SOUTHERN SECTION SOCCER PLAYOFFS : La Canada Trips Up Calabasas

Calabasas High boys’ soccer Coach John Reich is well aware of his Coyotes’ No. 9 ranking in the Southern Section 1-A Division poll.

And he does not care.

“Those rankings are a farce,” Reich said. “Everybody (who votes) has their favorites.”

But after La Canada upended Calabasas, 3-1, in a second-round playoff match at La Canada, Reich could testify to the Spartans’ No. 3 ranking.

“They beat us to the bone,” he said.

Both schools are veterans of soccer playoffs.

La Canada (18-1-3) claimed the title in 1989 and was beaten in the final by Walnut last season. The Spartans finished Rio Hondo League play undefeated the past two seasons.

Calabasas (12-4-3) was the 1-A runner-up in 1986 and ’88 after losing to Frontier League rivals Santa Paula and Agoura, respectively.

After a scoreless first half, La Canada Coach Louie Bilowitz believed his team’s play was regressing instead of progressing.

His brief halftime talk stirred up the Spartans.

Two minutes into the second half, Matt Corlett scored on a right slant from six yards to give La Canada a 1-0 lead, but it was David Rivero’s goals at the 21- and 25-minute marks that gave the Spartans a commanding 3-0 lead.

Rivero slipped a shot past goalkeeper Chris Barry from five yards while he was closely guarded in front of the goal. Rivero, a junior, again struck from five yards on a pass from Corlett.

“In the (first half), it was all jungle ball,” Rivero said. “But in the second half, we got the ball on the ground, got some cross (passes) and got some goals.”

Barry finished with six saves, one of which came against Rivero on a breakaway early in the second half. Barry also made a diving, one-handed stop of a Corlett shot at the 18-minute mark.

Calabasas midfielder Dan Rosenbloom scored an unassisted goal with five minutes remaining to spoil the shutout.

La Canada outshot the Coyotes, 19-3. La Canada goalie Kyle Bilowitz made three saves.

La Canada will meet Corona del Mar in a quarterfinal match Friday at a site to be determined.