Sport

JuJu Watkins is returning to Sierra Canyon High on Friday, the place where she was a high school basketball All-American.

The school will hold a ceremony retiring her jersey at halftime of the boys’ basketball game between Sierra Canyon and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

She will be presented with a framed jersey.

Watkins is sitting out this season at USC while recovering from a knee injury.

Sierra Canyon girls’ basketball coach Alicia Komaki said, “She raised our standards, which was hard to do because we had won four state championships. She was an incredibly talented player.”

Watkins was also making a huge impact in the college game until her injury last season during the NCAA playoffs.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

“That would be outstanding if we could snag him. He is some kind of an athlete.

“We were just doing some stats on him and he is in the top 10 for dominant carries, dominant tackles, out of all the second rows in the Top 14.

“That is as a 19/20-year-old and just shows the foundation of where he could get to.

“He is an international athlete and someone needs to make him into an international player. We feel like we are good at that.”

Any move for Kpoku is complicated by a contract which commits him to Racing until summer 2027.

But Sale, whose co-owner Simon Orange sold his investment business for a reported £1bn in January 2025, could strike an agreement to buy out the final season of Kpoku’s deal.

“There is still a transfer fee for anyone who wants to negotiate and we are duking it out with the big boys in France like La Rochelle,” said Sanderson.

“Fortunately, transfer fees don’t come into the salary cap so, as long as our owners are feeling generous and we feel he is a good prospect for our group, there is a good chance.”

Kpoku, who was born in London and joined Racing from Exeter in October 2023, is highly rated by England.

He took up an invite to train with the senior squad during last year’s Six Nations, and England’s hierarchy reportedly considered offering, external him one of their enhanced central contracts to ease his path back to the Prem.

Without a senior cap, Kpoku could become eligible for France on residency grounds if he remains in the Top 14, but he would prefer to play for England.

“France is not really what I want to pursue because it’s not my country,” he told BBC Sport in December 2024.

“I want to represent my own country, where I was born and raised.”

With Maro Itoje as captain, Martin, Northampton’s Alex Coles and Leicester’s Ollie Chessum are the leading candidates to partner him in the second row at the World Cup, which begins in Australia in September 2027.

From Ryan Kartje: When Husan Longstreet arrived at USC a year ago, the expectation was the five-star freshman would be the Trojans’ future at quarterback.

But after just one season at USC, Longstreet is leaving.

The true freshman passer and former top prospect officially entered the NCAA transfer portal Thursday, throwing the Trojans’ future plans at football’s most important position into question. USC has just two quarterbacks currently on the roster, one being a true freshman in Jonas Williams.

There’s no doubt, however, who will remain USC’s quarterback next season. Returning starter Jayden Maiava, who led the Big Ten in passing yards last season (3,711) announced his intent last month to play another season at USC, as opposed to declaring for the NFL draft.

That left Longstreet with a choice: Spend another season on the sideline or search for opportunity elsewhere.

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Here’s what UCLA needs to fix

From Ben Bolch: When his team lost three consecutive games during what was shaping up as a rocky debut season, Mick Cronin made players and coaches go through practices without the UCLA logo on their tank tops and shorts.

There’s currently no need to strip anyone of anything.

This already looks nothing like what UCLA basketball is supposed to be.

The defense is lagging, the roster is lacking and nobody seems to know what to do about it.

A second consecutive loss has dropped the Bruins squarely into bubble territory for the NCAA tournament, somewhere a team that wears these four letters across its chest should never be. They are a middling 10-5 with no compelling victories and a .500 record early in Big Ten play.

Here are five fixes designed to get a team that entered the season ranked No. 12 playing closer to expectations:

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Dodgers avoid arbitration

From Benjamin Royer: The Dodgers won’t be heading to an arbitration hearing after all.

Outfielder Alex Call (one-year, $1.6 million) and relief pitchers Anthony Banda (one-year, $1.625 million) and Brock Stewart (one-year, $1.3 million) each avoided arbitration, coming to an agreement with the Dodgers before Thursday’s MLB arbitration deadline, people familiar with the situation but unauthorized to speak publicly confirmed to The Times.

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Ducks lose eighth in a row

Jalen Chatfield’s first goal of the season was a tiebreaker and goalie Frederik Andersen snapped a personal nine-game losing streak as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Ducks 5-2 on Thursday night.

Chatfield, a defenseman playing in his 300th career game, scored during the Hurricanes’ three-goal second period. He also had an assist.

Ryan Poehling and Mikael Granlund scored for the Ducks (21-20-3), who have an eight-game losing streak (0-7-1). Ville Husso stopped 30 shots.

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Former employee sues Ducks and NHL for sexual harassment and discrimination

Ducks summary

NHL standings

Chloe Kim injured

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim said Thursday that she dislocated her shoulder in training and doesn’t know whether she will be able to compete at the Winter Games in Italy next month.

Kim posted footage of her fall from earlier this week on the halfpipe in Laax, Switzerland, where the world’s top snowboarders compete later this month in a key pre-Olympic tune-up. She landed a jump cleanly but lost an edge and went skittering across the pipe, face down.

Kim, who did not say which shoulder she hurt, said she is “trying to stay optimistic” about competing at the Olympics but “[doesn’t] have much clarity now.” The 25-year-old said she has an MRI scheduled for Friday that will reveal the extent of the damage.

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How Puka Nacua became the best pass catcher

From Gary Klein: The spectacular one-handed catch looked like the kind of play that could only be made with sudden adjustment. A reaction with no thought or practice required.

But that’s not how it went down for Rams star receiver Puka Nacua.

Nacua’s fourth-down touchdown catch against the Arizona Cardinals in the regular-season season finale had its roots in a conversation with quarterback Matthew Stafford.

“Just trusting the technique is something that actually me and Matthew talked about in the week before in a rep during practice,” Nacua said. “The angle departure that we were looking at.

“It’s crazy how some of those things come to life on Sundays.”

Stafford and Nacua were the NFL’s top connection this season.

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NFL playoffs schedule

NFL wild-card picks: Rams get revenge on Panthers; Packers beat Bears

All times Pacific
Wild-card round
NFC
Saturday
No. 5 Rams at No. 4 Carolina, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes
No. 7 Green Bay at No. 2 Chicago, 5 p.m., Prime Video

Sunday
No. 6 San Francisco at No. 3 Philadelphia, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes

AFC
Sunday
No. 6 Buffalo at No. 3 Jacksonville, 10 a.m., CBS, Paramount+
No. 7 Chargers at No. 2 New England, 5 p.m., NBC, Peacock, Universo

Monday
No. 5 Houston at No. 4 Pittsburgh, 5 p.m., ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes; ManningCast-ESPN2

Divisional round
Jan. 17 and 18, TBA

Conference championships
Sunday, Jan. 25, TBA

Super Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 8, NBC, Time TBA

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1942 — Joe Louis knocks out Buddy Baer with four seconds left in the first round at Madison Square Garden in New York to retain the world heavyweight title.

1977 — Oakland wins its first NFL title nd the Minnesota Vikings drop their fourth Super Bowl as the Raiders post a 32-14 triumph.

1988 — Anthony Carter catches 10 passes for an NFL postseason-record 227 yards to lead the Minnesota Vikings to a 36-24 victory over the San Francisco 49ers and advanced to the NFC title game.

1991 — Dean Smith collects his 700th career coaching victory as North Carolina routs Maryland 105-73. Smith is the sixth Division I basketball coach to reach the 700-win plateau and does so in the shortest time.

1996 — The Toronto Raptors set an NBA record by not making a free throw in a 92-91 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The expansion Raptors shoots 0-for-3 from the foul line.

2004 — Brian Boucher of Phoenix posts his fifth consecutive shutout in a 2-0 win over Minnesota. He stops 21 shots and passes Bill Durnan’s NHL mark of 309:21, early in the third period.

2006 — Kobe Bryant of the Lakers scores 45 points against Indiana, making him the first player since Wilt Chamberlain — in November of 1964 — to score at least that many in four straight games.

2007 — Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Mark McGwire, whose 583 home runs ranked seventh on the career list, does not make it on his first ballot.

2008 — Golf Channel suspends anchor Kelly Tilghman for two weeks for saying a week earlier that young players who wanted to challenge Tiger Woods should “lynch him in a back alley.”

2010 — Peyton Manning becomes the first player to win The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player honors four times.

2010 — Detroit’s Ben Gordon scores 20 points, including the 10 millionth point in NBA history, in a 104-04 loss to Philadelphia.

2012 — Jeremy Shelley kicks five field goals and Trent Richardson breaks a 34-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter as No. 2 Alabama beats No. 1 LSU 21-0 — the first shutout in BCS title game history.

2013 — No one is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. For the second time in four decades, baseball writers fail to give any player the 75 percent required for induction to Cooperstown. Craig Biggio, 20th on the career list with 3,060 hits, appears on 68.2% of the 569 ballots, the highest total but 39 votes shy.

2016 — Quarterback Carson Wentz, out since mid-October with a broke wrist, returns to lead North Dakota State to an unprecedented fifth straight FCS championship with a 37-10 victory over top seed Jacksonville State.

2016 — Chris Boswell kicks a 35-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining as the Steelers somehow pull out an 18-16 victory over Cincinnati in the AFC wild-card game. Pittsburgh moves into field goal position after a pair of 15-yard penalties on the Bengals, one on linebacker Vontaze Burfict and another on Adam Jones.

2017 — College Football National Championship, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa: No. 2 Clemson beats No. 1 Alabama, 35-31.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

When Husan Longstreet arrived at USC a year ago, the expectation was the five-star freshman would be the Trojans’ future at quarterback.

But after just one season at USC, Longstreet is leaving.

The true freshman passer and former top prospect officially entered the NCAA transfer portal Thursday, throwing the Trojans’ future plans at football’s most important position into question. USC has just two quarterbacks currently on the roster, one being a true freshman in Jonas Williams.

