SPORT

SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS

At Mt. San Antonio College

OPEN DIVISION

Newport Harbor 10, Corona Del Mar 3

DIVISION 1

Loyola 9, Mater Dei 2

DIVISION 2

Capistrano Valley 9, Damien 8

DIVISION 3

Bonita 10, Temecula Valley 9

DIVISION 4

Charter Oak 13, Liberty 12

DIVISION 5

Fontana 15, Baldwin Park 11

After 28 caps on the wing, Hansen was entrusted at full-back for the first time with Hugo Keenan and Jamie Osborne both injured.

For him, it was a case of picking up where he left off in the summer. The 28-year-old was in great form on the British and Irish Lions tour before injury wrecked his dream of making the Test team.

And having returned for Connacht last month, he picked up a foot problem that ruled him out of the All Blacks and Japan games.

After revealing his team on Thursday, Farrell said Hansen had “the bit between his teeth” and they were clearly not empty words as the former Brumbies player gave his head coach an intriguing selection headache in the near future.

“Well my first thoughts were, ‘You better play well in those two different coloured boots!’,” said Farrell, referring to Hansen’s decision to wear one black and one white boot.

“I actually thought that was how it should have been but apparently Mack just did that himself anyway. So he’s drawn attention to himself before he’s even started.

“I said to him before the game, ‘Good players don’t need excuses, they can get on with it and just be themselves, you can get the man of the match if you want,’ and he went, ‘Yeah, I agree.’

“So he’s that type of player, he prepares well, he’s got a great attitude to get across his detail and so that’s why he slotted straight back in and he was able to be himself because of that.”

South Carolina guard Ta’niya Latson drove into the paint in the third quarter. As she went up for the layup, she was met by USC guard Kennedy Smith, who rose up and swatted the ball so hard into the stands that it knocked the hat off a fan sitting a couple rows deep in the Crypto.com Arena crowd.

That ended up being the highlight of the Trojans’ second half.

They had been in this situation before. In their most recent game at No. 9 North Carolina State, USC trailed by eight with 9:48 left to play before pulling off a comeback victory. And on Saturday night, the Trojans found themselves here again: down 10 to South Carolina, the No. 2 team in the country, heading into the final frame.

No. 8 USC didn’t make it easy on South Carolina. They forced turnovers. They made their free throws. But it wasn’t enough as South Carolina did just enough of the little things to escape with a 69-52 win at Crypto.com Arena.

Smith led USC in scoring with 12 points to go along with three assists. Kara Dunn was the only other Trojan in double figures with 10 points and three rebounds. South Carolina had four starters score in double figures, led by Joyce Edwards (15 points).

The Gamecocks came out sloppy with six first half turnovers and shooting just 33% from the floor, but the Trojans couldn’t capitalize. Their shooting percentage (36%) was almost as bad through the first two quarters and they were out-rebounded 27-20 as South Carolina scored nine second chance points on nine first-half offensive boards.

USC guard Jazzy Davidson loses the ball while driving to the basket against South Carolina on Saturday night.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The cracks started to show in the second half, when South Carolina opened with a 10-2 run to give USC a double-digit deficit. The Gamecocks outscored the Trojans 23-15 in the third.

South Carolina built on every advantage they had from the first half. Their plus-seven in rebounds ballooned to plus-24. They went from nine offensive rebounds to 21, and while they still finished the game with 16 turnovers, they forced with 16 points off USC’s 13 turnovers.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota backup Jesper Wallstedt made 28 saves for his second straight shutout and the Wild beat the Ducks 2-0 on Saturday night.

Wallstedt extended his shutout streak to 141 minutes 9 seconds after beating Calgary 2-0 last Sunday night.

The 23-year-old Swede’s biggest save Saturday came when he robbed Frank Vatrano alone in front of the goal late in the second period. Wallstedt the backup to Filip Gustavsson, the fellow Swede who signed a five-year, $34-million extension Oct. 4.

Marcus Johansson scored in the second period and Matt Boldy added an empty-netter.

Minnesota improved to 5-1-1 in its last seven games, giving up only 12 goals in that stretch. The Wild are 19-1-0 against the Ducks dating to the 2020-21 season, including six consecutive wins since March 14, 2024.

Petr Mrazek made 29 saves for the Pacific Division-leading Ducks. They have scored only four goals in losing three in a row after winning nine of 10. Anaheim entered the day averaging 3.88 goals per game, second-best in the NHL.

Johansson opened the scoring 55 seconds into the second. Down the slot a stride behind Ryan Strome, Johansson got a pass from Boldy, went from forehand to backhand to deke Mrazek and lifted the puck past the down goalie. Johansson has seven goals this season after scoring just 11 goals each of the last two seasons.

The Wild have scored first in a franchise-record eight consecutive games.

Minnesota was 0 for 7 on the power play, the Ducks 0 for 2.

Ducks center Mikael Granlund, who returned Thursday after missing eight games because of a lower-body injury, missed the game because of the same issue. Wild right wing Vladimir Tarasenko missed his first game of the season because of a lower-body injury.

Up next

The Ducks open a six-game homestand against Utah on Monday night. The Wild host Vegas on Sunday night.

Chris Eubank Jr’s rematch defeat to Conor Benn may be the time to retire, according to former boxers Carl Frampton and Barry Jones.

Eubank, 36, was beaten unanimously by Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, seven months on from Eubank’s victory in the first meeting between the two.

All three judges scored the fight convincingly in favour of Benn with Eubank struggling to even challenge his rival, months after beating him.

“It was a great performance from Conor, but this might be the time to call it a day for Chris,” retired world champion Frampton told DAZN.

“I’m not trying to be harsh, I’m just being honest.”

Former WBO super-featherweight champion Jones echoed Frampton’s sentiment, pointing to Eubank’s struggles throughout fight.

“I do think it should be the end for Chris,” said Jones on DAZN.

“It was evidence from round one that he was flat. It could be weight or it could be wear and tear, I think it’s the latter.

“We should give all the credit to Conor Benn, but there were opportunities for Chris to pull the trigger.

“He didn’t throw his punches from round one. He was quite lethargic.”

Lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson, who has won belts in multiple weights, said Eubank was clearly “weight drained”.

Eubank has fought most of his recent career at middleweight but was restricted by a rehydration clause on fight day that prevented him from putting more than 10lbs.

Boxing legend turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya also defended Eubank’s performance.

“Let me give you a little tutorial on boxing,” he said on X.

“Eubank never had a chance due weight drain.”

Coach and former boxer Paul Smith said before the fight he felt it was a step too far for Eubank but praised the Briton for a “great career”.

“People who always seemed to dislike or hate him ended up growing to love him in the end. Like his dad,” he added.

They were battered, they were bruised, they were soaking wet and covered in stereotypes.

They’re not tough enough. They’re not resilient enough. They’re not Big Ten-enough.

Late in the second quarter Saturday afternoon at the Coliseum, a USC football team fighting for a playoff berth was crumbling beneath the weight of its worst national perception.

It was wilting under the weather and the weight of a team from Iowa.

Then, with big swings from a deep strength that few thought a Lincoln Riley team possessed, everything changed.

It’s raining wins, hallelujah.

Trailing 21-7, the Trojans got muddy and chilly and just plain mean, winning the line of scrimmage, winning the battle of skill, and eventually winning the game 26-21.

Yeah, afterward, that was Riley dancing in a downpour.

And, yes, USC is still in the national championship hunt, needing wins in its final two games at Oregon and against UCLA to qualify for the College Football Playoff.

Few will believe they can beat sixth-ranked and one-loss Oregon in Eugene. But then again, few believed they would survive Iowa after the Hawkeyes took that big second-quarter lead.

During the last 10 years, Iowa had an 83-5 record when leading by eight points or more. Translated, this is a program that knows how to protect a lead, and the Trojans were seemingly cooked.

But Makai Lemon made 153 yards worth of spectacular catches, King Miller ran for 83 bruising clock-killing yards, Jahkeem Stewart made a game-changing interception, Jayden Maiava held it together with a touchdown pass and no turnovers, and the game essentially appropriately ended with USC just being stronger.

