Newport Harbor douses Diablos

The Newport Harbor High boys water polo team defeated visiting

Mission Viejo, 15-10, in the first round of the CIF Southern Section

Division I playoffs Wednesday afternoon.

Newport (18-10), which finished second in the Sea View League,

will face fourth-seeded Harvard-Westlake (22-3) in the quarterfinals

Tuesday with the site to be determined by a coin flip.

With the score tied at 1 in the first period of Wednesday’s match,

the Sailors’ offense came alive and scored four goals to take a 4-2

halftime lead.

The game then went on an offensive frenzy in the second half, as

the Sailors scored 10 goals while the Diablos (20-10) tallied eight.

Juniors Brett Auer and Carson Hill, along with senior Jovan

Vranes, all scored three goals to help keep the Sailors, who have won

four in a row, alive in the postseason.

Junior Clay Jorth and freshman Nate Castillo each had two goals

for the Sailors. Senior Michael Robinson had seven goalie saves and

sophomore Bryce McLain came in for Robinson in the fourth period and

tallied two saves.

Harvard-Westlake defeated Tesoro, 19-4, Wednesday, to advance to

the second round. Newport Harbor hopes to redeem itself after a 9-6

loss to the Wolverines on Oct. 30.

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CIF Division I

First round Newport 15, Mission Viejo 10

Score by Quarters

Mission Viejo 1 1 4 4 -- 10

Newport 1 4 6 4 -- 15

Mission Viejo -- Lefevre 5, Beardsley 3, K.

Mitchell 1, Baba 1. Saves -- Pellerin 13. Newport

Harbor -- Auer 3, Hill 3, Vranes 3, Castillo 2,

Cla. Jorth 2, Cli. Jorth 1, Wight 1. Saves --

Robinson 7, McLain 2.

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