The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 56

D10 THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2001 LOS ANGELES TIMES Galaxy Has Big-Time Goals The Preps 2001 Roster No. Nairn Poj. Yr. with LA. Games' 22 Kevin Hartman Goalkeeper Fifth 112 1 Matt Reis Goalkeeper Fourth 13 30 AlexiLalas Defender First None 23 Danny Califf Defender Second 20 3 GregVanney Defender Sixth 166 20 Paul Caligiuri Defender Fifth 131 17 Ezra Hendrickson Def.Midfielder Fifth 105 2 Danny Pena Midfielder Fifth 105 12 Simon Elliott Midfielder Third 61 10 Mauhcio Cienfuegos Midfielder Sixth 161 8 Peter Vagenas Midfielder Second 16 18 AdamFrye Midfielder Second 8 5 Brian Kelly Midfielder Second 14 13 Cobi Jones MidfielderF Sixth 154 11 Sasha vlctorine FMidfielder Second 28 9 Brian Ching Forward First None 19 Brian Mullan Forward First None 15 Luis Hernandez Forward Second 21 25 Marvin Quijano FMidfielder Third 13; 7 Isaias Bardales Jr.

Forward First '-With Galaxy only, not including previous MLS clubs. '-Project 40 player not counting against 18-man roster. i -r "fVfl Wnt Soccer: Encouraged by CONCACAF Champions Cup victory, LA has MLS Cup at the top of its wish list. By GRAHAMEL. JONES TIMES STAFF WRITER On his final day as a Galaxy player, Robin Fraser was in a philosophical mood.

Reflecting on his five years with the Major League Soccer team, Fraser noted how many of his former teammates had moved to other MLS clubs. "Myself and some of the other castaways have made jokes that if we put together a team of players that the Galaxy has traded away we could probably win the league," Fraser said. This, for example, is one possible starting lineup made up of former Galaxy players: Goalkeeper: Jorge Campos. Defenders: Steve Jolley, Dan Calichman, Fraser, Joe Franchino. Midfielders: Roy Myers, Chris Armas, Clint Mathis, Martin Machon.

Forwards: Eduardo Hurtado, Welton. Even Coach Sigi Schmid acknowledged Wednesday that such a lineup would at least make things interesting for his team, which begins its sixth season at 7 p.m. Saturday, against the San Jose Earthquakes at the Rose Bowl. "Well, for one thing, you couldn't play that lineup," he said, laughing, "because you've got five foreigners on it. "But I think we'd do OK.

In the attacking part of midfield, with Mathis, Machon and Myers, they'd probably have a little bit more, but I think we could go at their backs." Such games are mere fantasies, however, and Schmid has his mind on preparing a team that will try to win not one but three trophies in 2001. Foremost, of course, is the MLS Cup, which the Galaxy twice has come within one game of winning, only to fall short in the championship matches of 1996 and 1999. The players believe this is their season to take the title. "I think maybe the team has got a bit more belief this year, a bit more confidence, just stemming from the CONCACAF Champions Cup win in January," said New Zealand midfielder Simon Elliott, last year's Galaxy most valuable player. "It showed that we can compete against quality opposition and win big games, which the Galaxy hasn't always had a reputation of doing in the past." Second among Los Angeles' priorities is to win the U.S.

Open Cup. The third goal is realistically beyond reach. No one expects the Galaxy to win the second FIFA World Club Championship in Spain this summer. The league title is the main emphasis. Last year, Los Angeles fell at the next-to-last hurdle, losing a best-of-three semifinal series to the eventual champion Kansas City Wizards.

"Not to rehash last year too much," Schmid said, "but I don't think the team really received enough credit for being able to maintain what we maintained throughout the season with all the changes that occurred to the team in the middle of the season. "I think a lot of teams would have collapsed under that pressure of losing three starters in the midseason deal that brought Luis Hernandez to L.A.. To think Sixtosjust Continues to Get Better for Banning By GARY KLEIN TIMES STAFF WRITER Rafael Sixtos was waiting for the playoffs to finally beat his nemesis. Defending City Section champion Granada Hills Kennedy had ended the last two seasons for the senior right-hander from Banning High. So when Sixtos had an unexpected opportunity to face Kennedy last weekend, he made the most of the early opportunity.

Sixtos was within one out of pitching a shutout and held on to help the Pilots defeat Kennedy, 6-2, in the quarterfinals of the Redondo tournament. Sixtos, 18, improved his record this season to 5-0 and lowered his earned-run average to 1.23. He has pitched five complete games and has 46 strikeouts in 34 innings. He also improved his career record to 27-3. "I'm throwing a lot harder this season, and I have better control of my pitches," said Sixtos, whose fastball has been clocked consistently in the mid-to-high 80s.

Sixtos, 6 feet 1, 210 pounds, is regarded as one of the top prep pitchers in the Southland. He is part of a strong contingent of City Section pitchers from non-Valley schools that includes Joram Iboa of Roosevelt, Luis Reyes of Locke and Ethan Katz of University among others. Sixtos began his high school career as an outfielder. "At tryouts they have you throw from the outfield and I threw pretty well so they said to stay there," Sixtos said. "I was pretty quiet.

I didn't say anything about pitching." Halfway through his freshman season, Sixtos finally got a turn on the mound. He got his break in practice when none of the regulars wanted to throw batting practice. "One said, 'I'm throwing in a game and another guy said, 'I'm in so I jumped in there," Sixtos recalled. "I wanted to show the coaches what I could do." Instead of throwing the ball over the middle of the plate, Sixtos started hitting the corners. Batting practice turned into a pitching exhibition.

"The coaches asked, 'Are you a he said. The next day, Sixtos joined the varsity and pitched in relief the rest of the season. He went 9-1 as a sophomore, losing to Kennedy that we got to within a few minutes of the MLS Cup final is pretty good." Looking at the 2001 team, Schmid has no concerns about the goalkeeping, where there is not much difference between starter Kevin Hartman and backup Matt Reis. "Matt's a quality goalkeeper," Schmid said. "I think his ability is in part what keeps Kevin sharp." The defense has been helped by the addition of Al-exi Lalas but hurt by this week's trade of Fraser to the Colorado Rapids so that the Galaxy could get beneath the MLS salary cap.

The starting back line probably will be Lalas, Danny Califf and Greg Vanney, with Paul Caligiuri or Adam Frye able to fill in for any of the three. Schmid favors a 3-5-2 formation because of the depth of midfielders at his disposal. Elliott and Danny Pena are first-rate defensive midfielders, wh ile veteran Mauricio Cienfuegos and his understudy Peter Vagenas, are the creative midfielders. Out widb, Cobi Jones will be on the left this season because Schmid wants to use Ezra Hendrickson on the right flank. That way, the team can switch instantly to a 4-3-3 formation, with Hendrickson dropping back into the defense and Jones moving up to join the two forwards.

"I just think it gives us some flexibility," Schmid said. "I really expect Ezra to have a big season for us this year." Brian Kelly is the option if either winger is unavailable. Determining the two Galaxy forwards, meanwhile, is an ongoing problem. 1 Hernandez will be one of them, certainly, but he will remain unavailable until Club America's Mexican league season ends, which might be as late as May 20. Meanwhile, Schmid will rely on Sasha Victorine, as well as the Galaxy's top three 2001 draft picks: Brian Mullan from Creighton, Isaias Bardales Jr.

from San Jose State or Hawaiian-born Brian Ching, from Gon-zaga. Marvin Quijano also is an option. "At the end of the day, I think they're all going to help us," Schmid said. ROBERT GAUTHIEH Los Angeles Times Rafael Sixtos is 5-0 including a victory over defending City Section champion Kennedy. in the quarterfinals.

"I pitched nervous and did pretty bad," Sixtos said. Last year, as a starter and reliever, he was 13-2 with two no-hitters, but lost to Kennedy in the semifinals. "I pitched better against them last year," he said, "but it was like they knew what was coming." Sixtos spent last summer pitching in the Reviving Baseball in Innercities (RBI) program and helped the Los Angeles senior division team win the RBI World Series in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Sixtos beat Puerto Rico, 3-2, in an early-round game and pitched the final innings of the championship game. Banning Coach John Gonzalez, who last took a team to the City final in 1997, is employing a different strategy with Sixtos this season.

He is pitching only once a week and only as a starter. "Rafael was tired by the end of the playoffs," Gonzalez said. "We want him to be fresh. I think it's going to pay off in the long run." Banning could meet Kennedy again in the playoffs, but the Pilots must first forge their way through the Marine League. Sixtos said the Pilots are capable of ending the Valley's domination of the City baseball championship.

Valley schools have won the title every year except one since 1973. San Pedro won in 1992. "It's going to happen one of these years," he said. "Hopefully, this one." Times' Rankings vy vy yVN i rw; BASEBALL NO. SCHOOL COMMENT 1.

Chatswortl) (14-0) Perennial power Chancellors are pitching rich and appear to be the class of the City Section. 2. West Torrance (10-1) Pro prospect Nelson Caraballo continues to impress for the talented Warriors. 3. Anaheim Esperanza (11-1) Aztecs remain an Orange County power and will participate in the National Classic.

4. Santa Ana Mater Dei (10-1) Monarchs are the top-ranked team in Southern Section Division II. 5. Newhall Hart (12-0) Indians gaining momentum and have begun their usual run through the Foothill League. 6.

La Puente Bishop Amat (9-1) Lancers must compete in Division IV because of enrollment restrictions. 7. Simi Valley Royal (11-2) Highlanders making early case as a leading contender for Marmonte League title. 8. Westlake (8-3-1) Warriors tripped early but will be formidable down the stretch behind top prospects.

9. Camarillo (10-4) Delmon Young leads the Scorpions, who must bounce back from loss to Santa Barbara. 10. Wilmington Banning (14-3) Pilots beat defending City champion Granada Hills Kennedy, then lost to Carson. SOFTBALL NO.

SCHOOL COMMENT 1. Santa Ana Foothill (12-1) Knights finished second in Arizona tournament and play Hart Saturday. 2. Colton (13-0) Yellowjackets, led by pitcher Desiree Serrano, have outdueled Cajon and all comers. 3.

Riverside Poly (15-0) Mindy Cowles is a standout for the Bears, who might be biggest surprise of the season. 4. Crescenta Valley (8-1) Meredith Cervenka still dominant for the Pacific League favorite Falcons. 5. Newhall Hart (10-1) Indians can make a major statement with a nonleague victory over Foothill.

6. Thousand Oaks (9-1) Lancers are only one of several strong teams in what is now a loaded Division II. 7. La Palma Kennedy (8-2) Fighting Irish making noise in Orange County with an impressive start 8. Anaheim Esperanza (10-2) Aztecs are expected to challenge Colton for the Division I title.

9. Anaheim Canyon (12-2) Comanches are tough, but they have to catch Foothill in the Century League. 10. Valencia Valencia (12-2) Upstart Vikings are battling with Hart in the Foothill League. MISCELLAHY J.

"TO 00 A City Players Make Impact in Puerto Rico Saturday, April 7th Rose Bowl For every ticket purchased at the Rose Bowl on April 7th, tha Los Angeles Galaxy will donate to the El Salvadoran Relief Efforts. TRIAL UNDERWAY Opening statements are made at the trial of Russell Otis, the former Dominguez basketball coach accused of molesting a player. B12 A baseball team made up of City Section players won two games last weekend in Puerto Rico as part of major league baseball's opening-day festivities. The team, consisting of players who participate in the Reviving Baseball in Innercities (RBI) program, defeated Puerto Rico, 6-2, and Miami, 5-3. Luis Reyes of Locke earned the victory against Puerto Rico.

Ethan Katz of University was the winning pitcher against Miami. Catcher Francis Poni of Carson, shortstop Harold Holbert of Locke and infielderpitcher Pedro Parra of Garfield led the way on offense. "It was a terrific experience for everyone," said Tom Butler, a scout for the Chicago White Sox who coached the Los Angeles team. "The kids played great and it was a great chance for them to see another part of the world." Wes Felix in last weekend's Pasadena Games track and field meet at Pasadena City College. Allyson Felix, a sophomore at North Hills L.A.

Baptist High, won the girls' 100 in 11.82 and the 200 in 23.77. Wes Felix, a senior at Valencia, won the boys' 100 in 10.78 and the 200 in 21.86. Allyson's time in 200 was the fastest outdoor time in the state this year. Wes posted the fastest fully automatic times of his career in the 100 and 200. Allyson opted to attend L.A.

Baptist because of its small size and because several of her friends go there. The arrangement works well, Wes said. "Because we go to different schools and have different coaches, her coach will give her tips and my coach will give me tips, and we'll come back and share them with each other," he said. Team Schedule Magnets Courtesy of jr White wpptira Int. For packages cr groups Hablamos fspafiol WWW.LACALAXY.COM (til) 4Q-M TM1 The seventh annual Chet Brewer baseball tournament, sponsored by RBI, begins Saturday and will be played at several local universities.

The 16-team tournament concludes April 14 at USC. The first Liz Shapiro Softball tournament also will begin Saturday. The 12-team event features Washington and South Gate among others. RflSBa; Athletes from 21 states will take part in the prestigious Arcadia Invitational track and field meet April 14 at Arcadia High. The girls' 400 will feature Monique Henderson of San Diego Morse, Angel Perkins of Cerritos Gahr and Natasha Hastings of New York.

Staff writer John Ortega contributed to this report. CITY Four victories. Three career bests. Two trophies as athlete of the meet. Not a bad day's work for siblings Allyson and rtirfi a iBinni iM iffli in ilk no it -i A -h rf aaj.