Sports Desk

When Matisse Thybulle was asked what it has been like trying to defend offensive savants Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves during the Lakers training camp, he shook his head and smiled.

Thybulle was emphatic with his answer.

“I mean, you have to work soooo hard. They’re soooo talented,” Thybulle said, laughing. “And it’s just … I think for me it’s great because getting to play against two of the best offensive players in the NBA every day just primes you for — I think it primes all of us, but me specifically — just primes you for what to expect. And I think it was a big thing when you’re growing up that practice should be harder than the games. And I think in the NBA it’s a little different because you just have to pace yourself for such a long season. But guarding Luka and AR, practice is definitely going to be harder than the games.”

During the first four days of Lakers training camp, Thybulle was frequently listed as one of the players who has been a menace on defense.

It was why the Lakers signed the 6-foot-5 free-agent wing to a one-year, $3.2-million contract.

Thybulle, along with Ziaire Williams and Adou Thiero, has been praised for how disruptive he has been during workouts.

“I just think naturally it’s going to be a healthy competition and it gets you better. It’s going to make Austin better when Ziaire is picking them up full court every possession and Matisse is in the passing lane trying to blow things up,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I think [Thybulle and Williams] — [and] Adou with his physicality — those guys are getting better from practicing that way. It goes both ways.”

Thybulle made a name for himself on the defensive end of the floor. He is a two-time NBA all-defensive second team selection, both times with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2021 and 2022.

Still, Thybulle said he’s picking up new skills.

“I think, like the best offensive players in the league — Luka being probably one of the best — change pace so well,” Thybulle said. “And I think as I’m growing in this league, growing as a defender, learning when to change pace and go for steals versus sitting back and being solid and make it more of a cat-and-mouse game as opposed to trying to be in every passing lane every single time.”

On offense, Thybulle will try to mold his game around Doncic and Reaves.

Thybulle will be asked to knock down corner threes and fill the lane on the fast break.

Over the course of his seven-year career, he has made 34.9% of his three-pointers.

“I think luckily for me, I started my career in an offense that was similar to that, and just understanding you never know when it’s going to come, but just to be ready,” Thybulle said. “And just for me personally, at this point, having the confidence in my shot to know that when it comes, I’m ready for it, as opposed to just hoping for the best. I think it goes a long way as well.”

Health has been an issue for Thybulle during the past two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers.

He played in just 30 games last season while recovering from a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb and in just 15 games during the 2024-25 season because of right knee and right ankle injuries.

But he’s healthy now and ready for a breakout season.

He’s one of nine new players on the roster and he’s one of the Lakers that will compete for a starting role.

“I leave those decisions up to the coaches,” Thybulle said. “Yeah, so for me, if my teammates are happy with how I’m playing and the coaches are happy with how I’m playing, that’s a good sign to me that I’m doing a good job. But if that means I’m coming off the bench or that means I’m starting, I trust that the coaches know how to use me best to create the most impact, and we’ll go with that.”

Two starting spots up for grabs

When the Lakers play their first exhibition game Monday night in Sacramento, the big story line will be the starting five.

Redick has said Doncic, Reaves and Walker Kessler will for sure start and that the other two spots will be decided by an open competition.

Redick was asked who would be available in Sacramento.

“Obviously, [we’re] still working through stuff,” he said.

Price, who was playing in a fourth Grand Prix final, claimed the first set with a stunning 132 three-dart average.

He raced into a 3-0 lead and Humphries admitted afterwards that avoiding a 6-0 clean sweep was on his mind such was the brutality that Price was producing.

The fourth set saw the momentum swing however. With Price waiting on tops to move to within two sets of victory, Humphries nicked it by taking out a brilliant 105, with what he said “felt like the biggest shot of my career”.

From there his levels started to rise and he claimed the following three sets to lead.

Price rallied in set eight and won three successive legs to force a best-of-three finale, but, after a short break, Humphries found another gear.

Set nine went to a deciding leg, but unlike the previous four sets in the match where that had happened, there was a break of throw, with Humphries finishing in 10 darts.

That left Price dejected and Humphries won three unanswered legs to claim a ninth major PDC title.

“The sport is in such a special place that when you pick these trophies up they mean a lot more,” said Humphries.

“When I was winning, I don’t think there were so many good players. I’m happy to win a couple a year – one a year is great.

“To go on and win like I did is going to be tough. I don’t think I can’t do it, I’m just trying to pick up as many titles as I can.

“I worked incredibly hard, showed a lot of grit and determination. I think these are a lot sweeter than the ones you win with ease.”

Tickets to see Indianapolis beat Washington 30-13 on Sunday went on sale in July at £79-£245.

But the NFL then dropped prices twice, in late August and again last week. That meant some fans who paid £185 were sat next to fans who paid £79 a few days ago.

Some tickets were also discounted or free via the Blue Light Card and Tickets For Good platforms.

Matt Cullen travelled from Cambridge to most of the London games and said there were two main reasons for the slow sales; a price hike and a season-ticket package being scrapped.

“I find the prices now mind-boggling,” he added. “It’s so far above the rate of inflation that it just feels like a money-grab. It’s priced out a lot of long-term fans.”

In 2019, tickets ranged from £55 to £125. According to Ticket-Compare, UK inflation has since risen by about 32.4% and the cheapest NFL London tickets have risen by 43.9%. The most expensive have seen a 96.5% hike.

Season-ticket packages had been available, guaranteeing seats for each London game with a discount, but they were scrapped after the 2024 season.

“It felt like a kick to the head for a lot of loyal fans who’d supported the games for a long time and spent a lot of money,” said Cullen, a former season-ticket holder. “But I do understand the NFL wants to bring new fans in.”

There are all the stars in this series — Mookie Betts, Matt Olson, Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuna Jr., Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Chris Sale, Tarik Skubal, Michael Harris II and more — and then there is the face of baseball around the world.

Major League Baseball wrapped a postseason advertisement around the front page of The Times this week. “OCTOBER STARTS TODAY,” the headline screamed.

Beneath those enormous letters, Shohei Ohtani smiled. Who else?

And so dozens of reporters crammed into a cramped room within Dodger Stadium on Friday afternoon, on the eve of the National League Division Series between the Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves, waiting for Ohtani to answer a few versions of “How are you?”

It’s not just about attracting casual fans to watch the icon whose face adorns everything from airplanes to skin care products. For the Dodgers and their fans, it’s about whether their most famous player can be a game-changer in October.

The Dodgers could have shut him down as a pitcher rather than let him continue to try to pitch through knee and biceps injuries. They didn’t, and that backfired.

The Dodgers could have shut him down as a hitter, not for the season but for a stint on the injured list. They didn’t. They gave him just a few days off, and that backfired.

Then the Dodgers did put him on the injured list, but activated him for the final five games of the regular season rather than give him extended rest for the playoffs, limiting his activity to controlled workouts.

That might backfire, or it might not, and the repercussions of the former could represent a significant hurdle in their quest for a third consecutive World Series championship. Giving Ohtani time off during the regular season would have carried no penalty; the Dodgers would have won the NL West with or without him.

If the Dodgers decide Ohtani needs a few days off now, they would face this unpleasant dilemma: play one man short, or put him on the injured list. Under MLB rules, a player put on the injured list during a postseason series must sit out the next series. So, if Ohtani starts wincing at the end of his swings during the NLDS, a stint on the injured list would mean he could not play again until the World Series — if the Dodgers get there.

