Sports

GETTING HER KICKS

Peninsula High girls’ soccer Coach Jim Alotis has an idea what makes Traci Arkenberg, the Panthers’ high-scoring forward, the most prolific player in the South Bay.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s practice or getting on a bus, she is competitive in everything,” Alotis said. “That’s why she is head and shoulders above everybody else. Everything has meaning to her. When she puts those shoes on and steps on the grass, she is an intensely focused person.”

That intensity has helped the UCLA-bound Arkenberg and her teammates reach the Southern Section Division I quarterfinals. Third-seeded Peninsula (24-1-3) will play host to Royal of Simi Valley at 3 p.m. today.

Arkenberg, with two goals and three assists, had a hand in all of the Panthers’ scoring Saturday in a 5-2, first-round victory over St. Lucy’s of Glendora. The senior has 53 goals this season, the seventh-highest mark in Southern Section history, and 176 in her four-year varsity career, ranking fourth on the all-time list.

Those totals place Arkenberg alongside the two greatest girls’ players in South Bay history--Carin Jennings and Shannon Maddock. Jennings, who played for Palos Verdes from 1979-83, finished her prep career with 225 goals. Maddock, who played for Torrance from 1983-87, scored 191.

Arkenberg scored seven goals in a game this season against Hawthorne, but Peninsula is more than a one-player team. The defense, led by junior fullback Stephanie Ritter and goalkeeper Colleen Sharkey, has given up only 21 goals in 28 games and has 10 shutouts. The team has scored 100 goals.

And the Panthers have done it against top-notch competition. They have played seven of the eight Division I quarterfinalists, with victories over South Torrance, Edison and Mater Dei, ties against Royal and second-seeded Claremont and their only loss against top-seeded Marina.

Alotis hopes Peninsula maintains better concentration today than it did Dec. 7, when Royal scored on a corner kick on the game’s final play to escape with a 2-2 tie. Alotis said his players had thought the game was over before the last-second goal.

“The players heard (the official’s) watch beeping, so one of our girls kicked the ball off the field,” Alotis recalled. “So then the official gave (Royal) a corner kick. I think our kids were kind of miffed, but we learned a lesson from that one.

“It isn’t over until the fat guy blows his whistle.”

STAYIN’ ALIVE

Inglewood, Redondo, Mira Costa and Mary Star all won second-round games Tuesday night to join Serra in the quarterfinals of the Southern Section boys’ basketball playoffs.

The five South Bay teams will play games at 7:30 Friday night.

Second-seeded Inglewood (25-3) meets Huntington Beach (19-9) in a Division II-AA game at Marina High in Huntington Beach after beating Compton, 70-45, Tuesday. Junior forward Paul Pierce had 22 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Sentinels to their 12th consecutive victory.

Huntington Beach advanced with an 81-69 victory over Trabuco Hills as 6-foot-5 forward Tony Gonzalez scored 30 points for the Oilers. Gonzalez, who will attend California on a football scholarship, is averaging 25 points a game.

In Division II-A, Redondo (21-7) plays third-seeded Pacific of San Bernardino (24-3) at North Torrance High, and Mira Costa (22-6) faces second-seeded St. John Bosco of Bellflower (25-2) at Cypress College.

Redondo blew a 17-point, second-quarter lead before recovering to defeat Charter Oak of Covina, 65-60, in overtime Tuesday. Senior guard Damani Washington led the Sea Hawks with 18 points, nine coming in the fourth quarter and overtime. Pacific had an easier time in its second-round game, beating Norco, 89-72.

The Mira Costa-St. John Bosco match-up features two outstanding guards. Hawaii-bound Shane Willis scored 27 points Tuesday to lead Mira Costa over Paso Robles, 64-44. St. John Bosco is led by Jelani Gardner, a highly regarded college prospect. The Braves, who beat West Torrance, 79-61, in the first round, used their pressure defense to stifle La Mirada, 68-42, Tuesday.

Serra (16-9), which did not play Tuesday, meets Village Christian at Inglewood High in the Division IV-A quarterfinals.

Mary Star (18-7) has a tough assignment in Division V-AA, playing at top-seeded Brentwood (20-6). The Stars withstood a 41-point effort by Pilgrim’s Victor Dean to post a 73-71 victory Tuesday. Tony DiLeva led three Mary Star players in double figures with 21 points. Brentwood advanced with a 69-50 victory over Cate. The Eagles feature 6-5 center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, son of the former Laker center.

Friday’s winners will advance to the semifinals Tuesday night.

BRIGHT SPOT

It wasn’t much of a season for the Narbonne basketball team, but center John Terry ended it in style by scoring 50 points Feb. 17 in a 89-79 loss to San Pedro.

Terry, a 6-5 senior, averaged 23.1 points and 14.3 rebounds for the Gauchos, who finished 2-17 and 0-10 in the Southern Pacific Conference.

WRESTLING FINALS

The West Torrance and Mira Costa wrestling teams will compete for Southern Section dual meet championships at 7:30 tonight.

Second-seeded West (23-3-1), the Pioneer League champion, travels to meet top-seeded Canyon Springs of Moreno Valley (16-1) in the Division II final. Mira Costa (15-1), the Ocean League champion, will play host to Glenn of Norwalk (22-5) in the Division IV final.

West, under the experienced hand of longtime Coach Kent Wyatt, has enjoyed a remarkable month. The Warriors ended Torrance’s 10-year hold on the Pioneer League title Feb. 3, and last week they reached the division final in dramatic fashion.

West tied El Dorado of Placentia, 26-26, in the semifinals but advanced on total matches, 7-6, when John Kim won a 6-4 decision in the heavyweight class.

Mira Costa and Glenn are surprise finalists in Division IV. Both teams are unseeded, yet Mira Costa defeated third-seeded Yucca Valley, 36-34, and Glenn upset top-seeded Highland, 37-27, in the semifinals.

Mira Costa’s Matt Ziskin won by pin at 145 pounds against Yucca Valley to run his record to 31-0.

The Mustangs, though, almost didn’t get past the first round. They tied Upland, 34-34, but advanced on total matches, 7-6.

IN MEMORY

Mira Costa will dedicate a new electronic scoreboard at its baseball field Saturday in the name of Darren Brunkhardt, a promising athlete who died at 15 from injuries sustained in an auto accident in April.

Money from a memorial fund established in Brunkhardt’s name paid for the scoreboard, which cost $9,000 including installation.

Brunkhardt was quarterback on the Mira Costa freshman football team and a member of the junior varsity soccer and baseball teams.

ROOKIE NOMINEE

Loyola Marymount’s sports information department is pushing point guard Jim Williamson for West Coast Conference freshman of the year.

Entering the week, the former South Torrance High standout ranked first among WCC freshmen in games started, assists, steals and minutes played, second in three-point baskets and free throws and third in scoring.

ALL-STAR GAME

The third annual South Bay All-Star Classic boys’ basketball game, featuring the area’s top seniors, will be played March 25 at South Torrance High. Coaches for the game are Glenn Marx of Mira Costa, Marc Paez of Banning, Bill Atkinson of North Torrance and Pat Roy of Inglewood.

In addition, a girls’ game has been added to form a doubleheader. Girls’ coaches are Teiko Nishi of South Torrance, Rich Rosato of North, Wendell Yoshida of Peninsula and Steve Brown of Redondo.

TRACK SIGN-UPS

The Palos Verdes-based Southern California Roadrunners track and field team, for South Bay boys and girls from age 8 to eighth grade, is conducting registration and will begin its season Monday. Information: Barry Sacks at (310) 514-2030. . . . Registration is under way for the Hawthorne Kiwanis Youth track meet March 5 at Hawthorne High. Information: (310) 970-7230.