The biggest game this week is St. John Bosco at Santa Margarita on Friday at 7 p.m. It is a Trinity League opener for both teams.

St. John Bosco (11-4), led by 6-6 senior Christian Collins, is ranked No. 3 in CIF-SS in the computer rankings.

Santa Margarita (19-2), led by senior guard Kaiden Bailey (Georgia Tech signee), is No. 2 behind top-ranked Sierra Canyon.

In the CalHiSports.com state rankings, Santa Margarita is No. 3 and St. John Bosco is No. 5. Sierra Canyon is No. 1 there, too.

Orange Lutheran (14-5), which is No. 10 in the Orange County rankings, plays at county No. 3 JSerra (13-8) on Friday in another Trinity League opener.

The schedule for Tuesday has some standout league matchups. In the Crestview League, O.C. No. 6 Canyon (11-6) is at No. 2 Crean Lutheran (14-5) and No. 14 La Habra (15-4) is at No. 8 Cypress (14-7).

In the Freeway League on Friday, No. 18 Sonora (15-5) plays at No. 15 El Dorado (16-2).

ORANGE COUNTY NOTES

The first version of the computer rankings that the CIF-SS will use for the creation of the playoff divisions were released last week. The second posting is due this week and the rankings will continue each week through Feb. 2. …

Canyon and No. 17 Esperanza (18-1) play each other in a nonleague game Monday, Jan. 12, at Intuit Dome, the home of the Clippers. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. …

Los Alamitos senior Tyler Lopez was named MVP of the Diamond Division for The Classic at Damien. The Griffins’ Joseph Ojeda and Isaiah Williamson were named to all-tournament. Los Alamitos beat Auburn of Washington in the division final. Canyon, Fairmont Prep and La Habra also were in the Diamond Division. …

Esperanza was the champion of the Bronze Division in The Classic at Damien. …

Calvary Chapel defeated Jurupa Hills 63-61 in the Iron Division final of The Classic. Calvary’s Micah Francisco was named division MVP and the Eagles’ Ephraim Coffin was named all-tournament. …

Los Amigos went 3-1 in the Bronze Division of The Classic at Damien. …

Orange Lutheran went 3-1 and won the consolation championship in the Silver Division at The Classic. Lancers Josh King and Noah Zeola were selected to the all-tournament team. King is averaging 24 points a game. …

Fountain Valley won the championship of the Oxford Academy tournament. Barons senior guard Kenneth Nguyen scored 30 points in a 79-53 win over Pacifica in the championship game. He was the tournament MVP. …

Crean Lutheran 6-11 senior Chadrack Mpoyi was named all-tournament in The Classic at Damien. …

Newport Harbor went 4-0 in the Gold Division of The Coast Classic tournament at Estancia. The division had a round-robin format without a championship game. Newport’s Owen Saukkola was named all-tournament. …

The Coast Classic’s Silver Division was played in the 16-team bracket style. Godinez beat Cabrillo 58-57 in the championship game. Jaiden Torres of Godinez was division MVP. …

Cypress won the Governors Division championship of the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic. Guard Ryan Gov was named division MVP.  He scored 32 points in the Centurions’ 83-73 win over Poway in the division final. …

Zain Majeed is averaging 25 points a game for Mater Dei since becoming eligible Dec. 26. He is a 6-8 junior who transferred from IMG Academy in Florida. …

Not all teams post stats at MaxPreps.com. Of those that do, Brea Olinda senior Logan Severson is the California leader in 3-point baskets with 67 in 19 games.

Notable this week: Santa Margarita won the championship of the top division in the Desert Holiday Classic. …  Mater Dei went 4-0 in its division of the Desert Holiday Classic. … Los Alamitos won the championship of the Diamond Division of The Classic at Damien tournament. … Huntington Beach makes its season debut in the Top 25 … Transfers who had to observe the sit-out period became eligible to play on Dec. 26.

BOYS BASKETBALL TOP 25

1. Santa Margarita 19-2: The Eagles won the championship of the top division in the Desert Holiday Classic. They also beat Roosevelt and Fairfax. They are home against St. John Bosco (11-4) in a Trinity League opener Friday.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Crean Lutheran 14-5: The Saints lost to Redondo Union in the semifinals of the Platinum Division in The Classic at Damien. They beat Cypress 72-60 in a Crestview League opener.

Previous ranking: 2

3. JSerra 13-8: The Lions lost to Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks in the championship game of the National Division of the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic.