Shohei Ohtani speaks during a news conference at Dodger Stadium on Friday.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Ohtani has not hit a home run since Aug. 18. Since then, he is batting .157, and he has struck out in 41% of his at-bats. In those final five games, he hit the ball hard in the first two, then hit ground balls in the final three. In the on-deck circle, he did not always take a swing.

In batting practice Friday, he hit lots of home runs.

The general sense of how Ohtani is feeling now: good enough.

Ohtani said he feels “really good” as compared to before he went on the injured list, but acknowledged he isn’t sure what he might need to do to address the injuries over the winter.

“As of now, it’s something I’m just going to have to manage,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts offered this medical update: “Shohei’s not 100%, but he’s going to be in the lineup.”

Same for Freddie Freeman, who has not homered in a month. The difference, Roberts said, is how encouraged the manager was by Freeman’s workouts this week.

“With Shohei, I’m not so sure,” Roberts said. “I know that once the lights turn on, the postseason starts, the focus will be heightened. I expect good things. I really do. We just haven’t seen it enough to really — for me to forecast it.”

Ohtani plays when he says he can. After he tore up his left shoulder in Game 2 of the 2024 World Series, he had trainers tape the shoulder in place and took 11 at-bats over the final three games of the series. He had one hit, a single.

“I do pride myself on playing every day,” Ohtani said. “I do see it as an obligation as a professional to be on the field every single day.”

Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, acknowledged recently that communication with Ohtani has been “awesome” but “fully sharing exactly how he’s feeling, maybe not as awesome.”

Said Friedman: “He’s not always the best reporter of how he feels. Freddie’s the same way. Clayton Kershaw. I’ve been around a lot of these guys that feel like their job is to be out there to help the team however they can, and sometimes will downplay some things that are bothering them. But again, it’s because he wants to help the team win.”

The Dodgers are talented enough that Ohtani not hitting well would not damage their chances as much as, say, Sale not pitching well for the Braves. In the NLDS and the first three games of the NLCS last October, Ohtani hit .103 with no home runs and struck out in 48% of his at-bats.

In the NLCS clincher, he hit three home runs (and struck out 10 batters). The Dodgers could trade a few bad days from Ohtani for that one really good day.

In that MLB advertisement, the one that featured Ohtani, the league acknowledged that its screaming headline was not exactly accurate. The explanation also fits the Dodgers’ hopes of Ohtani starring in October.

The ad, after all, appeared on Sept. 29.

October starts today?

“Logic and reason would tell you otherwise,” the ad read. “But October isn’t about being reasonable.

“It’s about belief.”

A look at the top 25 high school football teams in the Southland after Week 6:

Rk. School (record) result; Next game; last week’s ranking

1. SANTA MARGARITA (6-0) def. Mater Dei, 14-7; vs. Servite at Saddleback College, Friday; 1

2. ST. JOHN BOSCO (5-1) def. JSerra, 40-14; vs. Orange Lutheran, Friday; 2

3. SIERRA CANYON (6-0) def. Loyola, 41-0; at Gardena Serra, Friday; 3

4. CORONA CENTENNIAL (3-3) def. Vista Murrieta, 65-14; vs. Murrietta Valley, Friday; 4

5. MATER DEI (4-2) lost to Santa Margarita, 14-7; at JSerra, Friday; 5

6. MISSION VIEJO (4-1) def. Huntington Beach Edison, 42-14; at Yorba Linda, Thursday; 6

7. ORANGE LUTHERAN (4-2) def. Servite, 56-21; at St. John Bosco, Friday; 7

8. SAN CLEMENTE (6-0) def. Yorba Linda, 28-0; at Los Alamitos, Friday; 8

9. PALOS VERDES (6-0) def. Long Beach Millikan, 42-7; vs. Inglewood, Friday; 10

10. JSERRA (4-2) lost to St. John Bosco, 40-14; vs. Mater Dei, Friday; 11

11. SERVITE (3-3) lost to Orange Lutheran, 56-21; at Santa Margarita, Friday; 12

12. CORONA DEL MAR (6-0) def. Villa Park, 24-10; vs. Tustin, Friday; 13

13. BISHOP AMAT (5-1) def. Gardena Serra, 27-26; vs. Chaminade, Friday; 14

14. LA SERNA (5-1) def. Warren, 27-3; vs. La Mirada, Friday; 15

15. CREAN LUTHERAN (4-2) def. Tustin, 21-7; vs. Capistrano Valley, Friday; 16

16. CARSON (5-1) def. Gardena, 57-0; at Banning, Friday; 17

17. OXNARD PACIFICA (5-1) def. Oaks Christian, 38-17; at Newbury Park, Friday; 18

18 . CHAMINADE (5-1) lost to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 28-21; at Bishop Amat, Friday; 9

19. GARDENA SERRA (3-3) lost to Bishop Amat, 27-26; vs. Sierra Canyon, Friday; 19

20. HUNTINGTON BEACH (6-0) def. El Modena, 24-21; at Dana Hills, Friday; 22

21. SAN JACINTO (6-0) def. Temescal Canyon, 49-0; vs. Tahquitz, Friday; 24

22. ORANGE (6-0) def. El Dorado, 42-14; vs. Segerstrom, Friday; 25

23. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (6-0) def. Chaminade 28-21; at Loyola, Friday; NR

24. CAPISTRANO VALLEY (6-0) def. La Habra, 42-20; at Crean Lutheran, Friday; NR

25. YORBA LINDA (4-2) lost to San Clemente, 28-0; vs. Mission Viejo, Thursday; 23

Bronny James laughed at the comment, because he found it funny to have a reporter tell him he’s tied for the third-longest tenure with the Lakers.

He is entering his third season, tied with Dalton Knecht and right behind Austin Reaves (entering his sixth season) and Jarred Vanderbilt (going on four-plus).

James is a veteran now and is looking to find his role with the Lakers.

“Crazy, right? AR keeps calling me a vet,” James said, chuckling. “I’m like, ‘I guess.’”

James is a naturally reserved person. But as a point guard, he admits his job is to speak up more, to help organize the offense, to make sure some of his nine new teammates understand what Lakers coach JJ Redick expects.

For his first two years with the Lakers, James didn’t say much because his dad, LeBron James, was the leader and powerful voice on the team.

As a 21-year-old, Bronny James leads in his own way, just as Redick wants all his players to do.

“Definitely coming in every day trying to get better and better myself as a point guard,” James said. “Just taking those steps, encouraging my guys, getting them in the right spots and stuff like that. Making sure we’re organized.

“For sure, that’s what a point guard is. You’ve got to be talking to your guys, got to be helping people get to where they need to be. I take pride in that, for sure. If anyone goes out — God forbid anyone goes out — I’ve got to be the guy to step up and be the primary ballhandler, and get my guys in the right spots. So, yeah, I’ve definitely got to lock in on that.”

James played in 42 regular-season games last season, averaging 2.9 points and shooting 40.9% from the field.

Though he didn’t put up big numbers in the playoffs, James was solid in his role, especially on defense. He played in eight postseason games, averaging 1.5 points and shooting 50% from the field.

This current Lakers team has depth and talent throughout the lineup.

James knows it’s going to take a lot of work to find a role on the team.

“Continuing to come in the gym and stay after practice, just working, competing, playing, just trying to make my mark,” James said. “I think just building on defensive instinct, how I was in the playoffs, picking up full court. They’ve been emphasizing that so I’ve been one of the guys that is picking up full court every possession, every time we get a bucket, just picking up full court.

