SPORT

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

CITY SECTION

First Round

DIVISION I

#1 Venice 38, #16 Bell 0

#8 Franklin 35, #9 Westchester 15

#5 Marquez 17, #12 Granada Hills 12

#13 Van Nuys 36, #4 Wilmington Banning 15

#3 Eagle Rock 62, #14 Taft 37

#11 Dorsey 26, #6 El Camino Real 8

#7 Gardena 30, #10 L.A. Hamilton 26

#2 South Gate 47, #15 Lincoln 21

DIVISION II

#1 Cleveland 24, #16 Legacy 3

#9 North Hollywood 42, #8 Sylmar 35

#5 L.A. University 16, #12 Washington 12

#4 Fairfax 55, #13 Panorama 22

#14 Chatsworth 40, #3 L.A. Roosevelt 12

#10 Arleta 35, #7 Huntington Park 32

#2 San Fernando 33, #15 South East 14

DIVISION III

#1 Santee 40, #16 Locke 8

#8 Maywood CES 34, #9 Fremont 16

#5 Contreras 35, #12 Sun Valley Poly 28

#4 Jefferson 57, #13 Canoga Park 7

#3 L.A. Wilson 42, #14 Rancho Dominguez 14

#11 Chavez 36, #6 Manual Arts 14

#7 Roybal 34, #10 Verdugo Hills 14

#2 Hawkins 34, #15 Los Angeles 0

SOUTHERN SECTION

First Round

DIVISION 2

Murrieta Valley 35, Corona del Mar 14

Rancho Cucamonga 45, Tustin 8

Los Alamitos 35, Yorba Linda 28

San Juan Hills 28, Downey 27

San Clemente 38, Beaumont 21

Vista Murrieta 36, Damien 31

Leuzinger 34, Crean Lutheran 17

Chaparral 63, Chaminade 42

DIVISION 3

Bishop Amat 28, Murrieta Mesa 9

Oxnard Pacifica 42, Oak Hills 21

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 44, Laguna Beach 28

Chino Hills 42, Mira Costa 35

Dana Hills 27, Aquinas 26

Palos Verdes 42, Valencia 34

Edison 31, Huntington Beach 19

Inglewood 40, Capistrano Valley 16

DIVISION 4

Charter Oak 17, Muir 14

San Jacinto 30, Bishop Diego 29

Great Oak 38, Cajon 15

Villa Park 28, Westlake 24

Oaks Christian 16, St. Bonaventure 13

Paraclete 54, Long Beach Wilson 48

Cathedral 40, Western 21

La Habra 41, El Modena 7

DIVISION 5

Redondo Union 21, Torrance 14

St. Paul 38, Etiwanda 19

Bonita 31, Northview 19

Loyola 17, Newbury Park 14

Aliso Niguel 7, Millikan 6

La Serna 7, Lakewood 0

Rio Hondo Prep 50, Thousand Oaks 34

Troy 49, Orange 27

DIVISION 6

Eastvale Roosevelt 33, Crespi 24

Burbank 52, Lancaster 43

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 35, Alta Loma 6

Upland 42, Los Altos 21
Orange Vista 50, El Toro 31

Agoura 35, Summit 7

Ventura 42, Salesian 31
Moorpark 31, Riverside King 28

DIVISION 7

Palm Springs 33, Claremont 7

Hart 52, Mayfair 24

Barstow 34, Serrano 12

La Canada 30, West Covina 14

Apple Valley 21, North Torrance 20

Victor Valley 34, Segerstrom 14

Saugus 22, Schurr 19

Calabasas 31, El Segundo 24

DIVISION 8

Palm Desert 31, Marina 7

Patriot 48, Elsinore 28

Beckman 41, La Mirada 21

Fullerton 38, La Quinta 21

Irvine 24, Temecula Valley 7

Quartz Hill 41, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 0

Brea Olinda 21, Mary Star of the Sea 12

St. Monica 28, St. Genevieve 18

DIVISION 9

Ramona 21, Silverado 14

Cerritos 16, Fillmore 7

Hesperia 27, Moreno Valley 21

Norte Vista 28, Vista del Lago 24

Warren 17, Norwalk 7

Cerritos Valley Christian 29, Chino 6

San Dimas 24, Rowland 22

Riverside Poly 34, Corona Santiago 24

DIVISION 10

Oak Park 17, Village Christian 15

Tahquitz 39, Heritage Christian 12

Brentwood 13, Portola 3

Santa Monica 42, Pasadena 16

Garden Grove Pacifica 35, El Rancho 14

Liberty 42, West Torrance 35

St. Margaret’s 16, Redlands East Valley 15

