Esperanza Cited as All-Sports Champion

Esperanza High School, which won its fifth Southern Section title of the school year when the Aztecs beat Simi Valley, 3-0, two weeks ago in the Division I baseball final, was named state school of the year by Cal-Hi Sports.

Esperanza’s other championships--all in Division II--were in football (shared with Los Alamitos), water polo, boys’ soccer and boys’ volleyball.

Two other Esperanza teams--girls’ cross-country and girls’ track--finished second in the section, and the boys’ track team was third.

Other finalists for the award were Palo Alto, Concord De La Salle, La Puente Bishop Amat and Fresno Bullard.

Other Cal-Hi season-ending honors involving county athletes:

* Esperanza shortstop Poncho Ruiz and pitcher Marcus Jones were among four county players named to the all-state baseball team. Joining the Aztec seniors are catcher Steve Hagins from University and first baseman Ryan Jones from Irvine.

Shortstop Jeff Courvoisier of Orange Lutheran received small school all-state honors.

Outfielder Bobby Brito of Cypress was named freshman player of the year, and the game of the year was Tustin’s 5-4 victory over previously unbeaten Bishop Amat in the Southern Section Division III quarterfinal.

Among the players cited as the top non-seniors were catcher Jason Murrietta of Esperanza, pitchers Jim Livernois of La Quinta and Seth Etherton of Dana Hills, third baseman Derek Baker of Tustin, shortstop Brett Nista of Laguna Hills, outfielder Jaret Wright of Katella and multipurpose player Tommie Louie of Irvine. All are juniors.

* Ocean View outfielder Lisa Dacquisto, the county’s two-time batting champion, was among seven county players named to the all-state softball team.

Joining Dacquisto are catcher Carolyn Wilson of Los Alamitos, pitcher Dani Ortega of La Habra, first baseman Alleah Poulson of Irvine, infielder Stephanie Carew of Brea-Olinda, outfielder Robyn Yorke of Marina and multipurpose player Nicole Paloney of Kennedy.

Among the players cited as the top non-seniors were sophomore catcher catcher Kelli Bruce of El Toro, sophomore pitchers Marcy Crouch of Marina, Kathy Ponce of Ocean View and Misty Lauby of El Toro; sophomore infielder Michelle Churnock of Foothill, junior infielder Chris Puccio of Orange, junior outfielders Alycia Stevens of Laguna Hills and Alison Johnsen of Woodbridge and multipurpose players Debbie Wilson, a junior from Los Alamitos, and Lisa Pitt, a sophomore from Kennedy.

* Among students receiving athlete-of-the-year honors were Tony Gonzalez of Huntington Beach (football and basketball), who was named the top junior boy, and Misty May of Newport Harbor (volleyball and track), named the top sophomore girl.

* Chad Peare’s discus throw of 191 feet 11 inches at the Arcadia Invitational was the state’s top mark for the season. The Trabuco Hills senior finished first in the State championships last Saturday with a throw of 182-2.