Patriots Assigned Penalties

Birmingham High announced additional suspensions for eight starters on the boys’ soccer team Wednesday, prompting the Patriots’ longtime coach to say he will retire after the season.

The players must sit out two games for every game they played in a club tournament during Thanksgiving weekend, a violation of City Section rules.

Seven Patriot players have already sat out three games, but further suspensions were handed down after Birmingham administrators received information that players participated in more Thanksgiving tournament games than originally reported.

Forced to sit out additional games are Francisco Flores (seven games), John Ortega (four), and Jamie Gomez, Jonathan Moreno, Aaron Jackson, Zael Rivas and Rogelio Covarrubias (three each).

Captain Mike Erush did not play in the Thanksgiving tournament, but he must sit out four Birmingham games because he played in a club tournament last weekend.

Erush played in the National Showcase Tournament with the Santa Anita Breakaway, made up from the top players from Southern California. Erush said he knew he would be suspended, but was asked by college coaches to play in the tournament held in North Carolina during the NCAA men’s final four.

“College coaches called me and told me this is what I needed to do,” Erush said. “I had to do this to play [college soccer] on the East Coast. No college coach will come to watch a high school game.”

Coach Jose Freire of Birmingham, angry at his players for their disregard of City Section rules, said he plans to retire after the season following 12 years as head coach.

“I’m not going to be coaching anymore,” Freire said. “This is too much for me. With all these problems, forget it. It’s stupid. We told these kids and they still did it.”

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Ashley Baker of Campbell Hall has shown she is tough enough to play with the boys, so it’s not surprising she’s enjoying success for the Viking girls’ team (4-0-1).

Baker was captain of the junior varsity boys’ team as a freshmen, when Campbell Hall didn’t field a girls’ team. The next season, she became captain of the school’s first varsity girls’ team.

The senior has played every position except goalkeeper for the Vikings, earning second-team All-Delphic League honors last season after registering seven goals and nine assists.

Coach Chuck Gordon thinks he has finally found the ideal position for Baker.

Baker’s new role at sweeper has solidified Campbell Hall’s defense, triggering an offensive outburst. The Vikings (4-0-1) have outscored opponents, 23-5.

Baker carries a 4.2 grade-point average.

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Coach Emanuel Martins of the Sylmar boys’ team has brought City Section soccer to the Internet.

Martins recently organized a website that he updates daily with scores, statistics and schedules. Most City coaches are available for questions via e-mail on the site.

The website address is www.highschoolmall.com. The site features a weekly player of the week and coaches’ poll.

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Despite losing three starters to graduation and having two seniors--goalkeeper Lani Kaluna and defender Ben Smith--sit out the season for personal reasons, Buena has continued to excel behind forwards Brad Workman and Chris Parkin.

Workman and Parkin, who have been schoolmates since third grade, play club soccer for the Ventura-based Millennium, in addition to starting for Buena (4-2).

Workman and Parkin have combined for 54% of Buena’s offense. To get the ball to Workman and Parkin more frequently, the Bulldogs have switched to five midfielders and two forwards this season.

Buena has a tough road ahead. After playing Rio Mesa today, the Bulldogs open the Royal tournament Saturday against Crespi and could meet top-ranked El Camino Real in the second round.

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The Chaminade girls’ team appeared to be heading for a down season after losing to Buena, 3-1, in its opener.

But the Eagles (6-2-1) have bounced back despite injuries to six starters.

Kim Taylor, the top offensive threat, has played only 30 seconds because of a sprained ankle. Forward Kelly Lavery has been hampered by a calf injury, sweeper Liz Buhn has a pulled groin, midfielder Kristina Chew is recovering from a torn knee ligament, stopper Lindsay Frame has a leg injury and midfielder Mindy Wyatt has a broken toe.

Taking into account the loss of four starters to graduation, the Eagles’ only healthy returning starter is forward Sara Leibowitz, who played goalkeeper last year.

Coach Mike Evans expects all of the injured players back for the Excalibur tournament Dec. 27-29 in Anaheim. Chaminade opens with Los Alamitos, which lost, 2-0, in the semifinals last season to Claremont, the eventual Southern Section Division I champion.

Forward Tara Donoghue and goalkeeper Katie Thomas have picked up the slack up for Chaminade. Donoghue has 10 goals and six assists, tying her total from last season. Thomas has kept the Eagles in games with 36 saves.

The Top 10

Rankings region soccer teams

BOYS

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RK LW School (League) Rec. 1 1 El Camino Real (West Vly) 1-0-1 2 2 St. Francis (Mission) 3-1-1 3 3 Reseda (Valley Mission) 2-0-1 4 6 Ventura (Channel) 6-0-1 5 5 Buena (Channel) 4-2 6 4 Birmingham (Vly Mission) 2-3-1 7 7 Hart (Foothill) 7-2-1 8 NR Calabasas (Frontier) 9-0-1 9 8 La Canada (Rio Hondo) 5-1 10 NR Monroe (Valley Mission 3-0

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GIRLS

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RK LW School (League) Rec. 1 1 Harvard-Westlake (Mission) 7-0-1 2 2 Buena (Channel) 6-0 3 3 Westlake (Marmonte) 2-0-2 4 5 Louisville (Mission) 3-1-4 5 4 Hart (Foothill) 2-1 6 9 Canyon (Foothill) 7-1-1 7 6 Ventura (Channel) 7-1-1 8 8 Chatsworth (West Valley) 1-1 9 7 Chaminade (Mission) 6-2-1 10 10 Crescenta Valley (Pacific) 2-2-1

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