Hillcrest 41, Monrovia 14

DIVISION 11

El Monte 18, St. Anthony 13

Western Christian 27, Bell Gardens 20

Baldwin Park 42, Maranatha 28

Shadow Hills 37, Jurupa Hills 0

Gahr 21, Chaffey 16

Valley View 24, Dominguez 3

Palmdale 39, Diamond Bar 20

South Pasadena 42, San Marcos 17

DIVISION 12

Yucca Valley 43, Costa Mesa 17

Grace 28, Rialto 27

Perris 51, Citrus Hill 22

Coachella Valley 38, Banning 35

Bellflower 14, Nogales 7

Colton 73, Ganesha 53

Santa Paula 27, Ocean View 7

Arroyo Valley 26, Desert Christian Academy 24

DIVISION 13

Saddleback 21, Pacific 17

Santa Rosa Academy 35, Heritage 21

Woodbridge 28, Desert Hot Springs 13

Buena 42, Nordhoff 40

La Puente 26, Kaiser 19

Linfield Christian 47, Hacienda Heights Wilson 20

Montebello 19, Rancho Alamitos 17

DIVISION 14

South El Monte 46, Channel Islands 7

Indian Springs 27, Vasquez 20

Ontario 21, Bolsa Grande 0

Miller 39, San Jacinto Valley 13

Alhambra 25, Bassett 0

Trinity Classical Academy 47, Gabrielino 35

Pioneer 42, Godinez 21

8-MAN

CITY SECTION

Quarterfinals

#1 Sherman Oaks CES 66, #8 USC Hybrid 0

#4 East Valley 28, #5 Valley Oaks CES 22

#2 Animo Robinson 66, #7 New Designs University Park 21

SOUTHERN SECTION

First Round

DIVISION 1

Avalon 45, Thacher 14

DIVISION 2

Cal Lutheran 52, Maricopa 22

Desert Christian 34, Malibu 7

Hesperia Christian 26, Academy of Career and Exploration 13

Lancaster Baptist 57, Downey Calvary Chapel 14

Arriving at Sale Sharks as part of a high-profile revamp, Holly Aitchison has made one big move this summer.

She is adamant she won’t be making a second.

“[England head coach] John Mitchell has made it pretty clear to me that I can cover different positions, but I am a 10,” she told BBC Sport.

“And I won’t be seen as anything else.”

A year ago, the question wouldn’t have been asked.

At WXV in Canada, Aitchison was the Red Roses’ starting fly-half, steering them to title-clinching victories over New Zealand and Canada.

Her playmaking and running abilities were a key part of diversifying England’s threat, ensuring that, come the Rugby World Cup in England, they would have more cutting edges than a bandsaw.

It didn’t turn out like that.

Zoe Harrison edged in front as first-choice 10, with Aitchison shifted into the centres or on to the bench.

An ankle injury in the run-up to the Rugby World Cup meant Aitchison struggled to challenge for her spot, only appearing in the knock-out stages and then being deployed as a midfield replacement in the semi-final and final victories over France and Canada respectively.

But the 28-year-old is resolute in sticking to her position and her philosophy.

“I want to dictate,” she said.

“Obviously I got that ankle injury before the World Cup, but we were definitely moving in the more expansive direction.

“That’s something that I champion, that’s what I bring as a 10.

“I want to inspire the backline, I want to play this brand of rugby that attracts viewers.

“In the men’s game, I think of players like Finn Russell – you buy a ticket to watch him.

“I want that kind of hype around players in the women’s game where we’re creating that style of brand that people want to watch.”

At Sale, she hopes she has found the stage to do that.

The team finished last in PWR last season, but they have invested and improved.

