CIF title appearance highlights winter season

Editor’s Note: The Independent looks back on the 2011-2012 high school season. Below is the second of three parts, focusing on the winter season.

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The New Year started with a bang for local teams.

In girls’ basketball, Huntington Beach — which shared the Sunset League title with Edison — reached the CIF Southern Section Division 1A final, where the Oilers were edged by top-ranked Summit, 56-51. The Oilers were making their first championship game appearance in 34 years. The school also finished runner-up in 1978. Huntington also reached the second-round of the CIF State Championships SoCal Regionals, where it was defeated by host and top-seed Mater Dei. The Oilers had set a school single-game record for three-point shots (17) in a first-round win over San Diego. The Oilers hit 250 three-pointers in the 2011-12 season.

“It was a great season with lots of great memories,” Huntington Coach Russ McClurg said. “I told the girls this might be one of the greatest teams in school history. They played with great discipline and made their families, school and coaches very proud. I was very proud and thankful to be a around such a great group of girls.”

Edison, Fountain Valley, Marina, Ocean View and Brethren Christian also qualified for the CIF playoffs. Chargers, the No. 4-seed in Division 1AA, reached the quarterfinal round, where they were eliminated by No. 5-seed Brea Olinda, which went on to a runner-up finish. Both No. 13-seed Ocean View (3A) and No. 14-seed Brethren Christian (5AA) advanced to the second round of playoffs in their respective divisions. Fountain Valley and Marina fell in Division 1A first-round games.

Guards Maya Kennedy and Kelsey Minato — two key figures in Huntington’s march to a share of the Sunset League championship and a spot in the Division 1A title game – were named to the 2011-12 All CIF-SS 1A Team.

In boys’ basketball, Ocean View claimed another Golden West League championship, enjoyed an 18-game winning streak and a No. 1 ranking in Division 2AA before it was upended in a second-round game at Thousand Oaks. The Seahawks have won or shared a league championship in 14 of the past 15 years.

Edison, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach and Marina also made the boys’ basketball playoffs out of the Sunset League. Edison, the No. 8-seed, and Huntington, the No. 12-seed, reached the second-round of the Division 1A playoffs. Fountain Valley, which had its best record (17-9) in 10 years, lost in the first round of the Division 1-AA playoffs at No. 12-seed Upland.

Marina, under first-year Coach Nick Racklin, were an at-large entry to the Division 1A playoffs and lost a first-round game at No. 2-seed Capistrano Valley.

Brethren Christian won its fourth consecutive Academy League crown. The Warriors, the No. 7-seed, reached the quarterfinal round of the Division 5AA playoffs, where they were bumped off by No. 2-seed Village Christian.

Edison senior guard Dreon Barlett was named to the All-CIF Division 1A Team, Ocean View senior center Conor Clifford was named to the All-CIF Division 2AA team and junior Mamadou Ndiaye of Brethren Christian was named to the All-CIF Division 5AA team.

In soccer, Marina won the boys’ title and Edison the girls’ crown in Sunset League races that were decided in the final week of the regular season.

In the boys’ soccer CIF playoffs, eighth-ranked Marina knocked off top-ranked Servite in Division 1 quarterfinal play to reach the semifinals. The Vikings had their season end their in a 2-0 loss to Ventura. Ocean View, the No. 3 team from the Golden West League, had a six-game win streak and impressive postseason run end in a 3-0 Division 2 quarterfinal loss to No. 2-seed Valley View.

Marina seniors David Elias and Kevin Moses picked up two top awards on the 2012 All-Sunset League team. Elias, a goalie, was named league MVP. Moses, a defender, was named league Defensive MVP. They are two of 10 Vikings to make the all-league team. Jeff Schofield, who guided the Vikings to the league championship, was named Coach of the Year.

Elias and Moses also were named to the 2011-12 All CIF Southern Section Division 1 team. Vikings teammate Josue Medina, a senior, made the Division 1 second team. Ocean View senior forward Joel Contreras was named to the All-CIF Division 2 team.

In girls’ soccer, Edison, Huntington Beach and Ocean View all reached the postseason. Edison reached the second round of the Division 1 playoffs, where the Chargers fell to Orange Lutheran. Huntington, an at-large entry in Division 1, gave Corona del Mar all it could handle before succumbing, 1-0, to the top-ranked Sea Kings in a first-round game. Ocean View, the second-place team from the Golden West League, made the second round of the Division 6 tournament, where it was eliminated by La Cañada.

In girls’ water polo, Ocean View won the Golden West League title and reached the semifinals of the Division 7 playoffs, where the Seahawks were eliminated by second-ranked Los Amigos. Edison and Huntington Beach both advanced to CIF from the Sunset League. Eighth-ranked Edison, the No. 3 team from the Sunset, League, won a wild-card game over Peninsula before being eliminated after a first-round loss to Santa Barbara. Huntington Beach, an at-large entry from the Sunset League and a 20-game winner, lost in a first-round playoff game to Villa Park.

Edison senior Alys Williams, who signed with UCLA, was named to the All-CIF Southern Section Division 1 team.

In wrestling, Fountain Valley’s Dean O’Bourke (120 pounds) and Marina’s Tyler Smith (220) won their respective weight classes at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet at Temecula. O’Bourke and Smith, along with Steele Escobedo (145) of Fountain Valley, Colin Navickas (152) of Marina and Greg Meline (170) of Edison, all qualified for the CIF State Tournament.

michael.sciacca@latimes.com

Twitter: @MikeSciacca