First published in the Feb. 10 print issue of the Pasadena Outlook.
Despite the Polytechnic varsity boys’ soccer team falling at Glendale, 4-2, in a nonleague game last Friday, the Panthers are the outright Prep League champions.
Poly ended the regular season with a 5-0-1 league record (10-1-2 overall) and is scheduled to host Quartz Hill High in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 5 playoffs this Friday, Feb. 11, at San Marino High School.
Earlier in the week, Poly secured a first-place finish after shutting out host Flintridge Preparatory School, 2-0, on Tuesday, Feb. 1, as junior James Gomez scored both goals.
The Panthers routed visiting Burbank Providence, 4-1, during a league match on Saturday, Jan. 29, as Gomez, sophomore Jessie Benitez, sophomore Jared Gray and Robby Marion-Sims each scored one goal.
A day earlier, Poly hosted Chadwick of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and won the league matchup 3-1 on Jan. 28. Gomez led with two goals, while Benitez scored once.
Poly’s highest-scoring affair over the past two weeks came when the Panthers throttled host Providence, 7-0, behind senior Nathan Quinones’ hat-trick.
FLINTRIDGE PREP
Flintridge Prep’s Ben Odawara (white jersey) and the Wolves finished the regular season second in the Prep League standings with a 3-1-2 record.
The Wolves shut out visiting Chadwick of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, 1-0, during a Prep League rematch last Friday, Feb. 4, as Martino Porcu scored the deciding goal in the first half. Goalie Jiashu Wang registered three saves as he earned a shutout victory.
Flintridge Prep kicked off last week by falling in a league match to visiting Polytechnic, 2-0, during a rivalry rematch last Tuesday, Feb. 1. The loss came after a 7-1 blowout win at Burbank Providence on Jan. 28 as Leo Ferry posted a hat-trick. EQ Willis, Henry Brookbanks and Ben Odawara each scored once. Dominick Schraeder added the final goal on a penalty kick.
The Wolves tied a league match at Chadwick, 2-2, on Jan. 25 as Wang registered three critical saves to avoid the loss. Odawara scored in the first half, while Ferry added a penalty goal in the second half.
Flintridge Prep, which finished second in league with a 3-1-2 league record (8-5-5 overall), is scheduled to open the first round of CIF-SS Division 5 playoffs by traveling to West Covina’s South Hills High on Friday, Feb. 11.
MARANATHA
The Minutemen recently lost a nonleague game at Arcadia, 2-1, on Friday, Feb. 4. However, Maranatha still won three of its last four home games to place second in the Olympic League standings. In the second half, senior Whit Wilder scored the lone goal as the Minutemen finished the regular season with a 5-3 league record (9-10 overall).
Maranatha opened February by defeating Northridge Heritage Christian, 8-3, on Tuesday, Feb. 1, after scoring four goals in each half. Senior Arden Benitez tallied a hat-trick and freshman Aren Tatevossian scored two goals. Wilder, sophomore Miles Romero and sophomore George Peterson each scored once while senior George Kefalas, senior Christopher Pappas and junior Jay Lee each recorded one assist.
Over the last weekend of January, Maranatha ended its three-game road set by shutting out host Heritage Christian, 4-0, on Jan. 29. Wilder, Pappas, Peterson and junior Josiah Topalian each scored one goal while junior Anthony Hernandez and Kefalas were each credited with an assist. Sophomore goalie Lorenzo Rodriguez earned the shutout victory.
The Minutemen were edged at Sun Valley Village Christian, 3-2, on Friday, Jan. 28. Wilder and Romero each scored a goal, while Lee and Peterson each registered one assist.
The Minutemen kicked off a three-game road set by narrowly beating host La Habra Whittier Christian, 2-1. Wilder scored both goals, the last being the deciding score in the second half.
Maranatha hosted La Puente’s Bassett High during the CIF-SS Division 6 wildcard match on Wednesday, Feb. 9; the result was unavailable by the Pasadena Outlook’s press deadline. If the Minutemen won, they advance to the first round and travel to Carpinteria Cate on Friday, Feb. 11.
