Lacrosse Notebook: Growing the Sport in South Orange County

Foothill High's lacrosse teams have seniors who began playing the sport in the fifth grade. The Santa Ana school (really more North Tustin) fields three boys teams and two girls teams whose rosters total more than 130, and both Knights varsity teams are ranked No. 1 in the Orange County Coaches' polls.

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School is a small, private, K-12 school in San Juan Capistrano with its own in-house feeder program when it comes to sports. Lacrosse began as a club sport on campus eight years ago, but since then the boys and girls have combined to win five league titles and a couple Orange County championships.

Corona del Ma High is in a beach community whose kids began playing lacrosse 10 years ago, thanks to a coach named Mark Todd, who had the insight to start a youth program that helped the Sea Kings become a perennial powerhouse. Todd is now trying to do the same thing at Newport Harbor this season.

What do these diverse schools have in common, outside of being ranked Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in boys lacrosse and among the top 10 for the girls? Each began fielding lacrosse teams about a decade ago, and have developed a feeder system that adds more players and teams to all these cash-strapped high schools, which can’t be a bad thing.

Most of the high school lacrosse programs in South Orange County are still in the fledgling stage, working to build up their clubs while trying to compete with the Foothills on a stage that is still fairly unfamiliar to them.

It’s strange to think of Mission Viejo, Capistrano Valley, San Clemente, Trabuco Hills Aliso Niguel and others in as second-tier schools when it comes to any high school sport, but that’s exactly what they are in lacrosse. But don’t expect it to stay that way. Youth clubs are signing up new members daily. Several area middle schools have started lacrosse teams, and while the sport hasn't established a foothold at the elementary school level (that I’ve seen, but please correct me if I’m wrong), it shouldn’t be too long.

When these programs become established, high schools begin fielding JV and frosh/soph teams and varsity players can boast of five years or more of playing experience, there’s little doubt that lacrosse’s powerbase will expand, if not shift, into the South Coast League, as well as parts of the Trinity, Sea View and Pacific Coast leagues.

“It’s all about the feeder program. That’s why Foothill is so good,” said Ryan Brent, the second-year boys lacrosse coach and former lacrosse player at Mission Viejo, Class of 2004. “Every senior at Foothill has been playing since the fifth grade and they have three or four teams. So their depth, we can’t match it. But in a couple years, you’ll start seeing players here with four and five years of experience, and we’ll have 10 to 15 really good players.”

That’s when Brent is betting things will take off for South Orange County lacrosse.

“You can be 6 feet 5 or 5 feet 8, it doesn’t matter,” Brent said. “All you have to be is fast and have good stick skills.”

As a two-year starter at UC Santa Barbara, where he scored 50 goals and averaged 2.5 points a game, Brent's teams advanced to the playoffs both years. He knows the value of fielding consistently competitive teams and building a winning program.

Competing with other well-established, highly successful programs at Mission Viejo like football, soccer and basketball for players can be tricky, but there are more students in the area than in many regions of the county, so a larger pool of talent should be available. But really, most kids who play sports want just two things: to play and to win.

“The administration has been great, and (Athletic Director) Troy Roehlen has helped me a lot,” Brent said. “I had heard horror stories over low pay and other coaches, but everyone has been great here. It’s been an easy transition.”

Brent, 25, hopes he’s back with Mission Viejo next year, but like so many of the other young coaches in the area, a lot depends on the job market, and for teachers that isn’t good (I know). Either way, Brent will be coaching somewhere and hopefully making a difference with a new breed of lacrosse playing youngsters.

“I suppose there are a lot of young lacrosse coaches coming out here with not much experience whatsoever, but we’re also developing friendships and teaching the kids how to be responsible, which is a terribly important thing,” Brent said. “I just want to make sure we’re playing lacrosse the right way. For me it’s a no-brainer.”

Diablos Facing Their Demons

The Diablos boys are back in the O.C. Coaches Poll this week at No. 10 after starting the season unranked and reaching as high as No. 7 in Week 3. They have been up and down most of the season, says Brent, which is typical of most teams this season.

Mission Viejo began the season winning five of six with four of those victories coming at the MVHS Invitational Tournament, also won by the Diablos. They defeated Great Oak, 4-3, in the final on an unassisted goal in the closing minutes by senior midfielder Colby Maxwell. The team looked like a contender and moved up in the rankings.

Individually, Diablos senior captain Spencer Taylor has become one of the leading middies in Orange County. He has 54 goals and is averaging three a game, according to MaxPreps. Senior goalie Matt Meissner also has played terrific this season, making 154 saves and allowing only seven goals a game.

