CHS boys soccer overpowers Ayala for first league win

In its first Sierra League match, the Claremont High School boys soccer team topped the Ayala Bulldogs, 2-0, on the road on Wednesday to move to 8-3-2 on the season.

The win gave the Wolfpack their sixth win in seven games and their third road victory of the season, making them a perfect 3-0-1 on the road this year.

Behind a stingy defense and a selective offensive approach, Claremont took a 1-0 lead into the half and looked to be in control with its tempo and ball handling.

Ayala had several chances to even the score in the second half, with its best coming in the 64th minute when they hooked a shot wide left from 10 feet out.

Claremont missed an opportunity to capitalize on its lead in the 68th minute when it missed netting its own rebound, but it answered back in the 74th minute with a beautiful goal to make it 2-0.

The game proved to be a highly physical match between two teams looking for the win, but Ayala (2-8-3) was outmatched for nearly 90 minutes.

It was Claremont’s first game in 15 days and the break proved to be beneficial, as the Wolfpack were fresh and playing aggressively for the duration of the match.  CHS will take on South Hills tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. in West Covina in its second Sierra League match.

Boys basketball wins 10th straight

Claremont moved its winning streak to 10 games after edging out Ayala, 59-48, in its first Sierra League match of the season on Wednesday.

The Pack trailed 30-27 at the break after being outscored 17-14 in the second quarter. But a strong second half performance from senior Chris Edward helped Claremont hold on to an 11-point victory.

Edward shot 41 percent from the field on 7-17 shooting and sunk 9-12 free throws. He added 12 rebounds, including seven defensive and five offensive, to give him the game’s lone double-double.

Senior Baron Franklin added nine points and junior Noah Daniel added eight more to round out Claremont’s top three scorers for the night. As a team, the Wolfpack tallied six steals and four blocks. The defense was at its best in the third quarter when they held the Bulldogs to just five points. Claremont will continue Sierra League play today at South Hills at 6:30 p.m.

Girls basketball struggle with offense

The Claremont girls basketball team (10-5, 0-1) saw its two-game win streak snapped yesterday after its 48-29 road loss to Ayala.

It was the Wolfpack’s first game since a big 61-19 win over Don Lugo in the Shawnae Harris Memorial Tournament December 30.

Claremont was unable to generate offense against the Bulldogs’ tight defense, as they totaled just eight, two and six points in the first three quarters, respectively.

The Wolfpack’s two points in the second quarter were a season low. Claremont’s 29 points were well below its season average of 38.5. CHS will travel to South Hills tomorrow to face off against the Huskies at 4:45 p.m.

—Bryan Stauffer

sports@claremont-courier.com