There’s no doubt, however, who will remain USC’s quarterback next season. Returning starter Jayden Maiava, who led the Big Ten in passing yards last season (3,711) announced his intent last month to play another season at USC, as opposed to declaring for the NFL draft.

That left Longstreet with a choice: Spend another season on the sideline or search for opportunity elsewhere.

USC coach Lincoln Riley made a plea for his young quarterback’s patience last month.

“For any player, especially a quarterback, I don’t know if this would be the right time to leave this place,” Riley said. “This thing is getting pretty good. And I think a lot of people recognize that, both in what we have now and what we’re bringing in, where this thing is going.”

But Longstreet’s father, Kevin, told On3 last month that his son was looking for a chance to contribute immediately.

“He loves USC, the team and players, but no guarantees in life and Husan is a competitor,” Kevin Longstreet told On3’s Greg Biggins. “Everyone is saying ‘sit for another year, only need one good year.’ But there’s no guarantee Lincoln is back next year, what if we struggle and a new staff comes in? Then he has to learn whole new system. He wants to play now and give himself his best shot.”

It wasn’t until late in the recruiting process in November 2024 that USC even emerged as a serious option for the Corona Centennial High product. He spent the previous seven months committed to Texas A&M, while USC already had a 2026 quarterback committed in Julian Lewis.

But after a delicate dance of courting both quarterbacks, USC pivoted to Longstreet and managed to flip him from the Aggies. It was one of Riley’s most significant USC recruiting victories.

“The more we got to know him, got to evaluate him, the more we got to see his mental makeup, how team-oriented he was, how serious he was about the game, we just felt like in the end, there wasn’t a better fit for us,” Riley said on signing day in December 2024. “That’s eventually why we made the decisions we made. I feel like we landed on the perfect guy for us.”

Longstreet appeared in four games as a true freshman, retaining his redshirt year. He’ll have four seasons of eligibility remaining wherever he ends up. He completed 13 of 15 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for another 76 yards and two scores.

“As a hometown kid, representing USC was an incredible opportunity I’ll always cherish,” Longstreet said in a statement on social media. “I’m excited for what’s ahead and ready to embrace the next opportunity with faith, purpose and gratitude.”

With Longstreet gone, expect USC to pursue a veteran passer in the transfer portal to fill the No. 3 spot on its depth chart, similar to how Sam Huard did last season.

“Terry epitomised everything it means to represent Wales as a player, and watching the 1994 World Cup qualifying campaign with him as manager was the first time I experienced genuine belief that our country could qualify for a major tournament.

“My thoughts and condolences are with Terry’s family and friends during this difficult time, everyone in the Welsh football family will miss an incredible person.”

Yorath guided Wales to within a win of reaching the 1994 World Cup finals in the USA but his team lost 2-1 at home to Romania in Cardiff, which ultimately proved to be his final game in charge.

Barry Horne was Wales’ captain that night having been appointed skipper by Yorath and also played under him at Huddersfield Town.

“He represented his country with massive pride and distinction,” former midfielder Horne told BBC Wales’ Feast of Football podcast.

“Terry had taken Wales from not being very competitive to the brink of what I think would have been a glorious era for Welsh football.

“We had great players, we had balance, team spirit and Terry’s got to take a lot of credit for that.

“He was a leader and he had a great relationship with the players and I can’t tell you how much I owe him.

“He was a proud Welshman and he served his country through his football absolutely brilliantly.

Junior guard Zaire Rasshan of Damien knows football. His father, Osaar, was a backup quarterback at UCLA from 2005-09. Rasshan played quarterback his freshman season at Damien until deciding basketball was his No. 1 sport.

So when Rasshan looked up at the scoreboard Thursday night at Etiwanda in the first quarter and saw the Spartans had scored the first 24 points, he had to think football.

“That was crazy,” he said. “That’s three touchdowns and a field goal.”

Damien (17-4, 2-0) was able to hold off Etiwanda 56-43 to pick up a key Baseline League road victory. Winning at Etiwanda has been a rarity for many teams through the years. But Damien’s fast start couldn’t have been any better. The Spartans didn’t miss any shots while playing good defense for their 24-0 surge. Etiwanda’s first basket didn’t come until the 1:38 mark of the first quarter.

“When we play together, we can beat anyone,” Rasshan said.

Rasshan was a big part of the victory, contributing 23 points. Eli Garner had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Etiwanda came in 18-1 and 1-0 in league. The Eagles missed 13 free throws, which prevented any comeback. The closest they got in the second half was within 11 points.

Damien’s victory puts it squarely in contention for a Southern Section Open Division playoff spot. The Spartans lost in the final seconds to Redondo Union in the Classic at Damien, showing they can compete with the big boys in coach Mike LeDuc’s 52nd season of coaching.

Rasshan is averaging nearly 20 points a game. He made three threes. And he hasn’t forgotten how to make a long pass, whether it’s with a football or basketball.

It is the stuff of dreams for the lowest-ranked team left in the FA Cup to take on the holders in the third round. When Macclesfield host Crystal Palace on Saturday it will be one of the biggest days in their recent history, but one also tinged with sadness.

On 16 December, Silkmen forward Ethan McLeod died in a car accident while travelling back from Macclesfield’s National League North match at Bedford Town.

Rather than travel on the team bus back to Cheshire, McLeod was driving himself back to the Midlands after the 2-1 victory in which he was an unused substitute.

The rest of the squad were held up in gridlocked traffic after the crash on the M1, but it wasn’t until the next day they learned their team-mate was involved.

Macclesfield’s first game after McLeod’s death was postponed, but the club have played three league matches since.

Saturday’s FA Cup tie is a huge occasion for a club that reformed in 2020 after Macclesfield Town were wound up in the high court. But manager John Rooney said recent events have put things into perspective.

Rooney took it upon himself to contact every member of the squad when the news was confirmed.

“Nothing can prepare you for that,” Rooney told BBC Sport. “When you have to ring every player individually and tell them, I can’t explain what it felt like.

“I wanted to take that on. I didn’t want people ringing different players. I wanted to be the one to tell that news. I thought that was the right thing to do at the time.

“I don’t think many managers will ever have to speak to the lads and let them know what happened with their friend. It is the hardest thing I have ever done and will ever have to do.”

A flag with a photo of McLeod hangs between the dugouts where Rooney and his Palace counterpart Oliver Glasner will stand on Saturday, alongside the words ‘Forever a Silkman’, while there is a book of condolence to sign in the club bar.

Sometimes a reverse is the ideal play. That appears to be the call made by quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who after huddling with family and advisers, announced on Instagram Thursday night that he will remain at Washington in 2026.

His decision to honor an estimated $4.5 million name, image and likeness contract he signed a week ago marks an about-face from the shocking announcement he made Tuesday that he would enter the transfer portal.

“After thoughtful reflection with my family, I am excited to announce that I will continue my football journey at the University of Washington,” he wrote. “I am fully committed and focused on contributing to what we are building.”

His decision to transfer was met with widespread derision from Huskies fans and officials, who made it known the university would enforce Williams’ contract even if it meant taking him to court. The Big Ten backed Washington’s stance.

Williams’ agent, Doug Hendrickson of Wasserman Football, dropped him as a client Thursday, citing “philosophical differences.” Williams hired lawyer Darren Heitner, who apparently determined that his client should return to Washington.

“The past 48 hours have underscored just how complex and challenging the current college athletics environment has become,” Washington athletic director Pat Chun said in a statement. “What has transpired has been difficult for all parties involved and is emblematic of many of the current issues in college sports.

“It is critical in this post-House, revenue-sharing environment that contracts with student-athletes are not only enforced but respected by everyone within the college sports ecosystem.”

Washington, which refused to place Williams in the transfer portal, was prepared to demand that the quarterback pay a large buyout of his NIL contract had he transferred.

Now, though, it seems all is well. Washington coach Jedd Fisch said in a statement that he and Williams “will work together to begin the process of repairing relationships and regaining the trust of the Husky community.

“Demond and I have engaged in very honest and heartfelt conversations about his present and future. We both agree that the University of Washington is the best place for him to continue his academic, athletic, and social development.”

Washington officials suspected that another school contacted Williams after he had signed his Huskies deal, and submitted evidence of tampering to the Big Ten. Tony Petitti, the conference commissioner, happened to be in Seattle on Tuesday for a Celebration of Life service for Washington goalkeeper Mia Hamant, who died on Nov. 6 from a rare form of kidney cancer.

Many Huskies football players and coaches also were in attendance when Williams posted his official announcement about entering the transfer portal on Instagram. In his Instagram post Thursday night, Williams apologized about the poor timing of his initial announcement.

“I never intended to call attention away from such an important moment,” he wrote.

Williams, who will be a junior, is expected to be one of the top handful of college quarterbacks next season. In his first season as a full-time starter, he threw for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Carson Beck scrambled for a three-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left, and Miami will head back home for a shot at its first national championship since 2001 after beating Mississippi 31-27 in an exhilarating College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night.

The 10th-ranked Hurricanes (13-2) had their vaunted defense picked apart by the sixth-ranked Rebels (13-2) in a wild fourth quarter, falling into a 27-24 hole after Trinidad Chambliss threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Dae’Quan Wright with 3:13 left.

Beck, who won a national title as a backup at Georgia, kept the Hurricanes calm amid the storm, leading them down the field for the winning score — and a shot at a national title on their home field at Hard Rock Stadium on Jan. 19. Beck is 37-5 as a starter, including two seasons at Georgia.

The sixth-seeded Rebels lost their coach before the playoff, but not their cool.

If anything, Lane Kiffin’s decision to bolt for LSU seemed to harden Mississippi’s resolve, pushing the Rebels to the best season in school history — and within a game of their first national championship game.

Ole Miss kept Miami within reach when its offense labored and took a 19-17 lead on Lucas Carneiro’s fourth field goal, from 21 yards.

Malachi Toney, the hero of Miami’s opening CFP win over Texas A&M, turned a screen pass into a 36-yard touchdown that put Miami up 24-19.

Chambliss’ TD pass to Wright put the Rebels back on top, but the improbable run came to an end when the defense couldn’t hold the Hurricanes.

But what a run it was.

With Pete Golding calling the shots after being promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach, and most of the assistants sticking around, the Rebels blew out Tulane to open the playoff and took down mighty Georgia in the CFP quarterfinals.

They faced a different kind of storm in the Hurricanes.

Miami has rekindled memories of its 2001 national championship team behind a defense that went from porous to nearly impenetrable in its first season under coordinator Corey Hetherman.

The Hurricanes walled up early in the Fiesta Bowl, holding Mississippi to minus-one yard.

One play revved up the Rebels and their rowdy fans.

Kewan Lacy, the nation’s third-leading rusher, burst through a hole up the middle for a 73-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter — the longest run allowed by Miami’s defense since 2018.

The Hurricanes seemed content to grind away at the Rebels in small chunks offensively, setting up CharMar Brown’s four-yard touchdown run and a field goal.

Miami unlocked the deep game just before halftime, taking advantage of a busted coverage for a 52-yard touchdown pass from Beck to Keelan Marion.

It was after Liverpool‘s 4-1 defeat by PSV Eindhoven at Anfield in November that Steven Gerrard said his old team just kept on “bleeding”.

A ninth defeat in 12 matches was inflicted that night, but Liverpool have stemmed the painful flow and are now 10 games unbeaten since being embarrassed by the Dutch champions.

With a spirited display in Thursday’s goalless draw against leaders Arsenal, Arne Slot’s side became the first visiting team to take a Premier League point at Emirates Stadium since Manchester City in September.

Conor Bradley’s first-half effort which struck the crossbar was the closest either side went to scoring, while Liverpool were the better team in the second half with 66% possession.

Without a recognised striker, however, they lacked a focal point to their attacks.

Had Hugo Ekitike been fit enough to feature, the visitors could perhaps have taken the win, though this was still a decent night for Liverpool.

After poor showings in recent draws against Leeds and Fulham, last season’s champions delivered a performance from which Slot can take plenty of positives.

Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch were solid in midfield and Milos Kerkez had arguably his best game for the club as he dealt superbly with the threat of Bukayo Saka.

Defensively, Liverpool prevented Arsenal having an attempt in the second half until stoppage time. Mikel Arteta’s side have now failed to score against Liverpool in both games this season.

“I think Arne Slot will be absolutely delighted with the performance of the players,” said ex-Reds forward Daniel Sturridge on Sky Sports.

“You’ve got to give him credit for his game plan. They weathered the storm for the first 20 minutes. After that, their work rate, how tenacious they were, it was a very experienced performance and they showed why they are champions.

“They lacked the cutting edge up front but had very positive moments. Jeremie Frimpong was a threat all night but missed the final pass. Florian Wirtz was very good, picked up a load of pockets and was very clean tonight. The list goes on. The defence was magnificent.

“They stopped attacks all night and I think the manager and players should be very proud of themselves. They performed exceptionally.”

RALEIGH, N.C. — Jalen Chatfield’s first goal of the season was a tiebreaker and goalie Frederik Andersen snapped a personal nine-game losing streak as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Ducks 5-2 on Thursday night.

Chatfield, a defenseman playing in his 300th career game, scored during the Hurricanes’ three-goal second period. He also had an assist.

Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall each had a goal and an assist, and Mark Jankowski and Jackson Blake also scored for the Hurricanes (27-14-3), who won their third straight. Andersen made 11 saves for his first victory since Nov. 6. He had gone 0-7-2 during his winless stretch.

Ryan Poehling and Mikael Granlund scored for the Ducks (21-20-3), who have an eight-game losing streak (0-7-1). Ville Husso stopped 30 shots.

The Ducks had leads in each of the first two periods.

Poehling scored with 6:42 left in the first period. Jankowski tied the score on Carolina’s 17th shot of the game at 8:56 of the second period, with the puck swept into the goal by Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson’s skate.

Granlund shot wide through the crease on an open net, but pretty much stayed in the same position and then tapped in a pass from Mason McTavish for the Ducks’ 2-1 lead with 6:42 left in the second. Stankoven scored for the third game in a row, taking a pass from Taylor Hall on a two-man rush to pull the Hurricanes even.

Chatfield’s goal came with 3:52 remaining in the second period. Carolina outshot the Ducks 18-3 in the period.

Blake and Hall scored in the third period, with Hall’s goal into an empty net.

Winger Troy Terry, who co-leads the Ducks with 42 points, missed a game for the first time this season because of an upper-body injury.

Up next for the Ducks: Close out a four-game trip at Buffalo on Saturday.

