Kennedy Earns Tie on Avila’s Late Goal

Outshot and outplayed for much of its Northwest Valley Conference game Wednesday against visiting Birmingham, the Kennedy High boys’ soccer team nonetheless pulled out a 1-1 tie when Greg Avila’s 30-yard shot caromed off the crossbar and into the net with five minutes to play.

Until Avila’s goal, the Golden Cougars (6-5-7, 2-3-6 in conference play), had been outshot, 14-1. The goal came on Kennedy’s first shot of the second half.

Adonay Jovel scored off an assist from John Ortega in the 16th minute for the Braves (9-1-4, 6-1-4). Birmingham held a 11-1 shot advantage in the first half.

“We just haven’t been able to score in the second half of [conference play],” Ortega said. “At the beginning of the season teams played us a little soft, but then we started [7-0] and now everyone’s out to beat us.”

Kennedy Coach Fred Singer praised his team for its fortitude.

“In some games it’s been amazing how we’ve found a way to score,” Singer said. “Whatever the score’s been this group has never quit.”

In other boys’ soccer games:

El Camino Real 6, Taft 3--Jose Rivera-Otero scored his 18th and 19th goals in the second half for the Conquistadores (12-4-2, 9-1-1) in a Northwest Valley Conference victory at home.

Chatsworth 3, Cleveland 0--Bryan Rivera scored in each half and Jose Dominguez had a first-half goal to lift the third-place Chancellors (7-1-6, 4-1-6) to a Northwest Valley Conference victory at Cleveland.

Quartz Hill 3, Palmdale 1--The visiting Rebels (11-8-2, 5-1-1) got two second-half goals from Brady Robbins and another from Marty Schielke to hand the Falcons their first Golden League loss.

Kim Britton gave Palmdale (14-7-1, 5-1-1) a first-half lead.

Notre Dame 1, St. Francis 0--Niko Gutrugianios scored midway through the second half, sending the visiting Golden Knights (10-8-1, 3-4-1) to a Mission League defeat.

Harvard-Westlake 3, Alemany 1--Shawn Frawley’s goal in the ninth minute gave Alemany a brief lead before the visiting Wolverines (13-5, 6-1) answered with first-half goals by Matt Thayer, Mark Tobias and Lerato Simelane in a Mission League game.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Royal 2, Newbury Park 0--Amy Ortega scored 42 seconds after kickoff and Camille Butcher scored her 10th goal off an Ortega assist in the final minute of a Marmonte League game at Royal (13-9-1, 8-4).

Calabasas 6, Santa Clara 1--Kara Coffino scored twice to help the visiting Coyotes (10-3-2, 7-0-1) come within a game of clinching the Frontier League.

Notre Dame 2, Flintridge Sacred Heart 1--Melissa Rubey and Sarah Morgan scored first-half goals for Notre Dame (13-3-3, 4-3-1) in a Mission League game at St. Francis High.

GIRLS’ WATER POLO

Harvard-Westlake 11, La Canada 10--Sophomore Jeanine Jackson scored two of her six goals in the fourth quarter to give the Wolverines (10-0, 6-0) a Mission League victory at La Canada (15-6, 3-3).

WRESTLING

Calabasas 39, Chaminade 33--Sam Nosrati of Calabasas (8-2, 4-1) overcame a sprained ankle and a 10-2 deficit in the second period by pinning Mike Reed at the 2:15 mark in a Frontier League match. Seven matches were decided by pin in the contest.

Highland 38, Palmdale 27--Stuart Young (152 pounds) and John Garfinkel (140) pinned their opponents to help Highland (29-4, 5-0) stay in first place in a Golden League meet at Palmdale (30-9, 3-2).