On Mother’s Day, let’s salute two single mothers who became the No. 1 fans for their sports-playing sons and stayed by their side through good and bad times.
Sylmar pitcher Matthew Torres has tried to make it through life without a father after his parents’ separation when he was 12.
“He’s not been to any high school games,” Torres said.
Enter his mother, Roxanne, who has raised four boys and one girl by multitasking and embracing sports activities. She intervened to help Matthew make it through tough times.
“Her bringing me to church and getting to know God has made me the man I am today,” the 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior said.
Torres became the No. 1 pitcher in the Valley Mission League this season with an 8-0 record while also hitting .488. He helped Sylmar win the league title and become the No. 1 seed for the City Section Division I playoffs.
He has a secret plan scheduled for Sunday to salute his mother. Who doesn’t like surprises?
At Carson High, All-City quarterback Chris Fields has a mother, Shere Fletcher, who could play or coach football the way she has dived headfirst into learning the sport to be at the side of her son.
There were once tough times as a family. Fields said the family was “impoverished.” Mom worked multiple jobs while also studying but sacrificed everything to make sure her son and daughter could have a bright future. She became a paralegal and never misses a practice or game. She should be called “Coach Fletcher” but prefers mom.
“I’ve been through everything with my mom,” Fields said.
Her Mother’s Day gift since the 49ers are her favorite team is a vintage Jerry Rice jersey and a trip to Santa Anita.
There are plenty of moms who’ve spent countless hours driving, feeding and motivating their sports-playing sons and daughters through highs and lows.
Happy Mother’s Day to all.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
France and England will battle it out for the Six Nations title in the final match next weekend and, even though Ireland aren’t pushing those heavyweights, they now established themselves as a young, upcoming squad.
Their victory over Wales is their second of this campaign after an impressive 57-20 win over Italy, who occupy fourth spot.
“We’re starting to handle bigger occasions and bigger pressure more, and with that comes more expectation. But that’s the cool thing, that’s where we want to be,” he continued.
“Our next thing now is we’re going to start converting that belief, that confidence, that understanding and that we’re quite good into results.
“We’ll get there, the trajectory is still up and we’re still hungry to get better. So no doubt we’ll get there and as quick as we can get there, the quicker the better.
Despite their progress, Bemand also acknowledged they still have room to improve.
Ireland have never beaten France nor England with the head coach adding that this must be an aim of the side.
“We do want to be in games where we’re in a position to beat an England and a France.
“Are we getting there? Well, with this competition, we’ve proved that we haven’t as yet.
“So, we’ll take that, but unfortunately it means we have to sit on it for 12 months before we get another crack at them, a top four team.
“Our job now is to get as good as we can in the next year so that when we get them over here, we can condense that scoreline even further.”
Ireland finish their Six Nations campaign with a home match against Scotland on 17 May at the Aviva Stadium.
He is determined to end his four-and-a-half-year spell on a high, and could even come back into the side for a final run following injuries to Lewis Miley and Tino Livramento.
There is likely to be a familiar look to the team which lines up against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, as a result.
Nick Pope, Trippier, Dan Burn, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Sandro Tonali, Joe Willock and Jacob Murphy could start. They all featured when Newcastle ended a 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy by winning the EFL Cup last season.
It was Trippier who set up Burn’s opener in the 2-1 win against Liverpool in the final, before he went on to lift the trophy alongside skipper Guimaraes and previous club captain Jamaal Lascelles at Wembley.
But that had not necessarily been part of Trippier’s “selfless” plan, as former team-mate Callum Wilson explained.
“He was not interested in lifting the trophy,” said the striker, who is now at West Ham.
“It took myself and a few other senior players to say, ‘Go on, get your hands on the trophy and lift it with everybody – all three of you do it together because it’s a team effort’.
“Ultimately, he played a big part in that as well so I felt like that moment really summed him up as a character.”
Such a prospect felt a long way off when the pair spoke on FaceTime to discuss relegation-threatened Newcastle‘s plight – several weeks before Trippier joined the club from Atletico Madrid in January 2022.
