school

It’s time to peer into my crystal ball to see what 2026 has in store for the Southland’s high school athletes (and a few former ones), coaches and fans:

JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, armed with passports from the United States, Israel and Australia, will soar so far past 7 feet in the high jump that national organizations from three different countries will fight to have him represent their team. …

Striker Pence, a sophomore pitcher at Corona Santiago with a 100-mph fastball, will receive an endorsement deal from a radar gun company. …

The UCLA-USC women’s basketball games will have so many celebrities and former players wanting to be seen that TMZ won’t need to pay for video. …

The high school soccer debut of incoming freshman Zoe Thompson, sister of Alyssa and Giselle, will be so big that Harvard-Westlake will need to give out red bibs to photographers to identify who’s real media. …

Norco junior shortstop Dylan Seward will hit for the cycle. …

Jaden Soong celebrates after winning the Southern California Golf Assn. Amateur Championship at Saticoy Club in Somis on July 11, 2024.

(SCGA)

St. Francis sophomore golfer Jaden Soong will win a second straight CIF championship, then have to answer the same question over and over, “When are you turning pro?” …

Gary Morse, a 6-foot-8 senior pitcher at Orange Lutheran, should be one of the best in the Southland in 2026.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Orange Lutheran 6-foot-8 senior pitcher Gary Morse will throw a no-hitter, then find a hoop and celebrate with a dunk. …

Sophomore catcher Jordan Lindsay (left) and sophomore pitcher Carlos Acuna will be key players for Birmingham in 2026.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

The Birmingham sophomore pitcher/catcher duo of Carlos Acuna and Jordan Lindsay will lead the Patriots to the City Section baseball title, then celebrate with a dogpile at Dodger Stadium in which the 6-2, 200-pound Lindsay protects Acuna from being suffocated at the bottom by teammates. …

Santa Margarita shortstop Brody Schumaker (left) and his father, Skip, the manager of the Texas Rangers.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Santa Margarita’s Brody Schumaker, who had eight bunt singles last season, will be asked by his father, Skip, the new manager of the Texas Rangers, to show off his bunting skills at spring training. …

Brian Prince of Cathedral will break 47 seconds in the 400 meters. …

Rickee Luevano of Sylmar and Xavier Allen of Carson will battle to be the home run champion in the City Section. …

Eastvale Roosevelt’s Aubrey McLaughlin, who won a gold medal playing for the Team USA U-18 softball team in the World Cup, will break out her new jewelry for a showdown game against Norco. …

All-City linebackers De’Andre Kirkpatrick of Crenshaw and Elyjah Staples of Marquez will become among the first City Section players to receive NIL deals. …

Cypress baseball coach John Weber will receive an NIL deal from a pencil company because he’s always walking around with a pencil tucked behind his ear. …

Corona Centennial’s All-CIF defensive back Jaden Walk-Green, who also starts in center field for the baseball team, will show so much promise snowboarding that he’ll decide to seek an Olympic Games berth in 2028. …

George Hastings of Agoura will try to play every position in a football game this season. …

There will be so many quarterbacks transferring that MaxPreps’ digital rosters will go down from too many clicks. …

PlayOn, which owns MaxPreps, GoFan and the NFHS Network, will go for a California prep sports monopoly by bidding for the CIF state playoffs contract that runs out in June. …

Offensive lineman Elisha Mueller of Servite.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Offensive lineman Elisha Mueller of Servite will record so many pancake blocks that IHOP will sign him to promote a week of all-you-can eat pancakes for anyone who weighs 280 pounds and up. . . .

A basketball official, tired of hearing a parent complain about his calls, will stop the game, give his whistle to the parent and dare him to take over. …

Louis Lappe, center, celebrates with teammates after hitting a solo walk-off home run off Curacao’s Jay-Dlynn Wiel during the sixth inning of the Little League World Series Championship game iin 2023.

(Gene J. Puskar/AP)

Freshman Louis Lappe, known for his walk-off home run for El Segundo in the 2023 Little League World Series championship game, will hit a home run in his high school debut for Harvard-Westlake. …

Shohei Ohtani will be spotted working out at a high school baseball field, causing multiple helicopters to be dispatched to provide commentary like an L.A. car chase. …

USC will resolve any red-zone scoring deficiencies by installing freshman Trent Mosley at wildcat quarterback. …

Former Granada Hills pitcher Easton Hawk will be UCLA’s closer this season.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Former Granada Hills pitcher Easton Hawk will become the long-sought standout closer to lead UCLA to the NCAA baseball title. …

With four Southern California players on its roster, led by Sherman Oaks Notre Dame grad Ella Parker, Oklahoma’s softball team will hold a beach day at practice to make sure its SoCal players are not feeling homesick. …

Freshman tight end Austin Miller of Bellflower will be the first to motivate new UCLA coach Bob Chesney to drop by campus for a personal introduction. …

Valencia sophomore quarterback Evan McCalister will be a breakout passing star. …

After nine consecutive years of Northern California teams losing in the CIF Open Division state championship bowl final, the CIF will agree to allow postseason transfers to De La Salle or San Mateo Serra so they can be competitive. …

Huntington Beach surfer Bailey Turner, shows her medals after returning from the ISA World Junior Surf Championships in Peru.

(Don Leach/Staff Photographer)

Bailey Turner of Huntington Beach, the ISA World Junior Surf Championhip winner, will continue her preparation for the 2028 Olympic Games by riding one big wave after another. …

After the Cleveland Browns’ Carson Schwesinger is named defensive rookie of the year, all the people who didn’t rate him highly at Oaks Christian during his high school days will use magic markers to update their star rankings.

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 6.

Rk. School (Rec.); Comment; ranking last week

1. SIERRA CANYON (10-1): Trailblazers getting close to full strength; 1

2. REDONDO UNION (13-2): Sea Hawks looking like Sierra Canyon’s major challenger; 3

3. SANTA MARGARITA (15-2): Drew Anderson is a big man rising in performance; 2

4. ST. JOHN BOSCO (9-3): Overtime loss to Phoenix (Ariz.) Sunnyslope; 4

5. CREAN LUTHERAN (12-3): Semifinalist for Classic at Damien; 8

6. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (15-2): Face JSerra on Friday; 5

7. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (10-4): Josiah Nance is back from injury; 6

8. ARCADIA (11-1): Win over San Gabriel Academy makes Apaches the real deal; 16

9. CORONA DEL MAR (14-0): Fourteen straight wins for Sea Kings; 11

10. CRESPI (11-4): Celts advance to Classic at Damien semifinals; 13

11. CORONA CENTENNIAL (14-3): Stanford commit Isaiah Rogers is delivering; 9

12. ETIWANDA (15-1): Lost in overtime for first defeat; 10

13. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY (6-5): Freshman Zach Arnold continues to perform well; 7

14. DAMIEN (14-3): Came within one point of upsetting Redondo Union; 14

15. VILLAGE CHRISTIAN (11-5): A 41-point performance from freshman Will Conroy; 12

16. JSERRA (12-5): Lions starting to make improvement; 17

17. LA MIRADA (8-5): Matadores keep challenging themselves; 15

18. THOUSAND OAKS (13-0): Dylan McCord is firing in threes; 18

19. BRENTWOOD (15-1): Thirty-point performance from AJ Okoh; 22

20. EASTVALE ROOSEVELT (10-5): Big performance from Sloane Harris; 21

21. MIRA COSTA (15-1): Made it to Torrey Pines semifinals; 23

22. ELSINORE (18-0): Undefeated season still going strong; 24

23. MAYFAIR (6-3): Next up is Crossroads on Monday; 20

24. INGLEWOOD (11-4): Jason Crowe Jr. is averaging 44.0 points per game; 25

25. CYPRESS (12-5): In divisional semifinals at Torrey Pines; NR

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

Harbor Teacher 52, Maywood Academy 36

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alemany 70, Saugus 63

Alta Loma 68, Orange Vista 65

Arcadia 52, San Gabriel Academy 47

Arroyo Valley 59, Jurupa Valley 48

Azusa 66, Bolsa Grande 53

Banning 55, San Gorgonio 47

Beverly Hills 47, Highland 41

Bishop Amat 92, Pioneer 45

Brentwood 67, Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 65

Burbank 51, Keppel 40

Cajon 55, Rialto 48

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 87, Grand Terrace 28

Canyon Country Canyon 72, Pasadena Poly 50

Carter 65, Indian Springs 64

Cerritos 61, Fullerton 60

Claremont 69, Chino 45

Corona 80, Colton 43

Corona Santiago 85, San Juan Hills 41

Crossroads 65, California 58

Culver City 61, Brea Olinda 51

Cypress 78, Del Norte 55

Dana Hills 55, Central 41

Diamond Ranch 56, Arroyo 30

Downey 55, Sonora 54

Eastside 70, St. Bonaventure 53

El Modena 57, Arlington 51

Esperanza 51, Diamond Bar 49

Faith Lutheran 76, Upland 59

Flintridge Prep 48, Hart 42

Fountain Valley 67, La Palma Kennedy 67

Gabrielino 61, Eisenhower 55

Garden Grove Pacifica 57, Cerritos Valley Christian 43

Garden Grove Santiago 42, Nogales 37

Glendale 65, Firebaugh 50

Glendora 60, Los Osos 58

Godinez 63, Rowland 61

Godinez 56, Marina 50

Heritage 74, Rim of the World 44

Hillcrest 84, Riverside Notre Dame 61

Hillcrest Christian 65, Xavier Prep 43

Holy Martyrs Armenian 55, Dos Pueblos 50

Jurupa Hills 83, Temecula Prep 70

Laguna Beach 62, Lynwood 46

La Serna 52, Hacienda Heights Wilson 41

Long Beach Cabrillo 52, Garden Grove 49

Los Alamitos 56, Rancho Cucamonga

Los Altos 83, Lakeside 58

Maranatha 58, Crescenta Valley 55

Millikan 81, Santa Ana Foothill 40

Mission College Prep 55, Littlerock 49

Montclair 70, Paso Robles 56

Norco 47, Chaffey 46

Ontario Christian 73, Chaparral 65

Oxford Academy 46, El Rancho 38

Palm Desert 64, Redlands 30

Paramount 60, Loara 46

Portola 77, La Canada 64

Ramona 85, Redlands Adventist Academy 56

Rancho Alamitos 64, Santa Ana 60

Redondo Union 60, Damien 59

Rio Hondo Prep 50, Baldwin Park 16

Rosemead 65, Hoover 62

Royal 51, Lompoc Cabrillo 44

San Clemente 54, Warren 43

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 65, Riverside Prep 29

Santa Clara 52, Buena 50

Santa Fe 50, Saddleback 46

Santa Fe 42, Sage Hill 34

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 68, Temescal Canyon 61

Segerstrom 55, Costa Mesa 51

Serrano 50, Bloomington 32

Servite 54, Tustin 35

Shadow Ridge 83, Orange 37

Sierra Vista 56, La Puente 41

Sierra Vista 56, Camarillo 49

Silverado 74, Canyon Springs 15

South Torrance 74, West Covina 49

St. Anthony 64, Tesoro 55

St. Francis 71, Pilibos 49

St. Paul 61, Buena Park 54

Torrance 62, Peninsula 52

Trabuco Hills 84, Classical Academy 40

Troy 81, Palmdale Aerospace Academy 50

Valley View 54, Victor Valley 48

Ventura 56, San Luis Obispo 50

Viewpoint 62, Palo Verde 43

Walnut 73, Ridgecrest Burroughs 59

Westlake 54, Milken 53

West Ranch 76, Burbank Burroughs 42

Woodbridge 73, Compton 63

WSCA 67, Desert Christian Academy 46

Yucaipa 60, Vista del Lago 47

INTERSECTIONAL

AGBU 62, Parlier 27

Anaheim 64, Vistamar 56

Ayala 54, Oceanside El Camino 49

Bakersfield 81, Vista Murrieta 62

Bakersfield Christian 41, Rancho Christian 40

Bell Gardens 57, Gardena 49

Birmingham 72, Tennyson 40

Blair 63, North Hollywood 49

Bonita 64, Las Vegas Meadows School 58

Brawley 67, Desert Hot Springs 51

Calabasas 76, Menlo School 53

Calexico 58, Beaumont 30

Campbell Hall 75, Washington Prep 69

Carlsbad 71, Verbum Dei 61

Central East 49, Marquez 45

Charter Oak 69, South Gate 21

Compton Centennial 62, Garfield 44

Corona Centennial 70, Meridian (Idaho) Owyhee 46

Corona del Mar 83, Monterey Trail 60

Crean Lutheran 61, Phoenix O’Connor 60

Crespi 70, Richmond Salesian College Prep 67

Culver City 61, Brea Olinda 51

Duarte 66, Bell 34

Eastvale Roosevelt 65, American Fork (Utah) 61

Folsom 60, Loyola 54

Fresno Roosevelt 59, Shadow Hills 49

Elk Grove Franklin 74, Santa Paula 65

Fairfax 50, Redmond (Wash.) 48

Fairmont Prep 52, La Habra 35

Gahr 49, King/Drew 43

Great Oak 76, La Jolla Community 55

Harvard-Westlake 84, Meridian (Idaho) Mountain View 28

Henderson (Nev.) Foothill 61, Linfield Christian 41

Henderson (Nev.) Liberty 61, Etiwanda 59

Hesperia 73, Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro 59

Honolulu Maryknoll 68, Norte Vista 56

Huntington Park 50, Honolulu Hawaii Baptist Academy 43

Inglewood 74, Benton (Ark.) 66

JSerra 67, San Jose Archbishop Mitty 56

Kent (Wash.) Kentridge 66, Santa Monica 56

Kirkland (Wash.) Lake Washington 71, Westchester 41

Las Vegas Somerset Academy Losee 70, Oakwood 65

L.A. Wilson 67, Don Lugo 52

Layton Christian (Utah) 63, La Mirada 58

Leuzinger 61, Rancho Dominguez 50

Long Beach Wilson 65, Boulder City (Nev.) 48

Mary Star of the Sea 59, Carson 57

Mater Dei 105, Cosunnes Oaks 51

Mayfair 55, Palisades 49

Mercer Island (Wash.) 54, Beckman 49

Mira Costa 69, Douglas (Nev.) 41

Moorpark 67, Sylmar 56

Moreno Valley 48, Hughson 36

North Torrance 71, Van Nuys 22

Norwalk 68, Chowchilla 56

Oak Park 77, Madera 45

Orange Lutheran 77, Las Vegas Desert Pines 70

Paloma Valley 66, Chatsworth 65

Phoenix Sunnyslope 61, St. John Bosco 54

Pleasant Grove 72, St. Genevieve 60

Ponderosa 88, Bosco Tech 60

Redlands East Valley 82, MSCP 72

Reno (Nev.) Bishop Manogue 71, Edison 53

Rio Mesa 49, St. Joseph Notre Dame 42

Riverside King 55, Northwood 27

Rolling Hills Prep 61, Mesa (Ariz.) 47

Royal 78, Selma 53

Salesian 59, Sotomayor 28

San Diego 53, Bellflower 40

San Joaquin Memorial 55, Pasadena 53

San Marcos 54, Davis Sr. 50

San Pedro 70, Palos Verdes 66

Santa Barbara 75, Dougherty Valley 64

Santa Margarita 95, Las Vegas Clark 69

Seattle King’s 51, Adelanto 40

Sheldon 71, St. Bernard 56

Sierra Canyon 79, Gresham (Ore.) Barlow 51

South Hills 44, Granada Hills Kennedy 37

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 67, De La Salle 64

Summit 70, Seattle Roosevelt 68

Sunny Hills 63, North Las Vegas Cheyenne 56

Temple City 59, Ridgeview 33

Thousand Oaks 68, San Francisco Lowell 22

Valencia 75, Ygnacio Valley 54

Village Christian 73, San Ramon Valley 60

Western Sierra Collegiate Academy 67, Desert Christian Academy 46

Westmont 56, Agoura 54

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Granada Hills 66, Granada Hills Kennedy 50

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aliso Niguel 77, Palm Springs 25

Alta Loma 57, Great Oak 55

Anaheim Canyon 55, La Serna 54

Apple Valley 38, Montclair 30

Beaumont 45, Riverside Poly 40

Bishop Amat 53, Temescal Canyon 32

Burbank 66, Agoura 35

Burbank Burroughs 58, Heritage Christian 31

Calabasas 54, Maranatha 48

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 45, San Dimas 41

Cerritos Valley Christian 53, Laguna Hills 50

Coachella Valley 44, Indio 21

Costa Mesa 46, La Habra 22

Crean Lutheran 54, Ramona 38

Crescenta Valley 59, Claremont 50

Cypress 46, Long Beach Jordan 40

Elsinore 45, Grand Terrace 44

Flintridge Prep 88, Leuzinger 67

Fontana 55, Vista del Lago 20

Fullerton 72, Orange 38

Gahr 49, Banning 34

Garden Grove 48, Century 16

Glendora 71, Eastvale Roosevelt 57

Huntington Beach 43, Capistrano Valley Christian 27

JSerra 53, Oak Park 48

La Salle 55, Chino 34

Liberty 56, Oakwood 41

Loma Linda Academy 51, Lucerne Valley 13

Los Alamitos 64, Tesoro 50

Los Altos 57, Valley View 47

Los Osos 50, Chaparral 42

Louisville 45, Desert Pines 35

Marina 51, Santa Fe 44

Mira Costa 64, Troy 41

Murrieta Mesa 43, Corona del Mar 24

Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 55, South El Monte 11

North Torrance 50, Antelope Valley 9

Oak Hills 47, Sonora 20

Royal 44, Fillmore 43

San Bernardino 49, Don Lugo 17

San Luis Obispo 58, Godinez 56

Santa Paula 60, St. Genevieve 51

Savanna 58, Woodbridge 44

Shadow Hills 45, Corona Santiago 44

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 90, Newbury Park 51

Sierra Canyon 72, San Juan Hills 22

Silverado 53, Rancho Verde 51

St. Anthony 78, North Torrance 51

St. Margaret’s 65, Palm Desert 27

Thousand Oaks 64, Rio Mesa 36

Torrance 60, Del Sol 56

Tustin 35, Westminster La Quinta 31

West Ranch 62, PACS 13

Whittier 54, Arroyo 14

Whittier Christian 46, Walnut 26

Windward 68, Bishop Montgomery 50

Yucca Valley 28, Gahr 27

INTERSECTIONAL

AGBU 50, Brawley 9

Alisal 41, Chaminade 36

Beckman 64, King/Drew 32

Bellevue (Wash.) 81, Rancho Cucamonga 34

Bellevue (Wash.) Sammamish 58, Trabuco Hills 35

Bishop Montgomery 49, Surprise (Ariz.) Paradise Honors 44

Brentwood 71, Colfax 29

Buena Park 48, Honolulu Hawaii Baptist Academy 34

Calexico 49, Yucca Valley 21

Campolindo 42, Holy Martyrs Armenian 36

Carson 56, Rosemead 38

Chicago (IL) Kenwood 43, Lynwood 37

Corona Centennial 85, Carlsbad 38

Dinuba 54, Northwood 38

Etiwanda 68, Kirkland (Wash.) Lake Washington 44

Fairmont Prep 50, Houston Summer Creek 49

Garces Memorial 50, Lancaster 46

Harvard-Westlake 65, L.A. Hamilton 25

Highland 65, RFK Community 46

Honolulu Maryknoll 66, Downey 37

Imperial 64, Desert Christian Academy 20

La Palma Kennedy 47, North Las Vegas Legacy 30

Liberty 30, Mira Mesa 29

Louisville 52, Las Vegas Clark 40

Monterrey Trail 66, Palos Verdes 45

Ontario 40, Sage Creek 34

Orange Lutheran 58, North County San Marcos 39

Philomath (Ore.) 60, Alemany 48

Piedmont 75, Santa Margarita 36

Pilibos 49, Taft 33

Redondo Union 46, La Jolla Country Day 31

Redwood 48, El Dorado 39

Rosary Academy 59, Page (AZ) 29

Sacred Heart of Jesus 49, Oceanside El Camino 42

Sage Hill 77, Camas (Wash.) 59

San Diego Canyon Hills 49, Paloma Valley 34

Sierra Pacific 58, Keppel 44

Sunny Hills 57, Pahrump Valley (Nev.) 33

Trinity Classical Academy 50, El Camino Real 21

Ukiah 56, Murrieta Valley 44

Ventura 47, Gilbert (Ariz.) 44

Verdugo Hills 39, Hart 38

Village Christian 50, Torrey Pines 36

Westlake 59, Las Vegas Sunrise Mountain 35

Windward 77, Las Vegas Desert Oasis 56

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

Wilmington Banning 57, Harbor Teacher 56

SOUTHERN SECTION

AGBU 62, Desert Christian Academy 24

Alta Loma 50, Eastvale Roosevelt 43

Arlington 73, Costa Mesa 46

Arcadia 64, Mayfair 59

Azusa 76, Ambassador 56

Beaumont 53, La Quinta 39

Bell Gardens 57, Covina 41

Beverly Hills 54, Camarillo 39

Bishop Amat 87, Victor Valley 49

Brea Olinda 49, Chaffey 19

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 79, Ocean View 49

Carter 70, Banning 45

Central 69, Rancho Mirage 67

Cerritos Valley Christian 55, Norwalk 33

Chaparral 75, Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 67

Chino Hills 52, South Torrance 48

Colony 72, Linfield Christian 39

Corona del Mar 61, Upland 39

Culver City 68, Norco 54

Desert Hot Springs 68, Hillcrest Christian 61

El Modena 56, Segerstrom 32

Elsinore 58, Warren 53

Esperanza 50, Northview 19

Fairmont Prep 55, Campbell Hall 45

Fountain Valley 78, Saddleback 48

Gabrielino 53, Sultana 27

Gahr 61, Crescenta Valley 56

Garden Grove 53, Lynwood 48

Godinez 69, Rancho Alamitos 53

Hesperia 66, Desert Pines 51

Holy Martyrs Armenian 61, Ventura 45

Huntington Beach 75, Chino 68

Indian Springs 69, San Gorgonio 30

Jurupa Hills 67, Arroyo 58

La Palma Kennedy 53, Santa Fe 38

La Serna 63, Ridgecrest Burroughs 32

Leuzinger 83, St. Paul 45

Long Beach Cabrillo 60, Laguna Beach 42

Long Beach Wilson 62, Cerritos 60

Los Altos 71, Burbank 64

Marina 60, Compton 56

Milken 65, Alemany 55

Montebello 54, San Gabriel 46

Moreno Valley 72, Indio 45

Northwood 62, Paloma Valley 50

Oakwood 70, Verbum Dei 68

Ontario Christian 72, Temescal Canyon 38

Orange Vista 55, Shadow Hills 43

Oxford Academy 65, Anaheim 55

Paramount 72, Savanna 53

Palm Desert 96, Barstow 42

Palm Springs 68, Grand Terrace 15

Peninsula 74, CAMS 37

Pilibos 58, West Ranch 50

Portola 72, La Puente 49

Redlands 48, Kaiser 44

Redlands East Valley 68, Cathedral 65

Rialto 66, Salesian 55

Rolling Hills Prep 51, California 50

Riverside Notre Dame 74, Jurupa Valley 43

Rowland 44, Santa Ana 39

Santa Barbara 85, Whitney 61

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 47, Charter Oak 42

Schurr 83, Canyon Country Canyon 69

Shadow Ridge 50, Irvine 49

Sierra Vista 67, Highland 56

Silverado 72, Sierra Vista 29

South Torrance 66, Mary Star of the Sea 32

St. Anthony 60, Beckman 59

St. Francis 68, Burroughs Burbank 23

St. Genevieve 56, Torres 47

Summit 80, Palo Verde Valley 60

Temecula Prep 64, Diamond Ranch 62

Temecula Valley 79, West Covina 17

Temple City 78, Hoover 41

Valley View 51, Riverside North 41

Villa Park 79, Simi Valley 44

Vista Murrieta 94, Lakewood 34

Walnut 59, Whittier Christian 56

Western Christian 68, Hacienda Heights Wilson 61

Westlake 68, Saugus 51

Woodbridge 65, Western 35

Yucaipa 69, Bloomington 19

INTERSECTIONAL

Agoura 65, Alameda St. Joseph Notre Dame 57

Alameda 76, Murrieta Valley 67

Albany St. Mary’s 67, Corona Santiago 57

Ayala 56, Chula Vista Mater Dei 47

Bakersfield 71, Arrowhead Christian 45

Bakersfield Ridgeview 63, Duarte 32

Bellflower 59, St. Joseph Academy 47

Birmingham 62, Aliso Niguel 54

Bogart (GA) North Oconee 65, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 64

Bonita 57, Ponderosa 36

Brawley 62, Xavier Prep 33

Cajon 82, Sotomayor 17

Capistrano Valley 80, Hughson 50

Carlsbad Army-Navy 63, Yorba Londa 57

Chaminade 97, Kihei Charter (HI) 23

Crean Lutheran 62, Meridian (ID) Owyhee 59

Crenshaw 51, Pasadena Poly 36

Crespi 73, Layton Christian Academy (UT) 70

Cypress 64, San Diego Maranatha Christian 51

Damien 64, Dallas (TX) Parish Episcopal 56

Diamond Bar 72, Franklin 55

Dominguez 69, LACES 57

Dublin 71, Laguna Hills 46

Edison 68, Mira Mesa 65

Eisenhower 70, Gardena 42

Elk Grove Franklin 78, Rio Mesa 33

Etiwanda 53, San Joaquin Memorial 50

Folsom 54, Rancho Christian 46

Fullerton 54, Boulder City (NV) 42

Garden Grove Pacifica 66, Chowchilla 39

Glendora 63, Marquez 18

Great Oak 71, Westchester 48

Harvard-Westlake 70, Unsparing (Germany) 44

Henderson (NV) Liberty 48, Pasadena 47

Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha 67, Windward 61

Incline (NV) 52, Orange 32

JSerra 71, Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius 70

Kent (WA) Kentridge 86, South Pasadena 53

La Habra 63, Washington Prep 48

Las Vegas (NV) Doral Academy Red Rock 59, Sunny Hills 40

Legacy Christian Academy 48, Peoria (AZ) Liberty 38

Long Beach Jordan 73, Eagle Rock 58

Los Alamitos 61, Antioch Cornerstone Christian 29

Los Amigos 56, Henderson (NV) Foothill 51

Los Osos 69, Central East 61

Loyola 67, Bakersfield Christian 51

Menlo School 62, St. Bonaventure 52

Mesa (AZ) 81, Crossroads 72

Millikan 63, Danville Monte Vista 50

Mira Costa 55, La Costa Canyon 44

Moorpark 57, Fairfax 47

MSCP 45, Liberty 30

Murrieta Mesa 80, San Diego Cathedral Catholic 76

Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 64, Redwood 57

Phoenix (AZ) O’Connor 63, Corona Centennial 53

Phoenix (AZ) Sunnyslope 64, Eastvale Roosevelt 52

Pinole Valley 77, Oak Park 51

Rancho Bernardo 75, Trabuco Hills 53

Rancho Cucamonga 58, Ross Branson 55

Redondo Union 110, Clovis North 56

Richmond Salesian College Prep 80, La Mirada 60

Riverside King 76, Chatsworth 33

Riverside Prep 65, South Gate 39

Rosemead 57, Bell 37

San Francisco Lowell 51, Dos Pueblos 46

San Gabriel Academy 66, Palisades 57

San Marino 60, Carlsbad Pacific Ridge 45

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 55, Coeur de’Alene (ID) Lake City 45

Sierra Canyon 79, Clackamas (OR) 41

St. Bernard 65, Snoqualmie (WA) Mount Si 64

St. John Bosco 56, American Fork (UT) 39

Stockton Lincoln 59, St. Monica 44

Sonora 75, Scripps Ranch 52

South Hills 52, North Hollywood 41

Thousand Oaks 68, Davis Sr. 61

Torrance 85, South East 41

Torrey Pines 70, Riverside Poly 51

Valencia 76, Maple Valley (WA) Tahoma 54

Victory Christian Academy 68, Norte Vista 62

Washington D.C. Digital Pioneers Academy 62, North Torrance 48

Westminster La Quinta 68, Loara 53

Westmont 50, San Marcos 44

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Carson 50, Gardena 16

Grant 51, RFK Community 31

LA Hamilton 54, Arleta 42

Rancho Dominguez 43, Port of Los Angeles 36

SOUTHERN SECTION

Agoura 45, Fillmore 39

Aliso Niguel 60, Desert Christian Academy 22

Anaheim Canyon 42, Glendora 39

Beckman 61, Mira Costa 45

Bonita 68, Temescal Canyon 32

Brentwood 67, Flintridge Prep 50

Buena Park 56, Cypress 43

Burbank 55, Moorpark 39

Cerritos Valley Christian 39, Montclair 30

Chino 57, Yucaipa 56

Chino Hills 51, Chaparral 48

Coachella Valley 52, Brawley 18

Corona Centennial 90, Camarillo 31

Crean Lutheran 62, Riverside Poly 31

Desert Hills 64, La Palma Kennedy 39

El Modena 56, Costa Mesa 32

Elsinore 42, Riverside Notre Dame 36

Fullerton 48, Irvine 37

Gardena Serra 63, Rancho Buena Vista 29

Godinez 58, St. Bernard’s 50

Heritage Christian 41, Millikan 40

Huntington Beach 64, Northwood 25

Keppel 58, Cerritos 51

Laguna Beach 62, Santa Ana Valley 29

Laguna Hills 46, Apple Valley 31

La Habra 48, Capistrano Valley 35

La Salle 73, Northview 20

La Serna 63, Eastvale Roosevelt 60

Long Beach Wilson 56, Arroyo 10

Los Alamitos 45, South Torrance 37

Los Altos 55, Silverado 35

Los Osos 79, Vista Murrieta 40

Marlborough 66, Bishop Amat 50

Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 56, St. Paul 29

North Torrance 69, Alemany 61

Oakwood 64, Palm Desert 43

Ramona 66, Beaumont 30

Rancho Christian 92, Victory Christian 32

San Dimas 49, San Jacinto 46

Savanna 59, Santa Ana Foothill 32

Shadow Ridge 47, Rosary Academy 44

Sierra Canyon 82, Rancho Cucamonga 36

Sonora 62, San Bernardino 44

St. Bonaventure 82, Ridgeview 32

St. Margaret’s 51, Liberty 41

Temecula Valley 36, Fontana 32

Thousand Oaks 67, Buena 23

Torrance 68, Sierra Vista 36

Trabuco Hills 53, Corona Santiago 41

Tustin 57, Garden Grove 28

Westminster La Quinta 48, Century 20

West Ranch 58, Milken 38

Whittier 50, Rosemead 37

Whittier Christian 48, Placentia Valencia 30

Xavier Prep 51, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 42

INTERSECTIONAL

Bernstein 39, Mary Star of the Sea 24

Calexico 40, Banning 24

Corona 82, Rancho 23

Dinuba 59, Capistrano Valley Christian 19

El Capitan 59, Ontario 49

Granada Hills 58, Maranatha 33

Imperial 60, Palm Springs 25

Long Beach Jordan 36, Hawaii Baptist Academy (HI) 33

Louisville 52, Reed 20

Newbury Park 53, Cleveland 44

San Pedro 41, Gahr 39

Shadow Hills 55, Bellevue (WA) Sammamish 52

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 59, Granada Hills Kennedy 46

Sierra Pacific 73, Ridgecrest Burroughs 26

St. Anthony 65, Philomath (OR) 48

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 60, San Pascual 35

Trinity Classical Academy 52, Verdugo Hills 32

Troy 57, King/Drew 46

Windward 71, Coronado 54

Are top-drawer college football teams and their name, image and likeness collectives simply trying to protect themselves from willy-nilly transfers or are they bullying players to stay put with threats of lawsuits?

Adding liquidated damage fee clauses to NIL contracts became all the rage in 2025, a year that will be remembered as the first time players have been paid directly by schools. But some experts say such fees cannot be used as a cudgel to punish players that break a contract and transfer.

It’s no surprise that the issue has resulted in a lawsuit — make that two lawsuits — before the calendar flipped to 2026.

Less than a month after Georgia filed a lawsuit against defensive end Damon Wilson II to obtain $390,000 in damages because he transferred to Missouri, Wilson went to court himself, claiming Georgia is misusing the liquidated damages clause to “punish Wilson for entering the portal.”

Wilson’s countersuit in Boone County, Mo., says he was among a small group of Bulldog stars pressured into signing the contract Dec. 21, 2024. The lawsuit also claims that Wilson was misused as an elite pass rusher, that the Georgia defensive scheme called for him to drop back into pass coverage. Wilson, who will be a senior next fall, led Missouri with nine sacks this season.

Georgia paid Wilson $30,000, the first monthly installment of his $500,000 NIL deal, before he entered the transfer portal on Jan. 6, four days after Georgia lost to Notre Dame in a College Football Playoffs quarterfinal.

Bulldogs brass was not pleased. Wilson alleges in his lawsuit that Georgia dragged its feet in putting his name in the portal and spread misinformation to other schools about him and his contractual obligations.

“When the University of Georgia Athletic Association enters binding agreements with student-athletes, we honor our commitments and expect student-athletes to do the same,” Georgia spokesperson Steven Drummond said in a statement after the school filed the lawsuit.

Wilson’s countersuit turned that comment on its head, claiming it injured his reputation because it implies he was dishonest. He is seeking unspecified damages in addition to not owing the Bulldogs anything. Georgia’s lawsuit asked that the dispute be resolved through arbitration.

A liquidated damage fee is a predetermined amount of money written into a contract that one party pays the other for specific breaches. The fee is intended to provide a fair estimate of anticipated losses when actual damages are difficult to calculate, and cannot be used to punish one party for breaking the contract.

Wilson’s case could have far-reaching implications because it is the first that could determine whether schools can enforce liquidated damage clauses. While it could be understandable that schools want to protect themselves from players transferring soon after receiving NIL money, legal experts say liquidated damage fees might not be the proper way to do so.

An allegedly intoxicated driver who hit and killed high school tennis star Braun Levi in Manhattan Beach was charged with murder Tuesday, authorities said.

Jenia Resha Belt, 33, of Los Angeles also faces charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving with a suspended license, said Pamela Johnson, a spokesperson for the L.A. County district attorney’s office.

Around 12:46 a.m. on May 4, Belt struck Braun, who was walking near Sepulveda Boulevard and 2nd Street, authorities said.

Belt, who was arrested at the scene, had a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit and was driving on a suspended license from a prior DUI arrest, according to court records. Four passengers inside the car fled the area after the collision.

Belt was released in June and then apprehended again months later.

Braun’s parents, who lost their home in the Palisades fire and relocated to the South Bay, filed a $200-million wrongful death lawsuit against Belt in November.

Their son was a standout at Loyola High School and had been slated to play tennis at the University of Virginia. The Levis started the Live Like Braun Foundation in his memory.

Belt is in custody on $2 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday, Johnson said.

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman and Jennifer Levi, Braun’s mother, plan to discuss the charges at a news conference Monday.

Times staff writer Clara Harter contributed to this report.

MONDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

San Pedro 92, South East 40

SOUTHERN SECTION

Adelanto 65, Palmdale 41
Aliso Niguel 77, San Clemente 74
Baldwin Pak 49, Glenn 46
Bishop Amat 81, Chadwick 59
Blair 59, Grace 46
Calabasas 66, Santa Monica 61
Chaminade 67, Oxnard 38
Covina 49, Sultana 44
Dos Pueblos 67, Pasadena Poly 56
Duarte 79, El Monte 25
Edison 67, Northwood 55
Edgewood 68, Southlands Christian 40
Eisenhower 74, Montebello 49
El Modena 65, Rim of the World 45
Elsinore 72, Vista Murrieta 60
Gabrielino 69, Bell Gardens 56
Gardena Serra 63, Downey 48
Golden Valley 60, Moorpark 52
Irvine University 75, Tarbut V’ Torah 52
La Mirada 66, San Gabriel Academy 53
Lawndale 48, Riverside North 42
Oak Park 77, Newbury Park 58
Paramount 69, Saddleback 68
Pioneer 58, Valley View 45
Portola 79, California 69
Rancho Buena Vista 53, Linfield Christian 42
Ramona 80, Indio 42
Redlands East Valley 75, Norco 56
Redondo Union 78, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 68
San Berardino 82, Westminster 35
San Jacinto Leadership 49, United Christian Academy 46
San Marcos 62, Mission College Prep 54
San Marino 44, Rowland 29
Santa Maria St. Joseph 77, Bishop Montgomery 42
Santa Ynez 74, Foothill Tech 60
Shalhevet 49, Littlerock 28
South Hills 35, Northview 32
South Torrance 74, CAMS 24
Thousand Oaks 59, Alemany 54
Torrance 69, St. Genevieve 59
Victor Valley 77, Perris 74
Westminster La Quinta 54, Bolsa Grande 33

INTERSECTIONAL

Agoura 69, Stockdale 56
Aurora (CO) Cherokee Trail 60, West Torrance 49
Birmingham 55, Canyon Springs 35
Centennial (CO) Eaglecrest 53, Leuzinger 51
Chino 77, North Las Vegas (NV) CIVICA 45
Burbank 57, Marquez 46
Corona Centennial 71, Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman 59
Corona Santiago 66, lano (TX) Prestonwood Christian 32
Eastvale Roosevelt 81, Miami (FL) Mater Lakes Academy 71
Fresno San Joaquin Memorial 76, Mater Dei 53
Granada Hills 64, YULA 39
JSerra 60, Orlando (FL) Edgewater 57
Knight 65, Magna (UT) Cyprus 62
Lake Oswego (OR) Lakeridge 76, Chino Hills 75
Lehi (UT) Skyridge 72, West Ranch 32
Maranatha 61, Bullard 57
Marrieta (GA) Osborne 67, Buckley 62
Merced 52, Dominguez 32
Oaks Christian 72, Aurora (CO) Smoky Hill 46
Orlando Christian (FL) 61, LA Jordan 43
Pasadena 61, Gilbert (AZ) Perry 42
Peninsula 53, Carson 30
Provo (UT) Timpview 61, Santa Margarita 59
San Fernando Valley 72, Northridge Academy 68
Saugus 51, El Camino Real 49
St. Paul 68, Henderson (NV) Basic 65
Viewpoint 73, Granada Hills Kennedy 30
Village Christian 66, Tacoma (WA) Lincoln 59
Warren 58, Las Vegas (NV) Durango 56
Washington Prep 68, Las Vegas (NV) Meadows School 38

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Bernstein 52, Rancho Dominguez 28
Bravo 45, Port of Los Angeles 22
East College Prep 28, EAMCP 10
San Pedro 53, Gardena 31
South East 68, South Gate 10

SOUTHERN SECTION

Adelanto 45, Victor Valley 29
Alemany 56, Hart 34
Apple Valley 40, Lakeside 33
Beaumont 62, Riverside Notre Dame 27
Buena Park 69, Bloomington 12
Burbank 75, Muir 36
Burbank Burroughs 51, Santa Monica 27
Camarillo 56, Rio Mesa 37
Capistrano Valley 53, Garden Grove 42
Chaffey 53, Colton 31
Corona 65, Patriot 19
Costa Mesa 41, Westminster La Quinta 21
Edgewood 43, Southland Christian 31
Edison 61, Northwood 30
El Modena 63, Rim of the World 23
Hacienda Heights Wilson 59, Sunny Hills 55
Hesperia 55, Citrus Valley 15
Hillcrest 39, Western 31
La Habra 42, Tustin 36
Lakewood 30, Gahr 26
Lakewood St. Joseph 59, Santa Margarita 46
Lompoc 47, Foothill Tech 21
Los Altos 58, Temecula Valley 50
Ocean View 34, Saddleback 32
Pasadena Poly 73, San Gabriel Academy 20
Portola 60, Lawndale 37
Ramona 55, Vista del Lago 14
Rancho Christian 102, Chaparral 67
Rancho Verde 49, Colony 39
Rialto 95, Riverside Prep 25
Riverside Poly 81, Grand Terrace 25
Riverside King 57, Heritage 49
San Marino 49, Royal 41
Silverado 40, Fontana 34
Valley View 48, Elsinore 37
Walnut 35, Santa Ana Foothill 27
West Torrance 73, Marina 47
Whittier Christian 54, Savanna 46
Woodbridge 37, Loara 33

INTERSECTIONAL

Birmingham 72, Palo Verde 30
Cardinal Newman 54, Lynwood 49
Coeur d’Alene (ID) 60, Villa Park 44
Denver South (CO) 54, St. Monica 48
Dublin 63, Westchester 57
Etiwanda 64, Clayton Valley Charter 32
Gardena Serra 61, Carson 29
Gilbert (AZ) 64, Marlborough 24
Gunderson 63, Granada Islamic 18
Las Vegas (NV) 47, Narbonne 45
Laurel (MD) Pallotti 53, San Clemente 49
Mary Star of the Sea 51, LA Marshall 30
Montgomery 61, Dominguez 15
Newcastle (OK) 61, Mater Dei 35
North County San Marcos 57, Vista Murrieta 33
Quartz Hill 61, Justin Garza 53
Reno (NV) 52, South Torrance 46
Sage Hill 57, Francis Parker 55
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 67, Aurora (CO) Overland 44
Sierra Vista 49, Palisades 33
Spokane (WA) Gonzaga Prep 70, Xavier Prep 28
St. Anthony 68, Inderkum 40
Washington Prep 56, Arcadia 41

WITH Christmas this week, you more than likely already have a few things in the diary – but for those odd days around the big day itself, here’s some inspiration for when you need to get the kids out the house.

