GRIFFIN SPORTS: B-Ball downs Edison to claim share of league title; Golden Goal sends Griffins Boys Soccer to playoffs

All four Surf League teams finish with 3-3 records; Los Al will play Edison in playoff game at Marina tonight.

Both the Los Alamitos HIgh boys soccer and basketball teams needed wins over Edison to reach the playoffs.

The young boys basketball team, which thanks to a tough pre-league schedule, especially needed a win to claim a share of the Surf League title and have a chance at one of the league’s two automatic berths. Their 11-16 overall mark would not qualify them for a wild-card spot.

But with an extension of their season on the line, Los Al, led by sophomore forward Everett May 16 points, downed Edison 60-45. That result, and Newport Harbor’s 54-29 victory over Corona del Mar, gabe all four teams a 3-3 record. They will all share the first Surf League title, but a tiebreaker playoff will be necessary to determine the automatic berths.

Those games will be played tonight at Marina High on Thursday. Corona del Mar will play Newport Harbor at 5:30 p.m. followed by Edison-Los Alamitos at 7 p.m.

The OC register has all the details and lots of interviews

Los Alamitos beats Edison to be part of four-way tie for Surf League title

BOYS SOCCER: Lazar’s Golden Goal gives Los Al a 1-0 win in 2nd OT

After 80 minutes of regulation and 15 minutes of overtime play, Brandon Lazar headed in the rebound off a corner kick to give Los Alamitos a 1-0 win over the visiting Edison Chargers.

For Lazar it was an extremely sweet goal after he has missed most of the last two seasons recovering from ACL injuries. Before a raucous senior night crowd filled with the friends and families of the Griffins 19 — yes 19!! — graduating seniors, the tall Lazar was inserted when the Griffins earned a corner kick in the sixth minute of the second overtime. Alex Van Steenburgen sent his corner kick to the far end of the six-yard box where Riley Hunsaker or Alex Ridgers got enough of it to head it down and back across the box. Lazar found it on the perfect bounce and flicked it past the Edison defender on the corner post for the win and a dream win for the Griffins regular season finale.

It was Van Steenburgen’s 11th assist of the year and ties him with Louie Arellano for the team lead in points with 27. Outstanding goalkeeping kept Los Al in the game early on, with senior Brandon Hartwyk coming up big in numerous times in the first half to shut out the Chargers. C.J. Pyncior continued the scoreless skein, but benefitted from a more stable Griffin defense and an offensive attack that came close manytimes, including a rebound shot by Louie Arrellano off the post in the first overtime.

Late in regulation the Griffins had four excellent looks at the goal but were just wide.

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Best…Senior Night…possible. Senior Brandon Lazar scores the Golden Goal in the 2nd OT against Edison High School for the WIN! 🎉1-0, Los Al! pic.twitter.com/hNJi7ZkOkF

— Los Al Boys Soccer (@losalsoccer1) January 31, 2019

The win handed Edison its first loss in Surf League play, but also gave the resurgent and finally healthy Griffins a 3-3 record, good enough to edge out Corona Del Mar for second place and a guaranteed CIF-SS playoff berth. CDM tied Newport Harbor and finished with a 2-2-2 mark.

The Griffins Boys finished with a 12-10-3 overall mark and now await the CIF Soccer playoff brackets which will be announced Saturday at 11am.