City Soccer Final : Reseda Defeats San Pedro, 3-1

Reseda High School scored three first-half goals to defeat San Pedro, 3-1, and win the City soccer championship Friday night at Westchester High.

The title was Reseda’s first. San Pedro, seeded No.1, thus failed in its attempt to become the first team to repeat as City champion since Poly in 1978-79.

The Regents, of the West Valley League, became just the second team to win the championship after finishing second in its league. Jefferson did it in 1983.

“It feels unbelievable,” Reseda Coach George Hull said. “It’s like a Cinderella dream.”

Reseda (13-4-2) scored the game’s first three goals and kept the pressure on, threatening on several other occasions to blow away the Pirates (14-3).

The Regents’ Eyal Rapoport scored at 5:31 into the game when he took a pass from Paul Vargas and beat San Pedro goalie Kip Bennett low to the right side of the goal.

Reseda struck again a minute later, this time on Vargas’ high lob from the right side that sailed over Bennett’s head, and the Regents led, 2-0.

With 27:20 remaining in the first half, John Bellows drilled a shot into the left side of the goal from a Vargas header to complete the Reseda scoring.