Briefs: HBPWF cheer teams earn success at competition

The Huntington Beach Pop Warner Football cheer teams traveled Dec. 19 to Buena Park High to compete in the Sharp Cheer Competition. The mascots and Junior Pee Wee Division cheer team captured first place, the Jr. Midget Division cheer team placed second, and the Huntington Beach cheer program earned the Most Enthusiastic award.

The Huntington Beach cheer teams will compete next month at the JAMZ Competition in Las Vegas.

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Team USA wins Holiday Cup

The USA Water Polo Women’s Senior National Team captured the 2015 Holiday Cup championship Dec. 20 by getting past Spain, 14-13, in a shootout at Newport Harbor High.

Team USA, which includes Alys Williams (Edison High/UCLA) of Huntington Beach, went 5-1 in the tournament and ended 2015 with an overall record of 41-6 which included gold medals at the FINA World League Super Final, Pan American Games and FINA World Championship.

The USA Men’s Senior National Team, which includes Bret Bonanni (Mater Dei/Stanford) of Huntington Beach, went 0-2 in a two-game series with defending Olympics champion Croatia.

In the final game of the series teams Dec. 20 at USC, Croatia defeated Team USA, 14-9. Bonanni tied for game scoring honors with three goals. In the teams’ first meeting Dec. 17 at Corona del Mar High, Bonanni scored once in a 13-10 loss.

— From staff reports