Sea Hawks' Honored on Bay League Lacrosse Team

Tears flowed freely following Redondo Union High's loss to powerful Los Alamitos in the U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship game. No doubt, more tears were shed when the team convened on Wednesday for its awards banquet, when the last goodbyes were extended to a tight group of seniors who deserve the credit for elevating a novice program to a Southern California power during their four years.

That the year ended with a lopsided 24-7 title game loss, does not diminish the accomplishments of the senior-laden Sea Hawks, who won a second consecutive Bay League championship, this year with a spotless 12-0 record.

"It was off the charts,'' Coach Tom Borgia said. "It was a magical season that just didn't have a magical ending.''

Of those seniors, Meesha Robinson was honored as the Bay League most valuable for a second year in a row, while Tully Tampakes and Chantel Celotto were first-team all-league selections and Mariah Linnett and Sabrina Buendia made the second team. The Sea Hawks also lose seniors Angelica Truong and Kimber Logan.

Robinson was so dynamic and dominating during her career that Borgia has given serious consideration to retiring her No. 8 jersey. She will leave Redondo Union as its career leading goal scorer but more importantly, it is the legacy she will leave as a leader and mentor.

"She's irreplaceable,'' Borgia said. "Besides her talent and her ability, it was her leadership and ability to motivate other girls that was so outstanding. She's a great story. You're talking about a basketball player who had never played lacrosse before her freshman year.''

But losing a wealth of senior talent does not mean the Sea Hawks automatically fall into a rebuilding mode. Redondo Union, Borgia said, expects to make another run at the championship next year.

"We lose some terrific girls,'' he said. "But I'm not so sure that we'll be decimated. Obviously, Meesha is irreplaceable and Chantel is a terrific scorer. But out of our top five girls, I'd say three are coming back.''

Heading next year's cast will be junior midfielder Julia Denney, who scored a team-high four goals in the championship game and also was a first-team all-league selection. Another junior, Ava Elsner, also was a first-team selection and will get a lot more scoring opportunities next season.

Junior midfielder Allison Field and sophomore midfielder Micayla Kotzbach were second-team all-league selections. Sophomore Allyson Barry figures to be the top defender. Colleges already are looking at goalie Heather Czech, and she's only a freshman. Heather's older sister, junior attacker Bailey Czech, also is a key returnee. Additional support will come from players moving up a rank from the undefeated junior varsity team.

"It will be time for our other girls to step up,'' Borgia said. "Do I think that we're going to average 18 goals a game next year and give up only four? No, but we don't have to win by a 14-goal average. We'll still be the team to beat in the Bay League.''

Besides, Borgia and co-coach Erin Garnsey intended to beef up Redondo Union's non-league schedule by adding some formidable opponents. The plan next year is to play teams like El Dorado, La Canada, Newport Harbor and Palisades Charter. In addition, Redondo Union will be the site this summer of a skills camp, which will be open to every Bay League team and even other area teams that are interested, according to Borgia.

"We're just trying to continue to build up the program,'' Borgia said. "I'm going to make Redondo the center of girls lacrosse in the South Bay.''

Borgia's lacrosse roots were sown playing the sport while growing up in the eastern United States. Garnsey played collegiate lacrosse at the University of Hampshire. One of the primary objectives the two coaches have for next season is to improve Redondo Union's defensive checking.

Putting it as delicately and diplomatically as possible, Borgia said checking was not something he and Garnsey emphasized because physical play in the Bay League is called a lot more tighter than it is compared to teams that play in Orange County. But in the loss to the ultra-aggressive Los Alamitos team, the difference in defensive strategies starkly was clear.

"We'll be working on that,'' he promised.