Arsenal‘s Gabriel Martinelli has apologised for trying to push injured Liverpool defender Conor Bradley off the pitch during Thursday’s 0-0 draw between the teams.

Northern Ireland international Bradley landed awkwardly near the touchline when chasing the ball in stoppage time, falling to the ground and immediately clutching his knee.

Martinelli then dropped the ball on the full-back before shoving him in the back in an attempt to get him off the playing surface to allow the game to continue.

That action sparked a melee between the two sets of players, with Martinelli and Liverpool‘s Ibrahima Konate both yellow-carded for their involvement.

After receiving treatment, Bradley was taken away on a stretcher and was later seen leaving Emirates Stadium on crutches and with a knee brace.

Former Manchester United players Gary Neville and Roy Keane were both highly critical of Martinelli, with Neville saying his actions were “absolutely disgraceful” and describing the Arsenal winger as an “idiot”.

Martinelli later issued an apology on social media, saying the two players had been in contact and he had already said sorry.

“I really didn’t understand he was seriously injured in the heat of the moment,” Martinelli posted on Instagram.

“I want to say I’m deeply sorry for reacting. Sending Conor all my best again for a quick recovery.”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot defended Martinelli after the match, suggesting the wider issue of time-wasting in football may have led to the flashpoint.

“I don’t know Gabriel Martinelli, but he comes across as a nice guy,” said Slot.

“I think the problem for him – and it’s a problem in general in football – is that there is so much time-wasting and players pretending that they are injured in the final parts of the game and during the game, that you can sometimes be annoyed if you want to try to score a goal that you think the player is time-wasting.

“You cannot ask Martinelli to think so clear in the 94th minute.”

NEW YORK — Nine Major League Baseball teams have terminated their deals with the FanDuel Sports Network to carry their local broadcasts, and Commissioner Rob Manfred said MLB is prepared to produce and distribute the telecasts.

Main Street Sports Group, which operates the FanDuel networks, did not make its December payment to the St. Louis Cardinals. It also carries games of Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Kansas City, the Angels, Miami, Milwaukee and Tampa Bay, along with 13 teams in the NBA and seven in the NHL.

The termination by the MLB teams was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decisions had not been announced.

“No matter what happens, whether it’s Main Street, a third party or MLB media, fans are going to have the games,” Manfred said Thursday.

Teams that terminated their contracts could reach new deals with Main Street, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

MLB took over broadcasts for San Diego in May 2023 after Diamond Sports Group missed a payment to the Padres and added Arizona that July.

Colorado joined MLB’s distribution in 2024, and Cleveland and Minnesota in 2025. Seattle is being added this season and possibly Washington, which is leaving the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.

Diamond was renamed Main Street Sports Group as it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings last year and its networks were rebranded as FanDuel.

“Our focus, particularly given the point in the calendar, is to maximize the revenue that’s available to the clubs, whether that’s MLB Media or third party,” Manfred said. “The clubs have control over the timing. They can make a decision to move to MLB Media because of the contractual status now. I think that what’s happening right now clubs are evaluating their alternatives. Obviously they’ve made significant payroll commitments already and they’re evaluating the alternatives to find the best revenue source for the year and the best outlet in terms of providing quality broadcasts to their fans.”

Manfred said local media provides more than 20% of industry revenue.

MLB and the players’ association for 2024 allowed discretionary fund distributions of up to $15 million each to teams whose local media revenue had declined since 2022 or 2023, but they did not reach a similar agreement for 2025.

“We are not providing financial assistance right now,” Manfred said.

Manfred spoke at a news conference to announce an initiative that includes Foster Love and envisions 250,000 volunteer hours to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. At the news conference, MLB staff assembled duffel bags with goods for foster care children.

Blum writes for the Associated Press.

The Dodgers won’t be heading to an arbitration hearing after all.

Outfielder Alex Call (one-year, $1.6 million) and relief pitchers Anthony Banda (one-year, $1.625 million) and Brock Stewart (one-year, $1.3 million) each avoided arbitration, coming to an agreement with the Dodgers before Thursday’s MLB arbitration deadline, people familiar with the situation but unauthorized to speak publicly confirmed to The Times.

Call, the 31-year-old contact-first hitter that joined the team from the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline, hit .267 with five home runs and 31 RBIs during the 2025 season across 110 games, recording a career-high 1.5 wins-above-replacement.

After arriving in Los Angeles, Call played a reserve role behind Andy Pages and Kiké Hernández, appearing in 38 regular season games as a Dodger. The former third-round pick is set for an increased role in 2026, with utilityman Tommy Edman recovering from ankle surgery.

Banda, 32, is coming off his second season with the Dodgers — continuing to appear in a middle-relief role with relative success. The southpaw appeared in a career-high 75 games in 2025, recording a 3.18 earned-run average, 61 strikeouts and 34 walks. The two-time MLB champion also had a career-low .197 batting average against last season.

The 34-year-old Stewart, who began his career with the Dodgers before turning into a middle reliever for the Minnesota Twins from 2023-25, was expected to play a role post-trade deadline, but made just four appearances with the Dodgers before undergoing surgery on his right shoulder in September.

Stewart is expected to miss at least part of the 2026 season.

The Dodgers last went to an arbitration hearing in 2020, when the team headed into court with outfielder Joc Pederson and relief pitcher Pedro Baez. Since then, the team has mostly avoided arbitration dramatics.

Last year, after not being able to come to terms with relief pitcher Alex Vesia by the deadline, the southpaw and the team came to an agreement a few weeks later, avoiding a hearing altogether.

That contract included a 2026 club option for Vesia, which the Dodgers picked up.

His late grandfather is the all-time leader in NFL coaching victories.

His father was an NFL head coach.

So, yes, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula aims to become a third-generation NFL head coach.

Shula, the Rams’ defensive coordinator, is expected to take another step toward achieving that goal next week when assistants coaching in wild-card playoff games this weekend can be interviewed for head coach openings.

Rams coach Sean McVay fully expects teams to make requests through the Rams to interview Shula, who is preparing for Saturday’s NFC wild-card game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

Shula said Wednesday that his mind remains focused on the Panthers, who defeated the Rams 31-28 on Nov. 30. He will follow his weekly preparation routine, “segment” his mind and “lock in” on the task at hand, he said.

“We have an opponent that’s extremely capable of beating us, obviously,” Shula said. “That warrants all of my attention, so that’s what they’re going to get.”

Shula, 39, has been on the Rams’ staff since McVay — his former college teammate at Miami (Ohio) — was hired by the Rams in 2017.

Shula coached inside linebackers, defensive backs and edge rushers for the Rams before he was elevated to defensive coordinator in 2024 after Raheem Morris left to become coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Now, in the aftermath of Morris’ firing on Monday, Atlanta has one of seven NFL head coach jobs that are open. The others are with the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants and Tennessee Titans.

Does Shula think he is ready to become a head coach if given the opportunity?

“If the right spot and the right context and the right situation presents itself, when that time comes we’ll decide that,” Shula said. “I’ll sit down with Sean and everybody I’m close to and make that decision.”

Shula’s grandfather, Don Shula, won 328 NFL games. In 1968, he coached the Baltimore Colts to the NFL championship — they lost to the AFL’s New York Jets in Super Bowl III — and he led the Miami Dolphins to Super Bowl titles to end the 1972 and 1973 seasons.

Shula’s father, Dave, was an NFL assistant for 10 years before coaching the Cincinnati Bengals from 1992 to 1996.

If Chris Shula becomes an NFL head coach, he would further expand McVay’s coaching tree.

Former offensive assistants Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers), Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals), Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings) and Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars) parlayed their experience working under McVay into NFL head coach jobs.

Former defensive coordinators Morris and Brandon Staley (Chargers) also were hired as head coaches after working with McVay.

“If those things happen, man, it’s like the best way to get your heart broken but you’re happy for your guys,” McVay said of assistants becoming head coaches.

Shula’s defense features an aggressive front that includes Pro Bowl edge rushers Jared Verse and Byron Young.

This season, the Rams gave up 20.4 points a game, which ranked 10th in the NFL. The Rams ranked 17th in total defense (327.5 yards per game), 12th in rushing defense (110.8 ypg) and 19th in pass defense (216.7 ypg). The Rams amassed 47 sacks (tied for seventh most in the NFL) and intercepted 16 passes (tied for sixth).

On Saturday, the Rams must improve on their Week 13 performance against the Panthers.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford did not help matters in that defeat. He had two passes intercepted — including one that was returned for a touchdown — and lost a fumble. He also was responsible for a costly delay-of-game penalty.

But the Rams defense also was at fault.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young passed for three touchdowns, and Carolina amassed 164 yards rushing in a victory that ended the Rams’ six-game winning streak and knocked them out of the No. 1 seed for the playoffs.

The Rams do not require any extra motivation, Shula said.

“It’s a playoff game and it’s an extremely tough team on the road in a hostile environment,” he said. “So I think we’ll be ready to go.”

Lydiate combined playing with coaching duties for Dragons in the 2024-25 season when he made 12 appearances before hanging up his boots.

The 38-year-old former blind-side flanker has stayed on as part of Filo Tiatia’s staff with responsibility for the contact area.

Ex-fly-half Patchell joined Dragons last summer in a part-time role and works with the kickers once a week.

Head coach Tiatia does not know if Wales will request the services of his assistants for the Six Nations.

“We’ve not heard anything yet. I spoke to Steve Tandy on Wednesday night about some different things, but I’ll soon find out,” said the former Ospreys forward.

“The autumn was a great opportunity for them and they came back from it as better coaches from the exposure to different things.

“They learnt from working with Danny [Wilson], ‘Jockey’ [Sherratt] and Tandy, plus Duncan who is a good mate of mine, over those weeks in camp.”

Ospreys and Dragons meet in Bridgend on Saturday, 31 January when their Wales contingents will be missing.