The right-back proved a catalyst, as the first signing in the aftermath of the club’s Saudi-led takeover, and convinced others like Guimaraes to follow in the mid-season window.
Yet Trippier’s decision to swap life in the Champions League for an immediate survival battle led to accusations of greed externally.
The reality was a little different.
The Bury native wanted to return to the north of England for personal reasons and took a pay cut to reunite with head coach Eddie Howe, who he previously worked with at Burnley.
There was not even a relegation release clause in his contract.
Rather than being a mercenary, the La Liga title winner’s standards, approach to training and desire to help lifted a group which had only recorded a single victory up to that point.
Trippier’s presence behind the scenes quickly struck former team-mate Jonjo Shelvey.
“He’s a natural leader,” the ex-Newcastle midfielder said.
“He made a move at a time when the club was struggling and came in with his know-how and knowledge, and helped us massively.”
Alex Fitzpatrick hit a sparkling seven-under-par 64 to seize a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow.
The 27-year-old younger brother of former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick produced an inspired display, carding eight birdies to move to 14 under par and put himself in pole position for a maiden individual PGA Tour title.
Fitzpatrick leads Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan, who also posted a 64, by a single stroke.
It is just a fortnight since the Fitzpatrick brothers won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans pairs event, which secured a two-year tour card for Alex, who is ranked 120th in the world.
World number two Rory McIlroy, a four-time winner at this venue, suffered a frustrating Saturday, carding a four-over-par 75 to fall out of contention.
Starting the day two shots off the lead, Fitzpatrick surged forward with five birdies on the front nine.
Despite a stumble with a bogey at the 16th, he responded immediately by sinking an eight-foot putt for birdie at the par-three 17th to regain his narrow advantage.
“The one thing that I kind of did a really good job today was embracing everything that’s going on,” Fitzpatrick said.
“I had so much support out there, which was amazing.
“I would love to win. I would give a lot to win. But also if winning doesn’t happen, I would hope it would happen at some point. As long as I can go out and enjoy it, that’s all I can do.”
In contrast, McIlroy’s bid for another victory – following his triumph at The Masters last month – collapsed on a difficult afternoon in Charlotte for the man from Northern Ireland.
Six bogeys meant he slid down the leaderboard to one under par, leaving him 13 shots adrift of the leader.
American Cameron Young carded the lowest round of the day, a sensational eight-under 63, to sit alone in third at 12 under. Young, who won last week’s Cadillac Championship, had his only dropped shot at 18, where a wayward tee shot proved costly.
South Korea’s Sungjae Im, the halfway leader, sits at 10 under after a 70, alongside Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard whose 67 put him firmly in contention.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood remains in the hunt after a 70, sitting in a tie for sixth at nine under par alongside two-time major winner Justin Thomas.
Dudinha had a goal and an assist to lead the San Diego Wave to a 2-1 victory over rival Angel City on Saturday at BMO Stadium.
Dudinha beat multiple Angel City defenders before firing a shot that was deflected off defender Sarah Gorden for the opening goal in the 49th minute.
Angel City’s Emily Sams scored in the 54th minute to even the score.
San Diego (6-0-3) took the lead for good when Dudinha’s cross found the head of rookie defender Mimi Van Zanten in the 81st minute. Dudinha’s fourth assist tied her for the league lead with Portland’s Olivia Moultrie.
Angel City (3-0-4) started the 2026 season with three straight wins but it has lost its last four games.
Former Angel City head coach and current Wave assistant Becki Tweed led the club with Jonas Eidevall suspended because of a red card in last week’s 1-0 home loss to Bay FC.
Compared to their second-half showing against England, where they bagged two late tries for a bonus-point, Wales could muster very little after the break in Belfast.
Ireland were utterly dominant with possession and territory, with last year’s player of the championship Aoife Wafer leading the charge.
Travelling fans’ only consolation was a 78th minute Jasmine Joyce try but it was not enough to prevent Wales from leaving empty handed.
“We’re ranked 12th in the world, we played the team ranked 5th in the world and you can clearly see when you’re away from home, you’ve got to be a lot more clinical,” said Wales head coach Sean Lynn.
“We said in the huddle at the end of the game, we’ve got to be better with our composure and accuracy.
“I wouldn’t have said the girls dropped their heads. They stuck at it, stuck to their processes, but Ireland kept the ball really well.
“The girls give everything out there and when you see them upset after the game it’s because they care, they want to be winning, so it is tough.”
The Lakers are one playoff defeat from their season being over and from the conversation turning to LeBron James’ future.
They are in a hole no team has climbed out of in the history of the NBA, the Lakers’ 131-108 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 putting L.A. down 3-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series.
James and his teammates gave a gallant effort Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, but the defending champion proved to be more than the Lakers could handle.
James finished his night with 19 points on seven-for-19 shooting, eight assists and six rebounds. Rui Hachimura had 21 points and Austin Reaves finished with 17 points and nine assists.
Even so, the Lakers have now lost all three games by double digits.
And the Lakers are fully aware that no NBA team has successfully come back from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs, with those teams holding a 161-0 record. Only four teams have forced a Game 7 after trailing 3-0, all of which ultimately lost the series, including the Boston Celtics in 2023.
Lakers forward LeBron James shows frustration as Thunder center Chet Holmgren slam dunks during Game 3 on Saturday night.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Game 4 is Monday night, when the Lakers will try to stave off elimination and a night that will determine how the conversations go with James if they lose.
James has been frequently asked this season about retirement, but he has not given any indication of what the future holds for him.
He’s 41 years old and playing in an NBA-record 23rd season.
James is in the final year of his contract that pays him $52 million, making him a free agent this offseason. He can retire, join another team or perhaps return to the Lakers next season.
That will be the conversation if the Lakers can’t win Game 4.
They will see the same Thunder team that had seven players score in double figures, led by Ajay Mitchell’s 24 points and 10 assists and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 23 points and nine assists.
The Lakers went down 13 in the third quarter and had to play catchup the rest of the way. They never did, going down by 112-94 with 6 minutes and 12 seconds left, forcing Lakers coach JJ Redick to call a timeout.
The deficit just kept growing, topping out at 27 points in the fourth.
They were outscored 33-20 in the third quarter. The Lakers didn’t take care of the basketball in the third, turning it over six times, and they didn’t play good defense, allowing the Thunder to shoot 59.1% from the field and 55.6 percent from three-point range,
The Lakers did not give an inch to the Thunder in the first half, even when they fell behind by 10 points.
They just kept grinding until they led 59-57 at halftime.
Hachimura had 16 points in the first half, continuing his hot three-point shooting by making all four of his threes. Luke Kennard came off the bench to give the Lakers 13 points, shooting five for six from the field and three for four from three-point range.
The Lakers kept the pressure defense on Gilgeous-Alexander. Though he had 14 points in the first half, he shot only four-for-14 from the field and one for five from three-point range.
The Lakers shot 55% from three-point range in the first half, which went a long way in helping them.
The Lakers lost the first two games by identical margins of 18 points and each loss was magnified because Gilgeous-Alexander was kept under wraps for the most part by L.A.’s defense.
When Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his fourth foul with 10:34 left in the third quarter of Game 2 and went to the bench, the Thunder turned a five-point lead into a 13-point advantage at the end of the quarter.
So, when he wasn’t on the court, the Lakers failed to take advantage.
“Well, you know, again, I’ll repeat what I said after the game: we’ve got to be better in the non-Shai minutes,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.
Role players like Mitchell and Jared McCain hurt the Lakers in the second game. Chet Holmgren also was hard to deal with.
“Mitchell and McCain have hurt us in those non-Shai minutes, and then Chet [Holmgren] has hurt us the whole game,” Redick said. “I think you’ve got to be willing to live with something. Shai playing one-on-one, thus far in the series, we haven’t been willing to live with, so you’re going to be in rotation. That can lead to smalls on bigs at the hole, and the offensive rebounding from Chet has really hurt us.”
Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney says the club need to decide quickly whether to appoint Michael Carrick as their permanent manager, as the uncertainty could lead to difficulty when trying to sign transfer targets ahead of next season.
Having arrived an hour later than the champion to the venue because of Manchester traffic, Dubois made a brisk, business-like ringwalk.
Wardley, in his first appearance since being upgraded to world champion, soaked in the atmosphere with a leisurely entrance. Draped in an Ipswich Town Football Club robe, he was greeted by a warm reception from the 18,000-strong crowd.
With a combined record of 42 wins – 40 coming by knockout – there was palpable anticipation inside the arena, and Wardley stayed true to his promise to bring the action early as Dubois immediately hit the canvas after a flush right hand.
Dubois winked to his corner but looked shell-shocked. He wrestled Wardley to the ground as both fighters swung for the hills.
Many expected Dubois to impose himself early before Wardley could settle. Considered the better technical boxer, he regrouped and landed a right in the second.
Momentum swung again in the third when Wardley, who looked sharp with his overhand right and uppercuts, sent Dubois wobbling. Dubois took a knee and survived the count before firing back with a right hand that rocked Wardley.
The fighters and fans struggled to catch a breath as trainer Don Charles urged Dubois to lean on his jab, and he followed that instruction to take control of proceedings.
Dubois’ left eye was swollen, but Wardley’s face looked a mess as Dubois set up his attacks with a left jab before landing his biggest shots in the fourth and the sixth.
Wardley, who was working in recruitment a decade ago, showed an extraordinary chin and heart as he refused to go down despite his legs trembling and blood pouring down his face.
Most would likely have been withdrawn by their corner, but Wardley has built a reputation on dramatic comebacks. This time, however, it felt different.
The doctor inspected Wardley’s injuries before the eighth round and allowed him to continue.
By the ninth, the referee looked ready to intervene as Wardley continued to absorb heavy punishment and the contest became increasingly difficult to watch.
Doctors again allowed Wardley to continue before the 10th and when the stoppage finally arrived in the 11th, there was almost a sense of relief.
A sensational fight had reached its conclusion.
Warren – a veteran of 45 years in the sport – described it as “the best heavyweight fight” he has ever promoted.
UCLA senior Megan Grant continues to etch her name into NCAA record books.
Grant hit her 38th home run of the season during a Big Ten tournament title game loss to Nebraska on Saturday, breaking the NCAA Division I record set in 1995 by Arizona’s Lauren Espinoza.
As a team, UCLA pushed its NCAA record single-season team home run total to 182.
After Grant’s historic bomb in the third inning off Big Ten pitcher of the year Jordy Frahm gave UCLA a 2-0 lead, the Bruins’ (47-8) offense sputtered and Nebraska (46-6) rolled to a 7-2 victory.
UCLA will learn its NCAA tournament matchup when the the softball bracket is revealed at 4 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2. The Bruins are expected to host an NCAA Regional and Super Regional should they advance.
Grant and Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells have hit homers at a blistering pace and are battling to close the season with the NCAA home run title. Wells has 36 home runs, two behind Grant. Her team was eliminated from the Southeastern Conference tournament Friday, but she can add to her tally when the loaded Sooners compete in the NCAA tournament.
TORONTO — Brandon Valenzuela hit a three-run home run, Ernie Clement had a solo homer among his career-high tying five hits and the Toronto Blue Jays used a seven-run fifth inning to rout the Angels 14-1 on Saturday.
Mason Fluharty (2-0) worked one inning for the win as Toronto set season-highs in runs and hits (20).
Clement had infield singles in the second and fourth, then drove in a run with a hard single off the glove of third baseman Yoán Moncada in the fifth. He homered off Mitch Farris to begin the seventh, his second of the season, then singled in the ninth.
