MIDWEEK REPORT HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS UPDATE : Line-Man Aids Royal

The circumstance that Coach Kevin Corley of the Royal High boys’ soccer team had been dreading since September occurred two weeks ago when starting goalkeeper Brian Pineau was injured.

Pineau, a reliable and experienced senior, was steamrollered by an opponent while going for a loose ball and suffered a broken nose and four broken bones around one of his eyes.

With Pineau out at least six weeks and with no experienced backup available, Corley pressed reserve fullback Korey Gilliland into service as the Highlanders’ goalkeeper. But as soon as school resumed, Corley began combing the halls for another athlete to put in the nets.

And he may have found one. A big one--6-foot-2, 240-pound senior Levi Line, a standout lineman on the Royal football team. Line, who played five years of youth soccer before reaching high school, is being trained as a backup goalkeeper. But Corley said it is conceivable Line could see action by the time the regular season ends in mid-February.

“We can’t go into the playoffs with one goalkeeper; we have to have two ready,” Corley said. “Levi would be an intimidator. No one will be running him over.”

Brash Mouth

First-year Chaminade soccer Coach Grant Sawyer, whose team began the season 0-5 in Mission League play, has a bold prediction about his team, which includes eight sophomore starters.

“You can guarantee we’ll be state champions in two years if we’re starting eight seniors,” Sawyer said. “Right now we’re playing [against] guys who are two years older.”

Chaminade has lost seven one-goal matches, and Sawyer, 23, has irked more than one local coach with his brash statements and what some opposing coaches perceive as the Eagles’ intentionally rough play.

In response to his critics, Sawyer is blunt.

“I’m one of the youngest coaches around but I’m also probably the most up-to-date on systems and such,” Sawyer said. “I’ll be [at Chaminade] for two more years and then I’m off to coach college soccer. I’ve already gotten some offers and turned them down.”

Said an opposing Mission League coach: “I’ve had enough of his act. I hope Chaminade doesn’t win another game all year.”

Too late. The Eagles defeated Notre Dame on Wednesday.

Not Easily Impressed

It was the first weekend of the new year.

A good time to throw a party.

Or check out a new movie.

Or . . . study?

Four members of the Canoga Park boys’ basketball team didn’t exactly crack open their textbooks, but they did attend last Friday’s game between Harvard-Westlake and Notre Dame.

The Hunters, ranked No. 2 in The Times’ regional poll, wanted to see how they measured up to top-ranked Harvard.

The envelope please. . . .

“They had a pretty good team,” Canoga Park’s Anthony Ellison said.

But Harvard, which trailed at halftime before eventually winning, didn’t completely impress the Hunters.

“I thought they would be a lot better,” Carloes Harper said. “But they’ve got time. They’re juniors.”

Canoga Park and Harvard do not play each other this season.

Right on Schedule

If the North Hollywood girls’ basketball team advances farther than the second round of the City Section 4-A Division playoffs--which is where its season ended last year--the Huskies can thank their nonleague schedule.

The Huskies played--and defeated--three teams with 11-1 records: Fillmore, Pasadena and Bell-Jeff.

“We played a very, very difficult schedule,” said Coach Rich Allen, whose team owns a 28-game winning streak in the Valley Pac-8 Conference. “I never thought we’d be 8-3 because we’re so young.”

Allen has received solid performances from a number of players including Samantha Fargeon, who is averaging 13.2 rebounds and 12.5 points.

Those numbers will likely rise during conference play.

“The tough schedule is what will help us,” Allen said.

Hull Takes the Helm

Sophomore forward Mark Hull turned in a performance last week that won’t soon be forgotten at Hoover. Hull scored a career-high 26 points in a 76-73 Pacific League upset of Crescenta Valley. Moreover, Hull held the Falcons’ Nathan Sinning, among the region’s best players, to nine points.

Hull was the most valuable player of Hoover’s sophomore team last season, leading the Tornadoes to a 10-0 league record.

“He didn’t just show up, I knew who he was and what we were getting ready for,” Hoover Coach Kirt Kohlmeier said. “He’s just come right in and taken over.”

Hull connected on four of six three-point attempts. His point total is the most by a Hoover sophomore in six years.

Hoover (9-7, 2-0 in league play) appears to have its best team in several seasons. The Tornadoes upset perennial league power Muir, 77-76, on Tuesday. Hoover had not defeated Crescenta Valley since 1993 and had not beaten Muir since 1984.

Meeting of the Minds

Mike May and Gary Spindt will be reunited Friday for the first time in two years when the Hart boys’ basketball team plays Foothill League newcomer Valencia.

May was Hart’s head coach and Spindt was his assistant when the Indians went 20-2 and won the league championship in 1994. Spindt transferred to Valencia in the fall of ‘94, when the school opened.

With Hart soaring at 11-5 and young Valencia struggling at 5-10, the game doesn’t figure to be much of a contest. But May and Spindt will likely match wits, as would any mentor and protege.

“They’ll work hard and play hard,” May said. “I’m sure they’ll play a lot of man and pressure defense--like we try to.”

Spindt’s players figure to emulate May’s by relentlessly challenging shots on defense and working for high-percentage shots on offense.

“Mike and I, once we started coaching together, the philosophy was pretty much the same,” Spindt said. “Mike teaches unselfish play, and I’m the same.”

Another interesting twist: Hart, since the 1994 Northridge earthquake destroyed its gymnasium, has used Valencia as its home site. This marks the first time in two years that Hart will be considered the visitor at Valencia.

In His Own Name

He’s a Roman. And he does as the Romans do. . . . er, have done.

But, surprising to some, senior Juan Roman of Channel Islands, among the region’s best wrestlers at 119 pounds, is no relation to brothers Bobby, Mike and Gabe Roman, standout wrestlers as seniors at Oxnard the past three seasons. Gabe Roman placed third in the state last season and was selected The Times’ regional wrestler of the year.

“A lot of people have been asking me if I’m related to them,” Juan Roman said. “They don’t even ask, they just say, ‘Where are your cousins?’ ”

Roman made a name for himself by placing first in the Camarillo tournament Saturday. Roman defeated freshman Trevor Clocherty of Ventura, 23-8, for the tournament title and was selected most-outstanding wrestler for lower weights.

Roman, 1-2 at last season’s state meet, this season is 18-0 with seven pins. He has won three tournaments, including the Brea Olinda tournament, where he earned most-outstanding honors.

Daniel Ramirez (215) of Oxnard was selected most-outstanding wrestler for upper weights at Camarillo.

Roman said he keeps in touch with the Roman brothers, all of whom have given up wrestling.

“I know them and I hang out with them,” Roman said. “They’re the ones who started spreading it around like we’re related.”

Basketball Notes

City Section

VALLEY PAC-8 CONFERENCE

Boys: Different sport, but same result for Marrean Robottom and Aaron Arnold of Monroe. The duo guided the football team to a berth in the City Section 3-A Division semifinals, Arnold as a quarterback and Robottom as a lineman. Now, the 6-foot-7 Robottom (14 points and 11 rebounds per game) and the 6-1 Arnold (2.4 steals per game) have helped the basketball team. “They have added to our athleticism,” first-year Coach Alan Caveness said. “They work hard, hustle and listen.” And win. . . . Two second-year conference coaches are applying what they learned while playing for other City Section coaches from the region. Kevin Kanemura of Van Nuys played for Kennedy Coach Yutaka Shimizu, and Dave Enowitz of Reseda played for Howard Levine at Grant. Said Kanemura: “[Shimizu] taught me everything I know.” . . . North Hollywood is off to a slow start, but junior Shannon Johnson has been hot. Johnson is averaging 19.1 points and 12.6 rebounds. He also averages 3.6 assists and three blocks.

Girls: Grant was off to a 4-0 start and was allowing only 35 points a game. Then came a rough 1-4 slide at the San Fernando and Fairfax tournaments, during which the Lancers allowed more than 50 points a game. “There were some tough stretches there,” said Coach Steve Brumwell, who was without his top three reserves. Two players were vacationing and a third couldn’t adjust her work schedule to accommodate game days. “We could easily have been 8-1 as opposed to 5-4 if we had been at full strength.” . . . The Poly varsity is 3-3 but its frosh-soph squad is 2-0 in the inaugural year of City Section frosh-soph girls’ basketball. “It’s rewarding to get those kids more opportunities to play,” Poly varsity Coach Kim McEwen said. Monroe, North Hollywood and Van Nuys are the other conference schools that field frosh-soph squads.

NORTHWEST VALLEY CONFERENCE

Boys: One reason Granada Hills struggled before conference play is center Ernest Quinley’s lack of production. Quinley, who last season averaged 20.3 points, has scored more than 20 points in a game once this season, earning a heart-to-heart talk with Coach Lou Cicciari: “I told him he needs to do what he did last year: Get the offensive rebound and put it back in. He hasn’t been doing it much.” . . . Frustrated with the play of several seniors during a 3-6 start, Chatsworth Coach Fluke Fluker has called up several younger players from the junior varsity in an effort to inspire the Chancellors. . . . Cleveland guard Tony Hoggatts’ appeal to gain an extra semester of eligibility will be heard at the City Section rules committee meeting next Thursday.

Girls: The Chatsworth-Taft game Wednesday has been moved to a 7 p.m. start. . . . Birmingham, which hasn’t played in a month, has the roughest opening week in conference play, facing two solid 4-A teams--Kennedy and El Camino Real. . . . The key to defensive pressure employed by Taft isn’t necessarily point guard Nyoki McKeith, who averages 5.1 steals. Junior Marisol Lopez doesn’t score much but the 5-6 junior takes on the opposing team’s point guard in the Toreador’s 1-2-2 full-court press.

NORTHERN CONFERENCE

Boys: It’s taken a while but Verdugo Hills Coach Scott Kemple believes the Dons are no longer in awe of Maurice Potter, their own high-scoring forward: “For a while, they would stand around and watch him work. They would forget what they were supposed to do.” Returning starters Jerson Castillo, who is averaging 11.3 points and 6.7, and forward Charlie Coronado give Verdugo Hills other options heading into the bulk of conference play.

Girls: The Verdugo Hills girls’ team really didn’t mind going 1-2 in the Roosevelt tournament. The Dons were just happy to be in a tournament. “All the girls showed up for all the games; we didn’t have any problems at all with the break,” Coach Laura Redford said. The Dons started the week 3-8, having tripled their victory total of last season.

Southern Section

FOOTHILL

Boys: If Burbank has an unsung hero, it’s Bobby Moore. The 6-2 senior doesn’t score a lot of points, but he specializes in shutting down the opponent’s top shooter. For instance, Moore recently held William Patterson of Balboa High in San Francisco to 35 points. While 35 might seem like a lot, Patterson, who scored 82 in one game this season, averages 52. . . . Guard Jorge Sotomayor leads Burroughs by averaging 16 points--not bad for a player who dropped out of the Burbank program a year ago.

Girls: Burroughs welcomed back guard Joyce Lau with open arms last week after she missed the first four weeks of the season because of a severely sprained ankle. Lau had a school-record 110 steals last season. . . . Hart has won five of the past six league titles, and Coach Dave Munroe credits toughness for the success. Said Munroe: “I coached boys’ basketball for five years at Crespi and 10 years at Hart, and I figure [the girls] could play the same style of ball, multiple defenses and a sophisticated system.”

GOLDEN

Boys: Bronson Pitts of Littlerock is shooting 42% from three-point range. . . . Two teams with losing overall records, Littlerock (5-9) and Quartz Hill (7-9), entered the week 1-0 in league play, tied for first, while two teams with winning overall records, Antelope Valley (11-5) and Palmdale (10-7), entered at 0-1.

Girls: Quartz Hill forward Sanethia Thomas stole the show in last week’s 64-62 victory over Antelope Valley in a league opener. Thomas, who scored 31 points, stole the ball at midcourt and scored with a layup at the final buzzer. “She choreographed the whole thing,” said Antelope Valley Coach Robert Fields, who watched his team blow a six-point lead with 40 seconds left. . . . On the positive side, Antelope Valley has cut its turnovers-per-game average from 24 to 12. . . . Depending on whom you ask, Palmdale either couldn’t miss or had trouble finding the basket in its 79-32 blowout of Highland last week. “You can’t beat a team that shoots 80%, not when you shoot 22%,” Highland Coach Cammy Henderson said. “Eighty percent?” Palmdale Coach George Corisis said. “Heck, we shot 38%.” . . . Cheree Hicks of Littlerock entered the week with more rebounds (124) than points (110).

PACIFIC

Girls: Amirah Leonard of Crescenta Valley became the school’s career scoring leader with a 19-point performance Friday against Hoover. Leonard, a senior guard, has scored 1,250 points. Sarah Hagman, now playing at Cal State Northridge, scored 1,236. The Falcons (16-1) are hammering opponents to the point that Leonard, along with talented teammates Michelle Greco and Tara Gregory, are playing an average of only three quarters per game. Crescenta Valley is averaging 72 points, up from 60 points last season. “Point total is up, playing time is way down,” Coach Marc Ward said. . . . Glendale has skidded since senior Narineh Hartoonian suffered a torn ankle muscle a month ago. Hartoonian, a four-year starter, was averaging 14.8 points after eight games. The Dynamiters were 6-2 when Hartoonian was sidelined but are 1-5 without her. Hartoonian is expected to return next week. Glendale’s Karen Shirikjian has made 45 of 54 free throws.

CHANNEL

Boys: Buena starting league play 3-0 after losing three in the Ventura tournament might be attributed to the Bulldogs opening league play against Santa Barbara. “We really focused as a team against them because we’ve had quite a rivalry against Santa Barbara the last couple of years,” Buena Coach Glen Hannah said. . . . Charles Dixon has emerged as a dominant big man for Ventura, also winner of its first three league games. Dixon, a 6-foot-6 senior, scored 15 of his 25 points in the second half on a 70-66 come-from-behind victory over Dos Pueblos on Monday.

Girls: Buena, the region’s top-ranked team, is ranked No. 10 in the nation by USA Today. . . . Hueneme had a scare when point guard Kelli Tobin showed up for practice last week wearing a full leg brace to protect her left knee. The injury turned out not to be serious and Tobin, a junior, played Tuesday. . . . Whitney Robson, Ventura’s only senior, will return next week after missing several games because of a dislocated shoulder. The youthful Cougars had four sophomores and a freshman on the court at one point last week and the lack of experience is starting to show. Ventura blew a seven-point halftime lead and fell to Dos Pueblos, 49-46, on Tuesday.

MARMONTE

Boys: Agoura’s tallest player is 6-4 guard Brian Laibow, but the Chargers have emerged as giant killers early in league play, defeating Simi Valley and Camarillo last week. Center Josh Portnoy is only 6-2, but Coach Kevin Pasky said the junior is the team’s best athlete. “Josh is athletic enough to guard guys 6-5 to 6-7,” Pasky said. “Then offensively he presents a problem for them because he comes out to the perimeter.” . . . Royal guard Scott Schnetzler, a senior transfer from Simi Valley, had back-to-back 20-point games last week to help the Highlanders take a two-game lead in the league race.

Girls: Forwards Kristin DeSimone of Agoura and Megan Carmola of Westlake give their teams a go-to player. Both are excellent rebounders as well as scorers. DeSimone is averaging 15.0 points and 12.1 rebounds; Carmola is averaging 20.8 points and 12.3 rebounds, and she scored 30 of Westlake’s 44 points Tuesday.

MISSION

Boys: First-place Harvard-Westlake will take time out from its assault on league opponents to play a nonleague game at Pauley Pavilion on Monday. The Wolverines, ranked No. 1 in The Times’ regional poll, will play Bellflower at 3:30 p.m. Five other games are scheduled. Harvard displayed new uniforms before its first home crowd of the season in Friday’s league opener against Notre Dame. Harvard won, 59-48. . . . St. Francis (6-11), last in the league last season at 2-10, will have its first go at Harvard on Friday night at St. Francis. Outmatched? The Golden Knights might be. Outsized? Definitely. Harvard, of course, boasts 6-11 junior twins Jason and Jarron Collins. St. Francis has no player taller than 6-1. “It’s really hard to simulate 6-11 kids in practice,” St. Francis Coach John Jordan said.

Girls: A big reason for Alemany’s success is the field-goal percentage of senior center Carly Funicello. Funicello, who has signed to attend UCLA, is shooting 57.7 percent (82 of 142) and is averaging team-high totals of 14.2 points and 8.7 points. . . . Louisville’s 53-48 victory over Notre Dame in last week’s opener was the Royals’ first over the Knights in at least seven years, as best as school administrators can recall. Senior center Adriane Bilek (6-1) led the way with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Junior Becky Witt appears to have rebounded from an ankle sprain that caused her to miss two games. Witt played the entire game against Notre Dame and scored eight points.

CAMINO REAL

Girls: The continuing saga of Jaclyn Johnson’s lower leg injury took a turn for the worse last week when doctors diagnosed the Bell-Jeff forward, who has missed 10 games, with a stress fracture in her right shin. At first the injury was thought to be a strained calf muscle, then re-diagnosed as a slight tear. The Guards must now do without Johnson’s 22.3 points and 14.3 rebounds for three more weeks.

FRONTIER

Boys: Nordhoff suffered the indignity of handing second-year member Malibu its first-ever league victory last week after defeating the Sharks, 102-77, in a December tournament game. In the rematch, Malibu had 6-6 junior center Matt Semerau, a transfer from Calabasas, in the lineup. “It was like a championship game atmosphere afterward,” Malibu Coach Marty Biegel said. “People milled around on the court and nobody wanted to go home.” . . . Moorpark Coach Tim Bednar is thrilled with the development of 6-5 center Kevin Lawrence but emphasized that the sophomore, a transfer from Torrance, needs work. “He needs to realize that if he gets inside position there will be few people who can stop him,” Bednar said. . . . Calabasas picked a bad time to go cold: its league opener against Santa Clara. The Coyotes did not make a three-point basket in 13 attempts, made only 43% of their free throws, and were routed.

Girls: Santa Paula Coach Julie Coert says that as senior guard Tanya Paez goes, so go the Cardinals. “She realizes she has to be the leader,” Coert said of the returning all-league player. “She’s our go-to player and the person who holds us together on offense.” . . . Santa Clara lost to Calabasas by 40 points last week, leaving Coach Sherri Cvijanovich frustrated. “We didn’t box out, there was no contact going for rebounds, and we either gave their players the whole lane or didn’t know who to guard under the basket,” Cvijanovich said. . . . Calabasas senior guard Jamie Apody is fast becoming a player-coach for the Coyotes. Apody, a first-team all-league pick last season, oversees the team’s statistics, and during holiday break went on a scouting mission with former Calabasas player Eryka Skore The pair filmed league rival Moorpark with a video camera and Apody and Coach Steve Spadaro later examined the tape for signs of Musketeer miscues. “Scouting was fun but one of the refs recognized Eryka and told one of the [Moorpark] coaches,” Apody said. “I felt kind of conspicuous and a little evil.”

TRI-VALLEY

Boys: The college football future of St. Bonaventure senior center Sam Benner played havoc with the Seraphs last week. Benner was available for last Wednesday’s victory over Nordhoff but left shortly thereafter for a recruiting trip to Northwestern. Without his 6-5, 250-pound presence, St. Bonaventure suffered an embarrassing loss to Cate. . . . James Cummings, Chris Goodenough and Adam Woods, Fillmore’s three returning senior starters, all entered basketball season nursing injuries suffered in football. Cummings remains troubled by a rib injury and plays only four minutes a quarter, and Woods has often been sidelined because of back problems. Goodenough, however, has healed and is developing into a reliable three-point shooter.

Girls: With Coach Allison Sain on maternity leave, Stan Hirsch, vice principal at La Reina, took over Monday as interim coach. He will try to ensure that the Regents do not perform as they did in the first of their three games last week, when they lost to Cornerstone Christian by 18 points, shooting only 17%. . . . Fillmore’s top three players, April Kozar, Julie Arundell and Christie Rosenblad, have lived up to their billing and each are averaging at least 10 points.

ALPHA

Girls: Village Christian promoted Kara Hunt, a 5-9 junior center, from the junior varsity last week. Crusader forward April Price has been suspended for two games because she missed four games last month during the Thousand Oaks tournament. . . . Jenny Greslie, a freshman forward, is expected to return from a broken leg for the Crusaders’ league opener tonight against Marshall.

HIGH DESERT

Girls: Paraclete Coach Susan Hervey was understandably shaken when center Kim Whisler went down because of a knee injury in a nonleague game last week. Whisler averages 22.9 points and 13.6 rebounds. “It’s just scary to see her go down,” said Hervey of Whisler, who doesn’t appear to have a serious injury and who scored 47 points in two games last week.

SANTA FE

Boys: St. Genevieve promoted Alex Maroquin from the freshman team. The point guard will play in his first varsity game tonight. Valiant Coach Darius Floyd said that Maroquin, who averaged 25 points on the freshman team, “was just too good for the freshman level.” The Valiants have been hampered by poor free-throw shooting. They entered the week shooting just 58% from the line. . . . Bell-Jeff guards Reuben Douglas and Kent Dennis last week accounted for 87 of the team’s 134 points in two victories. Douglas scored particularly well from the free-throw line in a 71-36 trouncing of Salesian. He made 18 of 22. And since Douglas, an 81% free-throw shooter, missed two free throws in the final minute of a 66-63 loss to Eagle Rock, the sophomore has connected on 30 of 35 foul shots.

SUNSHINE

Girls: Athletic Director John Yakel will finish out the season as girls’ basketball coach for St. Genevieve. Yakel took over for former Coach Ray Doyle, who resigned on Dec. 18. The search for a new coach will begin when the season ends.

FREELANCE

Boys: A 67-64 victory over Hart marked Montclair Prep’s 15th victory of the season, guaranteeing the Mounties a spot in the playoffs. The magic number of 15 victories was a formality considering Montclair Prep is the top-ranked Division V school by the Southern Section. The Mounties earned a free lunch from assistant Jack Pollin, who guaranteed the meal at halftime if Montclair Prep defeated the Indians.

Girls: Montclair Prep Coach Bob Webb missed the Mounties’ last two games, both victories, because of a family emergency on the East Coast. Assistant Malik Mansour guided the team in Webb’s absence.

Soccer Notes

City Section

Boys: Wilber Quintanilla, a Notre Dame assistant whose sideline directions and personnel decisions helped lift Cleveland to the Hart tournament title in December, said he will no longer attend games as a self-described “helper” for the Cavaliers. “I’m going to be in contact with [Cleveland boys’ soccer] the rest of the year because my brother plays there,” Quintanilla said of Cavaliers’ star midfielder Luis Castro. “But my main focus is Notre Dame.” Quintanilla coached the Grant girls’ team to the 4-A title last season.

Southern Section

Boys: Foothill--Saugus forward Nate Wright is enjoying a superlative senior season, with 17 goals and 17 assists in 15 matches.

Mission League--Chaminade junior midfielder/forward Mike Whitaker is one of the area’s snipers with 12 goals. Chaminade surrendered a 2-1 lead with 15 minutes to play Monday in a loss to Alemany and Coach Grant Sawyer is adamant about two of his team’s problems. “We have no size and no strength,” Sawyer said. “We can’t win the ball on corner kicks or on set plays.” . . . First-year Harvard-Westlake Coach Mark Devey was displeased with the field at Crespi after the Wolverines’ victory there Monday. “What an advantage they have to play in that dump against a good team,” said Devey, whose team improved to 9-4-2 and 3-2 in league play. “We were happy to get out of there alive.” Devey is also thrilled with the Wolverines, who were the area’s most-underachieving team last season and missed the playoffs. This season they are led by the trio of forward Jon Barry (10 goals), midfielder Ari Friedman (six goals and five assists) and sweeper Jason Morrow (four goals and eight assists). Goalkeeper Justin Child has been impressive after several years away from soccer and has posted five shutouts.

Marmonte League--Simi Valley improved to 3-1 in league play last week with defeats of Newbury Park and Agoura. Sean Herrity and Chris Harris each finished with five goals in the two matches. The victory over Agoura, a 9-0 slaughter, brought Coach Rob Looyen several questions about running up the score, but the first-year coach remained unperturbed. “The [starters] came to me and asked to stay in,” Looyen said. “They wanted to send a message that Royal is not the only team in this valley.” . . . The message certainly reached Royal Coach Kevin Corley. “This is my fifth year coaching the boys and there’s never been a league score like that in my time,” Corley said. “It’s kind of scary.”

Pacific League--Glendale, which has enjoyed a boys’ soccer resurgence the last six seasons under Coach Loi Phan, is 11-2 and aiming for a league title and its fifth playoff berth since the program was restarted in the 1990-91 season. Senior forward Gilbert Agaverdyan has starred up front while his brother, junior goalkeeper Joseph, has been a wall in net. The team won the consolation championship at the Burroughs tournament and captured third place at the La Canada tournament.

Girls: Alpha League--Village Christian, a first-year program that was 3-5 as of Monday, is coached by Gerard Van Heijzen, coach of the Crusaders’ boys’ team from 1986-87 to 1993-94. The roster is split between those with and without prior playing experience, but one of the tyros is standout goalkeeper Monica Bentley. Because the Crusaders practice without goals at Stonehurst Park in Sunland, Bentley did not get to see one until the day before Village Christian’s first match. “She just stared and said, ‘That’s really big,’ ” Van Heijzen said. “We only use cones to mark the goals in practice.”

Channel League--Buena Coach Ed Daane has been pleased with the performance of sweeper Megan Munday, who has moved over from outside fullback. However, Munday’s daring rushes upfield often cause her coach consternation. “Megan will dribble 60 yards, beat four players and then lose the ball,” Daane said. “I ask her how she can go that far without looking for a teammate.”

Mission League--Chaminade has carried on despite the loss of stars Vanessa Thiele and Tami Pivnick to knee injuries. Coach Mike Evans hopes to have both back by season’s end but admits the Eagles’ play has suffered. “Without Vanessa and Tami we’re a different team,” said Evans, whose team is still in striking distance of a second consecutive league title. . . . Louisville has its back covered with the play of goalkeeper Liz Hudson who, Coach Henry Cota said, will be the team’s main starter after splitting time with Jemma Santos since the start of last season. Hudson had 13 saves and kept the Royals in Monday’s match with Harvard-Westlake, a 1-0 loss.

Wrestling Notes

Southern Section

Senior Jacob Waasdorp (215 pounds) of Quartz Hill improved to 27-0 by placing first in last weekend’s prestigious North Torrance tournament. Waasdorp, a Times All-Valley defensive lineman, was 5-0 in claiming his second tournament title. Waasdorp has 19 pins. Quartz Hill placed fifth among 36 teams. Teammate Weslee Mattison (145) placed second while improving to 29-2. Highland’s Roland Aldabert (119) and Stuart Young (135) each placed fourth.

Ventura finished second to John Glenn in last weekend’s Camarillo tournament. Sophomore Cristobal Gonzalez (171) defeated senior Josh Eisenberg of Harvard-Westlake, 8-7, to improve to 22-3 and record the Cougars’ only individual championship.

Gonzalez has handed Eisenberg (23-2) his only losses this season. Gonzalez pinned Eisenberg, a two-time Mission League champion, with 16 seconds remaining in the final of the Rosemead tournament last month.

Harvard’s Ron Linares has broken his single-season school record for takedowns. Linares has 82 takedowns, surpassing last season’s total of 79.

Twins Ron and Rick Peterson of Camarillo improved to 18-3 and 23-2 after impressive tournament showings at Camarillo. Ron placed first; Rick lost to Rio Mesa’s Jesse Bautista in the final. Heavyweight Tim Bradley of Camarillo improved to 12-6 after placing first in the tournament.

Contributing: Mike Bresnahan, Dana Haddad, Steve Henson, Vince Kowalick, Peter Yoon.