Aitchison’s England team-mate Amy Cokayne and Scotland wing Rhona Lloyd were also signed over the summer while England’s Morweena Talling and the United States’ all-action lock Erica Jarrell-Searcy are part of an exciting back five in the pack.

Sale co-owner Michelle Orange had earmarked this season, after the Rugby World Cup, as a chance to lure some of England’s players back to the north and strengthen a struggling team.

Aitchison, born and raised on Merseyside, was a top target.

“Holly was on my hit-list, not just as a poster girl for the Red Roses, but for the North West and women’s rugby in general,” Orange tells BBC Sport.

“She is a perfect fit coming in. We are so lucky to have Katy Daley-Mclean – one of England’s best ever fly-halves – heading up our women’s programme and Holly follows in her mould.

“I love Holly’s style, her sass, the way she puts herself out on social media and identifies with her fanbase, this is exactly who we want in our team to bring some extra X-factor and complement the girls we have already got.”

The intensity is always high when Palisades and Venice meet on the volleyball court. This time, however, there was more than just neighborhood bragging rights at stake.

In the fifth meeting this season between the Western League rivals, the second-seeded Dolphins brought their ‘A’ game and won the City Section Open Division girls’ championship with a 25-23, 25-18, 25-18 victory Friday night at Southwest College.

It was the record 31st section crown for Palisades (35-7), which had won its last title (all but two of which have been in the top division) four years ago when the 2020 fall season was delayed until the following spring because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Tulah Block’s seventh and final kill on match point sent her teammates pouring off the bench to hug each other.

“Going up for that kill I just knew I had to do it for the team,” Block said. “I’m so proud of the whole team especially with everything we went through and are still going through after the fire and not having a gym. We even had to go the beach to practice one day.”

The West Valley League has dominated girls’ volleyball over the last decade, but Palisades and Venice each vanquished two West Valley League opponents to reach the final. The Dolphins ousted Granada Hills and defending Open champion Taft while the top-seeded Gondoliers eliminated Chatsworth and El Camino Real.

Venice (32-11) won Division II in 2012, Division I in 2016 and the Open Division in 2021. The last time a West Valley League school failed to reach the Open Division final was 2019 when Eagle Rock beat Palisades in four sets.

Venice was swept in the team’s first league meeting on Aug. 28 but rebounded to take the rematch in five sets on Sept. 25 and ultimately took first place because of the Dolphins’ surprising five-set loss to University. The teams also met twice in tournaments, Venice winning both times in a best-of-three sets format.

“Our slogan all year was ’no gym, no problem,” Palisades senior libero Lucy Neilson said. “Today we came with a ‘leave it all out there’ mentality.”

Palisades rallied from a 19-16 deficit to win the first set on a kill by Block that Venice’s Samantha Lortie dove for in desperation but could not quite dig. Venice’s last stand came in the third set when it built a 13-7 lead but Palisades answered with a 14-point run on the serving of Phoebe Messiha.

Lortie, who teamed with Savannah Rozell to win the City pairs tournament on April 29 in Santa Monica and three days later led the Gondoliers to their first beach volleyball title, traded kills with Palisades’ Anabelle Redaelli, who finished with a match-high 13. Lortie had 11 and Gaia Adeseun-Williams added eight for the Gondoliers.

“Winning it this season is special given the obvious circumstances and it had to be against Venice,” Neilson added. “It’s important for our program because we hadn’t won it in a few years and that’s our goal every year.”

In the preceding Division V final, fifth-seeded Legacy swept No. 11 Sotomayor, 25-20, 25-18, 25-12. Both teams were seeking their first City title. Legacy improved to 10-15 while Sotomayor dropped to 12-12.

“We’re here because we pushed for it,” Tigers libero Yahaira Ramirez said. “Not all teams are going to have a 100 percent win streak. I love my position. I love to stand out. I save my team a lot of points.”

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is interesting two Italian clubs, Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali does not have a release clause in his contract, Morgan Rogers set to sign new Aston Villa contract.

