Makenzie Fischer enjoys challenges, but the Laguna Beach water polo standout is excited about possibly having some help this week as the Breakers attempt to defend their title in the Holiday Cup.
The U.S. national team player is hopeful that her sister, Aria, returns from a bruised knee to play in the tournament, which runs Friday and Saturday at Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar high schools.
Laguna Beach (5-0) has posted a 3-0 mark during Aria’s absence but needed a late goal from Makenzie and last-second save from goalie Holly Parker to clinch a 9-8 victory against Newport Harbor last week.
“It was a challenge without Aria, but I think it is fun that way (too),” Makenzie said after the triumph. “But we’re looking forward to having Aria back and being at full strength.”
Laguna Beach and second-ranked Foothill (6-0) are the top two seeds in the 16-team Holiday Cup girls water polo tournament, which runs Friday and Saturday at Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar high schools.
No. 3 Newport Harbor is seeded second in Laguna Beach’s group, while No. 4 Corona del Mar is the second seed behind Foothill.
Laguna Beach captured the tournament for the first time last season en route to the CIF-SS Division 1 crown. The Breakers enter this week’s tournament riding a 26-match winning streak.
The Holiday Cup includes No. 6 Orange Lutheran (8-1), No. 7 Santa Margarita (4-2), No. 10 Rosary (3-3) and preseason-ranked Edison (4-7).
First-round matches start Friday at 8:30 a.m. with the semifinals Saturday at Newport Harbor at 10:40 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. The placement games for the top-eight teams start at 12:50 p.m. at Newport Harbor and run to the championship at 4:05 p.m. …
The 24-team Falcon Tournament begins Jan. 5 at Santa Ana Valley, Tustin and Kennedy. Marina is the defending champion. …
A few of the teams playing this week face critical league matches the week of Jan. 5. Defending Sunset League champion Los Alamitos (9-1) – which plays two nonleague games this week – takes on host Newport Harbor on Jan. 7 at 5 p.m. Edison tangles with Huntington Beach (10-5) at 7:10 p.m. to close out the opening night of the Sunset League at Newport Harbor.
– DAN ALBANO
WRESTLING
The winter break has forced some tournaments to adjust their schedules.
This week, Servite and San Clemente are participating at the 52-team Sierra Nevada Classic and Calvary Chapel is in the Black Watch Invitational at Upland. Both tournaments started Monday and conclude today.
The 64-team, double-elimination Tournament of Champions runs Friday and Saturday at Cerritos College. The first matches Friday are at 10 a.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m.
The Shark Tank Invitational at Santiago of Corona and Super Champs at Nogales of La Puente are also on this week’s wrestling schedule. League duals resume Jan. 6.
In girls wrestling, Santa Ana, Kennedy and Sunny Hills are competing at the Speedwear Invitational, a two-day tournament at Northview of Covina. The tournament concludes today.
– DAMIAN CALHOUN
BOYS SOCCER
Winning the Orange League championship might be as difficult this season as claiming a CIF Southern Section title.
The league could be the most competitive in the county with four teams possessing the talent to make deep runs in the Division 2 playoffs.
There are the usual contenders – Anaheim, Katella and Century. Anaheim and Katella, both fielding rosters filled with varsity experience, met Monday in the Marina Tournament championship match. Century has Amirgy Pineda, perhaps one of the best midfielders to ever play in the county.
The team Anaheim coach Joe Chavez seems most concerned about, though, is Magnolia.
The Sentinels are scoring a lot of goals, knocking in 11 during a three-game span. All but three of the goals were by Manuel Acosta, who is tied with Servite’s Garrett Amador for second in the county in goals.
Acosta, a junior midfielder, has had a four-goal game and a three-goal game.
– DAMIAN DOTTORE
