10 lagunabeachindy . com JULY 19 , 2024
Sports / Schools
SUBMISSIONS WELCOME BY 5 PM TUESDAY
LAGUNA SPORTS UPDATE By Frank Aronoff | LB Indy BREAKER SPORTS UPDATE
FOOTBALL SQUAD BACK FROM JAPAN
The 43 Laguna Beach High School football players returned home on July 14 and resumed their summer training program . In Japan , they had a few practices in this district / CIF unsanctioned break to the summer training program with visits to Tokyo and Kyoto . Summer practice ends Aug . 1 , with the first day of practice for the regular season on Aug . 5 . The season opens with the Frosh on Aug . 22 and Varsity on Aug . 23 against St . Margaret ’ s .
SUMMER SPORTS Laguna Beach High School Athletics summer programs are underway . Check out the programs for all sports at lbhs . lbusd . org . Don ’ t miss out if you plan to play sports at Laguna Beach High School .
Indoor volleyball is having camps beginning July 22 with a session for six to eighth grade and girls indoor sessions for grades 6-9 and 10-12 .
90 YEARS OF LAGUNA BEACH FOOTBALL
Six weeks until the start of the 2024 season
PART 3 : ORANGE COUNTY URBANIZES 1957 TO 1987
Last week , we looked at the first 23 varsity seasons as Laguna went 117- 63-8 during the Guyer era , taking six league titles and closing out with the 8-1 season in 1956 led by star player Bill O ’ Brian .
Guyer retired from his football coach duties after the 1956 season . Orange County has been changing rapidly since the opening of Disneyland in July 1955 . Laguna was not immune to the growth , with enrollment jumping from under 500 students to reaching 1,000 in 1969 . Enrollment would not dip below 1,000 students until 1987 . League affiliation was either based on school size ( Orange , Crestview , Pacific Coast ) or geography ( Irvine , Sea View , South Coast ).
Replacing Guyer was the first Laguna alumnus to be head coach , Vern “ Tom ” Dugger , who was the most valuable player in the great 1946 CIF championship undefeated team . After his graduation in 1947 , Dugger attended St . Mary ’ s , then a big national football power , and returned to Laguna in 1955 to serve as Guyer ’ s assistant until replacing Red in 1957 . Dugger resigned after the disastrous 1960 season but remained in the district , serving in
The great 1968 Laguna Beach Football Team that went 10-1 , and captured the heart of the Laguna Beach community . Photo courtesy of Laguna Athletics
various administrative posts and finishing his career as the Laguna Beach High School assistant principal . He also served as head lifeguard for the city of Laguna Beach from 1959-72 .
Dugger was followed by Washington State grad Harold “ Hal ” Akins , who was a part of Laguna football for thirty-plus years as a head coach , offensive coordinator ( 1979-81 , 1993-94 ), and freshman co-head coach ( 1991 ). Akins served as tennis coach in 1962 and 1963 , picking up two Orange League titles . Akins played professional ball with the Giants ( 1948 ) before becoming a teacher and coach . He came to Laguna from Fontana High School and also coached and taught at Columbia Basin junior college . A very talented artist , Coach Akins was an exhibitor at The Festival of the Arts and at the Sawdust for many years .
Laguna took one league title under Dugger ( 1959 ) and one under Akins ( 1968 ). The 10-1 1968 team captured the community with overflow crowds at Guyer Field following the squad led by Steve Klosterman , Jim Kuhn , Brian Bagley , and Steve Wiezbowski .
Laguna ’ s next title came in 1980 under Walt Hamera ’ s coaching . MVP Lance Stewart , at quarterback , led the Artists to a 7-3 record and a South Coast League cochampionship with Mission Viejo . Laguna surprised the Diablos 12-10 at their stadium but lost to Corona del Mar in the opening playoff game .
Laguna ’ s final title in this era was the Danny Lane team of 1987 , which went 10-2 . Laguna ’ s run that year ended in an exciting playoff game before an overflowing , standingroom-only crowd at Guyer Field , which witnessed future NFL quarterback and coach Mark Brunell leading his St Joseph ’ s team to a 20- 13 comeback victory .
Overall , the team went 137-160-6 during this period , and Laguna was still in the positive with a 254-223-14 mark for the first 55 seasons of play .
LBHS Boys Basketball , Athletic Boosters to Host ‘ Battle at the Beach ’
By Clara Beard | LB Indy
Laguna Beach High School ’ s Boys Basketball Team and LBHS Athletic Boosters will host a summer tournament kicking off this Friday at 9 a . m . at Dugger Gym .
“ This is the first boys basketball tournament hosted by Laguna Beach High School since any of us can remember ,” said Jimmy Azadian , LBHS Boys Basketball head booster . “ We expect a good turnout from the Laguna Beach community to support our student-athletes .”
The tournament , named “ Battle at the Beach ,” has secured high-profile visiting teams from various high schools in Southern California , including Sage Hill in Newport Beach , Corona Del Mar , San Pedro , El Toro , San Juan Hills , Beckman High School in Tustin , Dana Hills , University High School in Irvine , and Edison High School in Huntington Beach .
Laguna Beach Boys Basketball varsity games will start Friday at 9 a . m . against San Pedro and 1 p . m . against San Juan Hills . On Saturday ,
The 2023-2024 Laguna Beach High School Basketball Boys Varsity Team . Photo courtesy of LBHS Basketball
the Breakers will play Sage Hill at 10 a . m . and Edison High School at 7 p . m . Finally , the team will take on Corona Del Mar at 9 a . m . on Sunday .
Laguna Beach will play five games in total , spanning the three-day tournament .
“ There will be delicious breakfast burritos and lunch taco meals offered each day , along with homemade sweet treats baked up by our team ’ s parents ,” Azadian said . “ There will also be a coaches ’ commissary to host all teams ’ coaches and assistant coaches .”
All games will be held in the Dugger Gym , and the daily entry fee is $ 10 . A discounted 3-day pass is offered for $ 25 . All proceeds from the tournament will support Laguna Beach High School ’ s Boys Basketball Team , led by head coach Rus Soobzokov .