El Camino Real Girls Taking City by Storm

El Camino Real High has taken over as ruler of the City Section after 12 years of domination by Chatsworth. The Conquistadores appear to be building a foundation for the City’s next dominant run.

Chatsworth loses many standouts after this season and El Camino Real has a bundle of young talent, and this season’s success should attract good players to the school.

El Camino Real’s 1-0 victory over Chatsworth on Thursday was the first time the Conquistadores defeated the Chancellors and marked the passing of the torch.

“We’ve shown we are going to be the best team in the City now and no one is going to be able to stop us,” sophomore Sammy Spencer said. “I think now other City teams are going to be afraid. They are going to be nervous to play us.”

The Conquistadores knew they had the talent to beat Chatsworth. But it was questionable if El Camino Real could overcome Chatsworth’s psychological advantage over the Conquistadores.

“We’ve been intimidated by Chatsworth, but this year things have changed,” junior Jamie Doyen said. “We went into Thursday’s game knowing we could win. It just took aggressiveness, confidence and teamwork.

“I don’t think they are scared of us. I think they still assume they are better. All that means is that next time we’ll have to come out and prove ourselves again.”

Traditionally, many of the San Fernando Valley’s top girls’ players have enrolled at Chaminade, Louisville, Harvard-Westlake and Chatsworth. But with many talented players choosing El Camino Real the last four years, it is beginning to be known as a soccer school.

“I was thinking about going to Chaminade because of their soccer program,” freshman Kandice McLaughlin said. “But I took a look at other freshmen that were coming with me [to El Camino Real] and I realized we could have a good chance at going somewhere this year.”

Senior Kori McLaughlin, Kandice’s sister, said academics also play a role.

“The whole reason I think people are now coming to El Camino Real instead of the traditional soccer schools is because the education level is just as good,” Kori McLaughlin said. “Now the athletic program is starting to compete with these known soccer schools, so now there’s no downside in going to El Camino Real.”

For the Conquistadores, recognition is welcomed. In the past, the girls’ team has been overshadowed by the successful boys’ team, which is ranked No. 1 in the region by The Times.

“Our team has always known our capabilities, but it’s taken us finally beating Chatsworth to prove to everybody else we do have the talent to go all the way this year,” Doyen said. “Our accomplishments are demanding more respect and now maybe people will start focusing their attention on the girls’ team rather than always concentrating on the boys’ team.”

The victory over Chatsworth most likely secured a West Valley League championship for El Camino Real. The Conquistadores enter the second round of league play with a two-game lead over Chatsworth and Granada Hills, with five to play.

“Right now we are playing well, but not up to our potential,” assistant coach Shanna Feldman said. “Our goal is to peak at the start of playoffs. The way things are looking, we’ll end up [winning] our league, which should give us the top seed in the playoffs.”

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San Fernando has been a surprise in Valley Mission League boys’ play.

Behind defenders Roman Lopez and Jose Arreola, and midfielder Humberto Hernandez, the Tigers (7-5-1, 4-0 in league play) have rallied in every league game, including a 3-1 victory over preseason favorite Reseda.

“We never let up,” Coach Arturo Vasquez said. “We don’t have any superstars this year. The guys are a unit. They work together and are eager to play.”

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Jose Mejia, a former Reseda standout and The Times’ regional player of the year in 1995, arrived in El Salvador on Jan. 12 to play for Musipalimeno, a professional soccer team. A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the next day, forcing the cancellation of practice.

Mejia was residing about a 30-minute drive from the epicenter but wasn’t injured in the quake.

“All I can say is the earthquake was nothing new to him,” Reseda Coach Julio Castillo said. “He survived the 1994 Northridge quake too, so he knew what to do.”

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Louisville forward Jenny Farenbaugh has been selected to the Olympic Development under-17 western regional team. She will accompany the team for a four-game, nine-day European tour during which they will play the Italian national team.

Farenbaugh leads Louisville with 20 goals and 15 assists.

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Chelsea Welch of Burroughs was the hottest goalkeeper in the region, making 122 saves in seven games, including 29 against Canyon.

But her season was interrupted on Jan. 9, when she suffered a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament against Saugus after colliding with an opposing player.

Welch, a senior who said she might return for the last two games of the season, holds school records with 192 saves in a season and 591 in her career.

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The Top 10

Rankings of soccer teams from the region

BOYS

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RK LW School (League) Rec. 1 1 El Camino Real (West Valley) 17-3 2 2 Crespi (Mission) 13-3 3 3 Royal (Marmonte) 17-2-3 4 5 Quartz Hill (Golden) 18-1-2 5 6 Reseda (Valley Mission) 15-5-2 6 9 Rio Mesa (Pacific View) 10-6-2 7 NR Notre Dame (Mission) 10-5-1 8 10 St. Francis (Mission) 12-5 9 7 Ventura (Channel) 10-4-4 10 NR Newbury Park (Marmonte) 12-4-1

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GIRLS

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RK LW School (League) Rec. 1 1 Buena (Channel) 17-1-2 2 2 Westlake (Marmonte) 9-0-3 3 3 Harvard-Westlake (Mission) 9-1-4 4 4 Hart (Foothill) 9-5-3 5 5 Valencia (Foothill) 16-2-1 6 6 Chaminade (Mission) 11-4-2 7 7 Louisville (Mission) 11-4-1 8 10 El Camino Real (West Vly) 12-1-1 9 9 Quartz Hill (Golden) 13-2-1 10 8 Canyon (Foothill) 14-1-5

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Records through Monday