“And then just being a primary ballhandler for my team. We’re playing against Luka [Doncic] and AR today, so me, Q[uentin Grimes], or J[aden] Hardy, guys were on the team, being primary ballhandlers, giving us confidence.”

Being a top-notched defender is what James strives to be for the Lakers.

Every day during these training camp sessions, James gets tested when he has to defend Doncic and Reaves, two of the NBA’s most dynamic guards.

But that can only help James.

“For sure, it’s going to make me better on the defensive end just picking them up full court,” James said. “I’m annoyed by them, they get annoyed with me in practice. Just continuing to do that will make me better for sure.”

James has worked on his jump shot. He looks more defined, a sign that he has worked on his body as well.

“Just continuing to come in and work on it. The jumper, I’ve been in the gym all summer working on fluidity and the speed of my release, stuff like that, moving,” James said. “Tied into that, just running a lot. I’m the same weight, 215 or 220-ish, but still slim so I can move fast. Just getting in the gym every day and continuing to keep a routine.”

The Lakers have had four days of practice, all of them intense, all of them full of energy.

They will play their first preseason games Monday at Sacramento and then Tuesday at Golden State.

That will give James and the rest of his teammates a chance to carve out roles.

“I definitely think it’s still a process. It’s definitely going to take a few games to get everyone situated,” James said. “We’re trying to figure out our own roles and those things, but also just trying to experiment with lineups. I’ve been here for a minute now, so I know kind of what my role is, but definitely for the new guys.”

And now we present the forecast for the Atlanta Braves, brought to you by Yogi Berra: It gets late early out there.

The Dodgers can cloud the outlook for anyone. The Braves left Dodger Stadium in an uneasy spot Saturday, with one big decision to make: Do they risk putting themselves in the uncomfortable position of facing three consecutive elimination games without using their best pitcher in the first two games of this National League Division Series, or do they start Chris Sale on Sunday?

“We’re expecting to see him,” Dodgers infielder Tommy Edman said.

The Dodgers have four aces. The Braves have one.

“We’ve got the ace of all aces in Chris Sale,” Braves pitcher Brent Suter said.

So why were the Braves publicly noncommittal about using him?

The Braves deployed him Thursday, for the final four outs of the deciding game of the wild-card round. He started and pitched into the seventh inning on Tuesday.

The four days between starts is traditional — as is throwing once between starts, albeit generally in a pregame workout — but the 37-year-old Sale has not done that since April.

“The deciding factor is always going to be how Chris is feeling,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “When we came in the other night, the first words out of his mouth were ‘I feel amazing.’ If he were to come in [Sunday] morning and say ‘I feel amazing,’ there’s a chance he pitches.”

Sale, a 10-time All-Star, posted a 2.16 earned-run average this season, trailing only projected Cy Young winners Jacob Misiorowski and Cam Schlittler. In two appearances against the Dodgers, he posted a 1.13 ERA, with no walks and 18 strikeouts in 16 innings.

“He’s the ace over there, and we’re ready to see him two times this series, regardless of whether he is starting or coming out of the bullpen,” Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas said. “We all know he is going to be out there at some point.

“If it’s [Sunday], we will be ready. If it’s Game 3, we will be ready. If it’s [Sunday] out of the ‘pen, we will be ready.”

Weiss should be concerned. If he is, he would not publicly admit to it.

“To me, it’s not that big a deal when he pitches,” Weiss said. “He’s going to pitch in this series.

“Dodgers can’t win it in two.”

The Braves risk overthinking this. If Sale starts Sunday, he also could start on traditional rest in a potential Game 5. If the Braves hold him back until Game 3, he presumably would not start a potential Game 5 on two days’ rest.

So, if the Braves get that far, would they want to limit Sale to, say, four outs?

“Even if he throws Game 3, I think he’s still available for Game 5 in some way, shape, or form,” Weiss said.

The Dodgers could push Yoshinobu Yamamoto to Game 3 because they had Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell to start the first two games. Money buys you the best of options.

The Braves’ most likely options for Game 2, if Sale does not start: a second consecutive bullpen game, or Grant Holmes, 30, a Dodgers first-round draft pick in 2014, and three years later, part of a three-prospect package sent to the Oakland Athletics for Rich Hill and Josh Reddick.

The way Weiss looks at it, he can win three out of the next four games with his top two starters (Sale and Tyler Mahle) yet to be used, and all his high-leverage relievers fresh.

The way we look at it, who says the series extends to four or five games? The Braves either try to win with Sale on Sunday, or risk needing to sweep three games started by Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Skubal, in that order. Wouldn’t be prudent.

“We know Sale is their best pitcher,” Rojas said. “So we are ready for him, at some point.”

That point should be Sunday, a little after 5 p.m.

The knives were already out. The boos were already ringing.

At the end of an already brutal week at USC, during which the nation was ready to dance on the graves of the Trojans and their coach, it seemed for much of Saturday that any last shreds of faith in coach Lincoln Riley might melt away in the beating Southern California sun. Not only had the aftermath of their Oregon loss gone as poorly as possible, but now the Trojans were tripping over themselves again, trailing Washington, a middling Big Ten team down to its fourth-string running back, and a chant began to rise above the fray, from the USC student section.

“FIRE LINCOLN!” they roared.

That refrain had only been heard in hushed tones until this past week. But Saturday, before the No. 18 Trojans pulled away with a 25-21 victory, it felt as if their embattled coach stood at the edge of a certain Rubicon, one he may not return from with one wrong step.

That tension still hung thick over the Coliseum until late in the third quarter, when linebacker Elijah Newby came roaring around the edge toward Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. He swatted the ball out of his right hand, and defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart scooped it up. He sprinted 48 yards on a sore foot for a go-ahead score — and joked afterward that he hit 22 mph on his scoring scamper.

Just two minutes earlier, the Trojans had been down 21-10, and it wasn’t hard to envision how their season could continue spiraling from there. One mistake, one missed opportunity, one penalty after another brought them to this point, despite the fact that the Huskies actually struggled to move the ball on USC’s defense throughout.

It looked, for most of Saturday, like that unit took a step forward after the past two weeks, when both Rutgers and Oregon marched on them. Through one half, USC held Washington to just 44 passing yards. Through three quarters, Washington was averaging fewer than six yards per play.

“The bounce back was huge for us,” freshman defensive end Luke Wafle said.

Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr., left, tries to fend off USC linebacker Elijah Newby during the second quarter Saturday at the Coliseum.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

USC’s defense nearly came apart in the fourth quarter, though, at the worst possible time. Washington hadn’t converted a single third down until its final drive, when Williams converted a third-and-11 pass, then hit a fourth-and-two bomb for 43 yards. The Huskies got as close as the USC 12-yard line, before the Trojans finally shut the door.

“We had to dig deep for this one,” Riley said. “Especially as sloppy as we played.”

USC (5-1, 2-1) did try something a little different on defense, with defensive coordinator Gary Patterson calling the game from the press box instead of the sideline. Riley said the decision was akin to “trying to just move the chess pieces to get everyone in the right position.” He also added that Patterson’s former staff at Texas Christian had a lot more familiarity with Patterson’s scheme, and thus he handled things differently with that staff.

But the communication issues of past weeks appeared less of a problem on defense. The real concerns Saturday actually came on offense, where the Trojans uncharacteristically sputtered. Jayden Maiava was 21 of 34 for 245 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.