There is one round of URC action during the Six Nations with Ospreys hosting Ulster and Dragons entertaining Benetton on Saturday, 28 February.

UCLA has landed a transfer who could hasten Bob Chesney’s rebuilding efforts.

Wayne Knight verbally committed to following Chesney from James Madison to Westwood on Wednesday, giving the new Bruins coach a high-quality running back to pair with quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Showing what he could do on a national stage last month, Knight ran for 110 yards in 17 carries against Oregon in the College Football Playoff. It was the fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season for Knight on the way to being selected a first team All-Sun Belt Conference player.

Combining excellent speed with the toughness needed to break tackles, the 5-foot-6, 189-pound Knight led the conference with 1,357 rushing yards. He also made 40 catches for 397 yards and averaged 22.3 yards on kickoff returns and 9.5 yards on punt returns. His 2,039 all-purpose yards were a school record, helping him become an Associated Press second team All-American all-purpose player after ranking third nationally with 145.6 all-purpose yards per game.

Knight, who will be a redshirt senior next season in his final year of college eligibility, becomes the seventh player from James Madison to accompany Chesney to UCLA, joining wide receiver Landon Ellis, defensive back DJ Barksdale, tight end Josh Phifer, edge rusher Aiden Gobaira, right guard Riley Robell and offensive lineman JD Rayner.

UCLA also has received verbal commitments from Michigan wide receiver Semaj Morgan, Florida wide receiver Aidan Mizell, San Jose State wide receiver Leland Smith, Iowa State running back Dylan Lee, Boise State offensive tackle Hall Schmidt, Virginia Tech defensive back Dante Lovett, Iowa State defensive back Ta’Shawn James and California edge rusher Ryan McCulloch.

But no incoming player can match the production of Knight, whose highlights included a career-high 211 rushing yards — including a 73-yard touchdown — against Troy in the Sun Belt championship game, earning him most valuable player honors for the Dukes’ 31-14 victory.

Knight will join a group of running backs that includes senior Jaivian Thomas (294 yards rushing and one touchdown in 2025), redshirt senior Anthony Woods (294 yards rushing in 2025) and redshirt freshman Karson Cox (nine yards in two carries during his only appearance as a true freshman).

With Knight on board, the Bruins presumably have their starting running back in Year 1 under their new coach.

The Dodgers avoided arbitration with reliever Brusdar Graterol on Wednesday, reportedly agreeing to terms with the Venezuelan right-hander on a one-year, $2.8-million deal before Thursday’s deadline to avoid an arbitration hearing.

Graterol, 27, missed the 2025 season after undergoing surgery on the labrum in his right shoulder in November 2024. The $2.8-million figure is the same as his salary for last season.

After being acquired by the Dodgers in a 2020 trade that sent Kenta Maeda to the Minnesota Twins, he turned into a hard-throwing member of the team’s bullpen.

Graterol’s best season came in 2023 when he recorded a 1.20 earned-run average across 67.1 innings in 68 games, striking out 48 batters and walking 11.

Shoulder inflmmation and a hamstring strain limited Graterol to only seven appearances during the 2024 regular season — though he did pitch in three World Series games against the New York Yankees, including the clinching Game 5 — before he underwent shoulder surgery.

Graterol can become a free agent after the 2026 season.

The Dodgers have three other arbitration-eligible players who have until Thursday to agree to terms on a salary for next season: Left-hander Anthony Banda, outfielder Alex Call and right-hander Brock Stewart.

If any of the players cannot come to an agreement, the team and player must exchange salary figures and a hearing will be scheduled. Negotiations can continue until the date of the hearing.

When his team lost three consecutive games during what was shaping up as a rocky debut season, Mick Cronin made players and coaches go through practices without the UCLA logo on their tank tops and shorts.

There’s currently no need to strip anyone of anything.

This already looks nothing like what UCLA basketball is supposed to be.

The defense is lagging, the roster is lacking and nobody seems to know what to do about it.

A second consecutive loss has dropped the Bruins squarely into bubble territory for the NCAA tournament, somewhere a team that wears these four letters across its chest should never be. They are a middling 10-5 with no compelling victories and a .500 record early in Big Ten play.

Barring a major midseason course correction, UCLA is in danger of missing the only postseason tournament that matters for the second time in three seasons.

The last Bruins coach to survive that scenario was Ben Howland, who immediately entered the next season on the hot seat, his fate seemingly a fait accompli. Even a Pac-12 regular-season title couldn’t save Howland, who was dismissed after the Bruins lost in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

Cronin doesn’t appear in danger of a similar destiny given his recent contract extension that runs through the 2029-30 season. Unless both sides negotiated a settlement of his buyout or Cronin took a job elsewhere, UCLA would owe him $22.5 million if it moved on before April 1 and $18 million at the same point in 2027.

Since Cronin is probably going to be around for a while unless things completely bottom out, it’s far more productive to focus on what he needs to do to salvage his current conundrum. So here are five fixes designed to get a team that entered the season ranked No. 12 playing closer to expectations: