Highlanders on Familiar Ground

Royal High, one of the region’s elite boys’ soccer programs during the last decade, stumbled out of the gate this season with an 0-4-1 record.

It was an uncharacteristic start for a program with numerous Marmonte League titles and three Southern Section Division I championships.

On Saturday, however, the Highlanders won their second and third games in fewer than 24 hours and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Royal tournament, where they will face Laguna Hills on Monday.

Royal beat Alemany, 1-0, in a first-round game before needing a shootout to down Hueneme in a second-round game. The Highlanders (3-4-1) are far from an outstanding team, but are at least headed in the right direction for Coach Kevin Corley.

“We have a lot of new [players] who look great in practice but it’s taken time to adjust to the higher level of game competition,” Corley said.

One player who has adjusted is Robert O’Rell, who scored Friday night to give the Highlanders a 1-0 victory over Moorpark in a Marmonte League game, then scored against Alemany and Hueneme.

O’Rell’s goal in the first minute of the second half, on passes from Adin Waldrep and Jake Van Sloten, lifted Royal into a 1-1 tie with Hueneme. The Vikings (4-3) had taken the lead three minutes before the break when Salvador Hernandez capitalized on a turnover by Highlander sweeper Evan Kay and scored from 20 yards.

The teams remained deadlocked through regulation and Royal triumphed, 4-1, in a shootout that raised loud protests from Hueneme coaches and players.

With Royal leading, 1-0, in the shootout, goalkeeper Braulio Mejia of Hueneme blocked a shot by David Kelly. However, officials ruled Mejia moved off the goal line early and awarded Kelly another shot, which he converted.

The subsequent shot, by Evaristo Leon of Hueneme, appeared to hit the crossbar and bounce down near the goal line. The officials ruled the entire ball did not cross the line and did not award a point.

Corley said he disagreed with the movement call on Mejia and consoled the opposing goalkeeper after the game.

“On the first kick [Hueneme] took, [goalkeeper Eric Cooper of Royal] moved very early,” Corley said. “Hueneme played a great game and it’s too bad it had to end that way.”

Highland 1, Thousand Oaks 1--Highland used a 4-2 edge in penalty kicks to advance to a Monday quarterfinal against Rio Mesa.

Highland (7-2-1) took a 1-0 lead on a breakaway goal by Manny Alberto six minutes before halftime and Chris Jack converted a penalty kick for Thousand Oaks (6-2-3) with 17 minutes remaining in regulation. Highland held a 14-3 shot advantage.

“That we even got to penalty kicks was ridiculous,” said Coach Mark Tietjen of Thousand Oaks, whose team was missing four starters and played its third game in fewer than 24 hours. “Highland killed us on the field.”

Rio Mesa 1, Capistrano Valley 1--Chris Schwarz converted the decisive penalty kick and Rio Mesa (7-2-3) won a shootout, 5-4, in the second round.

David Cervantes of Rio Mesa scored his 10th goal in regulation. Cervantes moved from forward to goalkeeper to stop a penalty kick awarded to Tim Fallman of Capistrano Valley with three minutes remaining in regulation, and he stayed in goal for the shootout.

Quartz Hill 0, Burroughs 0--Quartz Hill (4-1-2) won a shootout, 8-7, and advanced to a consolation game Monday against Santa Paula.

Mike Kuper, Quartz Hill coach, and players Mike Kelley, Jeff Llarena, A.J. Reyes, Marty Scheilke and Kyle Gookins were ejected for either dissent or fouls, leaving the Rebels with eight players on the field in the game’s final 25 minutes.

“It was a very strange game,” said Mike Kodama, Burroughs coach. “I felt for [Quartz Hill] because I don’t think they deserved all the [ejections].”