HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP : Royal Ends Jinx With 6-3 Victory

Royal High’s 11-year playoff jinx ended Friday at Rancho Simi Pool in Simi Valley when the Highlanders handed Santa Monica a 6-3 loss in a second-round match of the Southern Section 5-A Division water polo playoffs.

The victory marked the first time in 11 seasons that the Highlanders have advanced past the second round.

“To us, this is monumental,” Royal Coach Steve Snyder said. “The monkey is off our back.”

Jack Kocur and Mike Radka each scored three goals for Royal (23-3). Goalie Ralph Radka made 19 saves.

“He was phenomenal,” Snyder said of Ralph Radka.

Royal will meet Marina, a 13-7 winner over J. W. North, in the next round.

In another water polo playoff match:

Harvard-Westlake 16, Peninsula 9--Jim Toring, Ryan Flynn and Mark Townsend each scored two goals to lead Harvard-Westlake in a Southern Section 3-A match at El Camino College.

Leading, 7-2, at the half, Harvard (26-3) broke the match open with a 6-0 run. Goalkeeper Peter Kiefer finished with six saves.

VOLLEYBALL

L.A. Baptist d. Crossroads, 15-4, 15-3, 15-8--Sarah Rameson had 12 kills and seven blocks and teammate Lucrieta Haynes added eight kills and three blocks as L.A. Baptist (16-2) advanced in a Southern Section 1-A second-round playoff match at St. Monica High.

Long Beach Poly d. Bell-Jeff, 15-5, 15-13, 15-9--The visiting Guards fell short in a Southern Section 4-A playoff match at Long Beach Poly.

Notre Dame d. Cypress, 15-13, 15-13, 6-15, 15-13--The Knights reached the Southern Section 4-A semifinals, losing just one game in their second-round victory at Cypress.