HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER : Royal Wins Wild One for Division I Title

In these days of information highways, it’s no surprise that the Simi Valley Royal High boys’ soccer team received a pre-match pep talk . . . via fax.

Nor is it surprising that the squad had a special visit from members of the 1988 Highlander team, the last to win a Southern Section title.

But for Royal to score five goals in a game? And against one of the best defensive teams in the Southern Section?

Call it a pleasant surprise for Royal, which defeated Fountain Valley, 5-4, in the Division I final Friday at Cerritos Gahr High.

“This was the roller coaster of a lifetime,” said Royal goalkeeper Ty Russell, who ended the ride with several key stops in crunch time.

Russell knocked away a penalty shot with just over 20 minutes left and stopped two other legitimate scoring chances in the last 15 minutes.

It was pure survival.

“I didn’t know how it would end,” Russell said.

This much is known: Royal’s 2-1 lead at the half exploded into the highest-scoring match in Southern Section championship history.

With the game tied, 3-3, Royal (22-5-2) reeled off two goals, a penalty shot by Chris Fernandez and a tap-in by Jesse Garner off Kendall Simmonds’ crossing pass at 62 minutes.

Fernandez finished with two goals.

The Barons (22-4) pulled to within 5-4 a minute later on Keith Hedenberg’s shot off a rebound.

In other games: Morro Bay and Bosco Tech tied, 0-0, in the boys’ Southern Section Division V final, and Huntington Beach Marina defeated Claremont, 2-0, in the girls’ Southern Section Division I final. Marina extended its winning steak to 61 games.