Napoli have made contact with Manchester United over a January loan deal for England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, 20. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

Mainoo is also a wanted by another Serie A club with Roma interested in a January deal. (Football Italia), external

Newcastle and Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali is homesick for AC Milan, with Juventus also interested in the 25-year-old. (Corriere della Sera – in Italian), external

Tonali does not have a release clause in his Newcastle contract and will review his future on a year-by-year basis. (Sky Sports), external

Aston Villa’s 23-year-old England midfielder Morgan Rogers is set to sign a new contract which will take his salary beyond £100,000 per week. (Mail), external

Bayern Munich are in contact with the entourage of Liverpool and France defender Ibrahima Konate, 26, over a potential transfer. (Bild – via Get German Football News), external

Liverpool and Chelsea might make a move Newcastle’s 25-year-old Dutch defender Sven Botman. (Caught Offside), external

Tottenham are open to signing English striker Ivan Toney, 29, in January, from Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli and Spurs boss Thomas Frank has already held talks with him. (Teamtalk), external

Alexis Mac Allister is happy at Liverpool and the 26-year-old Argentina midfielder has no immediate intentions to move despite interest from Real Madrid. (Football Insider), external

Former Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil is a strong contender for the vacant manager’s job at Southampton, along with ex-Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Liverpool are unlikely to bid for Bournemouth and Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo in January, but the Reds might move for the 25-year-old next summer. (Fabrizio Romano via Give Me Sport), external

Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni wants to stay at Inter Milan, dealing a blow to Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool’s hopes of signing the 26-year-old. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

A week ago, Harrison Mevis was working out on his own, kicking and preparing for the day an NFL team came calling.

On Sunday, Mevis will be the Rams’ kicker when they play the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, coach Sean McVay said Friday.

Mevis and long snapper Jake McQuaide were signed to the practice squad this week because of kicking-game issues that led to early-season losses against the Philadelphia Eagles and the 49ers and resurfaced in last Sunday’s victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Mevis and second-year pro Joshua Karty competed during practices on Wednesday and Thursday.

“Ultimately, in its simplest form, who do I think gives us the best chance to have successful outcomes, particularly in that operation with the given factors on Sunday,” McVay said.

Mevis, 23, made 89 of 106 field-goal attempts at Missouri, including one from 61 yards. In the United Football League this past season, he made 20 of 21 field-goal attempts.

Mevis said he had been preparing for a call every week since the New York Jets cut him from their practice squad in September. He said he performed well this week.

“I feel like I put myself out there, I showed what I can do and proved that I can play at this level,” he said after Friday’s practice. “And I’m ready to go.”

Not only for this week.

“The work’s just starting,” he said. “This is not the end goal. I didn’t come here just to be the starter for one week. So I’m just here to help the team win.”

McVay said he still has “a lot of confidence” in Karty, a 2024 sixth-round draft pick in Karty, who has made 10 of 15 field-goal attempts and 23 of 26 extra-point attempts.

“He’s not going anywhere,” McVay said, noting that the situation would be evaluated again after Sunday’s game.

McQuaide, a 15th-year pro who played for the Rams from 2011 to 2020, replaces Alex Ward. He will work with punter/holder Ethan Evans and Mevis in what the Rams hope will be an improved operation.

“It’s definitely been a little chaotic,” Evans said of the changes this week. “But I feel very confident we’ll be able to go out there and execute our jobs.”

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim accepts £73.7m striker Benjamin Sesko has struggled at times in his first few weeks at the club but urged him not to take criticism from club legends personally.

Sesko has scored two goals in his first 11 appearances for United.

He last found the net against Sunderland at Old Trafford on 4 October and his performance at Nottingham Forest last weekend prompted former skipper Gary Neville to declare the Slovenia international was “miles off it” compared to fellow new arrivals Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

Amorim does accept there is substance to Neville’s comments. However, he also feels they lack the context of Sesko moving to a new league at the age of 22, having only spent two seasons in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig.

“I’m relaxed,” he said. “[But] he’s not relaxed.

“I understand how things are in football and he’s going to struggle. That is normal. He has no experience here.

“The first impact [is] when everyone says that you are so good, you are the next big thing and you hear that about Sesko.

“Then you come to one club that is the hardest club. If you don’t perform every week, you are going to hear a lot of things from club legends, from pundits, from the media – and sometimes they are right.

“Of course, nobody likes to hear but he struggled a little bit, and that is a fact. So, let’s embrace that.