Now, however, the Diablos are 9-5; however, those five losses have all come against teams that are ranked in the top 10. At 1-4 in the South Coast League, losses against San Clemente, Tesoro and last week against fourth-ranked El Toro, 12-5, have hurt the Diablos’ chances of reaching the playoffs.

Of course, they can begin to fix all that Tuesday with Round 2 of league play beginning at San Clemente at 5:30 p.m. That is followed by a home game Thursday against Tesoro and the regular-season finale April 30 against El Toro at Serrano Middle School.

“We’ve struggled a little bit with the top teams because we don’t have much depth. We play a lot of the top 10 teams, but we haven’t had the results we wanted,” Brent said. “Against El Toro we were missing our two top midfielders. I would have liked to have been at full strength. The last two weeks of the season are going to be tough. San Clemente, Tesoro and El Toro, those are definitely top 10 teams.”

Steady As She Goes

St. Margaret’s is not a spectacular team like Foothill or an athletic team like Corona del Mar. The Tartans just go about their business and win. They are 11-1 this year, losing only to Foothill early in the season, and clinched their fifth consecutive Trintiy League title with a 6-0 record after an 8-5 victory over JSerra.

Just win, baby.

“We’ve been playing well,” Tartans coach Gerry Manning said, in his understated way.

Truth is, the Tartans are solid everywhere. Sophomore Alex Waller was the offensive star against JSerra by scoring four goals, including two within 12 seconds of each other in the third quarter. The second goal was deflected off Waller’s stick for the goal as the Tartans built a 7-3 lead. Junior Matt Duenes had two goals and Kent Iizuka, Chris Bauer and Josh Davis each added one.

Defensively, goalie Brandon Sauchand, a 5-7 sophomore, was again tough against a physical JSerra offense, stopping a dozen shots. Joey Kimpler led the Lions with three of the team’s five goals.

Winston is a Winner

St. Margaret’s sophomore Winston Robinson was all smiles on the sidelines Thursday night, despite needing crutches to move around on a painful left leg.

A few weeks ago, Robinson broke the fibula and tibia in his left leg when he collided with several players in front of the net. He had to be carried off the field, and days later had surgery to insert rods and screws into his mangled leg.

Robinson said he was feeling good and enjoying some of the perks of being injured, such as having someone take his books from class to class. But he knows he has a difficult road ahead. Rehabilitation is expected to take 12 months, which means he would miss the 2011 football season and possibly the spring lacrosse season. But Robinson admits his health is more important, especially with that serious of an injury.

“I try not to feel sorry for myself because that would just drive me crazy,” said Robinson, who added that he hasn’t seen the video of the injury. “I’ll be back for lacrosse season, for sure.”

Tuesday Night Lights (Out)

If you didn’t attend Tuesday night’s anticipated showdown between the No. 2 Tartans and No. 3 Corona del Mar Sea Kings you didn’t miss anything -- literally.

The game, scheduled for 7 p.m. at Newport Harbor High School, was postponed when the teams arrived to see yellow caution tape and were told that scheduled maintenance work on Davidson Stadium’s lighting had not been completed in time during spring break. The JV game was played and ended before dark.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had that happen before,” Sea Kings coach G.W. Mix said.

The game was rescheduled tentatively for Tuesday at 7 p.m. at St. Margaret’s. The Sea Kings will be the designated home team. However, we suggest that you call the school beforehand to verify the day.

Incidentally, the stadium’s lights were fixed the next day, just in time for a Newport Harbor home game.

Unfamiliar Territory

Los Alamitos’ girls won 45 consecutive games games and two county and Southern California titles before losing to Coronado a month ago. So it probably has been awhile since the Griffins were not ranked No. 1. But on Tuesday that consecutive streak was snapped by Orange County coaches, who voted Foothill (11-2-1, 4-0-1) as the No. 1 team over No. 2 Los Alamitos (13-3, 5-1). It seems strange to see it.

The Griffins, who are ranked No. 4 in the state, dropped a 12-7 decision to Torrey Pines, the No. 2 team in the state. Foothill is ranked No. 5. Hardly a reason why Los Alamiotos would drop now, especially after the Knights defeated the Griffins on March 25, but the rankings didn’t change then. However, Foothill had victories over No. 3 Beckman, 13-12, and No. 8 El Toro, 14-7, the last two weeks, then solidified their top status with a 12-5 thumping of No. 6 Corona del Mar on Wednesday.

