SPORTS : MIRACLE WORKERS

The St. Paul High football team has played only one league game, but received a big boost for a shot at the Del Rey League title with a 10-2 victory over Loyola on Friday before a home crowd of 6,000.

St. Paul Coach Marijon Ancich called the victory a hard-fought team effort--and a matter of luck.

“They’re one of the best teams in Western America,” Ancich said about Loyola (4-1). “They are physically superior in every way. It was miraculous we came out on top.”

The Swordsmen, who converted seven times on third or fourth down, marched 80 yards in 18 plays after receiving the opening kickoff and scored the game’s only touchdown on an 11-yard run by quarterback Gerry Ceballos. The drive was kept alive by a roughing the kicker penalty.

A recovery of a fumbled Loyola punt by Damon Tomeo set up St. Paul’s other score, a 32-yard field goal by Andy Wilcox.

The victory moved St. Paul a step closer to a possible showdown with Bishop Amat, the top-ranked team in the nation, for the league title in the regular-season finale Nov. 11.

Ancich, though, isn’t looking much further than Friday night’s home game against Crespi.

“All we are is survivors,” Ancich said. “It’s a combat zone week to week (in the Del Rey League). As a coach, all you can do is hope to win three games to finish third and make it to the playoffs.”

MAKING A SPLASH

The Long Beach Wilson High water polo team defeated Corona del Mar, 11-6, in the championship of the Southern California Invitational Saturday at Cal State Long Beach.

Adam Wright, who had four goals in the final, and Pat Cochran of Wilson were selected the co-most valuable players of the two-day tournament. Goalkeeper Nick Hill had 21 saves and Matt Armato scored three goals.

Wilson (12-2), the No. 1 team in the Southern Section Division I rankings, beat San Diego Coronado in the semifinals, 16-10, behind six goals by Wright and five by Cochran.

Wright and Cochran scored four goals each in the Bruins’ 15-7 first-round victory over El Dorado on Friday. Armato had five goals in an 18-12 quarterfinal win over Harvard-Westlake.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

The Long Beach City College football team defeated Pasadena City College, 53-24, to record its largest victory over the Lancers in the 46-game series, which began in 1928.

Neo Aoga completed 19 of 40 passes for 318 yards for Long Beach (5-1), which improved to 2-0 in the Mission Conference North Division. Kevin McKenzie had an 87-yard kickoff return and Richie Ashley returned a blocked punt 25 yards for a touchdown against host Pasadena (2-2-1, 1-1).

McKenzie and Ashley, along with wide receiver Joe Johnson (seven catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns), were named South Coast Conference players of the week.

Long Beach will play host to Palomar (3-2-0, 1-1) on Saturday night at 7.

*

David Scanlon made a 27-yard field goal with 43 seconds left to give El Camino a 38-35 Mission Conference victory over Cerritos Saturday in a game featuring the highest-ranked teams in Southern California.

Second-ranked Cerritos (4-1, 0-1) missed two field goals in the final eight minutes with the score tied, 35-35. Third-ranked El Camino (5-0, 2-0) drove 71 yards in 10 plays to set up the winning score.

Corey Kelley gained 106 yards in 17 carries and quarterback Gary Tessitore rushed for 93 yards and passed for three touchdowns, including two scoring passes to Brian Briggs, in the loss.

Cerritos will play at Mt. San Antonio (2-2-1) Saturday night at 7.

*

A 17-yard touchdown run by Compton’s Jimmy Perry with no time remaining was negated because of a holding penalty in the Tartars’ 23-16 defeat to Ventura in a Western State Conference game on Saturday.

It took Compton (3-2) just over a minute to drive from its 32-yard line to the 17-yard line with 11 seconds left.

Ventura (4-1) raced to a 23-10 halftime lead. Perry, who entered the game in the third quarter and passed for 103 yards, connected with James Jackson on a 17-yard touchdown pass to bring the Tartars to within 23-16.

Joe Austin had a touchdown reception and rushed for 91 yards in seven carries for Compton (3-2). Germel Ford had five tackles and Akinyela Taylor and Deon Hampton added four each for the Tartars.

Compton travels to West L.A. for its first road game at 3 p.m. Saturday.

*

Rio Hondo out-gained Citrus, 435-309, but lost to the visiting Owls, 50-35, in a Foothill Conference game Saturday.

John Parker carried 25 times for 131 yards and Joel Duarte completed 18 of 32 passes for 285 yards for Rio Hondo (1-5, 0-4). The Roadrunners, who have lost five in a row, will be idle until an Oct. 29 game at Chaffey.

*

The Cerritos College women’s volleyball team began defense of its South Coast Conference title by defeating Long Beach City, 11-15, 15-10, 15-1, 15-2, and East Los Angeles, 15-3, 15-3, 15-3, to extended its conference win streak to 23 matches.

Midori Breul had 11 kills against Long Beach. Paula Makridis had eight kills and Shannon Walker added four kills and four blocks. Walker had nine kills against East L.A.

The victory over East L.A. marked the Falcons’ 43rd consecutive home victory. Cerritos (7-0), ranked fourth in the state, will play at El Camino on Friday and in the Santa Barbara City Tournament of Champions beginning Saturday.

*

The Long Beach City College soccer team improved to 4-0 in South Coast Conference play with a 2-0 victory over El Camino and a 3-2 win over San Bernardino Valley.

Long Beach (6-2-1) and East L.A. are tied for the conference lead. The teams will play Friday at East L.A.

Jaime Gonzalez, Isaac Prado and Jaime De La Cerda had goals for the Vikings against San Bernardino. Gonzalez and De La Garza scored against El Camino and goalkeeper Jose DeLeon had five saves.

ARIZONA RUN

The Cal State Long Beach women’s cross-country team finished eighth in the Arizona State cross-country invitational Friday. Sonya Berro and Lisa Bower were 24th and 25th, respectively, in 18 minutes, 44 seconds and 18:46 over the 5,000-meter course for the 49ers.

Christa Ayuso (18:59.9), Tanya Futami (19:23.6) and Jamie Cummings (19:25.0) rounded out the scoring for Long Beach by finishing 33rd, 48th and 49th, respectively, in the 106-runner field.

Marisa Avendano, formerly of Paramount High, was second in 17:32 for Cal State Los Angeles, which placed three runners among the top nine to win the meet. Northern Arizona and Utah were second and third, respectively.