Valenzuela went four for five, with four RBIs in his first career four-hit game, coming within a triple of the cycle. He homered on the first pitch he saw from Farris in the fifth.
Mike Trout went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts before being replaced defensively by Bryce Teodosio, ending a 23-game run of reaching base in Toronto that began in May 2015.
Adam Frazier drove in the Angels’ only run with a pinch-hit single in the top of the eighth, then stayed in to pitch the bottom half. Frazier gave up four runs and five hits including a solo homer by Jesús Sánchez.
Jack Kochanowicz (2-2) allowed nine hits and seven runs, six earned, in four-plus innings. He faced six batters in the fifth but didn’t record an out. The Angels have lost 15 of their last 19 games.
Toronto’s Addison Barger walked twice in his return after missing 29 games because of a sprained left ankle. The Blue Jays optioned Yohendrick Piñango to triple-A Buffalo.
In the second, Barger caught Vaughn Grissom’s fly ball and threw home at 101.2 miles per hour to retire Jorge Soler for an inning-ending double play. It was the fastest throw on an outfield assist by any Blue Jays player since 2015, and the fastest in the majors this season.
Up next: Angels RHP José Soriano (5-2, 1.74 ERA) is scheduled to face Blue Jays LHP Eric Lauer (1-4, 6.03) on Sunday.
Matthew Stafford, the reigning NFL most valuable player, was in a tower at the starting line.
Ty Simpson — the 13th pick in the draft — and the rest of the Rams rookie class were at the finish.
The Rams present and presumably heir-apparent quarterback bookended Saturday’s WalkUnitedLA fundraising event at Hollywood Park.
On Monday, they will be in the same meeting room and on the field together for the first time as the Rams continue their voluntary offseason workout program in Woodland Hills.
“So excited to be here, not only in a great city like Los Angeles, but a great organization like the Rams,” Simpson said in an interview after greeting and presenting medals to runners and walkers who completed a 5K. “There’s great people and great friends in the rookie class, just excited to get started.”
Rams quarterback Ty Simpson, right, poses with a fan during a WalkUnitedLA fundraising event on Saturday.
(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)
Simpson was back in Los Angeles for the first time since April 24, the day after the seemingly Super Bowl-ready Rams surprised many by passing up the opportunity to select a receiver to choose an Alabama quarterback with only 15 starts. Simpson said he was not aware of the initial reaction by some fans.
“I just know they called my name on the 13th pick — and, sign me up, I was going to Los Angeles,” he said. “I don’t really get into all that. … I just have to make sure I do whatever my process is, and make sure that I do whatever the team needs me to do.”
On the night the Rams drafted Simpson, general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay were uncharacteristically subdued during a news conference. McVay later explained he was attempting to be respectful of Stafford’s status as the team leader, and that a personal situation also had affected his demeanor on draft night.
Asked if he had watched the news conference, Simpson said, “I didn’t really see it.”
“I know one thing though,” he said. “I know coach McVay has been in contact and he’s super fired up. And I’m super excited.
“I know that I couldn’t have asked for a better situation, not only with the best player in the league in front of me but the best coach in the league at the helm.”
After he was drafted, Simpson, 23, received a message from Stafford’s wife, Kelly, welcoming him and offering assistance to him and his family. He said he also received a text from Stafford that he did not initially see.
“It was really cool too,” Simpson said, “because they didn’t have to do that.”
Stafford, 38, was the No. 1 overall pick out of Georgia in 2009. His message to Simpson?
“It was funny because, of course, he was like, ‘Welcome, man. I’m super pumped,’” Simpson said. “He was like, ‘Loved watching you play, but you played for the wrong jersey,’ because he’s pumping up Georgia.”
Simpson chuckled.
“So when I see him on Monday, I’m going to give him heck about that,” he said. “But it’s cool. I’m super excited, especially having him and [quarterback] Stetson [Bennett] in there, Georgia guys, and me, an Alabama guy, so I’ve got to stand up for myself.”
