HIGH SCHOOLS:Caldwell back for Sailors

With Wednesday’s game at Fountain Valley High being the start of three consecutive Sunset League road games, Newport Harbor received good news.

Center Kyle Caldwell was cleared to play after x-rays on his foot were negative. Caldwell, a 6-foot-8 junior, is averaging more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.

“We have to slowly work him back into shape,” said Newport Harbor Coach Larry Hirst of Caldwell, who missed one game after getting hurt during in a 68-41 loss at league leader Los Alamitos on Jan. 19. “He’s going to play some spot minutes. He probably won’t start.”

Just having the 6-foot-8 Caldwell bodes well for the Sailors (13-7, 4-3 in league) and their chances of securing second place in league. Newport Harbor plays at Esperanza (10-13, 2-5) and Marina (15-8, 2-5) next week before closing out the regular season with a home date with Los Alamitos (21-4, 6-0) on Feb. 8.

In the game Caldwell missed against Edison on Friday, Hirst saw three players emerge. Even though the Sailors lost, 43-42, on a three-pointer at the buzzer, guards Nick Nigro (12 points), David Holes (10) and Michael Helfrich (five) recorded season-highs in points.

“It was good and it worked out well,” said Hirst, who went with a smaller lineup, starting guard Travis Kuhns in place of Caldwell. “We would have been happier if we were 5-1 after Edison, because this stretch of three straight games on the road will be a challenge. We’ve played around 10 games at home.”

Even if it means slamming his chin on the hardwood and chipping some teeth while fighting for a loose ball for the Costa Mesa boys’ basketball team.

Weber did just that Tuesday with 2:08 left in the second quarter against rival Estancia. He didn’t return in the Mustangs’ 69-57 win, which was their second in a row against the Eagles and clinched the season series.

“I didn’t want to risk it,” said Costa Mesa Coach Jeff McDaniel for leaving Weber on the bench. “His bottom row, a couple of them [chipped].”

Weber has done his part in his senior year to chip in during Costa Mesa’s run for the Orange Coast League title.

The Mustangs (15-8, 4-2 in league) are in a three-way tie in league with Laguna Beach and Calvary Chapel with three league games left.

On an undersized team, the 6-foot-3 Weber has rebounded and defended well against players three to five inches taller. In league games last week against Costa Mesa’s two fiercest competitors, Laguna Beach and Calvary Chapel, he grabbed seven rebounds and made three steals.

One of the rebounds led him to crash into the bleachers at Laguna Beach and bang his head. Weber rose quickly and returned later, but Costa Mesa lost, 57-42. In a 56-49 victory against Calvary Chapel, he dove for a steal in the fourth quarter that was part of the Mustangs’ 12-5 run that put the game away.

Sage Hill on Jan. 17 was one game back of league leader St. Margaret’s. Now at 4-3 in league it stands no chance to claim league after St. Margaret’s, ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division IV-AA, won at Sage Hill, 59-33, to improve 7-0 in league.

Those two seniors are 135-pound Josh George (24-7) and heavyweight Brian Beaudette (23-7). Last year, George and Beaudette were two of seven Sailors qualifying out of the Sea View League to the CIF meet.

The double-elimination league finals start at 9 a.m., and the top three in each of the 14 weight classes move on to CIF.

“We’ve had a strong lineup, it’s just that we’re in a much tougher league,” said Newport Harbor Coach Dominic Bulone, whose team is 0-5 in league after going 2-3 in the Sea View last year. “I sort of expected it would be tougher, but I thought we would do a little better.”

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA covers high school boys’ and girls’ basketball and wrestling for the Daily Pilot. He can be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected]