Finalists in Familiar Territory

The City Section’s two most dominant high school baseball programs over the last 20 seasons, Granada Hills Kennedy and Woodland Hills El Camino Real, are set to meet tonight at 7:30 at Dodger Stadium for the City Championship.

Since 1981, Kennedy has won five titles and El Camino Real four. Each enters the final in peak form.

Kennedy (22-11-1), seeded No. 9, has pulled off consecutive upsets against eighth-seeded Carson, top-seeded Chatsworth and fifth-seeded Banning.

The Golden Cougars have relied on defense and strong hitting in the playoffs. Senior shortstop Juan Sepulveda has made only four errors. Junior catcher Phil Avlas, a returning All-City player, is batting .480 with 36 runs batted in.

El Camino Real (21-8), seeded No. 6, had to score seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat Sylmar, 7-6, in its playoff opener and hasn’t been challenged since.

All-City shortstop Conor Jackson, who signed with California, is batting .430, and junior first baseman Jason Kort is hitting .400, including seven RBIs in the playoffs.

The schools met March 14 in a nonleague game, with El Camino Real winning, 9-8, in nine innings. Jackson hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh to tie the score at 6-6.

Adam Geery (4-5) or junior Tim St. Pierre (6-1) of Kennedy will draw the starting assignment on the mound against sophomore Greg Acheatel (9-4) of El Camino Real. Both schools have plenty of pitchers in reserve.

In the City Invitational game at 4 p.m., Narbonne (14-17) will play Venice (16-14).