Jorth chosen to U.S. youth team

Newport Harbor High junior Clay Jorth joined 11 other athletes named

to the United States men’s youth national team, which will compete in

the NorAm Water Polo tournament in Victoria, British Columbia,

Canada, beginning Tuesday.

Dan Klatt, a defender on the U.S. Olympic men’s water polo team

that competed in the Summer Games in Athens, Greece, and former UC

Irvine standout, will coach the squad, which will open round-robin

play against Japan at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday.

The U.S. faces New Zealand’s youth team at 6:30 later that night.

The six-team field includes two Canadian youth teams, a youth and

junior squad from New Zealand and the Japanese youth team. The final

is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Dec. 31.

Jorth, a driver, was the lone repeat All-CIF Southern Section

Division I selection among nine players from Corona del Mar and

Newport following the fall season. He earned first-team All-CIF and

All-Sea View League laurels -- the second straight time for the

latter -- for the Sailors (18-11), who reached the CIF quarterfinals

before bowing out to Harvard-Westlake.

Jorth is joined on the U.S. youth team -- among others -- by

Foothill’s J.W. Krumpholz and Tyler Jemmett, along with Matt

Sagehorn, a junior from Long Beach Wilson, which defeated the

Knights, 13-11, in the Division I final.

Mesa sloppy, but wins

* BASKETBALL: The Costa Mesa High boys basketball team held on for

a 54-50 win over visiting Sanger in a nonleague contest Wednesday

night.

Costa Mesa plays Orange Lutheran at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Orange

Holiday Classic at Chapman University.

The Mustangs (4-5) won despite committing 18 turnovers. Scott Knox

led Mesa with 26 points. He hit four of his game-high six

three-pointers in the first quarter.

Will Lefebvre was a spark off the bench, providing energy on

defense for the Mustangs.

Nonleague

Costa Mesa 54, Sanger 50

Score by Quarters

*--*

Sanger 12 14 17 7 -- 50

Costa Mesa 19 10 14 11 -- 54

*--*

Mesa - Molina 3, Sc. Knox 26, D. Wase 5, Krikorkian 8, Lefebvre 3,

Waldron 7, Aleson 2, Puente 0.

3-pt goals -- Sc. Knox 6, Waldron 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.