Northview Cleans Up at Dual Meets

During the late 1990s and the early part of this decade, the Covina Northview wrestling team built a reputation as one that would avoid the dual-meet championships or send a team of second-stringers so that the starters could rest for individual championships and avoid injury.

Southern Section rules prevent such a practice now, but opponents might wish the Vikings would go back to their old ways.

Northview won its third consecutive section dual-meet title, trouncing North Torrance, 47-17, in the Division II final Saturday at La Puente Bishop Amat, where it outscored its four opponents, 201-61.

The top-seeded Vikings fell behind, 11-0, after three matches and trailed, 14-7, after six, but then went on a tear, getting pins in six of the next seven matches for a 47-14 lead.

“I’d still rather be having a practice and getting ready for the individual championships,” said Northview Coach David Ochoa, long an outspoken opponent of the duals. “I’m happy for the kids, don’t get me wrong, I just want to see them go to state.”

Three years ago, the section instituted a rule that penalized teams that forfeit duals or do not send varsity-caliber wrestlers. Ever since, Northview has not lost a dual-meet championships match.

The Vikings were Division III champions in 2004 and have won back-to-back Division II titles.

“It always means a lot to win a championship any time you wrestle,” said Larry Medina, whose pin at 135 pounds gave Northview a 35-14 lead and clinched the title with three weight classes remaining. “Coach Ochoa doesn’t like the duals, but it’s nice for the seniors to go out with a trophy.”

-- Peter Yoon

Girls’ Basketball

To no one’s surprise, defending champion Harbor City Narbonne was the top-seeded team in the City Section Championship Division girls’ basketball tournament. The Gauchos have won six of the last nine City titles and are a big favorite in Coach James Anderson’s 15th and final season.

Sylmar (17-3), Los Angeles King Drew (18-4) and Venice (18-7) rounded out the top four seeded teams. L.A. Crenshaw and L.A. Dorsey were fifth- and sixth-seeded, respectively. That’s notable because Dorsey (22-3), had it not lost to Crenshaw (12-7) on Wednesday and then lost a coin flip to determine the Coliseum League’s first-place entry, was the probable second-seeded team.

-- Martin Henderson

Soccer

The unbeaten Canoga Park boys’ soccer team will try to win its second championship in three years and defending champion Woodland Hills El Camino Real girls’ team will attempt to win a record sixth consecutive title when City Section playoffs begin this week.

Boys’ first-round matches will take place Thursday at the home sites of the higher-seeded teams, with the girls’ first-round matches set for Friday. Championship finals are scheduled for March 4 at East Los Angeles College.

Niki Connolly, who will play at Nevada Las Vegas next season, leads El Camino Real (17-1-2) with 23 goals and six assists. Michelle Oakes, a junior, has 18 goals and 10 assists and her sister, Katie, a senior who has committed to play at Cal next season, has 10 goals and eight assists.

Canoga Park (18-0-0), the Sunset Six League champion for the third year in a row, also was top-seeded when it defeated L.A. Jordan for the City title in 2004. The Hunters feature a starting lineup of eight juniors, one sophomore and two seniors.

-- Lauren Peterson