Whilst a lot of places are closed on the big day itself and Boxing Day, many attractions, destinations and events are still open the rest of the week.

And some even on Christmas Eve.

So here’s a round up of some of the best free things to do across the UK between December 22 and 28.

Britain’s Bayeux Tapestry, Reading Museum

Located at Reading Museum, just two minutes from Reading train station, visitors can see Britain’s Bayeux Tapestry – a full-size replica of Normandy’s Bayeux Tapestry.

This is ideal to see ahead of the Norman Bayeux Tapestry coming to the British Museum in autumn next year – though, this will be a paid-for experience.

Read more on travel inspo

LUCKY DIP

I tried Wowcher’s £99 Mystery Christmas Market – everything you need to know

ALL IN

I found the best value all inclusive London hotel… just £55pp with free food & booze

Britain’s Bayeux Tapestry is a full-size replica of the Norman one and is permanently located at Reading Museum, which is free to visit.

The tapestry measures 70 metres long and depicts the Norman conquest of England.

In the late 19th century, Britain decided it should have its own tapestry and so a group of Victorian embroiderers recreated the tapestry in full.

There are two main differences between the British tapestry and the Norman one – the Victorian embroidered underwear on the naked people in the British one and the ladies who embroidered the British one added their names to the end of the tapestry.

Head to the museum between December 22 and 24 to catch a glimpse of the tapestry before the museum closes for Christmas.

Paul Vanstone x David Aaron – Carrara Triceratops Skull

From now until December 31, you can see a marble life-sized skull of a Triceratops in Mayfair, London.

Created by British artist Paul Vanstone, the sculpture has been created in collaboration with the David Aaron gallery.

The sculpture can be found in Berkeley Square, Mayfair.

Wallace & Gromit in A Case at the Museum Exhibition, Preston

At The Harris in Preston, visitors can explore a hands-on exhibition of Aardman’s Wallace and Gromit.

Named A Case at the Museum, the exhibition marks the reopening of The Harris and showcases 35 years of Wallace and Gromit.

The exhibition explores the life of the creator of Wallace and Gromit – Nick Park – from growing up in Lancashire to the influence the region had on his characters and films.

Through the exhibition, visitors get to see original sets and models, storyboards, concept art, early sketches and even strike a pose in Wallace’s living room.

The museum and exhibition are both free to visit, with the museum only closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Though on Christmas Eve, The Harris is only open until midday.

Christmas Bauble Trail, St Albans

Until December 28, families can venture on a Christmas bauble trail around St Albans.

There are 12 baubles in total to spot, and you could even win a prize.

Boxing Day Swims, Various

A number of locations across the country host a Boxing Day Swim each year, where brave souls run into the chilly water for a dip.

A lot you have to either pay for or pre-book, but there are still a number that are free to participate in.

Though, most swims are for charity so donations are encouraged.

For example, you could head to Ventnor Bay on the Isle of Wight, where swimmers often wear pyjamas before running into the water.

The swim takes place on Boxing Day at 12pm.

Or head to North Norfolk Beach for the Runners’ Boxing Day Dip, where there is both a run starting at 11:30am and a splash in the sea at 12:30pm.

To find out if there is a Boxing Day Swim near you, just search your location and ‘Boxing Day Swim’.

Alternatively, some places host a New Year’s Day dip.

Christmas Lights, Various

Before they disappear for another year, make sure to check out the Christmas lights near you.

Whether that be Regent Street‘s iconic angels or the houses decked out in your nearby village, spotting Christmas lights makes the ideal festive walk.

Snoopy in the City, London

Until January 16, if you live in London you can still explore the Snoopy in the City sculpture trail.

Dotted around London’s Fleet Street Quarter, there are 12 Snoopy sculptures, all decorated by different artists, to find.

The trail celebrates 75 years of the Peanuts comic strip, created by Charles M Schulz.

Those trying to follow the trail can download a map on Wild in Art’s website.

Ikea events, various

In the lead up to Christmas, Ikea is still running its events including free ‘present hunts’ at Ikea Cardiff until December 23.

Or at Ikea Lakeside, visitors can make Christmas cards with the last session taking place on December 23.

Also tomorrow, from 10am to 11am, head to Ikea Southampton to have breakfast with Santa.

Justin Carter’s Liquid Light at the BottleWorks, Newcastle

Artist Justin Carter, who has showcased his work in Europe, Japan, China, Australia and America, has an exhibition at the BottleWorks in Newcastle.

The exhibition ‘Liquid Light’ showcases how important location can be to Justin and features a number of watercolour artworks.

You can visit on December 23 from 10am.

Ice skating, Blackpool

Ice skating at Christmas usually costs you an arm and a leg for just one person.

And then by the time you calculate how much it will cost for a family of four, you are nearing the £100 mark.

Up until January 4, you can head to the outdoor skating rink in Blackpool at the Christmas by the Sea village.

It sits below the iconic Blackpool Tower and is free to visit, with free skate hire as well.

The ice rink measures 20 metres in total and is open each day between 12pm and 9pm (apart from Christmas Day).

You don’t need to book, just turn up.

Christmas Rave, London

On Christmas Eve in the capital you can head to a free rave.

Located at Club Makossa in East London, ravers can head underground for some techno before the big day.

Whilst entry is free, there is a £1 donation to New Horizons Youth Centre in King’s Cross.

You can also enter a raffle at the rave and could win numerous prices from a £30 bar tab to event tickets.

The rave starts at 5pm and ends at midnight.

For more inspiration on what to do during the Twixmas period, here are 50 things to do between Christmas and New Year across the UK – including free activities and immersive experiences.

Plus, all the UK rides and attractions that we lost in 2025 and the exciting ones coming in 2026.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. It’s time to close out 2025 with The Times’ All-Star football package.

It’s awards time

Trent Mosley of Santa Margarita holds the CIF state championship Open Division trophy after beating De La Salle.

(Craig Weston)

The unanimous player of the year is Trent Mosley of Santa Margarita. During the postseason, he was unstoppable as a receiver and wildcat quarterback. The Eagles smartly decided he needed to get as many targets and opportunities as possible to turn short passes into long gainers, and he delivered in spectacular fashion. All the people who declined to make him one of their “five-star prospects” perhaps because of his size or a misunderstanding of how fast he is might want to reconsider now that he’s headed to USC and ready to be an impact player. Here’s the profile.

Luke Fahey of Mission Viejo.

(Craig Weston)

The back of the year is Luke Fahey of Mission Viejo. Ohio State is getting its next top quarterback. Accurate with a strong arm and great leadership skills, Fahey set an example of how you can reach the top while waiting your turn. He didn’t become the full-time starter until his senior season for the good of the team. He became a Mission Viejo legend. Here’s the profile.

Braiden McKenna of Los Alamitos, left, opens a hole against Cathedral Catholic.

(Craig Weston)

The lineman of the year is Braiden McKenna of Los Alamitos. Playing center, he helped ignite a ground game that produced two 1,000-yard rushers and a Southern Section Division 2 championship. Here’s the profile.

Los Alamitos football coach Ray Fenton stands with his players during an Alpha League opener at SoFi Stadium.

(Craig Weston)

The coach of the year is Ray Fenton of Los Alamitos. He took an underrated team and guided them to a Division 2 championship without transfers and lots of best friends uniting. Here’s the profile.

Here’s a look at the 22-person Times All-Star team.

Here’s the final top 25 rankings by The Times.

Here’s the complete package.

With finals taking place or finished, get ready for the transfer portal to open for high school football players looking for new schools for the spring semester.

There have been lots of rumors about players coming to Santa Margarita to play for coach Carson Palmer after the Eagles won the Division 1 title in his rookie season. Mater Dei has had two lackluster freshman classes the last two years, so if the Monarchs intend to keep up in the Trinity League, look for new players checking in.

Mission Viejo has an opening at quarterback, so keep watch who ends up there. Will JSerra players stick around for a new coach or switch to another Trinity League team.

St. John Bosco has lots of returning players, including two promising quarterbacks who will be juniors. It will be a surprise in today’s environment if both stay. The Braves are expected to get a top defensive back/receiver in the coming days. Sierra Canyon has plenty of back-ups expected to move into starting roles, but it’s been the same problem in recent years for the Trailblazers: Average play at quarterback against the best teams doesn’t get you to be one of the top two teams.

In the City Section, Carson won its 12th championship and gets to build the likely City player of the year, quarterback Chris Fields III. Will Crenshaw continue its rise? Will Birmingham start a new winning streak against City teams? What will happen to coach Robert Garrett, who didn’t get to coach this season at Crenshaw while on administrative leave with no end date in sight. All he does is check in from home waiting for a long and confusing Los Angeles Unified School District investigative process to play out despite reaching 300 career victories.

New coaches at JSerra, Bishop Alemany, St. Francis, Bishop Montgomery, Oaks Christian and St. Paul will offer a glimpse about what direction those private school programs want to take.

JSerra makes historic hire

Finally, a Trinity League school said yes.

Hardy Nickerson of the Chicago Bears poses for his 2007 NFL headshot at photo day in Chicago. He’s the new head coach at JSerra.

(Getty Images / Getty Images)

Hardy Nickerson, a Verbum Dei grad who was an All-Pro linebacker and coached in the NFL, college and high school ranks, was hired by JSerra as its new football coach, becoming the first Black head football coach in the Trinity League since it was formed in 2006. Here’s the report.

This is a story from 2021 about the lack of Black head coaches in the league.

There’s been excuses in the past, from lack of fit, to lack of coaching experiences to lack of school ties. Nickerson earned this chance based on years of qualifications and coaching at every level, from youth to high school to college to the NFL.

There’s no guarantee of success, however, in a league in which the other five schools have invested lots of money and hard work trying to be successful. There’s an expectation coaching in the league you get about three years and are gone without progress.

Nickerson will face the same challenges as his predecessor, former Azusa Pacific coach Victor Santa Cruz, who came in with strong qualifications but was pushed out following a 3-7 season.

If Nickerson succeeds, it can pave the way for other Black head coaches to get a chance to be a coach at a top private school. It has happened in basketball, but football has been way behind.

Basketball

It’s freedom day for high school basketball players who transferred without moving and have been sitting out the first month of the season. They’re getting the best Christmas present of all — eligibility on Friday.

Many teams will undergo changes that could lead to much-improved performances. Sierra Canyon, Chaminade, Mater Dei, Loyola, Crespi, Arcadia and Pasadena are among the schools getting stronger. Among girls, Etiwanda and Corona Centennial will be getting new players.

Crespi is getting 6-foot-9 junior Rodney Mukendi, which will add much-needed rebounding and a rim protector.

Ontario Christian’s girls’ basketball team has won 14 straight games to start the season. Etiwanda is 7-1. The inevitable meeting between the two should happen in the postseason.

The day after Christmas is always one of the busiest basketball days of the season with tournaments galore. The Classic at Damien leads the tournament action. The fact that sit-out period players become eligible on Dec. 26 will make for interesting matchups and possible surprises.

On Monday in Las Vegas, there will be some great matchups at the Tarkanian Classic, including Redondo Union vs. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, San Gabriel Academy vs. La Mirada and Santa Margarita vs. Utah Timpview.

Here’s this week’s top 25 boys basketball rankings by The Times.

Here’s this week’s top 10 City Section boys basketball rankings by The Times.

Baseball/softball

St. John Bosco closer Jack Champlin

It’s not too early to start speculating which teams will challenge defending Division 1 champion St. John Bosco for No. 1 this season. The Braves are loaded with quality returnees, from twins James and Miles Clark to star closer Jack Champlin.

There are at least seven other schools gearing up to make a title run, including JSerra, Orange Lutheran, Huntington Beach, Santa Margarita, Harvard-Westlake, Cypress, Corona and Norco.

Among the elite players, JSerra outfielder Blake Bowen is being mentioned as a possible first-round draft pick. Trey Ebel of Corona is hoping to follow brother Brady as a high pick. Norco has two of the best underclassmen in sophomore pitcher Jordan Ayala and junior shortstop Dylan Seward. Huntington Beach has the best hitter/pitcher in junior Jared Grindlinger. Santa Margarita returns Brody Schumaker, who is switching from second base to shortstop. Harvard-Westlake welcomes a group of off-the-chart freshmen, led by El Segundo Little League World Series hero Louis Lappe.

In softball, Norco looks strong but JSerra has pitching and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame made a big move last season to be a contender with lots of youth.

Notes

Point guard Ryan Gov from Cypress has committed to Azusa Pacifica …

Mark Holman has resigned as football coach at San Dimas …

Mike Moschetti has resigned as football coach at St. Paul …

Former Campbell Hall football coach Dennis Keyes is the new football coach at Bishop Alemany. He was the defensive coordinator at Chaminade this past season and was an All-City player at Birmingham and starting defensive back at UCLA …

Baseball player Malachi Wobrock of Hart has committed to MIT.

From the archives: Colby Parkinson

Oaks Christian tight end Colby Parkinson during his playing days with the Lions.

(Los Angeles Times)

Former Oaks Christian tight end Colby Parkinson, 26, continues to demonstrate as a key player for the Rams why almost everyone was projecting him to be an NFL player since his high school days when he was a three-sport athlete.

Here’s a story from 2016 looking at his blossoming skills as a tight end in high school.

Here’s a story from 2024 on Parkinson signing with the Rams to come home.

Recommendations

From the Washington Post, a story on two high school basketball siblings who are five-star players.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.

Prep Rally will be on hiatus next week before returning Jan. 6.

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 5.

Rk. School (Rec.); Comment; ranking last week

1. SIERRA CANYON (8-1): Headed to Oregon for Christmas tournament; 1

2. SANTA MARGARITA (13-1): Reached semifinals in Tarkanian Classic after double-overtime win over Las Vegas Bishop Gorman; 2

3. REDONDO UNION (9-2): Reached semifinals in Tarkanian Classic; 5

4. ST. JOHN BOSCO (8-2): Back-to-back losses to top teams in Florida; 3

5. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (13-2): Loss to the top team in Idaho; 4

6. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (9-2): Zachary White continues to provide key rebounds; 7

7. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY (4-3): 6-foot-11 Mahamadou Diop is delivering; 6

8. CREAN LUTHERAN (9-3): Set to play in Classic at Damien; 8

9. CORONA CENTENNIAL (11-2): Lost to Utah Timpview in Las Vegas; 9

10. ETIWANDA (14-0): Classic at Damien will offer challenges; 11

11. CORONA DEL MAR (11-0): Faces 10-4 Cypress on Tuesday; 12

12. VILLAGE CHRISTIAN (8-4): Playing in Mission Prep tournament; 10

13. CRESPI (8-4): Tough schedule will pay off for league play; 13

14. DAMIEN (13-2): Set to host Classic at Damien; 14

15. LA MIRADA (5-4): Matadores are improving; 17

16. ARCADIA (9-1): Apaches are about to get even better with sit-out period players; 19

17. JSERRA (8-5): Headed to San Diego for Torrey Pines tournament; 16

18. THOUSAND OAKS (10-0): Lancers knocked off unbeaten Chaminade; NR

19. BISHOP MONTGOMERY (10-0): Semifinalist at Mission Prep tournament; NR

20. MAYFAIR (5-2): Josiah Johnson is a player to watch; NR

21. EASTVALE ROOSEVELT (7-4): It’s a learning experience in Las Vegas; 22

22. BRENTWOOD (13-1): Went 3-1 in Hawaii; 23

23. MIRA COSTA (12-1): Torrey Pines tournament will be test; NR

24. ELSINORE (16-0): Junior Kamrynn Nathan averaging 25 points a game; NR

25. INGLEWOOD (10-4): Averaging 92 points a game; NR

A look at the Los Angeles Times’ 24-player All-Star high school football team for the 2025 season:

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Luke Fahey, Mission Viejo, 6-0, 185, Sr. — The Ohio State commit had a sensational senior season, passing for 3,199 yards and 25 touchdowns with only three interceptions while completing 71% of his passes.

Running back: Jeremiah Watson, Murrieta Valley, 5-9, 180, Sr. — Injuries took a toll but he still finished with 1,429 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns.

Running back: Darnell Miller, Santee, 6-0, 170, Sr. — Miller led the state in running with 3,296 yards and 40 touchdowns for the City Section Division III champions.

Receiver: Madden Williams, St. John Bosco, Sr. — The Texas A&M commit caught 41 passes for 804 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Trinity League co-champions.

Receiver: Trent Mosley, Santa Margarita, Sr. — The USC commit was one of the most versatile offensive weapons, whether catching passes, playing quarterback out of a wildcat formation or getting the ball on a handoff in leading the Eagles to the Southern Section Division 1 title and CIF Open Division title.

Receiver: Jack Junker, Mission Viejo, 5-10, 182, Jr. — With 14 touchdown receptions and averaging nearly 20 yards per catch, Junker rose up to become one of the top receivers from the class of 2027.

Lineman: Blake Graham, Leuzinger, 6-3, 300, Sr. — The Cal Poly commit cleared the way for more than 2,600 yards rushing for a team that won the Bay League title.

Lineman: Cooper Javorsky, San Juan Hills, 6-4, 285, Sr. — The UCLA commit and future center is a relentless worker who showed up every game to give his best and deliver big blocks.

Lineman: Luke Kingman, Murrieta Valley, 6-5, 315, Sr. — The Idaho State commit used his strength and size to lead one of the best rushing attacks in the Southland.

Lineman: Braiden McKenna, Los Alamitos, 6-2, 290, Sr. — It was the Griffins’ offensive line that was key to a Southern Section Division 2 title, and McKenna, playing center, was the leader, helping produce two 1,000-yard rushers.

Lineman: Kodi Greene, Mater Dei, 6-5, 320, Sr. — The Washington commit was a two-year standout, using his size and strength to be a reliable blocker.

Kicker: Kyle Donahue, San Juan Hills, 5-11, 165, Sr. — A trained soccer player turned out to be the most accurate kicker in the Southland, making 12 of 13 field-goal attempts and 44 of 45 PATs.

Defense

Defensive line: Richard Wesley, Sierra Canyon, 6-5, 260, Sr. — The Texas commit was named Mission League player of the year and finished with 8.5 sacks for the 10-1 Trailblazers.

Defensive line: Max Meier, Loyola, 6-5, 240, Sr. — The Stanford commit recorded 19 tackles for losses, including 11.5 sacks.

Defensive line: Khary Wilder, Gardena Serra, 6-4, 260, Sr. — The Ohio State commit faced repeated double teams and still finished with 20 tackles for losses, including 10 sacks.

Linebacker: Isaiah Phelps, Oxnard Pacifica, 6-1, 200, Jr. Phelps led Pacifica to a Southern Section Division 3 championship, averaging nearly 15 tackles a game with his quickness and instincts.

Linebacker: De’Andre Kirkpatrick, Crenshaw, 6-3, 200, Jr. — Kirkpatrick was a difference-maker to get Crenshaw to the City Section Open Division final, disrupting offenses while making himself as a top recruit.

Linebacker: Matthew Muasau, St. John Bosco, 6-1, 230, Sr. — The UCLA commit showed everyone what fundamentally sound tackling looks like, finishing with five sacks and 64 tackles.

Linebacker: Dash Fifita, Santa Margarita, 5-9, 195, Sr. — The Arizona commit filled the role perfectly of tackling machine on the best defense in the Southland for Division 1 champions.

Defensive back: CJ Lavender, Mater Dei, Sr. — The UCLA commit was a model of consistency, delivering big tackles and big plays every game a fiwhileishing with seven interceptions.

Defensive back: Pakipole Moala, Leuzinger, 6-0, 165, So. — Asked to cover each opponent’s top receiver, Moala showed he belonged, contributing three interceptions and 27 tackles in a breakout season.

Defensive back: Madden Riordan, Sierra Canyon, 5-11, 165, Sr. — The USC commit had four interceptions and prevented big plays with his intelligence, instincts and anticipation.

Defensive back: Jaden Walk-Green, Corona Centennial, 5-11, 180, Jr. — With 10 interceptions, including four returned for touchdowns while also kicking, punting and returning punts and kickoffs, he was the most versatile player in the Southland.

Punter: Jacob Kreinbring, Loyola, 6-0, 195, Sr. — Averaged 41.2 yards a punt, with 18 inside the 20 and also made a 46-yard field goal.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

AMIT 69, MSAR 45

El Camino Real 68, Monroe 24

Foshay 82, Larchmont Charter 71

LA Hamilton 84, Bell 32

LA Roosevelt 61, Wilmington Banning 46

LA Wilson 81, View Park 75

Harbor Teacher 53, Rise Kohyang 25

MSCP 82, New West Charter 41

Roybal 68, Santee 54

San Pedro 59, Los Angeles 42

Sun Valley Magnet 56, Lake Balboa College 44

Sylmar 72, Canoga Park 59

Triumph Charter 65, Lincoln 59

USC Hybrid 49, Brio College Prep 24

SOUTHERN SECTION

ACE 54, Lucerne Valley 35

Adelanto 57, Carter 52

Alta Loma 64, Workman 17

Arrowhead Christian 70, Canyon Springs 32

Ayala 49, Glendora 46

Beaumont 76, San Jacinto 36

Brentwood 69, Concord De La Salle 49

California 79, Ocean View 55

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 58, Norwalk 43

Chaffey 58, Miller 22

Chaparral 63, Paloma Valley 45

Corona 70, Buena Park 39

Crespi 77, Rancho Cucamonga 57

Diamond Bar 64, Bonita 62

Don Lugo 56, Covina 44

Dos Pueblos 62, Arroyo Grande 51

Downey 58< Bellflower 35

El Modena 58, Orange 26

Elsinore 82, Temecula Valley 69

Estancia 80, Compton Early College 20

Fairmont Prep 52, Oak Hills 47

Fillmore 64, Nordhoff 32

Foothill Tech 67, Carpinteria 50

Fountain Valley 77, Costa Mesa 43

Godinez 47, Garden Grove Pacifica 39

Great Oak 68, Bishop Amat 63

Kaiser 45, Jurupa Valley 26

Laguna Blanca 59, Downey Calvary Chapel 21

La Habra 47, La Serna 45

Lakeview Leadership 54, Victor Valley Christian 35

Linfield Christian 62, Woodcrest Christian 55

Maricopa 67, Cuyama Valley 15

Millikan 115, Calvary Baptist 56

Montclair 73, Bell Gardens 64

Norte Vista 99, Riverside North 45

Oak Park 48, Simi Valley 46

Oaks Christian 70, Shadow Ridge 55

Orange Lutheran 91, Brea Olinda 39

Oxford Academy 76, Westminster La Quinta 57

Palm Springs 77, Yucaipa 55

Patriot 36, Rim of the World 27

Pioneer 58, Magnolia 34

Portola 60, Troy 54

Rialto 68, Serrano 35

Riverside Notre Dame 74, Bloomington 52

Riverside Prep 67, Hesperia Christian 26

Rubidoux 55, Edgewood 54

Santa Fe 42, Cerritos Valley Christian 41

Santa Ynez 69, Channel Islands 39

Segerstrom 51, Saddleback 34

South Pasadena 85, Hillcrest Christian 39

St. Monica 59, Camarillo 51

Tehachapi 63, Lancaster 58

Temescal Canyon 57, Lakeside 56

University Prep 65, AAE 56

Valley Christian Academy 66, Santa Clarita Christian 62

Village Christian 90, Liberty 48

Yorba Linda 60, Whittier Christian 54

YULA 71, Faith Baptist 56

INTERSECTIONAL

Bishop Montgomery 72, Fresno Bullard 46

Clovis North 69, Maranatha 46

Corona Santiago, Vancouver (Canada) St. George’s 44

Fairfax 65, Oakwood 51

Highland (Colo.) Lone Peak 58, Eastvale Roosevelt 41

JSerra 88, South Jordan (Utah) Bingham 60

Kipp Atlanta Collegiate (Ga.) 68, Narbonne 39

Knight 70, Henderson (Nev.) Basic 47

Las Vegas (Nev.) Desert Oasis 59, Dominguez 48

Las Vegas (Nev.) Faith Lutheran 71, St. Paul 57

Marina 64, Montgomery (Ala) Trinity Presbyterian 61

Mater Dei 87, Coeur D’Alene (Idaho) 61

Palisades 61, Miami Mater Lakes Academy 58

Redondo Union 65, Aurora (Colo.) Rangeview 60

San Gabriel Academy 82, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Canarsie 58

Santa Margarita 59, Basha (Ariz.) 58

Saugus 78, Arleta 56

Schurr 74, Aurora (Colo.) Vista PEAK Prep 72

St. Genevieve 49, Sun Valley Poly 38

The Villages Charter (Fla.) 65, St. John Bosco 59

Warren 83, Las Vegas Rancho 58

Washington Prep 85, Silverado 32

West Torrance 81, Las Vegas Cimarron-Memorial 76

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Crenshaw 76, Fremont 17

New West Charter 48, MSCP 14

Sun Valley Magnet 37, Lake Balboa College 13

USC Hybrid 19, Brio College Prep 16

Westchester 53, Washington Prep 49

SOUTHERN SECTION

Beckman 51, Summit 42

Burbank Providence 39, Mayfield 22

Canyon Springs 59, Magnolia 12

Cerritos Valley Christian 56, Oxford Academy 32

Citrus Valley 59, Orange Vista 43

El Rancho 56, Rosemead 32

Fullerton 48, Workman 19

Gabrielino 42, Temple City 33

Godinez 57, Tesoro 39

Harvard-Westlake 44, Bishop Montgomery 23

JSerra 66, Dos Pueblos 57

La Salle 50, Holy Martyrs Armenian 25

Oak Park 100, Simi Valley 13

Palmdale 37, Palmdale Academy Charter 14

Santa Monica 37, Notre Dame Academy 21

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 52, Spring Valley 17

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 70, Marina 19

Sonora 70, Huntington Beach 57

Springville (UT) 58, Campbell Hall 53

University Prep 63, AAE 25

Victor Valley Christian 48, Lakeview Leadership 8

Western Christian 59, Garden Grove 21

Woodbridge 54, Samueli Academy 30

INTERSECTIONAL

Granada Hills Kennedy 61, San Fernando 26

King/Drew 101, Dorsey 12

North Hollywood 55, Calabasas 49

Venice 51, Culver City 46

The Visalia Unified School District’s public board meeting in March was a festive and upbeat affair with a performance by a student chamber music group and a commendation for a high school cheer squad.

When the seven-member board went into closed session, the agenda was decidedly grimmer: Six former students were suing the district over sexual abuse they said they suffered decades earlier at the hands of a kindergarten teacher.

Out of public view, the board unanimously approved a $3-million settlement with provisions intended to keep the community in the dark forever.

Under the terms of the agreement, the women, their lawyers and families were prohibited from disclosing any aspect of the deal, including the amount they were paid.

“The Parties agree that they will respond to any inquiries they may receive from any third parties regarding the lawsuit by stating only that ‘the matter has been resolved’ without any further elaboration, discussion or disclosure,” the settlement instructed.

It was Visalia’s fifth secret settlement in the last three years, one of a flurry that districts are quietly approving statewide.

A Times investigation found that California’s public schools, faced with a historic surge of sex abuse lawsuits, are increasingly using nondisclosure agreements and other tactics that celebrities and big corporations rely upon to protect their reputation.

At least 25 districts have resolved suits or other claims in ways that hinder taxpayers from learning about the allegations, the cost of settling them or both, The Times found. These hidden settlements total more than $53 million. Legal experts say that these settlements may be in violation of state law, and that some should be investigated by the state attorney general.

While shielding the names and identifying details of sex abuse victims is widely accepted, courts have repeatedly said the public has a right to know allegations leveled against government employees and the money spent to compensate accusers.

Lawmakers in California have also largely banned the use of confidentiality provisions for settlements involving sexual assault and harassment, on the belief that transparency helps victims heal and leads to public accountability.

“There’s very significant problems with government agencies acting like private companies and requesting or insisting on these kinds of nondisclosure or non-disparagement clauses in settlement agreements,” said David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, based in San Rafael. “Because at the end of the day, the government works for the people and the people have a very compelling interest in knowing about claims and allegations of misconduct.”

California’s school districts are now grappling with a deluge of sex abuse cases resulting from a 2019 law that changed the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse and created a new window — from 2020 to 2022 — in which anyone could file a lawsuit for past alleged abuse.

The Times identified more than 1,000 lawsuits against school districts filed since 2020, with more than 750 filed due to the new law. Some lawsuits allege abuse as far back as the 1950s. Most cases are still making their way through the courts, but more than 330 have settled for roughly $700 million, with $435 million paid out for claims related to the new law. The state projects that local education agencies will ultimately pay out between $2 billion and $3 billion once cases work through the court system. Much of this is taking place outside the public eye.

In Visalia, confidentiality clauses negotiated by district lawyers acknowledged the public’s right to obtain the information — and then attempted to make sure they never would. Four agreements specifically barred former students receiving secret payouts from “directly or indirectly” encouraging others to file a request under the state Public Records Act — the method The Times used to review copies of agreements referenced in this story.

A spokesperson for Visalia Unified declined an interview request, and the school district did not answer written questions.

Anaheim Union High School District paid three men, who said they had been abused by a junior high teacher, $3.3 million in 2023.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Several districts attempted to prevent allegations from becoming public by paying off accusers before they filed lawsuits that would have detailed the claims of sex abuse for anyone to see.

Anaheim Union High School District paid a trio of men who said they had been abused by a junior high teacher $3.3 million in 2023 after their attorney sent the district a draft of a lawsuit he said he was prepared to file in Superior Court.

The terms of the payout two years ago required that the men and their lawyers “not seek publicity relating to the facts and circumstances giving rise” to their claims, and indeed, the settlements have not been previously reported.

John Bautista, a spokesperson for Anaheim Union, said in a statement that the district and its insurer settled the draft lawsuits after going through discovery in a related case and “did not want to incur additional expenses of filing a lawsuit.”

“Nothing in the agreement would prevent the claimant/plaintiff from speaking with the press concerning the facts of the case if the press contacted [them],” Bautista said.

At least one district paid an accuser before anything was put in writing, records show. Victor Elementary School District in the High Desert negotiated a $350,000 settlement with one former student after his lawyer relayed abuse allegations in a phone call. Asked by The Times for a document describing the claimed misconduct, a district official said no such records existed.

Some districts suggest the confidentiality restrictions are needed to avoid a “snowball effect” of further litigation.

San Diego Unified, hit by more than a dozen lawsuits over alleged sex abuse since 2020, has settled four for a total of $2.44 million, each with a confidentiality clause that, at a minimum, prevents the accuser or her lawyer from disclosing the settlement amount. One of the settlements blocks the accuser from discussing the matter with anyone except her lawyer or financial advisor or in response to a subpoena.

San Diego officials acknowledged that confidentiality is ultimately limited — the documents can be disclosed via public records requests — but the district proceeded with pursuing restrictions on the accusers and their representatives.

“The purpose is to keep plaintiffs’ lawyers from using these settlements as marketing tools,” said James Canning, a spokesman for San Diego Unified.

Former state Sen. Connie Leyva, seen here while in the Legislature in 2019, said she was taken aback by school districts using confidentiality provisions. “That sounds illegal,” Leyva said.

(Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

Efforts to curb the use of secret settlements gained momentum in the 1980s, with growing public awareness of how confidentiality agreements had kept the public in the dark about environmental or health hazards, such as asbestos.

In 2016, California prohibited settlement agreements that block the disclosure of factual information about sexual abuse or any sex offense that could be prosecuted as a felony.

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, lawmakers in 2018 passed the STAND Act, which prohibits nondisclosure agreements in sexual harassment, discrimination and other sexual assault cases that don’t rise to felony prosecution. Three years later, the Silenced No More Act widened the prohibition on nondisclosure agreements to include any harassment case. The law still gives victims the option to protect their identity.

The lead sponsor of both bills, former state Sen. Connie Leyva, said she was taken aback by school districts using confidentiality provisions.

“That sounds illegal,” said Leyva, now the executive director of public radio and TV station KVCR. “We did not speak specifically about children or about schools, but it shouldn’t be happening.” She added, “Our bill was meant to apply to everyone everywhere.”

Several settlement agreements obtained by The Times included caveats by stating they were “confidential to the extent allowed by law,” or contained similar carve-outs. Experts said such provisos still have the effect of muzzling a victim’s speech and hindering public accountability.

“While it’s possible that these work-arounds don’t violate the letter of the STAND Act, they certainly violate its spirit,” said Nora Freeman Engstrom, a professor at Stanford Law School, who co-authored a study on the effect of the STAND Act in L.A. courts.

Southern Kern Unified School District agreed to pay $600,000 to a former student who alleged sex abuse and included an acknowledgment of the STAND Act in the agreement. Still, the settlement bars the former student, Corey Neufer, from “actively” publicizing the deal.

Reached by phone, Neufer said that although he deliberately chose to sue under his own name, rather than as John Doe, he was told that the confidentiality provision was standard and necessary for the final settlement.

“That was one of the stipulations — that I don’t speak about it or give any details,” said Neufer, who indicated the confidentiality was far broader than the text of his settlement suggests. “My lawyer instructed me to not talk about the case.”

The STAND Act allows for plaintiffs or claimants to put language in a settlement agreement that shields their identity and disclosure of any facts that could lead to their identity. However, if a public official or government agency — such as a school district — is part of the settlement, that language cannot be included.

Of the dozens of settlements reviewed by The Times, two specifically noted that the accuser wanted confidentiality to shield their identity.

Several had restrictions that appeared to exceed the STAND Act, such as a 2024 settlement for $787,500 paid by Ceres Unified to a custodian who said she was sexually harassed by a colleague. The signed agreement states that the settlement, its terms and any belief that the district or its employees engaged in unlawful behavior were all confidential. If asked, the custodian could only say, “The matter has been resolved.”

David Viss, an assistant superintendent at Ceres Unified, said in an email that the agreement complied with the law: “We believe the settlement agreement is consistent with the STAND Act.”

The overwhelming majority of sex abuse cases filed against school districts reach a settlement. For districts, a settlement can be more cost-effective than mounting a legal defense through a jury trial, and unlike a panel of jurors, a settlement provides a level of fiscal certainty. At times, the decision to settle is driven less by school board members than an insurance company or liability coverage provider.

John Manly, whose law firm specializes in childhood sex abuse, said school districts and their insurance providers frequently ask for confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses when negotiating a payout.

Lawyer John Manly, seen at his law offices in Irvine in 2023, has represented sex abuse survivors for more than 20 years. He says that confidentiality agreements “benefit one person, which is the perpetrator, and those who enable them.”

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“We get these requests all the time, and we decline,” Manly said. “Confidentiality agreements benefit one person, which is the perpetrator, and those who enable them.”

At Los Angeles Unified School District, scores of people accused former San Fernando High School wrestling coach Terry Gillard of abuse. In 2022, LAUSD agreed to pay 23 accusers a total of $52 million to settle molestation and abuse claims — a settlement negotiated by Manly’s law firm.

A year later, LAUSD agreed to pay three other women who alleged abuse by Gillard a total of $7.5 million.

Although those represented by Manly’s team did not have a confidentiality or non-disparagement agreement in their settlement, LAUSD sought an extensive confidentiality agreement for the payout to the three other women, curtailing discussion of the settlement and underlying abuse claims.

That settlement barred their lawyer from making any sort of statement — or encouraging others to make a statement — about the compensation deal, and barred comments that could “defame, disparage or in any way criticize” LAUSD, its employees and leaders.

Only the women, their lawyer, “immediate family” and “tax professional” could know about the settlement, according to the agreement.

“If asked about the status of this dispute, plaintiffs counsel may only state, ‘they have voluntarily and fully resolved their claims against the Los Angeles Unified School District,’ or words to that effect,” declares the settlement agreement.

The lawyer for the women, Anthony DeMarco, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Manly said the State Bar of California should investigate lawyers on both sides who agree to language that they know conflicts with state law. And he called on Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to investigate school districts that continue to lock victims into such restrictive agreements.

“It’s wrong. It’s bad for the community and it’s bad for the victim. The lawyers that do it — defense and plaintiff — should be ashamed of themselves.”

L.A. Unified, which has added confidentiality provisions in at least seven settlements since 2020, defended its practices as a way to amicably resolve litigation, according to a statement from a spokesperson.

“These settlement agreements keep the settlement details, such as the amount, confidential. They do not prohibit the disclosure of the facts behind the claims,” the LAUSD spokesperson said.

Some legal experts want Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to investigate school districts that continue to lock victims into restrictive nondisclosure agreements.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

While several districts use secrecy provisions in settlement agreements to hide the details of sex abuse cases, others, like Visalia Unified, also are able to keep payouts quiet by approving them in closed session at regular school board meetings.

In 2021, the president of the board of Wasco Union High School District received a letter from a lawyer based in Iowa who represented a former Wasco student. The lawyer said his client had been sexually abused nearly a decade earlier by her former coach and teacher, and accused her then-principal, Kevin Tallon, among others, of not taking appropriate steps when confronted with evidence of abuse.

Tallon, now Wasco’s superintendent, was named as a defendant in the draft lawsuit, and the lawyer included a copy. He gave the district 14 business days to respond.

“If I do not hear back from you, I will proceed with the lawsuit,” wrote the lawyer, Thomas Burke.

The letter touched off a negotiation that culminated at the Wasco school board’s final meeting of 2021. The meeting’s agenda for the closed session was circumspect: “Conference with Legal Counsel — Settlement Agreement.” But behind closed doors, the board voted 5 to 0 to approve a settlement, according to meeting minutes, ensuring that there would probably never be a public airing of the allegations against the teacher or superintendent. The meeting minutes reflect only that a settlement was approved — not the amount or nature of the abuse accusations. The district paid $475,000 in the settlement, a sum that The Times obtained via records request.

Tallon, the superintendent who was named in the draft lawsuit, declined an interview but provided written responses to questions. He said the district and its staff “fulfilled its duties diligently and with integrity,” and said the settlement was approved in a way that adhered to the Brown Act, the state’s open meeting law.

“The settlement was not intended to conceal allegations; it was meant to responsibly limit risk and bring closure to a sensitive situation,” Tallon said in the statement.

Legal experts agreed that Wasco’s school board complied with the Brown Act — thereby exposing that law’s limits and potential loopholes. Since the threat of litigation did not result in a filed case or formal claim, the board could treat it as “anticipated litigation” and discuss it in closed session, away from the public. And since settlement offers — like any contract negotiation — are not final until agreed upon, they too can be approved in closed session, away from the public.

Loy, the legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, said the Brown Act could be amended to proactively require public agencies to ultimately disclose the details and amounts of settlements. School districts, he added, could also opt to be more open, without being compelled to by state lawmakers.

“Agencies owe a duty to the public to be more proactive and more transparent, even than the bare minimum letter of the law might allow them to get away with,” Loy said.

The lack of transparency also coincides with a crisis in local news, which has resulted in far less coverage of city halls, courthouses and school boards from the Imperial Valley to the shores of Eureka.

At one time, newspapers big and small had reporters at school board meetings who probably would have noticed settlements on the agenda and submitted records requests to reveal them.

With local media absent, agencies have quietly approved settlements in closed session, with no watchdog to suss out the underlying facts.

“Diligent people or reporters know to do that: Please give me copies of every settlement approved this week or this month,” said Loy, the First Amendment Coalition’s legal director. “But that requires an extra step.”

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
THURSDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS
CITY SECTION
AHSA 53, Neuwirth Leadership 35
Alliance Levine 43, Alliance Bloomfield 32
Bernstein 74, Arleta 46
Bravo 62, LA Marshall 61
Downtown 80, Animo Bunche 21
LA Hamilton 64, LA University 55
LA Wilson 77, Franklin 61
Manual Arts 48, Diego Rivera 47
Panorama 76, Reseda 23
San Fernando 69, Canoga Park 57
Sylmar 74, Van Nuys 58
Torres 68, Umiversity Prep Value 53
West Adams 66, Santee 53
Westchester 52, Venice 47
WISH Academy 74, Gertz-Ressler 25
USC-MAE 39, Annenberg 34

SOUTHERN SECTION
AAE 68, NSLA 30
Animo Leadership 76, Compton Early College 36
Banning 73, Twentynine Palms 66
Bishop Diego 82, Orcutt Academy 37
Burbank 67, Muir 47
Burbank Burroughs 61, Hoover 56
Calvary Baptist 70, Crossroads Christian 25
Carter 56, Kaiser 54
Cerritos Valley Christian 70, Paramount 64
Chaminade 75, Santa Monica 57
Citrus Hill 67, Paloma Valley 55
Desert Christian Academy 38, San Jacinto Leadership 34
El Dorado 92, Placentia Valencia 84
Elsinore 82, West Valley 35
Esperanza 59, Yorba Linda 47
Flintridge Prep 83, Rio Hondo Prep 60
Fullerton 52, Sunny Hills 45
Gahr 74, Cerritos 46
Gardena Serra 77, Firebaugh 65
Garden Grove 47, Oxford Academy 44
Garden Grove Pacifica 49, Western 28
Indian Springs 62, Beaumont 42
Jurupa Hills 88, Grand Terrace 40
Legacy Christian Academy 77, Norco 38
Long Beach Cabrillo 72, Compton 63
Los Altos 80, Hacienda Heights Wilson 61
Mayfair 74, Long Beach Jordan 72
Millikan 73, Long Beach Wilson 62
Palmdale Aerospace Academy 84, Lancaster Baptist 35
Palm Springs 71, La Quinta 22
Quartz Hill 77, Palmdale 62
Redlands East Valley 89, Indio 36
Rubidoux 61, Nogales 31
Santa Barbara 59, San Marcos 50
Segerstrom 60, Westminster La Quinta 53
Shadow Hills 47, Xavier Prep 19
Silverado 54, Hesperia 47
South Hills 61, Keppel 48
St. Monica Academy 66, Mesrobian 42
Tahquitz 67, San Jacinto 41
Temecula Prep 68, San Jacinto Valley Academy 31
Thousand Oaks 54, Oxnard 34
United Christian Academy 46, Anza Hamilton 42
Upland 58, Western Christian 33
Vasquez 79, Santa Clarita Christian 37
Webb 59, Bassett 32

INTERSECTIONAL
Austin (TX) Prep Academy 70, SoCal Academy 69
Beverly Hills 55, Rancho Dominguez 42
Brentwood 60, Punahou (HI) 58
Clovis East 53, King/Drew 42
Crenshaw 52, Capistrano Valley 51
Harvard-Westlake 84, Lexington Catholic (KY) 37
Heritage Christian 71, ANTHS (AZ) 21
Palos Verdes 63, San Pedro 61

GIRLS
CITY SECTION
Animo Bunche 31, Downtown Magnets 5
Diego Rivera 40, Manual Arts 22
Eagle Rock 49, Lincoln 27
Fulton 21, East Valley 14
Gertz-Ressler 46, WISH Academy 17
LA Wilson 39, Franklin 26
Northridge Academy 65, Vaughn 16
Palisades 69, LACES 45
Panorama 42, Reseda 36
San Pedro 79, Legacy 6
Santee 46, West Adams 32
Smidt Tech 33, Animo De La Hoya 10
Torres 38, University Prep Value 19
USC-MAE 48, Annenberg 31
Westchester 59, Venice 48

SOUTHERN SECTION
AAE 56, NSLA 14
Apple Valley 61, Granite Hills 19
Bolsa Grande 31, Garden Grove 29
Burbank Providence 39, Le Lycée 15
California Military Institute 50, Nuview Bridge 25
Chaffey 36, Tustin 31
Coachella Valley 61, Desert Mirage 6
Compton 59, Long Beach Cabrillo 11
Crescenta Valley 64, Glendale 39
Flintridge Prep 54, Keppel 36
Godinez 47, Corona del Mar 45
Hacienda Heights Wilson 61, Los Altos 56
Holy Martyrs Armenian 61, Milken 44
Indian Springs 55, Bloomington 15
Laguna Blanca 24, Santa Clara 17
La Habra 51, Irvine 43
Long Beach Jordan 67, Irvine University 14
Long Beach Wilson 38, Millikan 19
Norwalk 49, Western 25
Oxnard Pacifica 47, Foothill Tech 45
Pioneer 49, Maranatha 42
Redlands 38, Indio 19
Riverside King 50, Warren 35
Riverside Notre Dame 28, Colton 19
Sage Hill 57, Marlborough 35
Santa Margarita 62, Xavier College Prep 53
Savanna 44, La Palma Kennedy 39
Segerstrom 51, Cerritos Valley Christian 45
Shadow Hills 57, Xavier Prep 39
South El Monte 57, Pomona Catholic 4
Southlands Christian 50, Legacy College Prep 11
South Torrance 43, Queen Creek (AZ) Casteel 40
Twentynine Palms 24, Banning 10
West Covina 71, Edgewood 21
Woodbridge 42, Westminster La Quinta 26

INTERSECTIONAL
Bartlett (TN) 59, Mater Dei 56
Clovis 66, Moreno Valley 45
Lakewood St. Joseph 66, Gilbert (AZ) Highland 30
Long Island Lutheran (NY) 61, Fairmont Prep
Rolling Hills Prep 62, Denver (CO) Mullen 28
St. Anthony 62, Chandler Hamilton (AZ) 49
Villa Park 72, Scottsdale (AZ) Notre Dame Prep 56
Waddell (AZ) Canyon View 42, Lynwood 31

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS
CITY SECTION
AMIT 59, Sun Valley Magnet 38
Bernstein 71, Contreras 26
Crenshaw 55, King/Drew 39
Fulton 50, Vaughn 48
Hollywood 104, Belmont 10
LA Hamilton 71, Downtown Magnets 69
MSAR 67, Valor Academy 56
MSCP 84, Larchmont Charter 25
Northridge Academy 59, VAAS 12
Orthopaedic 69, Animo Bunche 34
RFK Community 73, Jefferson 70
Royal 54, Mendez 52
View Park 55, Bell 48
Wilmington Banning 62, Elizabeth 26

SOUTHERN SECTION
Arroyo 54, South El Monte 50
Chadwick 91, Paramount 63
Damien 66, Aquinas 41
Downey 57, Workman 22
Edgewood 52, West Covina 43
Flintridge Prep 80, ISLA 15
Gabrielino 91, Mountain View 46
Garden Grove 58, Irvine University 56
Hemet 56, Valley View 55
Highland 68, Lancaster 34
Hillcrest 57, Orange Vista 56
Indian Springs 64, Citrus Valley 55
Laguna Beach 70, Costa Mesa 46
Lakeside 54, Canyon Springs 50
La Palma 69, Westminster 18
Maricopa 47, Laton 17
Moreno Valley 52, Arlington 42
North Torrance 75, Bellflower 30
Pasadena Marshal 75, El Monte 51
Peninsula 65, Redondo Union 63
Perris 63, Riverside North 62
Pilgrim 71, Westmark 39
Public Safety Academy 51, River Springs Charter 44
Quartz Hill 76, Antelope Valley 44
Redondo Union 76, Peninsula 18
Riverside King 61, Chaparral 55
Riverside Poly 54, Liberty 43
Samueli Academy 49, Bolsa Grande 48
San Fernando Academy 71, Summit View 19
Segerstrom 66, Loara 38
Sierra Vista 62, Covina 58
Temple City 51, El Rancho 46
Thousand Oaks 65, Shalhevet 38
Torrance 76, El Segundo 37
Vista del Lago 57, Heritage 51

INTERSECTIONAL
Dorsey 60, Lawndale 55
Grace 68, Panorama 34
LA Roosevelt 42, Alhambra 39
San Gabriel 50, Maywood CES 23
Westchester 48, Compton Centennial 36

GIRLS
CITY SECTION
AMIT 25, Sun Valley Magnet 20
Bernstein 56, Contreras 13
Cleveland 64, North Hollywood 24
Hollywood 63, Belmont 13
King/Drew 60, Crenshaw 12
Larchmont Charter 36, MSCP 33
MSAR 42, Valor Academy 29
Orthopaedic 28, Animo Bunche 5
Rancho Dominguez 31, Elizabeth 20
South East 51, Lakeview Charter 23
Washington 65, Fremont 10

SOUTHERN SECTION
Agoura 65, Simi Valley 38
Buena Park 78, Westminster 29
Citrus Valley 43, Indio 24
Covina 56, Garey 25
CSDR 71, Victor Valley 33
El Modena 37, Edison 29
Flintridge Prep 85, Westridge 9
Gabrielino 81, Mountain View 4
Hemet 51, Valley View 24
Jurupa Valley 29, Indian Springs 20
Knight 81, Littlerock 8
Lancaster 60, Highland 40
Laton 29, Maricopa 8
Liberty 59, Citrus Hill 28
Los Altos 59, Anaheim 42
Los Amigos 39, Saddleback 19
Mira Costa 54, West Torrance 50
Newbury Park 53, Oxnard Pacifica 34
Oxnard 50, Santa Paula 42
Quartz Hill 57, Antelope Valley 18
Rancho Verde 46, Perris 19
Ramona 56, Gahr 29
Rancho Christian 100, Heritage 41
Riverside North 47, Vista del Lago 34
Riverside King 63, Xaxier Prep 38
Riverside Poly 73, Paloma Valley 38
River Springs Charter 35, Public Safety Academy 15
San Gabriel 46, Edgewood 26
San Gabriel Academy 63, Compton Centennial 62
Savanna 52, Costa Mesa 38
South El Monte 24, Arroyo 21
Thousand Oaks 69, Shalhevet 39
Torrance 74, El Segundo 36
Upland 44, Rosemead 27
Woodbridge 48, Century 6
Yorba Linda 64, Placentia Valencia 44

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
TUESDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS
CITY SECTION
Downtown Magnets 103, Aspire Ollin 12
Sotomayor 67, Maywood CES 28
Stern 35, Rise Kohyang 33
Triumph Charter 68, LA Wilson 51
University Prep Value 66, Animo Venice 52
WISH Academy 79, Alliance Ted Tajima 16

SOUTHERN SECTION
AGBU 63, Newbury Park 51
Arcadia 82, Glendale 34
Baldwin Park 57, Pomona 23
Banning 90, Bethel Christian 26
Big Bear 89, University Prep 45
Calvary Baptist 58, Diamond Bar 57
Chino Hills 78, CSDR 31
Citrus Hill 76, San Gorgonio 30
Corona 58, Granite Hills 17
Crescenta Valley 73, Burbank Burroughs 43
Desert Chapel 69, Weaver 34
Desert Christian Academy 56, Nuview Bridge 19
Eastvale Roosevelt 53, Hesperia 52
Eisenhower 67, Bloomington 52
El Rancho 55, Sierra Vista 52
Elsinore 72, Tahquitz 36
Estancia 68, Lynwood 30
Entrepreneur 72, Crossroads Christian 41
Harvard-Westlake 86, Punahou 42
Hesperia Christian 59, AAE 39
La Palma Kennedy 41, Norwalk 34
Loara 67, Katella 41
Long Beach Cabrillo 74, Lakewood 55
Long Beach Wilson 75, Compton 64
NSLA 52, Cornerstone Christian 33
Oxford Academy 66, CAMS 42
Public Safety 54, Grove School 41
Rancho Alamitos 58, Century 28
Redlands 52, Sultana 51
Rio Hondo Prep 68, United Christian Academy 24
Riverside Notre Dame 55, Kaiser 50
San Bernardino 94, Norco 80
Shadow Hills 60, Yucaipa 52
Summit Leadership Academy 71, PAL Academy 9
Temecula Prep 77, San Jacinto Leadership Academy 43
Temescal Canyon 68, West Valley 52
Tesoro 57, Aliso Niguel 53
Valley Christian Academy 57, San Luis Obispo Classical 27
Viewpoint 74, Firebaugh 39
Villa Park 60, Brea Olinda 49
Webb 64, Santa Ana Valley 36
Western 61, El Modena 34
Westminster La Quinta 53, Santa Ana 39
YULA 61, San Diego Jewish Academy 26

INTERSECTIONAL
Brawley 66, Indio 46
Cathedral 60, Bravo 49
Los Alamitos 73, Torrey Pines 53
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 53, Huntington Park 30
St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 65, LA Marshall 59
USC Hybrid 63, Legacy College Prep 13

GIRLS
CITY SECTION
Aspire Ollin 57, Downtown Magnets 12
Lakeview Charter 70, Valor Academy 10
Stern 34, Rise Kohyang 6
Washington 34, Crenshaw 33

SOUTHERN SECTION
Bolsa Grande 21, Capistrano Valley 26
Buena 62, Santa Barbara 20
California Military Institute 29, Santa Rosa Academy 12
Carter 65, Sultana 39
Cate 43, Laguna Blanca 29
Coastal Christian 45, Santa Maria 32
Colton 41, Arroyo Valley 26
Crescenta Valley 55, Burbank Burroughs 47
CSDR 45, Norte Vista 21
Desert Christian Academy 89, Nuview Bridge 23
El Dorado 63, Placentia Valencia 20
El Rancho 40, Diamond Ranch 33
Elsinore 34, Tahquitz 20
Foothill Tech 37, Thacher 22
Garden Grove 46, Orange 32
Grove School 30, Public Safety 14
Harvard-Westlake 48, Campbell Hall 37
Hesperia Christian 51, AAE 21
Hillcrest 53, La Sierra 8
Kaiser 52, Pomona 0
Laguna Beach 52, Dana Hills 33
Long Beach Wilson 70, Compton 32
Lucerne Valley 44, Lakeview Leadership Academy 7
Marlborough 65, Alemany 43
Mayfair 34, Chadwick 32
Monrovia 36, Mayfield 20
North Torrance 59, Palos Verdes 57
Oak Hills 58, Beaumont 32
OCCA 31, Liberty Christian 16
Oxford Academy 50, Western 34
Oxnard 46, San Marcos 30
Redlands 61, Jurupa Hills 39
Rialto 86, Apple Valley 27
Ridgecrest Burroughs 68, Barstow 38
Santa Ana Valley 64, Glenn 6
Shadow Hills 55, Palm Springs 14
Silver Valley 45, Riverside Prep 22
Temecula Prep 45, San Jacinto Leadership Academy 43
Temescal Canyon 85, West Valley 17
University Prep 47, Big Bear 31
Viewpoint 60, Agoura 45
Vistamar 33, Wildwood 14
YULA 51, Milken 50