Still, judging by the box score alone, you’d be hard-pressed to understand how USC could have nearly squandered a game in which they piled up far more yards (360 to 319) and had the ball for far longer (34:58 to 25:02) and dominated on third down.

“We’re gonna fix it,” Stewart said. “No team comes out perfect. It takes time.”

After a disappointing few weeks on the defensive end, USC actually opened the game by forcing Washington (3-2, 0-2) into back-to-back three and outs.

But the Trojans managed a measly three points from those stops. Their first drive, stalled in the red zone. The next one backed up USC to the one-yard line after wideout Terrell Anderson muffed a punt.

Washington took advantage of the field position on its next drive. Faced with a fourth and seven in USC territory, Williams slipped past pressure and scampered to a first down. It was the first sign of life from the Huskies’ offense, which found its way into the end zone four plays later.

Then, USC gave the ball right back. On the run, Maiava launched a pass off his back foot under heavy pressure. It fell well short of its target and was picked off.

USC’s defense held strong, forcing a third three and out in the Huskies’ first four drives. And its offense finally held up its end of the bargain, with Waymond Jordan punching in an eight-yard touchdown.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava scrambles during the first half against Washington at the Coliseum on Saturday.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Washington continued to struggle moving the ball, but mistakes from USC helped its cause. An illegal formation penalty wiped away a deep Trojan touchdown pass to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. Then on the ensuing possession, Wafle grabbed Williams’ face mask as he pulled him down for a sack.

USC had more penalty yards (50) than Washington had passing yards (44) in the first half. And those penalties gave the Huskies life at the end of the half, as they drove the length of the field and scored again.

“We felt like we were outplaying them,” Riley said. “We just couldn’t get out of our own way a little bit. That’s probably going to be a defining thing for this team going forward, how much we can do that.”

With a chance to regroup, the Trojans tripped over themselves out of the half too. An unsportsmanlike penalty killed their opening drive. Then, Washington tight end Decker DeGraaf caught a pass and took off down the sideline, running through two feeble-arm tackles on the way to an inexplicable 42-yard touchdown.

After that, the Riley chants rang out from the student section. But the Trojans’ offense mounted a 13-play scoring drive in response. Tanook Hines tore the ball away from a Washington defender in the end zone.

USC coach Lincoln Riley walks back to the sideline after speaking with his players during a timeout in the first half Saturday.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Less than two minutes later, Stewart scooped up the fumble and took off. His 48-yard return completed a 12-point swing for the Trojans.

“To overcome all that and still win shows me some of the guts and toughness and culture in this room right here,” Riley said. “We could’ve folded.”

Still, USC couldn’t put Washington away. Down to their last drive, the Huskies converted a third and 11 and two fourth downs to drive deep into Trojan territory late.

But Kameryn Crawford pulled Williams down for a sack — the Trojans’ fifth of the game — and the defense held. And USC, at the end of a long, brutal week, breathed a sigh of relief.

The Dodgers are better than you. They’re smarter than you. They’re richer and deeper and more popular than you. You know it, they know it, there’s no point pretending otherwise.

So, yes, they went into the National League Divisional Series looking past the threadbare Atlanta Braves and thinking about the National League Championship Series.

Who does that? In the playoffs?

Your two-time World Series champions with the world’s best starting pitching rotation and a 1-0 NLDS series lead, that’s who.

The way the Dodgers did the math, it made sense to save their ace of aces, Yoshinobu Yamamoto — who last postseason went 5-1, had an ERA of 1.45 and 33 strikeouts in six appearances and won the World Series MVP — for Game 3 of the NLDS.

Not for the tone-setting Game 1 and, potentially, Game 5 on regular rest.

But Game 3.

Because to the Dodgers, that’s not even much of a calculated risk. It was a math problem specific to them, before they beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 in Game 1 in 100-degree heat Saturday afternoon.

They figured they’d be able to throw two consecutive left-handers at the lefty-averse Braves lineup, starting Saturday with recently acquired two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, followed Sunday by Blake Snell, also a two-time Cy Young winner.

Additionally, this way they could have Yamamoto pitch Tuesday on the road, where his ERA is 1.77 instead of at home, where it’s 3.13. And where he’s given up 14 home runs compared with six on the road, where he’s made four fewer starts.

But mostly the Dodgers’ calculus was that having Yamamoto pitch Game 3 means it will line up so that they’ll have him for Game 2 in the NLCS and, if necessary, Game 6 against the Milwaukee Brewers or San Diego Padres. (Or, if you really want to plan ahead — and the Dodgers with their leaky bullpen absolutely should not — for Game 1 of the World Series.)

“That just sets up the rotation and Yamamoto better looking forward,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained before Saturday’s game.

“Not discounting this series, because you’ve got to win this series first, but you start from the fact that they’re all going to pitch — the three [Skubal, Snell and Yamamoto] are going to pitch for sure … and then what sets them up going forward.”

It feels like a faux pas, to be that forward-thinking, and to be saying the quiet part out loud!

“If you can kind of line it up in such a way to give guys ample rest, it puts you in a better position for more options down the road,” Roberts said. “That’s kind of some of the math we had.”

I mean, it adds up. And for these Dodgers — whose fourth starter, Tyler Glasnow, was a key cog in last year’s World Series-winning rotation — it’s a fair assessment.

Though it’s nice of Roberts to pay enough lip service that he’s not totally discounting the best-of-five current series they’re in.

Predictably on Saturday, Skubal, who previously had a 2.04 ERA, a 0.73 WHIP and 56 strikeouts in 39⅔ playoff innings for the Detroit Tigers, brought his own October heat.

The 29-year-old from Kingman, Ariz., gave up just one run and two hits, walked two and struck out seven — giving him 64 in the postseason, the second most in his first seven postseason appearances behind only Bob Gibson (74), per MLB’s Sarah Langs.

Skubal retired 15 consecutive, hit 101 on the radar gun in the second inning and didn’t have a three-ball count until the fifth inning.

“We knew,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said, “it was going to be a rough ride.”

But Weiss did not know, immediately after Saturday’s loss, when he’d be able to deploy his sole ace, 37-year-old Chris Sale, the 10-time All-Star who just pitched in the Braves’ Game 3 wild-card closeout.

“To me it’s not that big a deal when he pitches,” Weiss said. “The Dodgers can’t win it in two.”

A true statement and a matter of fact: The Dodgers can’t win in two, but they’re not shy about expecting to win.

“It’s prudent to kind of map out potentially how they could line up,” Roberts said Friday. “And that’s just doing your due diligence.

“We are very fortunate because we have four guys essentially that you could really kind of pick through to figure out what’s the best way to deploy all four starters, that’s the exercise. But it starts with having four talented guys.”

Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, reveled in the notion that his club might actually be disproving the rule that you can never have enough pitching — at least when it comes to their elite quartet of starters.

And that, Friedman said, “is very impactful for quality of life.”

And the Dodgers aren’t afraid to say it.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

Northern League

L.A. Marshall at Franklin

Nonleague

Hawkins at West Adams, 6 p.m.

