Former El Toro football player Noah Aguilar remembered as ‘great teammate and leader’

• March 25, 2023

Former El Toro standout football player Noah Aguilar was the victim shot to death in Mission Viejo earlier this week in a reported case that saw his roommate arrested on suspicion of homicide, Aguilar’s high school football coach said Friday.

Former El Toro football coach Mike Mayoral said the 22-year-old victim identified in The Register’s reporting was Aguilar, who earned All-CIF and All-County honors for him as a senior in 2017.

“Unfortunately,” Mayoral said in a text message, “it is. An absolute shame.”

“Noah was a great teammate and leader,” said Mayoral, now an assistant coach at San Juan Hills. “Tremendously committed to Charger football. An All-CIF player who played the game the way it’s supposed to be played. A true warrior.”

El Toro’s football Instagram account posted a tribute to Aguilar earlier this week.

“He and his family were a big part of our ET family,” the post read, “our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones at this time.”

Aguilar also played basketball at El Toro.

Authorities told The Register that he was shot inside a home in Mission Viejo on Tuesday. Law enforcement later arrested Aguilar’s roommate, 22-year-old Michael Guy Levy, a sheriff spokesperson stated.

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In the fall of 2017, Aguilar helped the Chargers finish 8-5 and advance to the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinals, where they fell to St. Francis.

Aguilar led El Toro with 66 catches for 1,137 yards and 11 TDs in a high-powered attack with QB Cooper Jones. Both players were selected All-CIF on offense.

As a defensive back, Aguilar finished second on the team in tackles with 91. He earned first-team All-County honors on defense.

Service arrangements are not known.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange Lutheran baseball tops No. 1 Mater Dei in another extra-inning battle

• March 25, 2023

SANTA ANA — Brady Murietta’s single in the top of the 10th inning scored Derek Curiel from second with the eventual winning run in Orange Lutheran’s 2-1 victory over Mater Dei in a Trinity League game Friday at Mater Dei High School.

The Lancers (9-6-1, 4-5) took two of three games against the Monarchs (10-5-1, 7-2) in a league series this week that was dominated by pitching. Two of the games were decided in extra innings.

Mater Dei, ranked No. 1 in Orange County, defeated No. 4 Orange Lutheran 1-0 in eight innings Wednesday at Mater Dei. The Lancers came back to win 1-0 on Thursday at Orange Lutheran to set up Friday’s series-deciding contest.

“It seemed like every pitch mattered and every out was a tough one,” Orange Lutheran Coach Erik Borba said of the series. “We got out to a slow start in league. We knew this was a big series. We really challenged them (the players) before the week and especially the pitching staff. We had a meeting and talked about the pitching staff putting this team on their backs.”

Curiel walked with one out in the 10th and Murietta came up one out later.

Mater Dei was called for a balk on a pick-off attempt, sending Curiel to second and putting Murietta in a position to drive in the go-ahead run with a single.

“When he got on second, it was like I was put in this position for a reason,” Murietta said. “My head was clear and I wasn’t thinking about anything but getting that run in and helping my team.”

Dylan Wetzel singled home Brody Connors with two outs in the first to give the Monarchs a 1-0 lead.

Orange Lutheran answered right back in the second. Ben Reiland’s single drove in Josiah Hartshorn with the tying run.

Pitching took over the rest of the way.

Orange Lutheran’s Vinny Hudson replaced starter Colt Peterson in the fourth and allowed two hits and a walk with four strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.

Nolan Tillitt took over for Hudson with one out in the seventh and finished the game, giving up two hits and four walks with five strikeouts.

After the Lancers took the lead in the 10th, the Monarchs had a runner on first with one out in the bottom of the inning. Tillitt retired the next two batters to end the game and pick up the victory.

Mater Dei starter Landon Gordon gave up a run on three hits over four innings.

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J.M. Harduvel took the mound in the fifth for Mater Dei and pitched out of trouble in his first four innings.

Harduvel retired the side in order in the ninth before giving up the run-scoring single in the 10th.

