Redondo Union High School has dominated the local girls lacrosse scene the last six seasons and coach Tom Borgia feels this is his best team as the Sea Hawks make a run for their seventh straight Bay League title.
Borgia has won the league crown each season since he took over the helm of the Redondo girls program.
Entering the week, Redondo (11-1) was ranked No. 5 in the CIF Southern Section, its only blemish a 15-6 loss to No. 3 Oak Park. The Sea Hawks have outscored league rivals 90-25 including wins over Mira Costa (16-7) and Peninsula (17-5) last week.
Redondo leads the Southern Section in margin of victory (12 goals) and is ranked No. 2 on offense (17 goals/game) and defense (5 goals/game).
“This is my best team ever and also the most experienced team with seven seniors starting,” Borgia said. “We also have junior attacker Allison Shamir who started playing lacrosse on Long Island in the second grade, so she’s more experienced than any player in the LA area.”
Redondo should be the top seed in its bracket of the Los Angeles County championships. The victor will face winner from Orange County which developed many lacrosse programs years before most in Los Angeles and claimed the Southern Section title since the inception of the playoffs
“I expect for Oak Park to be the other No. 1 seed in that bracket,” Borgia said. “My guess is we should be 17-1 and meeting an Oak Park team that will be 17-2. I really think that one of us has a good chance at beating the OC for the first time ever.”
Four-year starter and 2014 Bay League MVP Maddie Farmer leads Redondo with 45 goals and 17 assists for 62 points. The two-time team captain plays midfield, the most demanding position on the field, and also handles 90 percent of the draws for the team.
Shamir, who Borgia considers the most explosive offensive player in the area, has recorded 43 goals and 13 assists for 56 points.
Attacker and team captain Alison Kobel is Redondo’s most accurate shooter tallying 22 goals and a team-leading 20 assists.
“Kayla Maanum and Allie Tsuji also play vital roles at midfield for us with well rounded skills and speed and high lacrosse IQs,” Borgia added.
Redondo’s defense is led by seniors Haylie Thatcher and Paige Hansen, both three-year starters with exceptional speed and stick skills.
Twins Allie and Hailey Vorndran are dynamic juniors on defense and attack while sophomores Jackie Schneider (defense) and Melanie Paiz (goalkeeper) are enjoying stellar seasons.
Other key starters/subs are senior Cierra Lowder, a seasoned veteran at attack, and junior midfielder Samantha Marcon.
Redondo concludes the regular season with 5:30 p.m. home games against Peninsula Wednesday, Apr. 22, El Segundo Wednesday, Apr. 29 and Mira Costa Friday, May 1.
Boys race heating up
Mira Costa is looking to regain its position as one of the top teams in the South Bay but faces an uphill battle in its final four regular season games.
After starting the season 7-0, the Mustangs went on a three-game losing streak but got back on the winning track with a 16-7 win over Ocean League contender El Segundo 16-7 on Saturday.
Mira Costa.entered the week with an 8-3 record and ranked No. 23 in the Southern Section but will need key victories against Bay League rivals to earn a spot in the playoffs.
Sixth-ranked Palos Verdes (22-1), No. 9 Peninsula (12-1) and No. 29 Redondo (6-6) are formidable opponents for the Mustangs. After falling to Peninsula 13-12 in double overtime, Mira Costa lost at Redondo 12-5 last Friday.
“Even though Redondo is just outside the top 10 in LA County, it is a very good team with several exceptional athletes,” Karsh said.
Mira Costa plays at Palos Verdes on Wednesday and will travel to Peninsula on Friday. The Mustangs end the regular season with home games against Redondo (Senior Night, 7:30 p.m.) on Wednesday, Apr. 29 and Palos Verdes Friday, May 1.
“The final four games are all going to be very difficult but if we want to get back to the top we have to climb the mountain,” Karsh said. “We have proven we can run with the top teams in our area. We took Peninsula to double overtime and had several chances to win that game. Pen beat PV Friday night, and knowing we can hang with them should give us the confidence to play up to our potential.”
Junior Zane Crandall has been a major part of Mira Costa’s offensive success, anchoring the midfield along with seniors Nick Coons and Cameron Harger. Coons has had a strong season on both sides of the ball.
“”Cameron Harger has anchored our defensive midfield,” Karsh said. “It’s not the most glorious position but it has been one of the most important areas of improvement for us this season.”
Led by John Vansickle in goal, the Mustang defense has stepped up this season. Kyle O’Sullivan, Adam Enomoto, and Jack Gibbons have led a defense that has surrendered an average of only 7 goals per game while the offense is averaging just under 12 points per contest..
“Seniors Sam Dunbar, Jackson Snyder, and Joe Rosenburg have been surgical as attackers and sophomore Ryan Gustafson has been a major contributor for us this year,” Karsh added.
Junior Hayden Frye and sophomore Casey Bonner also been instrumental in bringing depth to the offensive unit at the midfield while junior Nash Hale strengthened Mira Costa’s face-off game.
“We’ve been through a lot in the past year and a half,” Karsh explained. “When I took over last season my hope was to bring Costa back to where it had been as the top program in the South Bay and really, all of LA County. It’s been quite a journey so far and there is a lot of work ahead of us if we are to get back to that pinnacle. It takes a certain mind set to compete at the highest level day in and day out That work ethic and commitment to excellence is what we are trying to instill in our boys.”
Mira Costa will host the CIF Southern Section Finals when the LA County and Orange County championships will square off on Saturday, May 16. The girls championship game will start at 10 a.m. followed by the boys at 12: 30 p.m. ER