INTERSECTIONAL
Birmingham 55, Heritage Christian 44
Desert Mirage 46, Borrego Springs 19
SEED: LA 44, Animo Leadership 7
Sun Valley Poly 65, Westridge 9
USC Hybrid 45, Legacy College Prep 4
Whittier 52, Garfield 46

MONDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

AMIT 43, Valley Oaks CES 25

Arleta 70, Monroe 59

Bell 52, South East 34

Bravo 83, View Park 82

CALS Early College 36, Magnolia Science Academy 20

Contreras 86, Belmont 15

Downtown Magnets 65, Lincoln 61

East College Prep 51, Brio College Prep 38

East Valley 46, Van Nuys 31

Fulton 63, Lakeview Charter 20

Garfield 48, South Gate 34

Granada Hills Kennedy 68, Reseda 23

LA Roosevelt 60, Legacy 47

Locke 59, Animo Watts 56

Orthopaedic 69, Annenberg 44

RFK Community 58, Mendez 49

Sun Valley Poly73, North Hollywood 58

Triumph Charter 69, LA Marshall 59

Vaughn 73, Panorama 58

SOUTHERN SECTION

ACE 82, PAL Academy 54

Alta Loma 48, Diamond Ranch 41

Anaheim 70, Magnolia 27

Arroyo 71, El Monte 28

Bell Gardens 68, Glenn 39

Bonita 60, San Dimas 56

Chaparral 76, California 71

Colton 83, Desert Hot Springs 67

Costa Mesa 75, Savanna 68

Crossroads Christian 39, Grove School 28

Desert Christian 67, Lancaster Baptist 54

Eastside 71, Quartz Hill 64

El Rancho 66, Duarte 30

Elsinore 58, Great Oak 55

Gabrielino 51, Rosemead 46

Highland 53, Antelope Valley 34

Hillcrest 68, Indian Springs 61

Knight 86, Lancaster 32

Lakeside 54, Patriot 42

Liberty 67, Beaumont 64

Magnolia Science Academy 55, Legacy College Prep 31

Malibu 69, Nordhoff 34

Mary Star of the Sea 64, Chadwick 60

Mesa Grande Academy 85, RSCSM 30

Mesrobian 47, New Covenant Academy 44

Montclair 84, Rim of the World 45

Moreno Valley 53, Vista del Lago 44

Ontario 68, La Sierra 27

Orange 59, Pasadena Marshall 37

Paloma Valley 56, San Jacinto 48

Pasadena 80, Burbank 53

Placentia Valencia 60, Santa Ana 32

Perris 81, Heritage 45

Redlands 46, Banning 41

Rialto 65, Norco 64

Riverside King 57, Riverside Poly 55

Santa Maria 86, Valley Christian Academy 69

Serrano 48, Arroyo Valley 37

Sherman Indian 59, California Lutheran 53

Summit 73, Yucaipa 56

Thousand Oaks 72, Simi Valley 40

Valley Torah 100, St. Monica Academy 68

Valley View 75, Jurupa Valley 45

Vasquez 98, PACS 40

Viewpoint 60, Hillcrest Christian 37

Westlake 51, Oak Park 37

Whitney 69, Godinez 63

Woodbridge 69, El Toro 48

INTERSECTIONAL

Compton 74, Crenshaw 53

Gahr 76, Rancho Dominguez 52

Marquez 65, Whittier 30

New Roads 47, Animo Venice 28

San Gabriel 66, Sotomayor 39

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Animo Robinson 37, Smidt Tech 33

Animo Watts 55, Locke 29

Brio College Prep 24, East College Prep 20

Contreras 42, Belmont 4

Crenshaw 41, Torres 16

Granada Hills Kennedy 67, Reseda 15

Grant 64, Chavez 3

Hollywood 44, Roybal 12

Northridge Academy 58, East Valley 9

Orthopaedic 25, Annenberg 14

RFK Community 27, Mendez 18

Sherman Oaks CES 75, Fulton 7

South East 35, Bell 27

Verdugo Hills 56, Eagle Rock 31

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aliso Niguel 60, Edison 23

Arroyo 34, El Monte 25

Arroyo Valley 42, San Gorgonio 29

Baldwin Park 60, La Puente 15

Bonita 48, San Dimas 39

Burbank 64, Pasadena 40

Carter 77, Adelanto 54

Chino 58, Ayala 38

Citrus Valley 54, Liberty 52

Coachella Valley 45, Palo Verde Valley 36

Covina 49, Sierra Vista 40

Desert Christian 46, Lancaster Baptist 27

Don Lugo 53, Bloomington 16

Eastside 56, Quartz Hill 24

El Modena 40, Irvine University 15

El Segundo 60, Montebello 18

Flintridge Sacred Heart 50, Muir 43

Fontana 50, Patriot 42

Foothill Tech 35, Santa Barbara 23

Gabrielino 40, Rosemead 27

Garden Grove 53, Garden Grove Pacifica 17

Glenn 36, Firebaugh 11

Heritage 56, Corona 38

Highland 60, Antelope Valley 26

Hillcrest 61, Valley View 37

Irvine 36, Tustin 34

Jurupa Valley 47, Norco 19

Laguna Beach 42, Savanna 39

Lancaster 55, Knight 22

Loma Linda Academy 42, Desert Chapel 13

Los Altos 60, Mayfair 23

Los Amigos 43, Artesia 25

Mesa Grande Academy 80, River Springs Charter 10

Monrovia 39, Ramona Convent 31

Newbury Park 55, Santa Paula 26

Nordhoff 54, Cate 31

Paramount 58, Lakewood 40

Redlands 35, Banning 19

Royal 47, Channel Islands 39

San Jacinto Valley Academy 34, Santa Rosa Academy 26

Santa Maria 61, Valley Christian Academy 37

Schurr 45, California 37

Segerstrom 49, Long Beach Wilson 46

Silver Valley 55, Sultana 30

Southlands Christian 49, Bassett 10

Temple City 35, San Gabriel 27

Twentynine Palms 55, Cathedral City 13

Vasquez 45, Palmdale Academy Charter 6

Vista Murrieta 40, Beaumont 37

Western Christian 64, Workman 14

West Torrance 74, Torrance 36

Whittier Christian 68, NOVA Academy 13

Wiseburn-Da Vinci 66, South Torrance 60

Woodbridge 66, Katella 37

Yucaipa 51, Summit 46

YULA 64, ISLA 26

INTERSECTIONAL

Compton Centennial 43, Rancho Dominguez 16

Dominguez 50, LA Jordan 8

LACES 62, Inglewood 35

Warner 40, Anza Hamilton 33

Westchester 53, Leuzinger 52

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. The high school football season has ended. That means it’s time for quarterbacks and others to transfer and lots of coach resignations and firings. Let’s examine the yearly ritual.

Change is coming

Welcome to December, when high school football programs start undergoing changes, with players and coaches deciding to come and go. JSerra, St. Francis, Bishop Alemany, Oaks Christian and Bishop Montgomery are private schools that pretty much got rid of their head coaches and have openings. Long Beach Poly, the most well-known public school in California, is advertising for a new coach after firing its coach following a season in which games were forfeited because of multiple ineligible players.

The question these days is what do principals/school presidents want from their football program besides winning and how do they want the coaches to execute that vision without breaking CIF rules?

Everyone knows recruiting is illegal as far as offering inducements to attend a school. There are no athletic scholarships allowed (wink, wink it’s called financial aid), Boosters and schools can’t set up NIL deals for players. Schools and boosters aren’t allowed to provide housing or jobs for parents as part of a deal for the child to attend.

In fact, many of these scenarios have been happening in the hope of chasing championships.

Whether it’s a public or private school, the people in charge must decide how high their ambitions are and how close to passing the gray line will they permit. People are starting to get caught. More than 40 students this season were declared ineligible by the Southern Section for providing false information on transfer paperwork. The players and their parents didn’t come out looking good and schools were equally at fault for failing to do their due diligence.

It’s OK for athletic directors to say no on transfers that look suspicious, but who’s really going to say no to a top quarterback? There’s nothing wrong with switching schools as long as rules are followed. Taking shortcuts with fake addresses and having assistants scout and make contact through parents, players or social media doesn’t pass muster.

So all the schools changing coaches and trying to rebuild or avoid rebuilding through the transfer portal, beware. The tricks of the trade are being exposed. AI is helping uncover cheaters. Maybe administrators should start offering a vision to focus on building a program from within and developing your own players.

Anyway, prepare for transferring to commence. It’s has become a rite of passage in high school sports, just like the college transfer portal.

State championships

Trent Mosley of Santa Margarita holds the CIF state championship Open Division trophy after beating De La Salle.

(Craig Weston)

Santa Margarita was unbeatable in the postseason, so much that first-year coach Carson Palmer said he wished his team could keep playing after the Eagles’ 47-13 win over De La Salle in the CIF state championship Open Division final. Here’s the report.

It was a tough weekend for Southern Section teams not named Santa Margarita. Oxnard Pacifica lost to Fresno Central East 42-28 in the 1-A final. Here’s the report.

Rio Hondo Prep’s dream of a 16-0 season ended with a 35-10 loss to Sonora in the 2-A final. Here’s the report.

Barstow was the only other Southern Section team to win a state title.

Here’s the complete results.

Boys basketball

Rancho Verde players get excited during tournament game against Etiwanda.

(Nick Koza)

Lots of teams are headed to Las Vegas this week for the Tarkanian Classic while others are taking trips to Hawaii.

Continuing to make a move is unbeaten Etiwanda, which won the North Orange County tournament championship, beating Heritage Christian in the final. The real event was Etiwanda and coach Danny Ryan facing Rancho Verde and coach Braydon Bortolamedi in the semifinals. Both trained under former Etiwanda coach Dave Kleckner, so their teams were using identical warm-up routines and focusing on Kleckner’s philosophy, defense first. Etiwanda won 63-57.

Mater Dei picked up the 1,300th win in the career of coach Gary McKnight.

Jason Crowe Jr. of Inglewood gets emotional with his grandfather, Kenneth, and mother Irene, after setting career scoring record against Beverly Hills.

(Nick Koza)

Inglewood guard Jason Crowe Jr. set a state record for most points scored in a career. Here’s a report.

St. John Bosco won its own tournament championship behind MVP Christian Collins, who scored 30 points in a win over La Mirada. The Braves are 8-0.

Freshman Will Conroy of Village Christian scored 38 points in a win over Chatsworth.

Grant Shaw, the son of Oak Park coach Aaron Shaw, made a game-winning basket to beat Agoura. Here’s the report.

Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times.

Girls basketball

Jerzy Robinson, one of the top players in the state, made her season debut for Sierra Canyon last week after being sidelined with an injury.

Sage Hill, one of the top programs in the Southern Section, has replaced coach Kerwin Walters, sending shock waves through the coaching profession. It was first reported by the Orange County Register.

Running on the street

A car driven by a suspected driver under the influence slammed into and injured seven Anaheim High runners going out on a training session near campus last week.

It raised questions once again about high school athletes and others training on the streets of Southern California.

Here’s a look at one former athlete who was struck by a car when he was at Monroe High and how he views this latest incident.

Soccer

Loyola knocked off Cathedral in a battle of downtown Los Angeles boys soccer programs. Here’s the report.

Amber Ramirez had two goals as Cleveland defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 2-0 in a big girls soccer match.

Notes . . .

Vinnie Lopez is the new football coach at Anaheim Canyon. He has lots of head coaching experience, including at Garden Grove Pacifica. . . .

After eight years as football coach at Oaks Christian, Charlie Collins and the school have parted ways. It creates another private-school opening that includes JSerra, St. Francis, Bishop Alemany and Bishop Montgomery. . . .

Todd Butler has resigned after five seasons as football coach at West Torrance to become offensive coordinator at El Camino College. . . .

Michael Calahan has resigned after six seasons as football coach at Aliso Niguel. . . .

Arlin Slayton has resigned as football coach at Rosemead. . . .

Harvard-Westlake’s power-hitting Jake Kim has committed to UCLA. He’s from the class of 2027. . . .

Junior pitcher Aiden Rae of JSerra has committed to UCLA. . . .

La Salle girls basketball player Casey Higgins has committed to Cal State Los Angeles. . . .

The All-CIF girls volleyball teams were announced. Here’s the link. . . .

There will be an all-star football game on Saturday at Simi Valley High. Here’s the information.

Former Los Alamitos receiver Makai Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award as college football’s top receiver playing for USC.

From the archives: Jeff Kent

Former Dodger and Edison grad Jeff Kent was voted into the Hall of Fame by era committee.

(Stephen Dunn / Getty Images)

The newest member of baseball’s Hall of Fame is Jeff Kent, who graduated from Edison High in Huntington Beach in 1986, went to Cal, then played 17 years in the major leagues.

Here’s a story from 1986 in which Kent got dropped from Edison when he disagreed with a position change.

Here’s a story from 1992 when Kent addressed his Edison days.

Recommendations

From the Washington Post, a story on a 6-foot-11 high school basketball player who reclassified trying to speed up a potential NBA career.

From the Seattle Times, a story on a high school football player who led his team to a state championship but might have hurt his college chances by playing running back instead of linebacker in a selfless decision.

From the Washington Post, a story on how self promotion in high school sports has become part of the recruiting experience.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.