Mater Dei started the day in a first-place tie with Santa Margarita.

The Eagles (10-2, 7-1) defeated Servite 2-0 on Friday and are now alone in first place.

​ Orange County Register 

Anthony Davis, Lakers grind out win against Thunder, get to .500

• March 25, 2023

LOS ANGELES — For the first time this season, the Lakers have won as many games as they’ve lost.

That doesn’t seem like much of an achievement – and they’re certainly in the hunt to fulfill greater ambitions. But considering a 2-10 start, a roster that often felt on the road to nowhere, weathering a handful of injuries to key players, the journey simply to mediocrity has been epic.

And indeed, on Friday night, in a tooth-and-nail game, the win that finally clinched a .500 record (37-37) was epic on a 48-minute scale, featuring a relentlessly aggressive 37-point, 15-rebound performance by Anthony Davis and a whole lot of grit in a 116-111 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder (36-38).

“Must-win game for us – in the standings, to get to .500,” Davis said. “That’s a tough team on the other side. They play well, they play fast. But we had to come out and get this game.”

Making a start for D’Angelo Russell (who sat out with right hip soreness), Dennis Schröder (21 points, six assists) had critical baskets in the fourth quarter, none bigger than a midrange jumper to put the Lakers ahead by five with a minute-and-a-half left. Austin Reaves – with 60 points in his previous two games – added 11 points and nine assists.

Lonnie Walker IV, who had been a healthy scratch in three straight games, exploded off the bench for 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting – his highest point total in a month. Afterward, the entire team gave Walker a salute for stepping up after being out of the rotation entirely.

“I would say these last few weeks I’ve had my ups and downs, I’ve had my times where I haven’t really been myself, where I’ve been down,” Walker said. “So I’m very blessed and honored to have an opportunity, and play to the best of my capability.

Even in a crowd of high-stakes games to finish the season, this one stood out: The Lakers moved to eighth place in the Western Conference, gaining some temporary separation from the Thunder, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz (who both also lost). Critically, the Lakers secured a 2-1 tiebreaker against OKC, which has been surprisingly competitive given its young core.

The Thunder’s stars showed why the youth movement has been working: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 27 points, and so did Josh Giddey, who added 18 rebounds and seven assists. Neither was particularly easy to stay in front of and the Thunder as a team made 14 3-pointers to bolster their attack.

But workmanlike defense helped gut out the win, with Davis patrolling the paint and directing double-teams against the Thunder stars. The Lakers made four free throws in the final minute to seal it.

Davis’ 15 for 21 performance stood above all others, including getting to the free throw line for 11 attempts. He backed down the overwhelmed OKC front court, forcing double-teams and finding ways to power through anyway

“(AD) represented all of that today,” coach Darvin Ham said. “Just demanding the ball, playing downhill, being aggressive to the rim, being active defensively, rebounding. He was huge. He was phenomenal.”

The Lakers had whiffed on two earlier opportunities to improve to .500, something that had stuck with them for the past two weeks.

Davis clearly meant business at the outset. In the first quarter alone, he was 6 for 7 from the field for 15 points – but it wasn’t the stats as much as the method. He attacked the rim with prejudice with three first-quarter dunks. On one drive, Davis flew in for a jam over Giddey, who watched with futile indifference as he stepped out of Davis’ shadow.

But the Lakers found additional offensive firepower, too. Malik Beasley and Walker rained down from behind the arc coming off the bench, helping the Laker reserves outpace their Thunder counterparts 33-15 in the first half alone. Their 41 points to start were the most the team has scored in a first quarter this season.

Against Gilgeous-Alexander, the Lakers deployed Jarred Vanderbilt, whose length flustered the All-Star guard early, getting him to miss five of his first eight attempts. But Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder found rhythm by getting to the free-throw line (17 for 19) and located their 3-point strokes (8 for 14 in the first half).

By the second half, both Thunder playmakers were fully primed, and the Lakers were battling to hold them off. But unfortunate decision-making led to a 7-0 OKC run at the end of the third quarter: With 41 seconds left, the Lakers missed a pair of shots, and the Thunder scored after both, closing to within one point.

