Bell Gardens Stays Perfect With Victory

Bell Gardens High completed its second consecutive unbeaten season in girls’ water polo Tuesday night with a 14-11 victory over North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake in the Southern Section Division III championship game at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach.

Andrea Hernandez scored five goals, Sheetal Narsai added four and Patty Cardenas had three for top-seeded Bell Gardens (30-0), which has not lost a game since the program’s inception two years ago. The Lancers have won 60 consecutive games.

“We were playing for a CIF championship, but what you’re really trying to do is upset the national champion,” Harvard-Wetlake Coach Rich Corso said.

Bell Gardens led, 7-6, at halftime.

The Lancers extended their lead to 9-6 with two goals during the first 1:01 of the third quarter and increased their advantage to 12-7 with three consecutive goals in a 4:18 span.

Harvard-Westlake pulled to within three goals three times in the fourth quarter, including, 14-11, on Jeanine Jackson’s seven-meter shot with 1:16 left.

Redlands 8, Riverside J.W. North 7--Redlands goalie Camille Clarendon made 16 saves against top-seeded J.W. North and never allowed the Huskies to pull even in the Division V final at Belmont Plaza.

Redlands raced to a 4-0 lead in the first 3:57.

J.W. North cut the lead to within a goal twice in the fourth quarter, including 8-7 on Sarah Reneker’s third goal with 50 seconds remaining.

Melissa Fernandez scored three goals for Redlands, Rachel Woolace two.