Simpson spent the last few weeks working out in Tennessee. He requested a Rams playbook immediately after he was drafted, but said that McVay, quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone and offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase counseled that all of the rookies would be onboarded together.
He is eager to get started with the first phase of his pro career.
His goal for offseason workouts?
“Just get my feet underneath me,” he said. “Be the best guy I can be. It’s going to be such a different vibe, whatever you want to call it, from college.
“I just want to go in there, soak up as much as I can from Matthew and the guys and be the best player I can be.”
Despite losing their previous eight Six Nations matches, Wales came into the game with confidence after they registered a record four tries against world champions England in their last outing.
They started stronger in Belfast, but Wafer gave Ireland the lead against the run of play when the back row’s persistence paid off and she forced her way over the line before Dannah O’Brien added a challenging extra two.
Wales looked to respond quickly with a huge tackle from Parsons denying Hannah Dallavalle after Carys Cox had taken advantage of a mix-up and fed the ball through.
The visitors kept pushing and registered their first try when Georgia Evans dived over from close range and Keira Bevan was able to convert to level the match.
A double movement denied Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald after she had powered her way over as the home side, buoyed by a vocal crowd, began to settle.
Wafer then turned provider, shrugging off multiple white shirts before a superb offload to Parsons, who raced down the right wing to restore Ireland’s lead.
They then struck a hammer blow just before the break as, opting to play on with clock in the red, Ireland were rewarded for their persistence as they added their third try when Hogan crossed after sustained pressure from a ruck.
After the restart, a television match official [TMO] check confirmed Moloney-MacDonald’s kick out at Evans warranted a yellow card.
Wales were unable to take advantage of having an extra player and it was soon 14-players apiece for a period as Jasmine Joyce was shown a yellow card for placing her hands on the ground when bringing Eve Higgins down.
As the hour mark approached, Aoife Dalton and Linda Djougang linked up and fed the ball to Wafer to cross to secure the bonus point.
Bemand then turned to his bench and made a flurry of changes which added energy to their play.
Replacement Jones thought she had added Ireland’s fifth shortly after her introduction, only for her effort to be ruled out after a TMO review.
Joyce added Wales’ second try in the final five minutes as she held off Parsons and stretched to ground the ball.
Ireland did land a fifth try in the final seconds as Hogan bundled over from close range, with O’Brien able to convert for a fourth time.
ATLANTA — Bobby Cox, the folksy manager of the Atlanta Braves whose teams ruled the National League during the 1990s and gave the city its first major title as well as World Series trips that fell short, died Saturday. He was 84.
Cox died in Marietta, Ga., according to the Atlanta Braves. He had a stroke in 2019 and heart issues that complicated his recovery.
“Bobby was the best manager to ever wear a Braves uniform. He led our team to 14 straight division titles, five National League pennants, and the unforgettable World Series title in 1995. His Braves managerial legacy will never be matched,” the Braves said in a statement.
Cox took over a last-place team in June 1990 and led the Braves to a worst-to-first finish in 1991, losing the World Series to the Minnesota Twins in seven games. That was the start of what was to become a record 14 consecutive division titles, a feat no professional team in any sport had accomplished.
He managed the Braves for 25 years and led Atlanta to its first World Series title in 1995, retired after the 2010 season and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.
“Bobby was a favorite among all in the baseball community, especially those who played for him. His wealth of knowledge on player development and the intricacies of managing the game were rewarded with the sport’s ultimate prize in 2014 — enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame,” the Braves said.
Braves Bobby Cox, right, and Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston look over Camden Yards during All-Star workouts in 1993.
(Carlos Osorio / Associated Press)
As of Saturday, Cox ranks fourth all-time with 2,504 wins, fifth with 4,508 games, first with 15 division titles including a record 14 in a row, first with 16 playoff appearances and fourth with 67 playoff victories.
Only Connie Mack, John McGraw and Tony La Russa had more regular-season wins than Cox. His 158 regular-season ejections also was the most among managers.
“He is the Atlanta Braves,” catcher Brian McCann said in 2019. “He’s the best.”
McCann described Cox as an “icon” and “one of the best human beings any of us have ever met.”
The Braves retired Cox’s No. 6 jersey in 2011, when he joined the team’s Hall of Fame.
Cox spent 29 seasons as a major league manager, including four with Toronto. He managed 16 postseason teams. He brought an old-school approach to the dugout. He always wore spikes and stirrups, and his fatherly demeanor inspired loyalty from his players.
France score 11 tries on their way to a resounding 69-28 win over Scotland, to set up a final day showdown with England for the Women’s Six Nations title.
Get ready for the best high school boys’ volleyball action in the nation on Saturday when four powers face off in the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals.
First up is Huntington Beach hosting No. 1-seeded Mira Costa at 1 p.m. Then it’s Loyola hosting Redondo Union at 5 p.m.
All are capable of beating each other.
Teams are finally healthy, so there could be two five-game matches.
The incident left Valverde ruled out of El Clasico because of concussion symptoms, while both players were fined 500,000 euros (£432,000) following a club investigation.
Tchouameni returned to training on Friday and remains available for the match, although Arbeloa declined to confirm whether the France international would start.
“The players have acknowledged their mistake, expressed their regret and asked for forgiveness. That’s enough for me,” Arbeloa told reporters.
“These two players deserve for us to turn the page and allow them to keep fighting for this club. I’m very proud of them. I won’t allow this to be used to question their professionalism.”
Former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Spain defender Arbeloa also suggested dressing-room disputes were not unusual in elite football environments.
“I’ve had a team-mate who picked up a golf club and swung it at another player,” the 43-year-old said.
“What happens in the Real Madrid dressing room should stay in the Real Madrid dressing room, and that’s what hurts me the most.”
Arbeloa was referring to an incident during his time at Liverpool in 2007, when a disagreement between Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise during a training camp in Portugal reportedly escalated into Bellamy confronting his team-mate with a golf club.
“These are situations that have always happened, although I’m certainly not justifying it,” Arbeloa added.
“It was an incident and we were unfortunate that Fede ended up with a gash. It was more bad luck than anything else.”
The Madrid coach also accepted responsibility for the situation.
“If you want to blame someone, here I am,” he said.
Despite the controversy, Arbeloa insisted the focus remained on Sunday’s meeting with Barcelona.
“We face the Clasico with the ambition to do things well and go to win.”
Arbeloa does not appear to have a long-term future in his current post, with reports in Spain already linking several high-profile names, including Jose Mourinho, to the role for next season.
Pressure has also intensified on club president Florentino Perez, with questions being raised over a period that has seen Real Madrid go through three managers in two campaigns without lifting a trophy.
The club’s next appointment is now viewed as one of the most significant decisions of Perez’s presidency, as Madrid attempt to restore stability and competitiveness after a turbulent season on and off the pitch.
Despite the scrutiny, Arbeloa strongly defended the 79-year-old president.
“There is no-one more prepared than Florentino Perez to turn this situation around,” he said.
“I remember how the club was before his arrival. He is the president with the most titles in Real Madrid history and he brought the club back to where it belongs. We all have to fight together.”
Ranked No. 1 in preseason, St. John Bosco’s baseball team suffered some surprising losses during the National High School Invitational and Boras Classic, losing three straight at one point.
“The little bump in the road was our last opportunities to get guys in there for non-Trinity League games to see what they could do,” coach Andy Rojo said.
The computer rankings didn’t appreciate St. John Bosco’s experimentation. The Braves closed the regular season with 11 straight wins and a Trinity League title, but were punished when the Southern Section Division 1 playoff pairings came out Friday. Orange Lutheran, second place to the Braves, was given a No. 4 seed ahead of No. 6 St. John Bosco.
The disrespect will only add to the motivation for the defending Division 1 champions. St. John Bosco finished the regular season 22-5 and 14-1 in the Trinity League.