Previous ranking: 3

4. Corona del Mar 16-1: The Sea Kings finished second in its division of the Desert Holiday Classic. They beat Fountain Valley 64-46 in a Sunset League game, the first loss of the season for the Barons.

Previous ranking: 4

5. Los Alamitos 8-6: The Griffins won the championship of the Diamond Division in The Classic at Damien. They beat Auburn of Washington 60-53 in the division final.

Previous ranking: 7

6. Canyon 11-6: The Comanches went 2-2 in the Diamond Division of The Classic at Damien, then beat Arizona’s No. 3-ranked team Brophy Prep.

Previous ranking: 5

7. Mater Dei 12-7: With their roster improved by recently eligible transfers, the Monarchs won their division of the Desert Holiday Classic.

Previous ranking: 10

8. Cypress 14-7: The Centurions won the championship of the Governors Division in the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic, and lost to Crean Lutheran in a Crestview League game.

Previous ranking: 6

9. Fairmont Prep 10-7: The Huskies went 2-2 in the Diamond Division of The Classic at Damien.

Previous ranking: 8

10. Orange Lutheran 14-5: The Lancers won the consolation championship in the Silver Division of The Classic at Damien.

Previous ranking: 11

11. Pacifica Christian 13-4

Previous ranking: 9

12. Tesoro 17-3

Previous ranking: 12

13. Servite 15-5

Previous ranking: 17

14. La Habra 15-4

Previous ranking: 14

15. El Dorado 16-3

Previous ranking: 13

16. Edison 14-3

Previous ranking: 15

17. Esperanza 18-1

Previous ranking: 16

18. Sonora 15-5

Previous ranking: 20

19. Fountain Valley 16-1

Previous ranking: 21

20. Newport Harbor 13-4

Previous ranking: 19

21. San Clemente 10-9

Previous ranking: 18

22. Huntington Beach 10-7

Previous ranking: Not ranked

23. Villa Park 12-9

Previous ranking: 24

24. Aliso Niguel 11-8

Previous ranking: 25

25. Woodbridge 12-6

Previous ranking: 23

Donning Grinsh onesies, Richard Yang and Paola German run for the water during the Surf City Splash in Huntington Beach, CA, on Thursday, January 1, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Jeff Reimer celebrates the new year with his grandchildren, Ashley Cloud, center and Adrian Cloud during the Surf City Splash in Huntington Beach, CA, on Thursday, January 1, 2026. Reimer said he’d never done a polar plunge, but he has to, “knock it off his bucket list”. He added, “it isn’t that cold”. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A group of friends dress as desserts during the Surf City Splash in Huntington Beach, CA, on Thursday, January 1, 2026. Denise Stanek, dressed as a sugary treat said they chose to costumes, “to ring in a sweet 2026”. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Josh Finkle and his girlfriend, Brenda Lopez, play with Tinkle’s son, Sebastian Finkle, during the Surf City Splash in Huntington Beach, CA, on Thursday, January 1, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Joe Balisalisa and Rob Hill run though the water during the Surf City Splash in Huntington Beach, CA, on Thursday, January 1, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Donning Grinsh onesies, Richard Yang and Paola German run for the water during the Surf City Splash in Huntington Beach, CA, on Thursday, January 1, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Tony Vu and his daughter, Jacquelyn Vu celebrate the new year as they cheer during the Surf City Splash in Huntington Beach, CA, on Thursday, January 1, 2026. Tony Vu said he take the plunge every year. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Julie Toledo and Lori Sueki frolic ion the surf during the Surf City Splash in Huntington Beach, CA, on Thursday, January 1, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The tradition is about washing away the old to welcome the new.

On Thursday, Mother Nature helped by whisking away the storm clouds leaving some sun as revelers plunged into the Pacific Ocean for the New Year’s Day Surf City Splash.

Stormy weather clouded some of the holiday, but the annual plunge into the cold ocean water went on, as did its accompanying costume contest. It is a fundraiser for the International Surfing Museum in Huntington Beach that is now in its 26th year.

Jeff Reimer said he’d never done a polar plunge, but he wanted to “knock it off his bucket list.” After splashing into the Pacific with his grandchildren, he added, “It isn’t that cold.”

A sewage spill last week that has closed Cabrillo Beach in the days since forced the cancellation of the Polar Plunge, another of the region’s popular New Year’s Day events.

“These criminals have upped their game,” Anaheim Police Sgt. Matt Sutter said. “As cars and security have upgraded, they’ve had to evolve too.”

The thefts involve vehicles equipped with keyless entry systems, which automatically unlock when a key fob is nearby, police said. In some cases, thieves use antennas to intercept or amplify a key fob’s signal from a short distance away, allowing them to unlock a vehicle without physically possessing the device.

Another method involves entering a vehicle by breaking a window, then accessing onboard systems once inside, according to Huntington Beach Police Department spokeswoman Jessica Cuchilla.

“They’re still smashing a window,” Cuchilla said. “Once inside, they get into the computer, program it and take off with the vehicle.”

Between Dec. 15 and Dec. 17, six vehicles were stolen in Huntington Beach using a mix of those methods, and two were later recovered, Cuchilla said. In those cases, many of the vehicles targeted were Infiniti G37s, she said, though police warn that a wide range of makes and models can be vulnerable.

Police recommend parking inside garages when possible, and keeping key fobs well inside a building instead of near entry points.

Additional deterrents include steering wheel locks, professionally installed kill switches that prevent a vehicle from operating unless manually enabled, and storing key fobs in signal-blocking pouches called Faraday bags that prevent wireless signals from being transmitted.

Two vehicles were reported stolen in Anaheim Hills recently, but it’s not clear what methods were used, Sutter said.

Cuchilla said Huntington Beach police have increased patrols and are working to deter the thefts.

“We want the public to know we’re doing everything we can to prevent this,” she said. “We have patrol officers specifically looking for this kind of crime.”

The City Council recently hosted a study session looking at the relocation. The museum’s executive director, Peter “PT” Townend, said the idea was floated when the city was hoping to be the LA28 Olympics surfing venue. Though the Olympians will be headed further south to Lower Trestles, the building on Oliver Avenue that has housed the museum since 1990 has outdated infrastructure, such as leaking ceilings, that could compromise collections, according to city staff.

And a move could help in drawing more visitors to revitalize the Main Street area on the upper blocks and give the museum a space with taller ceilings that could display large wooden surfboards used in the early days, supporters said.

It would also give needed space for the extensive collection of relics and memorabilia, officials said, such as historic documents, publications and surf culture artifacts currently not accessible to the public due to a lack of storage, cataloging capacity, and archival infrastructure.

“Surfing is Huntington Beach. The Huntington Beach Main Street library is one of the most historic buildings here,” Councilmember Gracey Van Der Mark said during the recent discussions — the council made no decision. “If we can make this work, I think it’s a great opportunity to combine the two.”

The hope is still that a revitalized museum could be a draw for the millions of visitors to the region expected with the Olympics and the World Cup coming to the Los Angeles and Orange County area in coming years, Townend said.

“Now, it’s even more important that we upgrade the museum and the museum presence so we can attract some of the 30 million people who are going to be in Southern California for the Olympics,” he said. “Otherwise they will go somewhere else.”

Locating the museum in vacant areas of the library could also open the door to future collaboration with the nearby Huntington Beach Art Center, helping to establish “a cohesive cultural district along Main Street that highlights the city’s history and identity as an international surf destination,” city officials said.

The museum was founded by Natalie Kotsch, a Canadian who moved to Huntington Beach and fell in love with surf culture.

Kotsch, who died in 2014, dreamed of a place where people could see memorabilia and art, learn about surfing greats, and gather with others from around the world to celebrate the culture.

Through the years, there have been talks about moving the museum or finding a bigger, more prominent location. In 2002, there were high hopes to raise $6 million to move the museum to a 20,000-square-foot building along Pacific Coast Highway, but those plans never came to fruition.

The Main Street Library is a 9,475-square-foot, two-story building that could house the surf museum on its first floor in a 1,184-square-foot space, said Ashley Wysocki, director of community and library services for the city.

An area currently used for reading programs during the day could be turned into a special events space, fitting about 100 people.

Operational hours would be the same for both organizations and the cohabitation should allow for opportunities for educational collaboration, such as author talks and arts and culture classes.

In their report to councilmembers, city staff pointed out there could be some conflicts between the two uses of the spaces from foot traffic and noise levels, depending on activities going on. There also may need to be adjusted or expanded facility hours in peak season to accommodate weekend visitation.

There’s also limited parking, and increased visitation could strain existing supplies, especially during peak hours and events.

Increased foot traffic and use of the Main Street library may also generate additional maintenance needs.

A few community members voiced concerns during the study session, wondering who would pay for rent and insurance and about the impacts to library users who may want quiet reading rather than more foot traffic.

The move would cost an estimated $75,000, and there would be no use of city funds for the move, Wysocki said.

Visit Huntington Beach has indicated preliminary support and may assist in underwriting relocation and ongoing operational costs, pending further discussion.

“I look forward to making this happen, I’m really encouraged to see people collaborating and sharing ideas,” Van Der Mark said. “Even people who have concerns, we will take all the feedback and see what we can do to resolve the concerns.”

The check presentation took place while Oliver Holland and his family were on a staycation hosted by the resort in Huntington Beach. While at dinner at Hagar’s restaurant the Cabo Wabo Beach Club, the family was presented with the check during a Facetime call with Hagar.

“There’s so many things that you can do to help others that’s so important and I would hope that maybe this experience would help you do that. It’s what my family does and all the restaurants we have,” Hagar said to Oliver.

Hagar said he wanted to have an influence on Oliver and his friends to help others when they get older — to think of others when he comes across someone in need and to remember that someone helped him once, he told Oliver.

When asked if he liked to help others, Oliver told Hagar that he did.

Oliver suffered a collapsed lung and a brain bleed when a helicopter malfunctioned and crashed onto him.

“I just got out of the hospital last month and like I’m already playing like a little bit of sports during school,” Oliver told Hagar.

The helicopter, part of the Cars ‘N Copters’ event, went down shortly after 2 p.m. on Oct. 11 near the oceanfront Hyatt resort. Video shows the chopper spinning before it crashed into a stairwell attached to a pedestrian bridge connecting the hotel to a beachfront parking lot.

Oliver was placed into a medically induced coma after surgery and awoke on his 12th birthday in late October.

He told Hagar he had been in the hospital for 24 days.

“This was an amazing gift from Sammy and we are super grateful and I just want to say again, thank you to everyone who donated on the GoFundMe and sent me so much love,” said Madeline Ashwell, older sister to Oliver.

The donations made a big impact on the family and Oliver’s recovery process she said.

“I feel your guys love and thank you,” she said.

Oliver told Hagar he either wanted to be an engineer or a professional athlete when he grows up but he wasn’t quite sure.

Hagar’s non-profit foundation, The Hagar Family Foundation, has given more than $4 million to charities focused on food relief and children’s causes since its inception in 2008. He has also committed to donate the majority of his personal profits from the restaurant to children and families in need.

Hagar, also known as the Red Rocker, grew up in Fontana. The musician and songwriter was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Van Halen in 2007.

Hagar’s charity work has extended to his hometown, the Stage Red Fontana Youth Music Foundation which held its first gala at Stage Red in October. The theater backed by Hagar is the former Center Stage Theater in downtown Fontana, which closed in August 2022.

“You’re helping me spread the word that the holiday season is the perfect time for giving and helping those in need,” Hagar said to Oliver. “And that’s what you and I just did.”

Contributing photographer Steven Georges contributed to this story.

More time with friends and family, more time to experience the world, more time to live another year, another day.

The people at the health agency OneLegacy hope to share the idea of life-extending time with millions of people watching this year’s Rose Parade. The federal organ procurement organization that serves Orange County and much of Southern California (one of 40 such organizations around the country) is sponsoring its Donate Life float in the 2026 parade, as it has since 2004.

The hope is that the float, yet again, will boost life-extending organ donations.

“We’re kind of the bridge to life,” said Sarah Fahey, creative services and digital marketing coordinator for OneLegacy.

This year’s float — made from organic materials, seeds and flowers — will feature 20 transplant recipients who will ride and wave to the crowd. The float also will feature circular floral portraits (known as floragraphs) of deceased organ donors, along with four living donors who have given part of their body to people in need.

“It’s an incredible representation of what donation can do, and how different people can be involved,” Fahey said.

OneLegacy works closely with eight area transplant centers and 220 hospitals to quickly match recipients with viable organs from people who previously opted to be donors. The organization also works with living donors, who can help strangers, relatives or friends that might need a kidney or part of a liver.

The idea that organ donations might arise from a Rose Parade float — or other avenues for public outreach — isn’t far fetched.

Shey Rodriguez, an Ontario resident who works for the city of Placentia as a public safety dispatcher, said she began thinking about organ donation a few Christmases ago while binge watching the medical TV soap opera “Grey’s Anatomy.” When the main character (Meredith Grey) donated part of her liver to help someone stay alive, Rodriguez’ interest was piqued.

“Can people do that?,” the now 34-year-old asked herself. “Is that even a thing?”

After a quick search online, she learned about being a living donor. She then filled out a questionnaire with Keck Hospital of USC to join an inquiry list.

She didn’t know anyone who was sick or who needed a liver. She’d never stayed overnight in a hospital or even broken a bone. Yet, somehow, Rodriguez felt compelled to give away a piece of her liver, which she learned can regenerate.

“You know what, it will grow back,” she said. “So I decided to do it. I just wanted to make a difference in someone’s life.”

The pre-donation process — including bloodwork, exams and a liver biopsy — took about six months. Rodriguez was told that she could change her mind at any point and, she admitted, she was nervous. But she was mentally committed to the surgery, she said, and, in 2023, she underwent the procedure.

Rodriguez said she felt some post-surgery pain for a few weeks but, within six months, her liver was fully regenerated.

“It grows quick.”

Someone out there is walking around with a piece of her body, though Rodriguez still doesn’t know who that is. She said on the day of the surgery she received a thank-you card from the recipient, and was later told that the recipient was healing quickly.

“I just hope they get to experience life the way that I do,” Rodriguez said. “Do whatever they would want to do that their liver issue prevented them from doing.”

She recently got a first look at the float’s floral artwork, and said it will be an honor to walk alongside it during the Rose Parade.

“I think it’s a great way, and a big stage, to send the message that organ donation saves lives,” she said. “If we can get the message out, maybe there are people out there who don’t know that living donation is a thing,” she said.

The other organ that’s common for living donations is the kidney. Of the more than 100,000 people waiting for a transplant, about 90,000 are on the waitlist for a kidney.

See also: Rose Parade 2026 lineup: Your guide to every float, band and equestrian unit, in order

But there’s a shortage. OneLegacy’s Fahey said only about 50,000 kidney transplants are conducted each year because there aren’t enough donors to meet demand.

“You can donate a lobe of your liver and it will regenerate and the other person’s life can be saved. You can have a perfectly normal life with one kidney,” she said. “It is amazing to see the power of donation.”

Huntington Beach resident Shawn Kortes is on a decade-long wait list for a new kidney.

“There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t have to think about the fact that I’m slowly dying. I don’t know when, or how much longer, I have,” Kortes said.

While his son is already an older teenager and understands what his father is facing, Kortes worries more about his 7-year-old daughter, and what life without him would be like for her.

“That’s the tough part. Especially every day when I wake up and see my daughter and think about all the things she hasn’t experienced, and I haven’t been able to experience with her yet.

“That’s when things get tough for me, having to face the fact that I may not be around to see her graduate, or watch her get married, or achieve all those milestones that kids get to go do.”

Kortes learned that he had a genetic kidney disease while in nursing school. A high blood pressure reading in 2010 led to a a series of tests that pinpointed his kidney issues in 2010.

“Fortunately, for most people, it’s a pretty slow progression,” Kortes said of the cysts that multiply on the kidneys over time, eventually taking over the good tissue and reducing the kidney’s function.

For a time, he could maintain his kidney functionality. But about five years ago his numbers started to decline and, about a year ago, tests showed that he had less than 20% functionality — the threshold for being added to the transplant list.

Waiting isn’t easy. Each night, he undergoes a rigorous procedure, with a catheter connecting his abdomen to bags of liquid that, later, is flushed out through a dialysis machine.

“That’s how I clean the toxins out of my body (that) my kidneys can no longer keep up with,” he said.

“The biggest issue you have, it affects other systems of your body. There’s other complications that can arise in the process of doing this,” he said.

“The hope is to get a new kidney as quickly as possible and avoid other conditions that can make it worse.”

Making his situation more complicated is his that Kortes’ blood type, O-negative, is rare enough that it makes finding a match more challenging.

UC Irvine, his donation center, has a voucher program, meaning a living donor can contribute to a specific recipient who then can jump higher on the transplant list.

“That’s kind of the best-case scenario, to find someone who is willing to donate a kidney on my behalf and get me the voucher,” he said.

Even if people aren’t willing to give a piece of their body, getting tested to know if they can donate — if and when they want to — doesn’t cost anything, he noted.

“But there’s more people waiting (for organs) than there are getting tested,” he added.

“You can either be a donor or not, but the option is there. You can decide, ‘Hey I’m healthy enough to donate. Maybe it’s not a good time now but sometime in the future I’ll come across someone who needs a kidney.’” 

Or maybe it’s a gift to give after you are gone. The most common donation option is to decide, while living, to be a donor upon death.

“One thing that is important during this season of giving, and year round, but especially around the season of giving, you can give the gift of life by registering to be a donor,” said Tania Llavaneras, a media relations specialist for OneLegacy.

“It’s a gift that costs you nothing right now; it doesn’t have a monetary value. But it is something that, when you’re no longer here, you can save lives.”

Corona del Mar proved that Tuesday. Five players for the Sea Kings scored in double figures in their 74-71 win over Cypress in the Orange County North/South Challenge at Tesoro High.

Junior guard Maxwell Scott scored 17 points. Senior guards Aiden Cole and Oliver Nakra scored 14 points each, senior guard Luke Mirhashemi scored 13 points and sophomore guard Nolan Scott added 11.

The Sea Kings, No. 4 in this week’s Orange County Top 25, are undefeated at 12-0. No. 6 Cypress is 10-5.

Cypress took a 54-53 lead into the fourth quarter. A 3-point basket by Nakra was an important one, giving Corona del Mar a 64-60 lead. Nakra made another 3 a couple of minutes later, and a basket by Maxwell Scott later pushed the Sea Kings’ lead to 71-64.

The Centurions twice trimmed their deficit to three points in the fourth quarter but did not get closer.

Mirhashemi liked the Sea Kings’ effort Tuesday.

“We played super hard,” Mirhashemi said. “Our coaches do a great job of getting us prepared for every game.”

Junior guard Brennen De La Cruz led Cypress with 18 points. Senior guards Ryan Gov and Ethan Mai scored 13 points each for the Centurions.

The Orange County North/South Challenge is being played for the 26th time. The event is dedicated to the late Tim O’Brien, who coached at Northwood, Estancia and elsewhere in Orange County boys basketball.

Also in the Orange County North/South Challenge on Tuesday:

No. 2 Crean Lutheran 72, No. 7 Los Alamitos 69: Hunter Caplan made four free throws in the final 17 seconds to keep the Saints ahead in the final game of the eight-game event.

Crean Lutheran is 10-3. Los Alamitos is 4-6.

Caplan, a junior guard, scored a game-high 24 points including five 3-point baskets. Crean Lutheran 6-11 senior Chadrack Mpoyi scored 16 points.

Los Alamitos was led by sophomore guard Isaiah Williamson’s 19 points. Senior forward Tyler Lopez scored 17 points and sophomore guard Riley Bowers 15 added 15 points for the Griffins.

The Griffins led at various times during the fast-paced game, including a 67-66 lead with 1:35 left in the fourth quarter. Los Alamitos’ frenetic style bothered Crean Lutheran, but Crean Lutheran’s size advantages were in a large way responsible for the Saints’ victory.

No. 12 Tesoro 61, Irvine 46: Max Draper scored 18 points with 17 rebounds for the Titans (13-2).

Carson Hatch added 15 points for Tesoro.

No. 18 San Clemente 59, No. 23 Woodbridge 49: Bryan Blake scored 24 points and Desi Gutierrez scored 23 for the Tritons (7-7) in their win over the Warriors (10-4).

No. 21 Fountain Valley 67, Trabuco Hills 65 (OT): Kenneth Nguyen made two 3-point baskets in overtime for the Barons (12-0) in their victory over the Mustangs (9-7).

Nguyen finished with a team-high 21 points including four 3-pointers. Nguyen made his other two 3s in the fourth quarter. Isaac Chinchilla scored 17 points and James Pennington contributed 13 points for Fountain Valley.

Ryan Hull scored 24 points for Trabuco Hills. Devon Williams added 19 points for the Mustangs.

San Juan Hills 68, Tustin 51: Rocco Jensen’s 27 points led the Stallions (9-5) over the Tillers (8-8).

Stallions coach Jason Efstatiou said Tuesday’s game was a rare one for San Juan Hills because the team finally had a full-health roster.

San Juan Hills got off to a solid start and had a 27-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In other North/South Challenge games Huntington Beach defeated Dana Hills 69-39 and Northwood defeated El Toro 74-57.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Layli Ostovar, Mater Dei, Senior

Nothing gets the crowd excited at a volleyball match more than a powerful kill shot.

Mater Dei senior Layli Ostovar could provide that, and much more. She was a superb server, passer and defensive player who covered the court like a spider. While most players make a diving dig just to save the ball, Ostovar made diving digs with a purpose – her digs were planned passes to a teammate.

Ostovar, an outside hitter, was a top contributor for the Monarchs as they won the CIF State Open Division championship. Mater Dei lost to Sierra Canyon in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 final, then beat Sierra Canyon in the CIF Southern California Regional Open Division final to advance to the state finals.

“Obviously her skills are sensational across the board,” said Mater Dei coach Dan O’Dell. “She has no weakness in her game and impacts the game in every way.”

Osotovar might have been at her best in the Monarchs’ biggest match of the season, the CIF State Open Division final against Rocklin. She helped establish Mater Dei as the superior team right away, delivering six kills in the first set won by Mater Dei 25-13. The Monarchs went on to a three-set sweep.

Osotvar finished with a match-high 31 kills in the state final.

She was the Orange County player of the year as a junior in 2024. Her accolades this season include being named MaxPreps.com player of the year. Ostovar also is an American Volleyball Coaches Association and an UnderArmour All-American selection.

It has been quite the journey for Ostovar. She was born with club feet, underwent surgeries to correct the condition, and it was doubtful that she would be able to walk normally.

“I think I’m lucky to be able to play volleyball,” Ostovar said.

She said the highlight of her senior season was sharing the state championships with friends.

“This was the tightest group of girls I’ve been with,” Ostovar said. “We have fun off the court but we know how to lock in when we need to lock in and be serious.”

Ostovar signed with USC, which to her was an obvious destination.

“A lot of USC culture is like Mater Dei culture,” she said. “I thought about how much I love Mater Dei, so why not continue that?”

O’Dell said he will miss Ostovar not just for her volleyball play but also for her personality.

“She gets excited for her teammates when they do well,” O’Dell said. “She cares about everybody on the team.”

COACH OF THE YEAR

Alex Griffiths, Cypress

Cypress coach Alex Griffiths is the Orange County girls volleyball coach of the year for the 2025 season.

Griffiths led the Centurions this season to the CIF Southern Section Division 3 championship and to the CIF State Division II championship. They beat Clovis West in the state finals after beating Foothill in the CIF-SS finals. Cypress finished the season 25-10.

Griffiths said winning the championships required multiple contributions, from assistant coaches Celeste Manliguis, Corey Manliguis and Gus Tuaniga to the Cypress players and beyond.

“The parents were super supportive,” she said. “The families trusted me through the process.”

Griffiths led the Cypress boys volleyball team to a CIF-SS championship in 2017.

ALL-COUNTY FIRST TEAM

Memphis Burnett, Santa Margarita, Sr.: A key member of the Eagles’ team that won the CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship.

Isabella Faro, Cypress, Sr.: The CIF-SS Division 3 player of the year.

Megan Hodges, San Juan Hills, So.: The strong hitter was named to the All-CIF Division 1 team.

Layli Ostovar, Mater Dei, Sr.: She is the Orange County player of the year.

Westley Matavao, Mater Dei, Jr.: The powerful hitter was a great contributor on a Monarchs team that won a state championship.

Ella Olson, Newport Harbor, Jr.: She was All-Sunset League first team.

Elizabeth Park, Crean Lutheran, Sr.: She was a Freeway League co-Most Valuable Player.

Ireland Real, Santa Margarita, Jr.: She was the CIF-SS Division 2 player of the year.

Lizzy Robinson, Mater Dei, Jr.: Robinson was selected to the All-CIF Division 1 team.

Sofia Shine, El Dorado, Sr.: Shine shared Freeway League MVP honors.

ALL-COUNTY SECOND TEAM

Catherine Beadles, JSerra, Sr.

Addison Coady, Mater Dei, Sr.

Alexis Link, San Juan Hills, Jr.

Korynn Mayo, Marina, Jr.

Brynn Minter, Los Alamitos, Sr.

Ashton Nelson, San Clemente, Sr.

Marley Robinson, Orange Lutheran, Jr.

Hayden Shanafelt, San Clemente, Sr.

June Stringham, Foothill, So.

Makayla Ziegler, JSerra, Jr.

ALL-COUNTY THIRD TEAM

Talea Berry, Newport Harbor, Sr.

Sam Capinpin, Mater Dei, Sr.

Joy Carney, Capistrano Valley Christian, Sr.

Kaitlyn Herweg, Los Alamitos, Jr.

Kate Jackson, Santa Margarita, Jr.

Haley Langdon, Foothill, Sr.

Sarah McDonald, St. Margaret’s, Jr.

Katherine Nowak, JSerra, Jr.

Brooke Ogden, Tesoro, Jr.

Hannah Schoffstall, Cypress, Sr.

ALL-COUNTY FOURTH TEAM

Ryan Cuenca, San Clemente, Jr.

Ally Fausett, Dana Hills, Sr.

Sofia Dajnowiec, Corona del Mar, Jr.

Brooklyn Jones, Crean Lutheran, Jr.

Emma Kingston, Mater Dei, Jr.

Madeline Lambros, Rosary, Sr.

Kalea Lee, Mater Dei, Jr.

Ella Massoudi, St. Margaret’s, Jr.

Sasha Pugh, Crean Lutheran, Sr.

Sawyer Rupe, Dana Hills, Jr.

The Centurions have defeated three teams ranked in the Orange County Top 25 since Dec. 12. They beat Orange Lutheran 75-68 in the North Orange County Championships tournament before nonleague wins over San Clemente 57-50 and Fairmont Prep 59-49.

This week’s county rankings have Fairmont Prep at No. 8, Orange Lutheran at No. 11 and San Clemente at No. 18. Cypress is No. 6, having moved up from No. 17 last week.

Cypress beat Fairmont Prep without All-County point guard Ryan Gov, who was out because of a sprained ankle.

Centurions 6-7 senior forward Gavin Kroll scored 25 points and Emmanuel Igbekoyi, also a 6-7 senior forward, scored 22 in the win over Orange Lutheran.

Kroll scored 18 points with four 3-point baskets against San Clemente. He scored 18 points with four 3s and five blocked shots in the win over Fairmont Prep.

“Kroll’s been awesome,” Cypress coach Derek Mitchell said. “His offense overshadows how good his defense was last week, especially against David Abisogun of Fairmont.”

Abisogun, among Orange County’s top 10 players and a Texas State, signee, was limited to 12 points against Cypress.

Senior guard Ethan Mai took over the on-court leadership duties in Gov’s absence.

Mitchell said Gov, who committed to Azusa Pacific University this month, might play against Corona del Mar on Tuesday in the Orange County North/South Challenge at Tesoro High.

NORTH/SOUTH CHALLENGE

The Orange County North/South Challenge is Tuesday at Tesoro.

The schedule (including teams’ Orange County ranking): El Toro vs. Northwood, 9 a.m.; Dana Hills vs. Huntington Beach, 10:30 a.m.; Trabuco Hills vs. No. 21 Fountain Valley, noon; San Juan Hills vs. Tustin, 1:30 p.m.; No. 18 San Clemente vs. No. 23 Woodbridge, 3 p.m.; No. 12 Tesoro vs. Irvine, 4:30 p.m.; No. 4 Corona del Mar vs. No. 6 Cypress, 6 p.m.; No. 2 Crean Lutheran vs. No. 7 Los Alamitos, 7:30 p.m.

Admission is $12 for adults, $5 for students and those of ages 5-12. Free admission is available for children under 5 years old.

The North/South Challenge is dedicated to the late Tim O’Brien, who coached at a few schools in Orange County, including leading Estancia to a state championship in 1991. O’Brien died of cancer in 2020.

NOTES

The sit-out period for transfers who did not make a change of address upon transferring ends Friday. Many teams will improve. Among them is Fairmont Prep, where the Huskies will add 6-2 guard Jordan Ceballos, who showed much promise last season as a freshman at Crean Lutheran, and 6-8 senior forward Eric Gong from St. John Bosco. …

La Habra junior guard Javier Nash is out for the remainder of the season because of torn knee cartilage. He was a key starter for the Highlanders. …

The Charlie Wilkins Memorial Tournament is underway at Westminster High. Orange County teams in that one are Saddleback, Tarbut V’Torah, University and host school Westminster. …

Post-Christmas tournaments in Orange County include the Estancia Coast Classic at Estancia High and the Ringo Bossenmeyer/Tustin Holiday Classic at Tustin High; the latter is named for longtime Tustin coach Ringo Bossenmeyer who retired from coaching after the 2024-25 season. The Estancia tournament includes county teams Marina, Newport Harbor, San Clemente, Western and Woodbridge. The Tustin tournament includes county teams Beckman, Servite, Tesoro and Tustin. …

Many O.C. teams are playing after Christmas in The Classic at Damien tournament. The tournament has nine divisions. Crean Lutheran is in the top division, the Platinum Division.