Penalty Kicks Boot Chatsworth Boys Into Final

The Chatsworth High boys’ soccer team joined the school’s girls’ team in the City Section soccer finals with a 3-2 victory over host Fremont on Thursday in a match that was decided by an extended penalty-kick session.

The Chancellors’ boys’ team, which last played in a final in 1983, will meet defending champion Bell on Saturday at Birmingham. Chatsworth and San Pedro will play in the girls’ championship match, marking the first time boys’ and girls’ soccer teams from the same school will vie for City titles in the same year.

The Chancellors overcame Fremont, 4-3, on penalty kicks after playing a 20-minute overtime and a 10-minute sudden-death period.

After the regulation five penalty shots, the teams were still tied, each scoring three times.

Jeremy Foster, the sixth shooter in Chatsworth’s penalty-kick rotation, gave the Chancellors (11-2-4) the lead when he booted the ball past goalkeeper Jose Camacho into the lower-left corner of the net for the go-ahead goal, 4-3.

Chancellor goalkeeper Ed Gimenez then dived to deflect Hector Barajas’ shot into the ground, causing the ball to bounce up and hit the crossbar.

Gimenez jumped and tipped the ball away from the goal, touching off a celebration by Chatsworth.

“Right before that last shot, I said to myself, ‘Just stay in there and dive,’ ” Gimenez said. “I don’t usually dive.”

Foster’s shot appeared to have fooled Camacho, who made no movement to either side of the goal. “I was just trying to figure out which corner I was going in,” Foster said. “It was hard. Everyone was yelling.”

With Fremont leading, 1-0, at halftime, Chatsworth halfback Kanan Kadjar scored 17 minutes into the second half to tie the score and force overtime.

Felipe Ruiz gave Fremont (12-3-2) a 2-1 lead three minutes into overtime on an assist from Nabor Valdovinos. Chatsworth then forced the sudden-death period when forward Don Oades slammed the ball into an open net with two minutes to play for a 2-2 tie.

Chatsworth’s Rafael Acosta, dribbling down the left side toward the Fremont goal, forced Camacho out of position. Acosta then flicked the ball over Camacho’s head to Oades, who was flanked by two defenders.