Manual Arts Begins Soccer Playoffs No. 1

Manual Arts is the top-seeded team, Belmont is No. 2, Sun Valley Poly No. 3 and Woodland Hills El Camino Real No. 4 in the 32-team boys’ soccer playoffs that begin with first-round games today and Friday.

In girls’ competition, which begins next Wednesday, Chatsworth is the top-seeded team in the eight-team 4-A division. Chatsworth, which has won eight of the last 10 championships, plays host to No. 8 Grant. In other matches: No. 4 Granada Hills plays host to No. 5 Banning; No. 6 Palisades visits No. 3 San Pedro; and No. 7 Hamilton is at No. 2 El Camino Real.

Reseda Cleveland is the top-seeded team in the 16-team girls’ 3-A playoffs, which also begin next Wednesday.

Championship matches in all three divisions will be played March 7 at East Los Angeles College. The boys’ and girls’ 4-A matches will be broadcast live by KLCS TV.

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Defending City wrestling champion Woodland Hills El Camino Real, which has three titles in the last six years, will take on top-seeded San Fernando in the championship match today at El Camino Real.

On Tuesday, El Camino Real defeated Garfield, 78-4, in the quarterfinals, then had pins in 10 its 14 bouts on the way to a 69-9 semifinal victory over Canoga Park.

San Fernando clinched a berth in the finals with a 45-31 victory over Chatsworth.

San Fernando defeated El Camino Real, 34-31, in a dual meet last Thursday.

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Peter Duffy, who coached the Fremont football team to an 11-1 record this past season, resigned to become offensive coordinator at East Los Angeles College.

Duffy compiled a 20-4 record in two seasons with the Pathfinders and won consecutive Southeastern Conference titles.

Fremont lost to eventual 4-A champion San Pedro, 13-9, in the 4-A quarterfinals this past season.

“It was a tough decision but I think it’s a good opportunity over at East L.A.,” said Duffy, who will remain a teacher at Fremont. “A lot of the kids I coached here the past two years are thinking about enrolling over there. So I still will have contact with a lot of good kids I’ve had the opportunity to work with.”