Schröder came out punching to start the fourth, with three straight baskets and seven points. But the Lakers, who scored just 19 points in the third, still struggled against the Thunder’s defense and turned it over seven times in the second half. After threatening for so much of the game, OKC finally tied it on a Gilgeous-Alexander midrange jumper with 5:25 remaining.

But the Lakers found a way to win their third straight game, and the home crowd seems to recognize that the character of the team has shifted, too. In the third quarter, Schröder managed to wrangle not one, but two loose balls within a 10-second span, collapsing with apparent exhaustion when he finally drew a foul on Gilgeous-Alexander to uproarious applause.

With the team finally on the cusp of a winning record, and the energy in the fanbase rising, Schröder said the Lakers are responding to that swelling tide.

“Everyone’s loud,” he said. “I’ve seen the bench and everybody’s just standing up and its hyped. That’s all I’m saying, being a team, everyone just being happy for each other, that’s what we need. If we’re doing that, we’re at our best and can accomplish a lot with that if we keep doing that going forward.”

​ Orange County Register 

No. 1 Newport Harbor boys volleyball defeats Huntington Beach in league showdown

• March 25, 2023

NEWPORT BEACH — The No. 1-ranked team played like a No. 1 team should.

Newport Harbor, the top boys volleyball team in the CIF Southern Section Divisions 1/2 rankings, defeated No. 6 Huntington Beach in four sets, 25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 25-20, Friday in a Surf League match at Newport Harbor High.

Newport Harbor, last season’s CIF-SS Division 1 champion, is 21-1 overall and 3-0 in league. Huntington Beach is 18-4 overall and 2-1 in league.

Sailors senior outside hitter Luca Curci had a match-high 22 kills. The UCLA signee also had four aces.

Newport Harbor senior outside hitter Jake Read, who signed with Loyola of Chicago, contributed 20 kills and two aces. Junior outside hitter Riggs Guy added 10 kills and two aces, and senior setter Korbin Francisco had 51 assists for Newport Harbor.

“I think our balance showed tonight,” said Newport Harbor coach Andrew Mabry. “It was a long, grueling match. At different points we were able to score from every position.”

Newport Harbor senior volleyball player Luca Curci on the win over Huntington Beach, with some praise for Harbor senior setter Korbin Francisco … pic.twitter.com/vq28v1lvTX

— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) March 25, 2023

Huntington Beach senior outside hitter Liam Phinizy, also a Loyola of Chicago signee, led the Oilers with 19 kills. Junior setter Jake Pazanti, who committed to Long Beach State, finished with 41 assists.

Newport Harbor’s chief rival in the sport is Corona del Mar, but there is plenty of heat in the Sailors-Oilers rivalry, too, as shown in the body language and occasional vocalizations during the match.

“We played hard and played with a lot of heart,” Curci said.  “Even through they were talking to us we didn’t back down. We held our ground and played our game.”

The match had a few momentum swings and the usual power hitting and wild digs that are common in a Huntington Beach-Newport Harbor boys volleyball match.

The teams traded the lead for much of the first half of the first set.  A Curci kill put the Sailors on top to stay 12-11.

Huntington Beach had a 23-20 lead in the second set. Newport Harbor then scored the next five points, including two service aces by Riggs, and Read slammed the winning point for the Sailors’ 25-23 win.

Huntington Beach scored seven of the third set’s final nine points to win it 25-20.

Newport Harbor never trailed in the fourth set. Curci’s cross-court kill supplied the match-winning point.

Mabry said Newport Harbor needed the challenge that Huntington Beach provided Friday.

“As the season goes on the intensity of the match changes,” he said. “This was a good test tonight for us to feel that.”

Newport Harbor and Huntington Beach play each other again at Huntington Beach on April 19, the final night of the regular season for both teams.