On a fourth-down pass in the final minute, Kennedy Urlacher shoved Kaden Wetjen out of bounds as he was making a grab deep in Trojan territory.

No catch, game over, and in the end, the Trojans were as hearty as that section of fans that witnessed the game shirtless.

The afternoon started with groundskeepers drying the field with leaf blowers, the first rainy game at the Coliseum in nine years.

USC coach Lincoln Riley celebrates with wide receiver Prince Strachan during the second half of a 26-21 comeback win over Iowa at the Coliseum on Saturday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

But for USC under Riley, it felt the same, a late-season game requiring the sort of grimy toughness that his Trojans had yet to show.

Blew five fourth-quarter leads last season. Blew four of their last five games two seasons ago. Blew the Pac-12 championship game and a shot at the playoffs three seasons ago.

It looked like they were going to blow it again.

Iowa took the opening kickoff and drove 69 yards in seven plays in a bruising drive punctuated by a fourth-down, two-yard touchdown pass from Mark Gronowski to Dayton Howard in the back of the end zone.

Yes, the FBS’s 133rd ranked passing offense — out of 136 teams — had just scored on a pass play.

And Iowa was just getting started.

After stopping the Trojans’ Miller on a fourth-down run around just inside Iowa territory — a terrible Riley call against the nation’s best fourth-down defense — the Hawkeyes drove 45 yards in nine plays to score on a Gronowski one-yard push to take a 14-0 lead.

The Trojans came back while finally finding their groove, driving 74 yards on 11 plays featuring a leaping catch by Ja’Kobi Lane and ending with a one-yard touchdown run out of the wildcat formation by Bryan Jackson.

So USC had the momentum? Not so fast.

USC defensive tackle Jide Abasiri holds up the ball while celebrating with cornerback Decarlos Nicholson during the second half of the Trojans’ win Saturday over Iowa.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Iowa took the possession and pounded and pounded and nine plays and 75 yards later scored on a five-yard, trick-play pass from receiver Reece Vander Zee to Gronowski.

That gave Iowa a 21-7 lead that was shortened only by a Ryon Sayeri 40-yard field goal after a dropped pass and penalty stopped the Trojans.

USC took the ball at the start of the third quarter and seemed to be destined for a touchdown after a leaping sideline catch by Lemon. But a holding call against Lane ruined a long run by Miller, two failed pass plays stalled the drive, and the Trojans had to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Sayeri to close the gap to 21-13.

After the Trojans defense stiffened, the offense went back on a roll, using another leaping grab by Lemon — this one for 35 yards — to set up a 12-yard TD pass between three defenders to Lemon. Maiava overthrew Lemon on the two-point conversion attempt, but this time, the Trojans didn’t blow the momentum.

On Iowa’s next possession, with 1:52 left in the period, the powerful freshman Stewart grabbed a deflected pass for an interception to give the Trojans the ball on the Iowa 40-yard line.

From there, Maiava drove them 40 yards in six plays on a possession that was assisted by a pass interference penalty and gave them an eventual 26-21 lead after Jackson’s one-yard touchdown run.

It was a lead they never lost.

It is a season that still matters.

The family feud began almost exactly 35 years ago when Chris Eubank Sr beat Nigel Benn on 18 November 1990 before the pair fought to a draw three years later.

Despite their being no title on the line, the magnitude of the rivalry was enough to draw out some big names from the world of sport and entertainment.

Actors Jeremy Piven and Pierce Brosnan, musicians Emma Bunton and Rod Stewart, and ex-Arsenal footballer Thierry Henry were among the stars watching from ringside.

Trying to recapture the magic of the first bout was always going to be a predicament and it fell short of achieving a sell-out.

The Eubanks’ arrival – both were expected this time – also provided an interesting insight into public opinion as boos rang out around the stadium. It was all cheers, though, as Benn was shown stepping out of his car.

Benn made his entrance to resounding cheers and alongside father Nigel. They were accompanied to the ring by a percussion troop, who started off with Phil Collins’ ‘In the Air Tonight’, before transitioning into a remix of ‘Ready or Not’ by the Fugees.

Eubank Jr walked second, wearing a white robe lined with fur, also had his father Eubank Sr by his side. They were initially greeted by boos until American rapper 50 Cent stepped out to perform a medley of songs as they weaved through the crowd.

On a flight to Houston to play in his first college football game, Kenny Easley was told that he would split time at free safety with a veteran UCLA teammate.

“That’s what happened,” Easley told The Times in 2017, recounting the story 40 years later. “Michael Coulter started the game and played the first two quarters, I played the second two and Michael never played again.”

Such was the dominance of a player who would be called The Enforcer for the way he inflicted his will on college and NFL opponents. Easley finished that first season with nine interceptions and 93 tackles, school records for a true freshman, and was just getting started on the way to becoming the first player in Pac-10 history to be selected for the conference’s first team all four seasons.

Easley, one of the most revered players in school history, died Friday from unspecified causes, the school announced. He was 66. Easley had long battled kidney issues that forced the five-time Pro Bowler to retire prematurely in 1987 after spending all seven of his NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Seahawks legend Kenny Easley,” the team said in a statement. “Kenny embodied what it meant to be a Seahawk through his leadership, toughness, intensity and fearlessness. His intimidating nature and athletic grace made him one of the best players of all-time.”

Much of that resolve was forged thanks to a childhood game that Easley called dynamite pigskin. A pack of kids would gather on the athletic fields in Easley’s hometown of Chesapeake, Va., and a football would be tossed into the air.

Safety Kenny Easley also returned punts for UCLA.

(Courtesy UCLA Athletics)

Whoever caught it would take off running and everybody else would try to catch him until the ball carrier found himself hopelessly surrounded, forcing him to throw the ball back into the air, where the game earned its dynamite nickname. The game would go on for hours until everyone was bruised and exhausted.

One of the nation’s top prospects out of high school, Easley appeared bound for Michigan, telling everyone he was going to play for the Wolverines. But on the day of his college announcement, Easley blurted out that he was going to play for UCLA, his other finalist, during a ceremony at his high school auditorium.

“So just like that, the proverbial genie is out of the bottle and it’s on videotape that I’m going to UCLA,” Easley would recall many years later. He suspected he changed his mind because the Bruins had said from the start they were recruiting him to play free safety while Michigan wanted him as a quarterback, his other high school position.

Easley tallied 19 interceptions during four college seasons, which remains a school record. Having made 13 interceptions during his first two seasons, Easley developed a ready explanation for why he couldn’t sustain that pace.

“They didn’t throw the ball down the middle,” he said of opposing quarterbacks. “If I was playing against Kenny Easley, I wouldn’t throw the ball down the middle either.”

Easley also returned punts and was a punishing hitter, logging 105 tackles during his senior season in 1980. He would finish ninth in voting for the Heisman Trophy that year. His 374 career tackles remain the fifth most in UCLA history and he became the second player from the school to earn consensus All-American honors three times, joining linebacker Jerry Robinson.

“Kenny Easley was the most competitive person I’ve ever met in my life,” Robinson wrote in an email to The Times. “No matter what he was doing, whether it was sports or life, he was in it to win it! Whether it was football, basketball, pick-up softball games, playing cards, high diving into the swimming pool or golf, everything he did he wanted to be the best at it. And he was the best at it. He was the greatest all-around athlete that I have ever played with. RIP ‘Force 5’.”

The Seahawks selected Easley with the fourth pick in the 1981 draft, and he went on to make 32 interceptions in seven seasons. But his time with the franchise ended acrimoniously after he accused the team of providing medicine that led to his kidney problems. The sides would later resolve their differences. Easley was named one of the 50 greatest players in franchise history.

Elected into the college and pro football halls of fame, Easley had his No. 5 jersey retired by UCLA in 1991 and was also enshrined in the school’s athletics hall of fame.

Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti says Gabriel will be assessed on Sunday after the Arsenal defender suffered a groin injury in a friendly win over Senegal in London.

The 27-year-old pulled up off the ball just before the hour mark and received treatment to his right thigh before being substituted.

Gabriel has formed a key part of the Arsenal defence as they top the Premier League table, having conceded just five goals in 11 league games.

The Gunners face North London rivals Tottenham on 23 November before welcoming Bayern Munich in the Champions League the following Wednesday.

“Bad? I don’t know. He had an injury in his adductor,” said Ancelotti. “The medical staff has to check tomorrow.

“We are really sorry for this, really disappointed. When a player has an injury, you hope they can recover well and soon.”

Brazil beat Senegal 2-0 at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium through goals from Chelsea’s teenage winger Estevao and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro.

Meanwhile, Italy boss Gennaro Gattuso says Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has left the international camp.

He did not play in Italy’s World Cup qualifying win over Moldova on Thursday, having been following an individual training programme for load management.

“We tried Calafiori, he had a few issues,” Gattuso told Sky Sports Italia, external before Italy’s match against Norway on Sunday.

“I thank him for his commitment. He stayed here for a week, he could have played perhaps, but it wouldn’t have been fair to him or Arsenal.”

A source told BBC Sport that Calafiori has not returned to Arsenal for any treatment.

Different team. Different time. But it’s back to the scene of the crime for the Chargers, who three years ago succumbed to a 27-point comeback in a playoff loss at Jacksonville.

This season’s Jaguars got off to a 4-1 start but have lost three of their last four to slip back into the pack. They don’t have star rookie Travis Hunter, who underwent surgery this week and will miss the remainder of the season.

The team plays hard for first-year coach Liam Coen, who said he wants quarterback Trevor Lawrence to “cut it loose and let it rip” when he sees opportunities down the field.

After opening the season 3-0, the Chargers lost three of four, but are now riding another three-game winning streak. Justin Herbert has been outstanding at times, despite being the most-hit quarterback in the NFL.

The Chargers defense is coming off a gem of a performance in a win over Pittsburgh. Aaron Rodgers looked every bit of 41 years old, and at one point the Steelers were 0 for 9 on third down.

How the Chargers can win: As usual, protect Herbert behind a patchwork offensive line. Jacksonville has struggled to pressure quarterbacks, especially with Travon Walker at less than full strength and a beat-up secondary. Get the ball to Ladd McConkey and Oronde Gadsden II, with some Keenan Allen mixed in. Don’t allow the Jaguars to control the game with the run.

How the Jaguars can win: Jacksonville can look like a playoff team when it wins at the line of scrimmage but tends to collapse when it gets pushed around. The Jaguars need to establish the run early and grind out some long drives because they do not get a lot of explosive plays. Get to Herbert quickly before he has a chance to attack that weakened secondary. Contain Herbert, too, because he can burn you with his feet.

“It is just moments where we need to smarten up. Tomorrow is another day.

“We made it a bit easy for them at times. We had too many blips in the circuit.”

England took an early lead in front of a noisy crowd in their first match since February.

But New Zealand, who denied England a medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, fought back and led 15-14 after the first quarter with a score on the buzzer.

New Zealand extended their lead to 33-30 by half-time. Goal shooter Grace Nweke proved near unstoppable and was supported by sisters Kate and Georgia Heffernan, while England made unforced errors.

Thirlby made changes at half-time and her side were reinvigorated for the third period as they stormed back to level at 47-47.

Goal keeper Jaz Brown was impressive on her England debut with crucial steals.

However, the tourists showed their quality in the fourth quarter despite England shooter Eleanor Cardwell coming off the bench for her first appearance since suffering a knee injury which threatened her career.

The second game takes place at the same venue on Sunday and the final match is at AO Arena in Manchester on Wednesday.

England play Jamaica in December.

A look at the top performers from high school football across the Southland during the first week of the playoffs.

RUSHING

• Zastice Jauregui, Garfield: Had touchdown runs of 76, 65 and 70 yards en route to 440 yards rushing and five touchdowns in 30 carries in win over Palisades.

• Chris Fields III, Carson: Rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns in win over King/Drew.

• Malaki Davis, Corona Centennial: Rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns in win over Servite.

• Noah Penunuri, Rio Hondo Prep: Rushed for 230 yards and four touchdowns in win over Troy.

• Lenny Ibarra, Los Alamitos: Rushed for 116 yards and four touchdowns in win over San Juan Hills.

• Kamden Tillis, Los Alamitos: Rushed for 112 yards in defeat of San Juan Hills.

• Dallas Jones, Birmingham: Rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns in win over Kennedy.

• Jacob Jimenez, Chino Hills: Rushed for 192 yards and three touchdowns in win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

• Ty Hall, Saugus: Scored four touchdowns in win over Calabasas.

PASSING

• Trace Johnson, Santa Margarita: Passed for two touchdowns in win over Sierra Canyon.

• Timmy Herr, San Juan Hills: Passed for 271 yards in loss to Los Alamitos.

• Diego Montes, Granada Hills Kennedy: Passed for 207 yards, ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns in loss to Birmingham.

• Domenik Fuentes, Cleveland: Passed for three touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns in win over North Hollywood.

RECEIVING

• Ryan Clark, Santa Margarita: Caught touchdown passes of 33 and 34 yards in win over Sierra Canyon.

• Luc Weaver, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame: Caught five passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns.

DEFENSE

• Isaia Vandermade, Santa Margarita: Had two sacks and batted down a pass vs. Sierra Canyon.

• Weston Reis, Palos Verdes: Returned an interception for a touchdown vs. Dana HIlls.

• Jaden Walk-Green, Corona Centennial: Had two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, in win over Servite, giving him 10 interceptions this season and his sixth defensive touchdown.

• Thomas Alexander, San Clemente: Returned interception 80 yards for a touchdown in win over Vista Murrieta.

• Shaun Scott, Mater Dei: Had two sacks in win over Mission Viejo.

• PeeWee Wilson, Oxnard Pacifica: Recorded 12 tackles in win over Bishop Amat.

• King Rich Johnson, Orange Lutheran: Returned interception 45 yards for a touchdown in defeat of St. John Bosco.

• Devin Sandville, Orange Vista: Returned two interceptions for touchdowns in loss to Agoura.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Dabe Nwude, Palos Verdes: Blocked an extra-point attempt in 14-13 win over Dana Hills.

• Bo Ausmus, Redondo Union: Returned kickoff 86 yards for touchdown in win over St. Paul.

• Kyron Rattler, Crenshaw: Returned a punt for a touchdown and returned an interception for a score in win over San Pedro.

• Paul Turner, Birmingham: Returned a kickoff for a touchdown and had three catches for 92 yards in win over Kennedy.

• Jimmy Renteria, Birmingham: Returned a blocked punt for a touchdown in defeat of Kennedy.

England: Steward; Roebuck, Lawrence, Dingwall, Feyi-Waboso; Ford (vc), Mitchell; Baxter, George (vc), Heyes, Itoje, Coles, Pepper, Underhill, Earl

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Genge (vc), Stuart, Cunningham-South, T Curry, Pollock, Spencer, M Smith

New Zealand: Jordan; Carter, Proctor, Tupaea, Fainga’anuku; B Barrett, Roigard, De Groot, Taylor (vc), Newell, S Barrett (c), Lord, Parker, Savea (vc), Lakai

Replacements: Taukei’aho, Williams, Tosi, Lord, Sititi, Ratima, Lienert-Brown, McKenzie

All those hits finally caught up with Nico Iamaleava.

After absorbing one punishing blow after another, the UCLA quarterback will miss Saturday’s game against top-ranked Ohio State at Ohio Stadium because of concussion symptoms related to hits he sustained last weekend against Nebraska, a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly said.

Iamaleava was participating in the early portion of practice Tuesday, the last session observed by reporters this week.

His absence against the Buckeyes presumably means that top backup Luke Duncan, a redshirt sophomore who has never thrown a pass at the college level, will make his first career start.

Iamaleava’s ability to take hits and keep on playing had been a major topic of discussion early this week between reporters and UCLA interim coach Tim Skipper. The quarterback was easily his team’s leading rusher, his average of 52.7 yards per game nearly doubling the output of running back Jaivian Thomas (30.8), the team’s second-leading rusher.

Skipper had praised Iamaleava’s fearlessness, saying the 6-foot-6, 215-pound redshirt sophomore didn’t want to slide or run out of bounds.

“Nico’s the first like tall, skinny dude that I know that will lower the pads on you and is not afraid, he’s going to always be going forward and getting yards and things like that,” Skipper said Monday. “He’s got little legs and skinny arms but has no fear at all.”

Skipper also acknowledged the need to preserve Iamaleava’s availability by preventing him from taking more hits than necessary.

“Obviously, he’s your starting quarterback,” Skipper said. “You don’t want him taking big hits and things like that, but if they’re going to give him running lanes, you might as well take them. I kid with him all the time, ‘Hey every now and then, you might want to slide a little bit.’ But you know, when you have a natural runner like he is, you kind of just let them go do their thing.”

Immediately after UCLA’s 28-21 loss to Nebraska, Iamaleava did not indicate that all the hits he had taken impacted his performance. He completed 17 of 25 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns without an interception while also running 15 times for 86 yards.

“Yeah man, shoot, I’ve played football a long time and I’ve gotten hit a lot of times in many games,” Iamaleava said. “So, I don’t think it affected me in that way. Overall, we just gotta play better as a whole and finish games.”

Cheltenham’s meeting on Saturday will go ahead after passing an inspection following heavy rain as Storm Claudia continues to hit the UK.

The seven-race card features the Paddy Power Gold Cup (14:20 GMT), with the going described as heavy, soft in places.

Racing took place on Friday, the opening day of the three-day meeting, but 35mm of rain fell throughout the day.

An inspection was held on Saturday morning but the course was passed fit to race.

Racing at Uttoxeter was also given the go-ahead although the meeting at Irish track Navan was called off, with races rescheduled for Monday.

The bend turning into the home straight at Cheltenham will be reconfigured to avoid unraceable areas and the penultimate fence on the chase course will be bypassed.

Ante-post favourite Jagwar has been declared a non-runner in Saturday’s showpiece race due to the ground conditions.

People discovered who were true mudders on a rainy Friday night in the City Section football playoffs.

Crenshaw routed No. 3-seeded San Pedro 30-0 to advance to the Open Division semifinals next week at Birmingham. The Cougars received a punt return for a touchdown and an interception return for a touchdown from Kyron Rattler. Deance’ Lewis had a long touchdown on the opening possession and De’Andre Kirkpatrick contributed double digits in tackles.

Crenshaw is 9-1 under interim coach Terrence Whitehead. That means Robert Garrett, on administrative leave, has 299 career victories. Birmingham defeated Granada Hills Kennedy 49-20.

Garfield received 440 yards rushing from Zastice Jauregui to end Palisades’ unbeaten season, 42-21. Garfield will play at No. 1 Carson, which defeated King/Drew 27-2.

Venice was unstoppable on its grass field, beating Franklin 35-8 in the Division I playoffs.

The Dorsey at Eagle Rock game was postponed until Monday because of a power failure at Eagle Rock.

More consistent success raises expectations of Argentina, something they have not always handled well.

In the summer they lost a home series 2-0 to England, despite Steve Borthwick’s side missing 14 players who were touring with the British and Irish Lions.

In the Rugby Championship, they started with a defeat and a win at home against New Zealand and went to Australia with a big chance to cement their status as title contenders.

Despite leading by 14 points at half-time, they ended up losing 28-24 after conceding a last-gasp try.

They avenged that loss the next week and ran the Springboks close in their final game after a 67-30 defeat in Durban, but finished bottom of the table.

Argentina went to Cardiff as favourites last week and put up 52 points, but Scotland are unlikely to be as charitable as Wales and the Pumas do not usually tour well in the northern hemisphere either.

The last time they won more than one game in November Tests was 2014.

However, with Wales dispatched and Scotland and England to come, this team has the chance for a historic clean sweep.

The odds might be against them, but three wins on British soil is not farfetched for this Argentina side.

Argentina team to face Scotland: Cruz Mallia, Isgro, Moroni, Chocobares, M Carreras, Prisciantelli, Benitez Cruz; Vivas, Montoya (capt), Delgado, Petti, Rubiolo, S Grondona, Martin Gonzalez, Oviedo.

Replacements: Ruiz, Gallo, Coria Marchetti, Elias, Matera, Moyano, S Carreras, Piccardo.

R.J. Mickens feels as if the blueprint is right in front of him. Across the Chargers locker room, he sees No. 3 and immediately knows of the possibilities.

The rookie safety has played a leading role in sparking a Chargers defense that has helped lift the team to a three-game winning streak heading into Sunday’s game against Jacksonville. Before getting the chance to prove himself, Mickens learned from the secondary corps around him: Tony Jefferson, Elijah Molden, Donte Jackson — and No. 3, Derwin James Jr.

“[James has been] willing to pour into me and help me get to where he’s at and surpass him,” said Mickens, who secured his second-career interception against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. “And he’s willing to help me. I’m really willing to go to him.”

Mickens isn’t the only Chargers rookie who has built a name for himself within the secondary, as injuries have led to opportunities for players lower on the depth chart. Nikko Reed, whom the Chargers signed as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon, got his “feet wet” two weeks ago against the Tennessee Titans before being thrust into action against Aaron Rodgers and Steelers.

Chargers cornerback Nikko Reed warms up before facing the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 2.

(Stew Milne / Associated Press)

During that game, Rodgers threw a pass that seemed destined to drop into the hands of wide receiver Calvin Austin III. Flying through the air, Reed stretched out his left arm toward Austin and recorded his first pass breakup, helping the Chargers hold a nine-point halftime lead en route to a 25-10 victory.

Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who has guided the Chargers to an NFL-best 64.5 opponent passer rating, credits Reed’s development, in part, to defending against Justin Herbert, Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston in practice.

“When you get out there, and it’s DK Metcalf or Roman Wilson … and it’s Aaron Rodgers, you’re ready for that because you’ve taken advantage of the opportunity and practice with the guys that we have,” Minter said of Reed, who played a career-high 40% of snaps against the Steelers.

Said Reed: “Knowing that you’re going against the best players every day at practice and once you get into the game, it’s easy — it’s way easier than practice. I feel like that’s the mentality.”

It’s a similar mindset that has helped Mickens hold opposing quarterbacks to an 8.3 passer rating on targeted receivers, the best mark in the NFL since Week 6, according to Pro Football Focus.

Mickens tries to keep things in perspective. The sixth-round pick recalled how he made a mistake on his first NFL play, taking a bad angle on a tackle attempt against the Miami Dolphins last month, resulting in a big gain. Still, he felt his interceptions against the Minnesota Vikings and Steelers also provided a learning experience.

His takeaway? Any NFL player can make a game-changing play, Mickens said.

James likes what he sees from his younger counterparts. Although Mickens and Reed are learning from watching James every day, the four-time Pro Bowler is also keeping a close eye on the rookies as the Chargers prepare for their playoff push.

“It’s being a sponge,” James said. “[Mickens and Reed] ask questions all day, every day. Man, they work. They work like they ain’t got nothing. Every day. And it’s showing.”

Cremers will become the youngest coach to lead a Uefa national team in a competitive match since Terry Neill was in charge of Northern Ireland, taking over on a player-manager basis for a Euro 1972 qualifier against the USSR in October 1971 aged 29, five months and five days.

But while Cremers may be relatively young in coaching terms, he is not lacking in the top-level experiences he hopes will see him become a manager in his own right one day.

The Dutchman, who has also worked at Brentford, originally joined Manchester City as a match analyst for the under-23s before his promotion to Guardiola’s set-up as chief analyst in 2018, playing a role in four Premier League title wins

Upon leaving his role as head of analysis and insights at City in 2022, Cremers took up the position as assistant coach under Kompany at Turf Moor – where he was integral in the club’s 2023 promotion into the Premier League as champions with a points total of 101.

And it was at Burnley where Cremers forged a close relationship with Bellamy, who also worked under Kompany.

Indeed, one of Bellamy’s first key decisions following his appointment as Wales head coach in the summer of 2024 was to appoint Cremers to his staff.

When asked in November 2024 what Cremers added to his team, Bellamy replied: “Everything. The year we had at Burnley was down to him.

“We murdered the league, and it was that. It hadn’t been done before.

“Piet really pushed us towards this way. Vinny was always very intelligent about sounding out the best people.

“He brought Piet into our world then and it was just like ‘wow’, he moved so many different areas for us.”