Los Angeles at Torres, 3:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

8-MAN

SOUTHERN SECTION

Nonleague

Lucerne Valley at Desert Chapel

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

Marine League

Narbonne at Gardena

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alpha League

Mission Viejo at Yorba Linda

Baseline League

Etiwanda at Damien

Rancho Cucamonga at Chino Hills

Boulder League

Pasadena at San Marino

Delta League

Laguna Beach at El Modena

Desert Sky League

Granite Hills at Victor Valley

Silverado at Adelanto

Golden League

Highland at Eastside

Hacienda Heights

Baldwin Park at Covina

South Hills at Los Altos

Iota League

La Palma Kennedy at Cypress

Kappa League

Anaheim Canyon at Fullerton

Lambda League

Woodbridge at Fountain Valley

Manzanita League

Desert Chapel at California Military Institute

Silver Valley at Nuview Bridge

Mid-Cities League

Bellflower at California

Mojave River League

Burroughs Ridgecrest at Hesperia

Oak Hills at Apple Valley

Sultana at Serrano

Rio Vista League

Artesia at Firebaugh

River Valley League

Patriot at Miller

Skyline League

Arroyo Valley at Bloomington

Carter at Indian Springs

San Gorgonio at Fontana

Tango League

Garden Grove Santiago at Bolsa Grande

Santa Ana Valley at Westminster La Quinta

Nonleague

Grand Terrace at Rialto

Kaiser at Jurupa Hills

Rim of the World at Eisenhower

Summit at Colton

8-MAN

CITY SECTION

City League

USC Hybrid at Stella

SOUTHERN SECTION

Express League

Southlands Christian at Avalon

Freelance League

Noli Indian at Villanova Prep

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

Central League

Bernstein at Hollywood

Roybal at Mendez

Coliseum League

Dorsey at Marquez

Washington Prep at King/Drew

Eastern League

Bell at South Gate

Garfield at South East

L.A. Roosevelt at Huntington Park

East Valley League

Arleta at Monroe

Grant at Arroyo

Verdugo Hills at Fulton, 3:30 p.m.

Exposition League

Jefferson at Santee

Marine League

Carson at Wilmington Banning

Metro League

Hawkins at Rancho Dominguez

Northern League

Lincoln at L.A. Wilson

Franklin at Eagle Rock

Southern League

Los Angeles at Diego Rivera

Valley Mission League

Canoga Park at Van Nuys

Panorama at San Fernando

Sylmar at Granada Hills Kennedy

Western League

Los Angeles Hamilton at Westchester

Los Angeles University at Palisades

Venice at Fairfax

West Valley League

Birmingham at Taft

El Camino Real at Cleveland

Granada Hills at Chatsworth

Nonleague

Angelou at Manual Arts

Contreras at Maywood CES

Locke at Dymally, 4 p.m.

West Adams at Torres, 4 p.m.

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alpha League

San Clemente at Los Alamitos

San Juan Hills at Edison

Almont League

Belmont at Montebello

Angelus League

Bishop Montgomery at Paraclete

Cathedral at St. Paul

St. Pius X-st. Matthias Academy at St. Francis

Arroyo League

Burbank at Monrovia

Muir at La Canada

Bay League

Inglewood at Palos Verdes, 3:30 p.m.

Mira Costa at Leuzinger

Big West League

Corona at Eastvale Roosevelt

Great Oak at Corona Santiago

Murrieta Mesa at Vista Murrieta

Murrieta Valley at Corona Centennial

Norco at Chaparral

Temecula Valley at Riverside King

Boulder League

Crescenta Valley at South Pasadena

Gabrielino at Burbank Burroughs

Bravo League

Tustin at Corona del Mar

Villa Park at La Habra

Camino Real League

Bosco Tech at Mary Star of the Sea

Channel League

Rio Mesa at Moorpark

Santa Barbara at Ventura

Thousand Oaks at Westlake

Citrus Belt League

Beaumont at Redlands

Redlands East Valley at Citrus Valley

Citrus Coast League

Carpinteria at Santa Clara

Grace at Del Sol

Nordhoff at Channel Islands

Coastal 101 League

Buena at Oxnard

Camarillo at Calabasas

Oak Park at Agoura

Cottonwood League

Riverside Notre Dame at Arrowhead Christian

Whittier Christian at Vasquez

Del Rey League

Salesian at Alemany

St. Anthony at La Salle

Delta League

Huntington Beach at Dana Hills

Western at Troy

Desert Empire League

Palm Springs at Shadow Hills

Rancho Mirage at La Quinta

Xavier Prep at Palm Desert

Epsilon League

Aliso Niguel at Brea Olinda

Newport Harbor at Tesoro

Trabuco Hills at Santa Ana Foothill

Foothill League

Golden Valley at Castaic

Saugus at Canyon Country Canyon

West Ranch vs. Hart at College of the Canyons

Foxtrot League

Beckman at Irvine

El Dorado at El Toro

Segerstrom at Orange

Gano League

Chaffey at Nogales

Walnut at Don Lugo

Gateway League

Cerritos at Mayfair

Downey at Warren

La Mirada at La Serna

Golden League

Antelope Valley at Palmdale

Lancaster at Knight

Littlerock at Quartz Hill

Hacienda League

Diamond Bar at West Covina

Hub City League

Compton at Compton Early College

Compton Centennial at Long Beach Cabrillo

Inland Valley League

Canyon Springs at Lakeside

Hemet at Citrus Hill

Heritage at Arlington

Iota League

Marina at Laguna Hills

Garden Grove Pacifica at Northwood

Ironwood League

Capistrano Valley Christian at Western Christian

Cerritos Valley Christian at Village Christian

Heritage Christian at Aquinas

Ivy League

Orange Vista at Liberty

Paloma Valley at Riverside North

Vista del Lago at Rancho Verde

Kappa League

Portola at St. Margaret’s

Sunny Hills at Esperanza

Lambda League

Sonora at Westminster

Manzanita League

Temecula Prep at Anza Hamilton

Marmonte League

Oaks Christian at Simi Valley

Oxnard Pacifica at Newbury Park

Mesquite League

Desert Christian Academy at Linfield Christian

Maranatha at Ontario Christian

Mid-Cities League

Gahr at Norwalk

Miramonte League

Workman at Bassett

Mission League

Chaminade at Bishop Amat

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Loyola

Sierra Canyon at Gardena Serra

Mission Valley League

El Monte at Arroyo

Mountain View at South El Monte

Montview League

Azusa at Duarte

Hacienda Heights Wilson at La Puente

Sierra Vista at Ontario

Moore League

Millikan at Lakewood

Mountain Pass League

Tahquitz at San Jacinto

Mountain Valley League

Jurupa Valley at San Bernardino

La Sierra at Rubidoux

Ocean league

Beverly Hills at South Torrance

Lawndale at Peninsula, 3:30 p.m.

Omicron League

Buena Park at Los Amigos

Garden Grove at Santa Ana

Irvine University at Estancia

Pioneer League

Culver City at West Torrance

El Segundo at Torrance

Santa Monica at North Torrance

Rio Vista League

Glenn at Whittier

Pioneer at Lynwood

River Valley League

La Sierra at Rubidoux

Pacific at Ramona, 6:45 p.m.

Sierra League

Ayala at Glendora

Bonita at Northview

Charter Oak at Colony

Sigma League

Costa Mesa at Anaheim

Katella at Rancho Alamitos

Saddleback at Ocean View

Sunbelt League

Moreno Valley at Valley View

Paloma Valley at Riverside North

Perris at Hillcrest

Tango League

Century at Godinez

Magnolia at Savanna

Tri-County League

Dos Pueblos at Royal

Fillmore at Hueneme

San Marcos at Santa Paula

Trinity League

Mater Dei at JSerra

Orange Lutheran at St. John Bosco

Servite vs. Santa Margarita at Saddleback College

Valle Vista League

Chino at Claremont

San Dimas at Diamond Ranch

Nonleague

Banning at Twentynine Palms

Coachella Valley at Desert Mirage

Keppel at Temple City

INTERSECTIONAL

Belmont at Hoover, 6 p.m.

