The top-ranked Brea Olinda girls basketball team defended its title in the Ladycat Classic by topping Esperanza, 50-45, in Saturday night’s final.
Junior forward Tyiona Watkins scored a team-high 14 points in the championship game and was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Brea Olinda’s Jasmine Rachal, Iyree Jarrett and Janei Fuamatu were also selected to the all-tournament team.
The runner-up showing by Aztecs included a 15-point victory over Orange Lutheran, and wins against Mayfair of Lakewood and Legacy of South Gate. Those three teams collectively went 76-18 a season ago.
Esperanza senior guard Amanda Williams and sophomore forward Samantha Fries were named to the all-tournament team.
In other girls basketball tournament news:
• The South Coast Classic final on Saturday night was a showdown between two Sunset League rivals, Los Alamitos and Huntington Beach. Sophomore guard Cailyn Crocker scored a game-high 29 points to lead Los Alamitos (4-0) to a 51-34 victory. Crocker garnered MVP honors after averaging 19 points in four tournament games.
• The Troy Classic began Monday with pool play. There will be more pool-play games Wednesday and Friday. The tournament concludes Saturday with the championship game at 7:30 p.m. at Troy High.
Five of the eight teams participating were placed in the CIF-SS Open Division of the playoffs last season. The field includes Troy, Mater Dei, Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth, West Torrance, Alemany of Mission Hills and Etiwanda of Rancho Cucamonga.
KENNY CONNOLLY
GIRLS WATER POLO
Dana Hills’ girls water polo team won one-goal games in the quarterfinals and semifinals en route to a runner-up finish in the Benson Cup at El Dorado on Saturday.
The Dolphins (5-1) edged fellow Division 2 contender Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach, 5-4, in the quarterfinals and clipped Villa Park, 9-8, in the semifinals.
Dana Hills fell in the finals to defending champion La Jolla, 16-3.
DAN ALBANO
GIRLS SOCCER
Top-ranked Santa Margarita won the first major tournament of the season with a victory over No. 8 JSerra, 5-1, in the Champions Division of the O.C. Winter Showcase on Saturday at the Orange County Great Park.
The Eagles (4-0-0) scored pool-play wins over No. 6 El Toro, 5-0, and Huntington Beach, 2-1. Senior Claire Calcaterra led the way for Santa Margarita with three goals in the tournament.
JSerra (3-1-0) made some noise by upsetting No. 2 Tesoro, 4-2, in pool play and CIF-SS Division 1 contender Harvard-Westlake of Studio City, 2-1, in the semifinals. Sophomore Isabella D’Aquila scored five goals in the Lions’ 8-0 pool-play win over La Habra.
ZACH CAVANAGH
WRESTLING
The Cyrpess and Canyon wrestling teams showed why they are teams to watch this season at the Cossarek Classic.
The Centurions finished second to St. John Bosco with 221 points. The Centurions had 11 medalists, led by 138-pound champion Devin Daugherty. Diego Schindler (160) and heavyweight Tyler Bodholt were both finalists.
Canyon finished fourth with 145 points. The Comanches had seven medalists, inclduding 170-pound champion Jared Fernandez. Fernandez won three matches by fall and another by major decision.
Santa Ana and Calvary Chapel led all county teams with three individual champions apiece. The Saints, who finished third, had Jose Mata (113), Ricardo Solorio (132) and Joey Daniel (220). Elijah Palacio (120), Luciano Arroyo (126) and Gustavo Mello (152) were champions for Calvary Chapel.
DAMIAN CALHOUN
BOYS SOCCER
Some of the nation’s most successful boys soccer teams will be at San Clemente this week to compete in the three-day Lotto Western Sports Showcase.
The field of eight includes teams from Arizona and Flordia. Servite and San Clemente are the county’s two representatives and will play first-round matches on Thursday. The Friars will play Hamilton of Chandler, Ariz., at 2:30 p.m. The Tritions will follow with a match against Auburndale of Auburndale, Fla., at 7:45 p.m.
If Servite and San Clemente are victorious Thursday, they will meet in the semifinals Friday at 6:30 p.m. The championship will be decided Saturday 6 p.m.
Brophy Prep of Phoenix, Ariz., Corona del Sol from Tempe, Ariz., Loyola of Los Angeles and Cathedral of Los Angeles are also in the field. Servite and Loyola, two of the biggest rivals in the CIF-SS, could meet in Saturday’s championship.
Traditionally, the winner of this tournament has become a player in Topdrawsoccer.com’s national championship race and fixture in the website’s Fab 50 rankings.
All games will be broadcast on http://www.ustream.tv/channel/lotto-sport-western-showcase.
DAMIAN DOTTORE