It’s another lesson in this new era of relying on computer algorithms for playoff pairings. The people running the computers won’t release their secrets about how teams are really ranked. It’s locked up like the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Two things are certain for all computer rankings: Head-to-head matchups are really not important and league finish doesn’t matter. Those are two criteria that used to be among the most important in the days when humans put together pairings, so you can understand why old-timers are having a hard time adjusting.
“We feel good,” Rojo said.
And he should. For Southern Section Division 1 baseball, it really doesn’t matter where you are ranked. The 16 teams are so good that everyone is set to go through a gauntlet and may the best team rise to the top.
Orange Lutheran is seeded No. 4 in the Division 1 baseball playoffs.
(Nick Koza)
St. John Bosco opens the playoffs on Tuesday in pool C facing probably the best opening opponent in Crestview League champion Cypress. St. John Bosco has ace Julian Garcia ready to go, but Cypress has multiple pitchers ready to compete. Sierra Canyon is the highest seed in pool C and opens at home against Oaks Christian.
Big VIII League champion Norco received the No. 1 seed for the first 16-team pool play tournament in Division 1. There are four four-team pools with the chance to lose one game and not go home. The first- and second-place finishers in each pool will advance to the single elimination eight-team quarterfinals.
“I love the double elimination,” Rojo said. “If you have a bad day, you get to redeem yourself.”
The other eight divisions remain 32 teams and single elimination.
The Braves effectively managed pitches for Garcia all season in his return from arm surgery that forced him to miss all of 2025. He was even taken out with a no-hitter in the sixth inning against Mater Dei while sticking with 85 pitches to preserve him for the playoffs. He’s had a pitcher-of-the-year season with a 7-1 record, 0.72 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 48⅓ innings.
The big change for the 2026 playoffs for St. John Bosco from 2025 is that closer Jack Champlin will be the No. 2 starter. Sophomore Brayden Krakowski has shown he can be an effective closer. A major decision by Rojo was to shake up his batting order after the three-game losing streak. He switched Jaden Jackson and James Clark, with Jackson becoming the leadoff man and Clark batting second.
“They’re both thriving,” Rojo said.
And so is St. John Bosco, whether computer believes it or not.
Broderick Turner and Thuc Nhi Nguyen reported that Lakers coach JJ Redick said, “The Thunder is one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history.” Maybe Redick is right. The Lakers were able to contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and with Jalen Williams not playing, OKC still won Games 1 and 2 by 18 points each.
Hopefully the Lakers can avoid a sweep when they return to The Crypt, but it doesn’t look very likely, not when committing 39 turnovers in two games.
Vaughn Hardenberg Westwood
It was so bush league to see the Lakers crowd around the beleagued referees at the end of an 18-point loss to the Thunder in Game 2. The number of free throws was nearly even, favoring OKC 26-21. There are no bigger whiners in the league than LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton, who have in their minds never committed a foul and are always fouled with no call on any possession. This is playoff basketball — grow up and play ball. The results in this series speak for themselves.
Bob Goldstone
Corona del Mar
You cannot tell me that the defensive “mauling” allowed by NBA officials during the playoffs would be tolerated during the regular season. It almost looks like the NBA upper brass — Adam Silver and his cohorts/consultants — have directly or indirectly “suggested” that referees simply “let ‘em play.”
This inconsistency and change of “style“ by the officials has either confused or frustrated many offensive players as well as some fans. To me, a foul is a foul, period! Considerations like superstar or rookie, home team or visitors, the fourth quarter versus the first, closing minutes or seconds of a game, regular season versus the playoffs should not matter.
Rick Solomon Lake Balboa
I’m watching Lakers-Thunder Game 2 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is running into people and getting the Michael Jordan treatment. Everything is a foul against the Lakers. On the another hand, LeBron James is getting the stuffing beat out of him and no calls. Coach JJ Redick needs to bring this bias up with the media and put the spotlight on the refs. That’s what Phil Jackson and Pat Riley would do. Lakers fans can start a go-fund-me page for the fine.