8-MAN

CITY SECTION

City League

New Designs University Park at New Designs Watts

USC Hybrid at Stella, 3 p.m.

Valley League

TEACH Tech at East Valley

Valley Oaks CES at Sherman Oaks CES

SOUTHERN SECTION

Express League

Legacy College Prep at Downey Calvary Chapel

Vista Meridian at Magnolia Science Academy

Tri-Valley League

Cate at Flintridge Prep, 6:30 p.m.

Nonleague

California School for the Deaf Riverside at Entrepreneur

Desert Christian at Malibu, 6:30 p.m.

Frazier Mountain at Cuyama Valley

River Springs Charter at Cornerstone Christian, 5 p.m.

Santa Clarita Christian at Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian

Trinity Classical Academy at Lancaster Baptist

INTERSECTIONAL

Kings Christian at Maricopa

Tehillah Christian Academy at PAL Academy, 3 p.m.

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

SOUTHERN SECTION

Del Rey League

Crespi at Harvard-Westlake

Marmonte League

St. Bonaventure at Bishop Diego

Moore League

Long Beach Wilson vs. Long Beach Poly at Long Beach Cabrillo

Sunbelt League

Rancho Christian at Riverside Poly

8-MAN

SOUTHERN SECTION

Coast Valley League

Coastal Christian at San Luis Obispo Classical, 6 p.m.

Tri-Valley League

Sage Hill at Pasadena Poly, 11 a.m.

Nonleague

Thacher at Chadwick, 11:30 a.m.

INTERSECTIONAL

Mammoth at Academy of Careers & Exploration, 6 p.m.

There are so many ethical dilemmas in high school sports that earning a teaching credential or gaining life experiences from participating in sports won’t always provide a clear path on how to proceed.

And when you bring in rules and regulations set forth by the California Interscholastic Federation, the state’s governing body for high school sports, everyone has an opinion or complaint — especially when there is a perception of inconsistency in how punishment for a rule violation is assessed.

It really comes down to how coaches hold themselves accountable and what a principal believes in supporting. For example, some principals have dismissed coaches for using profanity. Others do nothing.

Here are some of the ethical questions administrators, coaches, parents and players now face:

If cheating is wrong, how come so many cheat?

Should a player who transfers and has superior talent immediately get to start over a player who has been in the program for three years busting his butt?

How do you figure out when it’s OK to share playing time at quarterback if you have two good players or even three?

When is it OK for a parent to ask about their son‘s or daughter’s playing time, if ever?

How important is winning games compared to team grade-point average?

What is the most appropriate punishment for showing up late to practice?

What is a legitimate excuse for missing practice?

When should a coach allow players to wear whatever shoes they want compared to having one universal shoe and color?

Why are coaches allowed to use profanity but players can’t?

Why can’t coaches welcome multi-sport athletes instead of seething when they have to miss an offseason game?

Should benching a player for receiving a technical foul be automatic?

Should a player be immediately removed for committing a personal foul in football?

How much consideration should be given to the parent with money versus the parent with no money?

How much acting is required to pull off a pregame or halftime speech to inspire your players?

How can you teach teamwork and unselfishness for the team but lay low and suddenly go silent when the top player doesn’t follow the example away from the team?

When a parent offers to become an assistant coach, what instructions and guidelines must be imposed to prevent other parents complaining about “daddy ball?”

When is yelling at an official ever appropriate?

When is the margin of victory too large?

Why is it OK to recruit players, then complain when someone else recruits your players?

For years, baseball coaches have broken rules by holding batting practice before playoff games, resulting in teams forfeiting and coaches learning ignorance of a rule is no excuse. That leads to how can a coach receive only a two-game suspension from his district for playing three ineligible players during an out-of-state football game while claiming he didn’t know the ineligible players couldn’t play outside of California when he’s been coaching for more more than 10 years?

Any coach who says “I don’t want to know” where a transfer lives to escape accountability might want to start realizing an entire program can go down when they abdicate responsibility.

Finally, many claim whatever they are doing “is for the kids,” but when is it time for an adult to enter the room and explain the end doesn’t justify the means?

As someone who has seen virtually every kind of behavior, both good and bad, during 50 years of covering high school sports, I can say I don’t have all the answers to many of the questions posed. But when it comes to education-based high school sports. everyone has a responsibility to follow high ethical standards so that maybe a little bit might rub off on their players and help them navigate their future real-life decisions from a position of strength and confidence.

The Corona Centennial High football team has an interesting blend of players spelling their similar first names differently, leaving coach Matt Logan to be the referee as to which parents got the spelling correct.

There’s Jaden Jefferson, Jaden Walk-Green, Jaden Bynum, Jayden Steeber, Jayden Rodriguez and Jaiden Sapp on varsity.

Asked for a comment on what the correct spelling should be, Logan replied, “Which one?”

With six player possibilities, he better be specific as to which Jaden, Jayden or Jaiden he’s trying to alert when shouting the name.

Luckily, Logan isn’t the freshman or JV coach because there’s also Jayden Morales, Jayden Bullard and Jaidon Wilkerson. That’s nine players who qualify to join a club or create a T-shirt: Which first name is spelled correctly?

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

The word “process” has been used so many times by the Scotland head coach and his players in recent days it’s probably the new team motto.

But there is truth in it.

Pocognoli is trying to implement a radically different system to his predecessor. Not only that, it’s a different mindset. All while trying to embed a clutch of new players.

It’s early days for the Belgian, his group, and, of course, Bowie. But the man on loan at Sassuolo believes things are clicking, and it’s an opportunity for him to make his mark.

“It’s a lot longer international break,” he explained. “We spend a lot more time together so it’s good for him to get his message across and his ideas. Also, we play more games so we have to train a little bit less of course.

“I think for me it’s a fresh start with a new coach and different ideas.

“He said to me ‘you don’t need to prove yourself, just go and do what I know you can do’ and I feel like I’m just doing that.”

Bowie, who made his Rovers debut at 16, added: “I think people, obviously Scottish fans, have the same idea of how I was when I was at Hibs and that’s all they can remember.

“But I feel like since I moved to Serie A, it’s a different challenge against more experienced players and at a higher level.

“So, yeah, I feel like I’ve definitely kicked into another gear and I feel like I’m showing that.”

SAN JOSÉ — Igor Chernyshov scored his second goal of the game with 1:42 remaining in overtime and the San José Sharks beat the Kings 5-4 on Saturday night for their second straight win to open the season.

The Kings rallied from two goals down in the third to tie the game and controlled play for most of the overtime. But San José came out on top when Chernyshov beat Anton Forsberg on a one-timer off a pass from Macklin Celebrini, who has five assists in two games.

After not getting a win in the first five games the past four seasons, the Sharks have back-to-back overtime wins to begin this season after beating Florida 4-3 in the opener Thursday night.

Tyler Toffoli, Kiefer Sherwood and Nolan Allan also scored for San José. Yaroslav Askarov made 31 saves.

Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield, Erik Haula and Artemi Panarin scored but it wasn’t enough to keep the Kings from falling to 0-2 on the season. Forsberg made 20 saves.

Chernyshov gave San José a 4-2 lead early in the third when he scored on a breakaway but the Kings responded. Haula scored to make it a one-goal game and Panarin got the equalizer with 5:01 remaining after a poor clearing attempt by Allan.

The Kings struck first when Kempe scored on a one-timer off a pass from Panarin on the power play in the first. The Sharks took control with three goals in the second starting when Toffoli tapped in a perfect feed from rookie Ivar Stenberg on the power play. It was the first career point for the 19-year-old Stenberg.

The Kings got one back with 1.3 seconds left in the period when Byfield scored on the power play.

Up next for Kings: vs. Florida at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night.

Natalia Silva was crowned the new women’s UFC flyweight champion as she claimed the vacant title with a unanimous decision victory over China’s Wang Cong at UFC 332.

Silva had been set to face Kyrgyzstan’s Valentina Shevchenko for the title before their bout was cancelled, with Shevchenko forced to vacate the belt last month because of injury.

But the Brazilian extended her winning streak to 15 bouts with a dominant victory against Wang over five rounds in Salt Lake City.

“I want to tell this to everyone… don’t give up on anything,” Silva said in her post-fight interview.

“This belt here is because God gave me the opportunity. I knew [Wang] was a tough fighter. This fight proved why she was challenging me.

“This is the beginning of Natalia Silva. I’m the new queen.”

The 29-year-old, who entered the bout as favourite, led the judges’ scorecards with tallies of 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46.

Shevchenko later congratulated Silva on social media and warned her not to get “too comfortable”.

“Well deserved Natalia! Congratulations,” Shevchenko wrote on X.

“It’s my pleasure to know that UFC Champion’s belt is now holding deserving martial artist – such as you are.

“But don’t get too comfortable – keep it warm, I’m coming soon for my belt.”

It was the first women’s main event in the UFC since Mackenzie Dern beat Amanda Ribas in January 2025, while it was the first time two women headlined one of the UFC’s flagship numbered events since June 2023, when Amanda Nunes defeated Irene Aldana.

Earlier, Britain’s Mick Parkin lasted less than four minutes in the octagon as he was knocked out by a knee from Johnny Walker on the Brazilian’s heavyweight debut.

Completing his latest course highlights Azpilicueta’s thirst for knowledge and a desire for constant self-improvement.

It was something he learned at Chelsea, where he arrived as a relatively low-profile £7m signing in a dressing room full of established leaders such as John Terry, Frank Lampard and Petr Cech, alongside star names including Fernando Torres, Eden Hazard and Ashley Cole.

He explained: “I started as a right winger, moved to France, then moved to Chelsea. I wasn’t a star signing. I had to find my way. Left-back, wing-back, centre-back in a back three.

“It was about consistency. I had to work hard to stay fit, adapt to different managers and different positions.

“When you arrive at Chelsea, you feel the ambition straight away. Every three days you have to win. Every game and every trophy matters.

“That culture pushed me to the maximum and, especially when I left Chelsea, I felt that I had given everything I had for the club.”

Azpilicueta explained how his education away from the pitch helped him develop into a leader at Stamford Bridge.

It gave him the confidence to represent Premier League players during the Covid-19 pandemic, while also helping to organise initiatives and keep the club moving forward after owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

His defining moment came in that 2021 Champions League final victory.

There is little doubt that, having succeeded Terry and then Gary Cahill as captain, Azpilicueta ranks among Chelsea‘s greatest leaders. Yet he revealed that, since leaving the club in 2023, he has not returned to Stamford Bridge.

He was among dozens of players to leave after Chelsea changed ownership from Abramovich to the current American-led consortium in 2022.

“I left Chelsea, but Chelsea will always stay in my heart,” he said. “I follow every game and I hope the club comes back to where it belongs.

“There are some very strong teams around and football sometimes needs a bit of time. You need connections, people playing together and understanding each other.

“At a big club like Chelsea, the demands are high. But I think that’s normal. It should be demanding and ambitious because, speaking as a Chelsea fan, you always want to see the club winning trophies.

“I have confidence that [manager] Xabi [Alonso], the staff and the players will do good work. Hopefully they can bring a lot of happiness to the fans.”

He has been following Chelsea‘s latest captain Reece James, who he believes will grow into a better leader, since over-30 players Jordan Henderson, Danny Welbeck and Emiliano Martinez joined over the summer.

When it is suggested that he might return to Stamford Bridge in some capacity to be marked by a warm reception from supporters, Azpilicueta responds modestly: “I don’t know about that.

“I will come back one day. I won’t be putting on my boots, though.”

Wales will again be without the likes of Karl Darlow, Joe Rodon, Dylan Lawlor, David Brooks and Harry Wilson due to injury as they look to maintain the momentum gained thanks to the Norway triumph.

Bellamy says he has no choice but to make changes to the side which began on Thursday as Wales seek to make amends for last Sunday’s defeat in Denmark.

Having emerged with some credit despite losing their Nations League opener against Portugal 10 days ago, Wales were well beaten on a demoralising evening in Copenhagen.

Davies hopes the Cardiff City Stadium factor will be key as Wales chase victory against a Danish side who, in 21st, are 17 places above them in the Fifa rankings.

“It does make a big difference going away. We didn’t get a grip on the game [in Denmark] whereas when we played Norway in Cardiff, it’s our home, our fans, our atmosphere,” he said.

“It felt like a different game and we had much more control… you just know you have to try to make your home advantage count.”

Oct. 3, 2026 9:17 PM PT

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Panorama 14, Granada Hills Kennedy 13

San Fernando Arroyo 18, Sun Valley Poly 0

Van Nuys 25, Sylmar 0

Verdugo Hills 35, Monroe 6

Southern Section

Brentwood 26, Culver City 6

Harvard-Westlake 41, Flintridge Sacred Heart 0

Los Alamitos 28, Marina 0

Murrieta Mesa 20, Murrieta Valley 6

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

Southern Section

Ayala d. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, forfeit

Bishop Amat 40, Oxnard Pacifica 19

Cajon d. Shadow Hills, forfeit

Cajon 12, Ayala 6

California Military Institute 24, St. Lucy’s 20

Camarillo 14, Bishop Amat 12

Camarillo 32, Channel Islands 21

Chaparral 26, Temecula Valley 0

Culver City 12, Cathedral City 0

Culver City d. Temple City, forfeit

Esperanza 18, Culver City 7

Esperanza 33, Cathedral City 0

Hart 13, Ayala 12

Hart d. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, forfeit

Mission Viejo 21, Cerritos Valley Christian 7

Newbury Park 21, Del Sol 0

Newbury Park 50, Fillmore 13

Newbury Park 14, Hueneme 13

Oxnard 21, Cajon 6

Oxnard 27, Hart 0

Oxnard d. Shadow Hills, forfeit

Palos Verdes 20, Bellflower 0

Santa Barbara 26, Channel Islands 25

Segerstrom 21, Cerritos Valley Christian 7

St. Paul 46, Ramona Convent 6

Valencia 7, Oxnard Pacifica 7

Ventura 14, Santa Barbara 6

Ventura 19, Camarillo 13

Vista Murrieta 19, Great Oak 13

Westlake 53, Valencia 7

Westlake 51, Bishop Amat 26

Westlake 45, Ventura 26

Intersectional

El Camino Real 21, Buena 19

Hueneme 32, El Camino Real 26

Sage Hill 34, Venice 6

Wilmington Banning 12, Cypress 0

Whittaker made an extravagant entrance, accompanied by a live string ensemble playing WWE star The Undertaker’s theme before switching to “Icon” by Karen.

