Harrison, a senior midfielder who was a captain last season, had another great season – her third on the varsity squad. Heading into the season, she was No.7 on the Orange County Register’s list of the top 15 seniors to watch in 2010. Though the team struggled, finishing with a record of 7-8-9 (1-5-4 in South Coast League), Harrison was still able to shine. She finished the season with 7 goals, including an impressive game against Laguna Hills High School on December 3^rd in which she scored two goals.

      In an era in high school and college athletics where there seems to be less emphasis on the “student” and more on the “athlete,” Mission’s student-athletes have done an excellent job of succeeding in the classroom, and many are headed to prestigious universities because of their work in both areas. Harrison is no different as she will be headed to the University of Southern California this fall on a full athletic scholarship.

During the past four years at Mission Viejo High School, basketball star Ben Hayes has consistently been one of the top athletes in his class. He has received multiple honors, including winning awards, taking league championships, and signing with the University of California Irvine. His most recent honor is that of being named the 2009-2010 South Coast League basketball player of the year. After having considered all candidates for male athlete of the year at Mission, no other athlete had accomplishments comparable to the basketball phenom. The Diablo Dispatch officially has named Hayes as their male athlete of the year.

     In 2010, the Diablo basketball team had one of the most successful seasons in school history. Troy Roelen’s squad finished with a record of 24-5 as they were able to advance all the way to the Division II CIF Southern Section quarterfinals where they finally lost to Loyola to end their season. Throughout the magical season, Hayes was the player that Mission looked to when a big shot was needed. Hayes was a leader on the court, and in the box score night in and night out.

     Hayes first picked up a basketball at the age of five and shot on his plastic fisher price hoop. He instantly fell in love with the sport, and as he puts it, he was “Ballin’ from the woom.” Once he began to play competitively in second grade, he began to separate himself from the other players. A few years later, he entered the prestigious AAU club basketball circuit.

     Hayes’ club team is called One Tough School. Hayes blossomed as a star under the wing of his coach, Rich Prospero. “He’s had one of the biggest impacts on me during my growth as a player,” says Hayes. One Tough School has been one of the toughest teams in the club circuit throughout the past few seasons, only losing three games during the summer season last year. While this AAU team put Hayes on the map, he had another team to worry about, which was Mission Viejo.