​ Orange County Register 

Capistrano Valley baseball defeats Mission Viejo with Austin Taylor’s shutout

• March 25, 2023

MISSION VIEJO — The Capistrano Valley baseball team scored five runs in the first two innings and Austin Taylor pitched a shutout Friday in an 8-0 victory over Mission Viejo in a South Coast League game at Capistrano Valley High.

Capo Valley (7-4, 2-0) scored two runs in the seventh inning Thursday to beat the Diablos 5-4 in the first game of the three-game series. The two teams play again Saturday at Mission Viejo High.

Taylor was brilliant on the mound. The senior pitched a complete game, allowed just four hits and struck out five.

“I felt pretty good out there,” Taylor said. “I trusted my defense and my catcher Cody (Zippe) and everyone came together for a nice win.”

“He controlled both sides of the plate and anytime you have weak contact it’s because you keep guys off-balanced,” Capistrano Valley coach Adam Sorgi said. “He doesn’t blow anyone away but he’s a tactician out there.”

Jack Boucher went 1 for 3 with a stolen base for the Diablos (8-4, 0-2).

The Cougars took advantage of early pitching woes by Mission Viejo. With runners on second and third and two outs in the first inning, Capo Valley scored its first run on a balk by the Diablos.

Capo Valley added four runs in the second inning to build a comfortable lead. The Cougars loaded the bases with two walks and a single by Reid Montgomery. Capistrano Valley Christian transfer Boston Baro was hit by a pitch to score a run.

Matt Radogna walked to make the score 3-0. JJ Grier grounded into a fielder’s choice and two runs scored to give the Cougars a 5-0 lead.

After a few innings of quiet bats, the Cougars got some clutch hits in the sixth inning. Baro, a UCLA signee, drove in a run with a single to increase the lead to 6-0.

Radogna drove in Baro with a hard single to right field. Radogna went 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs.

“He’s letting the ball travel,” Sorgi said of Radogna. “He was pulling off a bit but credit to him for making adjustments and he’s a big piece of our order.”

Radogna later scored on a passed ball to give the Cougars an 8-0 lead.

Taylor allowed a leadoff single in the seventh, but retired the next three hitters to finish the game.

Sorgi downplayed the importance of winning the season series against Mission Viejo because of how competitive the South Coast League is.

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The Cougars are the defending league champions and there was a three-way tie for the league championship in 2021 between the Cougars, Mission Viejo and Dana Hills.

“Anybody in this league can beat anybody and we’ve seen that over the last five years since I’ve been here,” Sorgi said. “You have to take every game one at a time. It’s not about series wins or sweeps, it’s about individual games and getting as many as you can because every team is good.”

​ Orange County Register 

Santa Anita horse racing consensus picks, Saturday, March 25, 2023

• March 25, 2023

The consensus box of Santa Anita horse racing picks comes from handicappers Bob Mieszerski, Art Wilson, Terry Turrell and Eddie Wilson. Here are the picks for thoroughbred races on Saturday, March 25, 2023.

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​ Orange County Register 

Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell misses Thunder game with right hip soreness

• March 25, 2023

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers are already feeling the squeeze of injuries these days. But in one of the most consequential games of the season, they had to make do without their starting point guard.

D’Angelo Russell was shelved Friday after receiving a medical evaluation for right hip soreness. Coach Darvin Ham said it was aggravated during Wednesday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns, and called the timeline “day-to-day.”

“It’s not too serious, but serious enough where we need to manage it,” Ham said, “thus the decision for him to be out.”

Considering the stakes of the game – a tiebreaker against an Oklahoma City squad that has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA over the past month – it registered as a disappointment to not have Russell, who has been one of the team’s best 3-point shooters and playmakers since being acquired at the trade deadline. It was all the more of a setback on a night when the Thunder were able to play star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a back-to-back set for the first time in more than a month.

Russell is averaging 18.6 points and 6.4 assists while shooting 39.5% from 3-point range (on 6.9 attempts per game) in his return to the franchise that drafted him. But he’s also only played in 11 games since arriving from Minnesota via trade last month, thanks to a sprained ankle that kept him out for six straight.

The Lakers are in the middle of a tumultuous Western Conference standings battle that has seen them rise and fall nearly every night. Ideally, they’d like Russell – who will be a free agent this summer – to be a part of the effort to ensure they’ll be back in the playoffs. But Ham stopped short of calling Russell’s latest medical setback a “disappointment,” even with just eight games left in the regular season.

“Well, it’s unfortunate no doubt, but it’s professional sports and it’s a reality of our business here in the NBA,” he said. “So you have to just manage it as best you can in terms of rearranging your rotation, but we have capable guys.”

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In Ham’s case, he has Dennis Schröder, who started his 48th game of the season. The lineup was the league-leading 37th different combination the Lakers have used this season.

Ham also kept Austin Reaves in the starting lineup: The second-year guard scored 60 points in his previous two games, and figures to be a huge part of the Lakers’ game plan for the remainder of the season, especially with Russell’s availability in question. Reaves is likely moving up opponents’ scouting reports, Ham said, but he trusts him to play within his means.

“I mean Austin is a kid who is highly intelligent, and just goes about his business,” Ham said. “He’s gonna be aggressive, but he’s not gonna force himself into a bad play. He’s gonna play the right way. And as long as we continue being disciplined in our running habits and setting good screens and moving the ball with pace and making quick decisions, I think we’ll be all right offensively.”

​ Orange County Register 

Brianne Weiss leads sharp Orange Lutheran softball past Mater Dei in Trinity League

• March 25, 2023

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ORANGE — Orange Lutheran softball coach Steve Miklos wasn’t always “a fan” of turf infields.

“I’m traditional,” he explained, “I like the dirt.”

But after two weeks of heavy rain in Orange County and rescheduling games, the veteran coach is feeling thankful for the Lancers’ new turf infield, which was installed over the summer. His team has practiced on the surface in the afternoon following a morning rain.

Miklos saw another benefit Friday.

Orange Lutheran, ranked fourth in Orange County, played strong defense to match equally sharp ace Brianne Weiss en route to a 6-0 victory against visiting Mater Dei in the Trinity League.

“We’ve been fortunate enough with our field to practice here (recently),” said Miklos, whose team improved 8-4 overall, 2-0 in league. “Our field drys (fast) like you won’t believe it. On Tuesday, we practiced and it rained in the morning, which was nice. I wasn’t a fan of the turf infield but I’m happy we have it.”

“We really wanted to get this game,” he added. “This was a good win for us.”

Orange Lutheran’s defense was paced by senior third baseman Makayla Motis and freshman shortstop Madelyn Armendariz.

Motis neutralized the Monarchs’ small-ball attack by recording multiple putouts on bunts while Armendariz flashed the range that has placed her on the U.S. under-15 national team. Armendariz raced into shallow left field to rob Mater Dei of a hit in the first inning.

The Monarchs (6-7-1, 0-2), ranked No. 13 in the county, could have used the early spark because Weiss (5-2) delivered a commanding performance. The Notre Dame commit, who entered with a 0.84 ERA, scattered three hits, struck out nine and walked only one in the complete-game victory.

Orange Lutheran played for the first time in a week and only the second time since concluding the Dave Kops Tournament of Champions on March 11 in Bullhead City, Ariz.

“I love when we get to play. I love when it’s sunny out,” Weiss said. “Not playing was a kind of bummer because then we have to make up games later in the season. Games get crammed in the middle of the week … but I love it. I love playing so I don’t mind at all.”

Motis also paced the offense with run-scoring doubles in the first and fifth innings. She drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the third.

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Leadoff batter Kai Minor sparked a three-run third by leading off a single. The speedy sophomore stole second, raced to the third on an error on the throw and scored on a well-executed squeeze bunt by Mya Diaz.

Tessa Jerue added two hits, including a double, for the Lancers.

Mater Dei used three different pitchers as it continued to play without ace Justice Alcarez, who is out with a hamstring injury, first-year coach Nicole Thomas said.

The Monarchs received a diving catch in right field from Olivia Montoya in the sixth and a double in the seventh from shortstop Elle McCloskey.

​ Orange County Register