Despite being from nearby West Bromwich, Whittaker was greeted by as many jeers as cheers from the roughly 5,000 fans inside the arena.

The fight came alive in the third when Whittaker briefly staggered Wallace with a shot that skimmed his forehead.

Wallace’s travelling support made themselves heard, only to be drowned out by an airhorn smuggled into the arena as Whittaker found his rhythm

Among those in attendance were former UFC champion Leon Edwards and American Cassondra Gainey, who travelled nearly 4,000 miles from North Carolina after Whittaker’s social-media videos helped lift her spirits during cancer treatment.

Wallace offered a warning of what was to come when he landed a heavy left in the sixth.

“Stay focused. Just because you’re comfortable, don’t get lazy,” trainer Andy Lee told Whittaker, who regained control before an almost disastrous 10th round.

Wallace hurt him with a thudding southpaw left before Whittaker walked on to a huge shot and looked in serious trouble.

Whittaker briefly got some respite when Wallace was warned for punching on the break, but he continued pushing forward as a major upset suddenly felt possible.

Whittaker hit the canvas three times in the final round, none ruled knockdowns, as Wallace threw everything at a visibly tiring opponent.

By the end, Whittaker had done enough to win – but not without giving Wallace and his support reason to wonder what might have happened with a little more time.

“I only have myself to blame,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got the best support in the world. This felt like my home show tonight even though it’s in Birmingham.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn welcomed the possibility of a rematch: “We know Ben is in the position to fight the winner of Bivol-Smith but it’s likely that won’t be until next summer, so he needs to fight in the interim.”

World number two Luke Humphries secured his place in the World Grand Prix final with a 5-3 victory over James Wade.

Humphries averaged 96.92 and threw 10 180s as he reached the final for the fourth successive time.

The 31-year-old Englishman will face Welshman Gerwyn Price on Sunday evening in Leicester after he beat Nathan Aspinall in the other semi-final.

“I’ve got to do it again because there’s so many major finals I’ve let slip. Gezzy [Price] is playing well but if I play like that again, it’s going to be a cracking game and I hope it is,” Humphries told Sky Sports.

“To make four Grand Prix finals on the trot is super special. It’s history for myself and I’m proud of that but unless I pick that trophy up, unfortunately that history doesn’t mean anything.”

Humphries, who won this title in 2023 but has lost in the past two finals, took the opening set of the semi-final but Wade produced a brilliant 141 checkout en route to drawing level.

The pair exchanged the next two sets before Humphries took control of the contest to move 4-2 ahead.

Wade refused to go quietly and pulled one back to keep the match alive but Humphries held his nerve in the eighth set to seal victory on double top.

In the other semi-final, Price beat a spirited Aspinall 5-2.

The Welshman took a three-set lead as Aspinall struggled to reproduce the form that had seen him average 105.15 in his quarter-final win over Ryan Joyce.

Aspinall briefly rallied and produced a superb 132 checkout – the highest of the match – to get a set on the board.

The 35-year-old then threatened to turn the match around when he reduced the deficit to one set at 3-2.

However, Price regained his composure and closed out the next two sets without reply to secure his place in the final.

Price said he was “frustrated” by Aspinall’s antics during the match as he interacted with a partisan crowd at the Mattioli Arena.

“I’m glad to come through the game. Nathan was complaining about the crowd, but they were on his side,” Price said.

“He’s performing a little bit on stage. I’m great friends with Nathan, but take it on the chin sometimes when you’re losing.”

It was so hot at Dodger Stadium on Saturday…

How hot was it?

It was so hot a team that averaged nearly 50,000 fans for often meaningless regular-season games beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 in its first postseason game before thousands of empty seats — some of which were literally too hot to sit in.

It was so hot the Dodgers set up pallets of bottled water near the gates and anyone brave enough to enter the stadium was given a plastic 16-ounce Dasini bottle. Gatorade also set up a cooling tent under the right-field pavilion.

It was so hot Nicolas Gonzalez, a fan sitting in the shade of the reserved level, saw a stadium attendant, overcome by heat, stretchered before the game even started. She wasn’t the only one. By the later innings, other fans on the reserved level were reportedly seeking medical attention on the concourse.

The Dodgers declined comment.

So how hot was it?

The game started 45 minutes after the National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning, cautioning against “extremely dangerous heat conditions” as the temperature reached 100 degrees at first pitch. By the third inning, the temperature reading atop the left-field scoreboard peaked at 103 degrees, matching the highest first-pitch temperature at 64-year-old Dodger Stadium.

“I’ve been coming to games my whole life and this is easily the hottest game I’ve ever been to,” said Gonzalez, 38, of Culver City. “Having a game in these conditions feels like we’re flying too close to the sun, both literally and figuratively.”

A fan tries to stay cool during Game 1 of the NLDS between the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Around him, fans tried to cool themselves by waving makeshift fans. It didn’t work.

But the weather didn’t just effect the way the game was watched. It effected the way it was played, too. The cloudless skies made every pop-up an adventure and the warm, dense air reduced drag, allowing batted balls to travel further. As a result, the teams combined for five homers, accounting for all eight runs.

“That’s probably one of the hottest games that we’ve ever had here. And so shout out to the Dodger fans; they were amazing,” said Max Muncy, who hit of those five homers.

“My feet were hot. Really hot.”

The Dodgers wound up with an early afternoon game in the middle of a historic heat wave because MLB and the TV networks — in this case Fox and TBS — set conditional start times for the four Division Series games before the teams and matchups were known. When the San Diego Padres eliminated the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card round, Saturday’s early NL game went to the Dodgers.

Left-hander Tarik Skubal, who gave up just a run on two hits in six innings to get the win in his Dodger postseason debut, said he didn’t really notice the heat until he came out of the game.

“I walked back into the dugout, and I asked — I forget who, I think it was [Blake] Snell — I was like, ‘has it been this hot all game?’ It’s amazing what your brain can do in certain circumstances and moments,” he said.

“I actually didn’t think it was horrible when I was pitching.”

But then Skubal pitched in much hotter conditions as a kid growing up in northern Arizona.

“I played a Little League game in 127 [degrees]. Lake Havasu,” he said. “[Saturday’s] up there with as hot a baseball game that you can play in.

“Every team’s playing in it, right? They’re playing in the same conditions we are. It shouldn’t really impact how you are mentally or how it’s going to impact how you pitch. Just go out there and play baseball and try to drink water. That’s really it.”

At least Skubal got to drink his water in the relative cool of the dugout between innings. Umpire Roberto Ortiz, wearing 10 pounds of protective gear and a black-and-gray uniform, got no such relief. He had to stand behind the plate for 2 hours 44 minutes and all 290 pitches, one of which smoked him in the seventh inning.

That’s why his five fellow umpires made a point of patting him on the back or shoulder before jogging to their positions for the first pitch.

“He stayed tough,” Dodger catcher Will Smith said of Ortiz. “I’m sure he’ll rehydrate and be ready for tomorrow.”

Speaking of tomorrow, the Dodgers, Braves and the umpires will all get some relief for Game 2. At first pitch Sunday afternoon the Weather Channel is forecasting a temperature of just 97 degrees.

“The dark silver lining,” Gonzalez, the heat-weary fan said in a nod to global warming, “is this might be the coolest October of the rest of our lives.”