ST. FRANCIS
The Golden Knights ended the regular season with a 4-2 win at Mission Hills Alemany last Friday, Feb. 4. Senior Andre Kabadayan scored quickly in the second minute on a header, but SFHS fell to a 2-1 deficit at halftime. In the 105th minute, senior Tyler Mallet’s penalty kick tied the match, 2-2. Just four minutes later, Kabadayan registered his second goal on a free-kick from 25 yards opposite the post. In the 119th minute, junior Quinnten Guzman added a free-kick goal from the 35-yard marker.
Earlier in the week, SFHS tied host West Hills Chaminade, 1-1, during a league match on Wednesday, Feb. 2. Senior Derik Stepanians scored St. Francis’ lone goal in the 49th minute from inside the box, while Kabadayan was credited with the assist. Chaminade ultimately tied the game with about two minutes remaining.
The Golden Knights shut out visiting Chaminade, 5-0, during a league match on Sunday, Jan. 30. Senior Diego Jimenez fittingly opened the scoring on Senior Night on a penalty kick, while senior Aidan Simonian and junior Colin Gibbs each added a goal later in half. Junior Evan Barber, who added a goal in the second half, assisted Simonian’s goal while Gibbs’ score occurred on a shot from the 25-yard mark. Junior Quinnten Guzmen scored a 30-yard goal in the second half, while senior Julian Carrillo finished with one assist.
Senior goalies Ryan Guzman and Sebastian Hernandez each earned a clean sheet splitting time in the cage.
To start the weekend, St. Francis hosted Studio City Harvard-Westlake and tied 1-1 on Jan. 28. Despite the tie, the Golden Knights attacked, evident by their eight shots on goal to Harvard-Westlake’s six. Guzman got plenty of action as he registered five saves, while St. Francis’ lone goal came in the first half on a penalty kick by senior Derik Stepanians.
St. Francis traveled to Loyola High in Los Angeles for an intense rivalry league match and tied 1-1 on Jan. 26. Senior Tyler Mallet split two defenders and a perfect pass to senior Diego Jimenez inside the box scored St. Francis’ lone goal in the 54th minute. Guzman added two saves to help the Golden Knights avoid their first league loss.
Despite finishing the regular season undefeated in league play with an 8-0-4 record (14-1-4 overall), St. Francis fell one point shy of sharing the league title with rival Loyola. The Golden Knights finished with 28 points, while league champion Loyola (9-1-2 league record) had 29.
St. Francis is scheduled to open the first round of CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs by visiting San Marcos on Friday, Feb. 11
LA SALLE
The Lancers ended their regular season by being edged during a Camino Real League match against visiting Long Beach At. Anthony, 2-1, on Feb. 5. Despite the loss, La Salle finished fourth in league with a 5-4 record (7-10 overall) and traveled to Environmental Charter for the CIF-SS Division 6 wildcard match on Wednesday, Feb. 9. If the Lancers won, they will advance to the first round and travel to Temple City on Friday, Feb. 11
La Salle shut out visiting Santa Fe Springs St. Paul, 4-0, during a league rematch last Friday, Feb. 4. Junior Mak Hadziomanovic, junior Joven Dagdagan, sophomore Cabral Corvelo and sophomore Lucas Lopreiato each scored one goal, while junior Caden Brown and Mario Cassina each tallied an assist. Goalie Andrew Barrera recorded two saves to maintain the shutout.
La Salle dropped a high-scoring league match at San Pedro Mary Star of the Sea, 6-4, last Wednesday, Feb. 2 Hadziomanovic, Corvelo, Brown and Daniel Alvarez each scored one goal while Cassina earned an assist. Barrera and goalie Julian Gomez split time tending the net as they recorded four and two saves, respectively.
Barrera registered a team-high five saves en route to earning a 1-0 shutout win at St. Paul on Tuesday, Feb. 1. Brown scored the deciding goal for the Lancers.
In the last week of January, La Salle was shut out at St. Anthony, 2-0, in a league game on Jan. 27; however, Gomez still managed to collect three saves. The day before, the Lancers defeated league opponent Rosemead Bosco Tech, 3-1, on Jan. 26 as Hadziomanovic, Corvelo and sophomore Marcus Chin each scored once. Lopreiato and Cassina each recorded one assist, while Gomez had two crucial saves.