Baring an upset or unless the coaches change their mind, Foothill will end the regular season as the No. 1 seeded team in the playoffs. The Knights have two games remaining — April 26 at Mira Costa (61^st statewide) and April 28 at Newport Harbor (37^th) — while the Griffins have only one, April 29, against Cate of Carpinteria (47^th).

Incidentally, Beckman is ranked No. 9 in the state, while Santa Margarita is No. 11 and Mission Viejo No. 12, according to MaxPreps.

Long March to Long Island

Foothill boys spent part of their spring break Sunday through Thursday this past week in Long Island, N.Y., competing against three highly-ranked high school teams in four days and enjoying the sights of New York City.

Foothill won a thrilling come-from-behind game against Long Island, N.Y., 10-9. The Knights tied the score with 45 seconds left on a goal by Cooper Pickell. Then, according to the game report in LaxBuzz, “…with the clock winding down, Foothill attacker Brad Bochesa worked his defender from the deep right corner and drives up to fire a 'no angle' low shot to win it with 1.5 seconds remaining. West Coast 11, East Coast/Long Island 10.” Love that East Coast description.

JSerra's Stock Rising

St. Margaret’s Manning was asked before Thursday’s game against JSerra just how good he thought his newest crosstown competitor had become. The Lions are at a season-high No. 7 in the O.C. Coaches Poll after starting the season at No. 10 then disappearing until last week, and now moving up among the elite teams.

“They finally have some good coaching now, so they are going to be tough,” Manning said. “This will be a good test for us tonight.”

For JSerra and interim coach Max Ritz, that’s good enough for now.

Ritz was named interim coach after Kyle Harrison, a three-time All-American lacrosse player at Johns Hopkins University, agreed to coach the JSerra boys team beginning in 2012, according to school officials. Ritz replaces Mike Hutnick, who resigned after two season to pursue his education.

Ritz is a Philadelphian transplant who played lacrosse at the University of Maryland and is a professional player and co-founder of the LXM PRO Tour. (See Max’s bio by clicking here.  Even though he has the “interim” label, Ritz certainly is treating this season like the first of many for him.

“We should be better in terms of wins, but not in terms of the ranking. That’s great for the team,” said Ritz, who, along with his coaching staff, handles both the JV and varsity teams on the field. Steve Nieto, the on-campus “boys lacrosse liaison” who the players can go to with questions, handles “paperwork, participation fees and program logistics” off the field, according to the school.

Shortly after losing to St. Margaret’s, 8-5, Ritz already was dissecting how the Lions lost and what areas they needed to improve upon next time.

“They had 10 minutes a man up, we had one. When that happens, you’re never going to beat the good teams,” Ritz said. “We had guys who were better out there, but they had guys who were better on offense. The defense should be the area you want to start with and we have a good defense. (Ryan) Suttle, our goalie, gets to a lot of balls. He is a student of the game.”

The Lions are in second place at 4-3 in the Trinity League, but trailing the Tartans (7-0) by three games. JSerra can finish the regular season on an up-note, however, with a victory at home Tuesday over Mater Dei (6-6, 1-4).

League Races

Santa Margarita's girls clinched their first Trinity League title under first-year coach Cressita Bowman with a 15-2 victory over JSerra on April 16. It was Senior Day for the Eagles and seniors Bree Richards, Kelsey Taber and Madelin Williams each celebrated by scoring goals.

Goalie Sarah Talbot, also a senior, recorded six saves for the fourth-ranked Eagles (11-3, 7-0), who outscored the Lions, 10-1, in the second half.

El Toro girls can clinch the South Coast League championship next week with a win over Dana Hills. The No. 8 Chargers (8-9, 6-0) play the Dolphins twice, on Tuesday at Dana Hills High (5:30 p.m.) and on Thursday (4:30 p.m.) at Glen Yermo Elementary.

Featured Games

Today, April 23

Boys -- Huntington Beach (ranked No. 5 in O.C.) at Los Alamitos (6), 1 p.m.

Tuesday, April 26

Boys -- Corona del Mar (3) at St. Margaret’s (2), 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 28

Boys -- El Toro (4) at Foothill (1), 7:30  p.m.; Santa Margarita at Mater Dei, 7:30 p.m.

Girls -- Mission Viejo (5) at Tesoro (7), 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 30

Boys -- Capistrano Valley at Los Alamitos (2); Mission Viejo (10) vs. El Toro (4) at Serrano Middle School.

 Mike Casey's "Lacrosse Notebook" appears weekly on all Orange County Patch sites.