Costa Mesa rivals collide for bell

Barry Faulkner

An otherwise mundane week of league matchups for Newport-Mesa high

school basketball teams will feature a pair of crosstown showdowns

between boys and girls squads from Costa Mesa and Estancia.

The Mustangs and Eagles will square off on the boys side Wednesday

at 7 p.m. at Estancia, while the girls teams collide Thursday at 7

p.m. at Costa Mesa.

Estancia, which has won the perpetual Bell Trophy that goes to the

annual series winner the last two seasons, is favored to make it

three years in a row against the Mustang girls. The Eagles have

beaten Mesa their last five meetings, including triumphs of 51-20 and

50-33 last season, the former the most lopsided margin since the two

schools began competing for the Bell in 1991.

First-year coach Tami Rappa’s Estancia squad (7-8, 2-0 in league),

which defeated perennial Golden West League champion Westminster Jan.

6 to establish itself as the team to beat in league, is looking to

hand Coach Jim Weeks’ Mesa squad (9-6, 1-0) its first defeat in

Golden West play. The two schools competed the last 12 seasons in the

Pacific Coast League.

Estancia will be led by veteran seniors Xochitl Byfield and Tisha

Gray, as well as junior Trisha Wase, in her third season as a varsity

standout. Byfield is averaging 12.9 points per game, followed by Wase

(12.3) and Gray (9.2).

Costa Mesa is keyed by senior Rhondi Naff, who leads all

Newport-Mesa scorers at 18.1 ppg, as well as senior guard Stacee

Sanchez (8.8 ppg, including 22 three-pointers).

Costa Mesa has won four of the last six crosstown boys clashes,

after Estancia had built a 30-game winning streak over the Mustangs

from 1982 to 1999. Coach Bob Serven’s Mustangs (5-11) have owned the

bell the last two seasons, but are looking to rebound from an 0-2

start in league.

Mesa is fueled by senior Danny Krikorian (15.8 ppg), whose streak

of sinking at least one three-pointer in every game this season came

to an end in a nonleague win Wednesday over visiting Calvary Chapel.

Krikorian, who has drained 44 shots from threedom, started a new

three-pointer streak with two in Friday’s league loss to Orange.

The Mustangs’ offense has been bolstered of late by freshman Brian

Knox, who scored 50 points in three games last week to up his season

average to 7.4 ppg.

Estancia (12-5) missed the chance for a perfect three-game start

in its first week of Golden West League play, dropping a 64-62

decision against visiting Santa Ana Friday after opening with league

triumphs over Westminster and Saddleback, Jan. 6 and Wednesday,

respectively.

Coach Chris Sorce’s squad features offensive balance, led by

sophomore forward Carlos Pinto (13.6 ppg) and 6-foot-8 senior center

Joey Lindquist (12.8 ppg). Senior guards Zack Novak and Matt Cachola

have also been stalwarts for the Eagles.

The Estancia boys close the week Friday at Orange, while Costa

Mesa hosts Westminster Friday.

The Costa Mesa girls open the week Tuesday hosting Orange, when

Estancia visits Santa Ana in another Golden West League game.

The CdM boys (7-9) open Pacific Coast League play Wednesday at

Laguna Beach, then host Tesoro Friday.

The Newport Harbor boys (9-7, 1-0) host Sea View League rival

Aliso Niguel Wednesday, then visit Irvine Friday night.

The Sage Hill boys (6-8, 1-0 in the Academy League) are at

unbeaten St. Margaret’s tonight, before visiting Capistrano Valley

Christian Friday in another league contest.

The CdM girls (5-9) tip off league play tonight at Laguna Beach,

then host Tesoro Thursday.

Newport Harbor’s girls (10-7) host Aliso Niguel tonight in the Sea

View League, then visit Irvine Thursday. The Sailors then host

Trabuco Hills in a nonleague game Saturday night.

Sage Hill’s girls (8-2, 0-1) are at St. Margaret’s tonight and

host Capo Valley Christian Friday.