue its win streak by scoring three goals and dishing out an assist on Tuesday.
Girls Hot List
Five girls teams that had a great week:
Los Alamitos: Defeated second ranked team in the county for the second time this season.
Tesoro: Improved to 10-1-1 and 4-0 in the South Coast League with a victory against Mission Viejo.
St. Margaret’s: Outlasted El Toro, 17-16, in a two-overtime duel Thursday and defeated Rosary by nine goals Tuesday.
Beckman: Won two games by a 34-4 margin this week.
Aliso Niguel: Survived its five-overtime marathon with Capistrano Valley.