“It is hard to hear but it’s not personal. It’s an opinion that is going to change in three weeks. Everything that is true today, in three weeks, could be a lie.”

Sesko is understood to be spending huge amounts of time at United’s Carrington training ground as he gets an understanding of the performance levels he is delivering compared to those he is required to meet.

He often arrives more than 90 minutes earlier than the normal meeting time of 09:45 and does not leave until 16:00, long after most of his team-mates.

United sources remain confident they made the right decision to sign Sesko, while at the same time sending Rasmus Hojlund on loan to Napoli, even though the Dane has scored four times in nine appearances for the Italian champions.

“Ben is a young kid, a control freak,” said Amorim.

“He wants to control everything – and he’s not going to control everything.

“He has more potential than I was thinking [but] we need to understand how he likes to play and also to put in our ideas.

“I’m quite relaxed with that. He is going to be our striker for the long term but he’s going to have these struggles and these bumps during the ride. That is a normal thing in football.”

Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia and his wife, Kayla, announced on Instagram on Friday that their baby daughter, Sterling, died on Oct. 26 — a tragic loss that caused Vesia to miss the Dodgers’ appearance in the World Series last week.

“Our little angel, we love you forever & you’re with us always,” the Vesias wrote. “There are no words to describe the pain we’re going through but we hold her in our hearts and cherish every second we had with her.”

The Vesias had been expecting the birth of Sterling, their first child, during the Dodgers’ postseason run. Her death came during the World Series, forcing Vesia to step away from the club.

The day before Game 1 of the World Series, the Dodgers publicly announced Vesia was not with the team because of a “deeply personal family matter.” The Dodgers left him off their World Series roster, as well as the family medical emergency list, so as not to pressure him into feeling he needed to return.

“This is so much bigger than baseball,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said at the time. “And for us, it was doing whatever small part we could to just 100% be supportive.”

The Dodgers’ bullpen honored Vesia in Game 3 of the World Series, with each reliever writing his No. 51 on the sides of their caps for the rest of the series. The Toronto Blue Jays’ relievers did the same in Games 6 and 7, a gesture several Dodgers publicly recognized and deeply appreciated.

“I think it really speaks to the brotherhood of athletes, major league baseball players,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts ahead of Game 7. “Baseball is what we do, but it’s not who we are. And for these guys to recognize Alex and what he and Kayla have gone through — ‘heartbreaking’ is not even a good enough descriptor.”

“For those guys to do that, it’s incredible,” outfielder Kiké Hernández added. “They’re trying to win a World Series, but they understand that this is — life is bigger than baseball, and baseball’s just a game. For them to do that with the stakes where we’re at, hats off to them, and I want them to know that we appreciate ‘em.”

The Vesias also thanked the Dodgers, Blue Jays and baseball fans for their support.

“Our baseball family showed up for us and we wouldn’t be able to do this without them,” they wrote. “We have seen ALL your messages, comments and posts. It’s brought us so much comfort.”

Vesia was a key part of the Dodgers’ bullpen in both the regular season (when he had a 3.02 ERA in a career-high 68 appearances) and the first three rounds of the playoffs (when he allowed just two runs in seven outings).

On Thursday, the Dodgers picked up Vesia’s $3.65-million option for next season, avoiding arbitration before what will be his final year before reaching free agency.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim backs striker Benjamin Sesko to find his feet at Old Trafford and insists his early “struggles” are “normal” amid the scrutiny the Red Devils face from the media and “club legends”.

READ MORE: ‘Control freak’ Sesko should ignore critics – Amorim

ATLANTA — JJ Redick was already preaching one type of Japanese philosophy, harping to his team about the concept of “kaizen” to improve each day. Off the court, the head coach found inspiration in another Japanese phrase.

Lakers players and coaches have used PechaKucha presentations to facilitate team bonding this season. The slideshows, which come from the Japanese word for chitchat, could be a secret to the team’s hot start as the Lakers (7-2) have won five consecutive games entering a five-game road that starts Saturday in Atlanta at 5 p.m. PST against the Hawks.

The Lakers have pieced together one of the NBA’s most efficient offenses despite injuries keeping LeBron James, Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic in and out of the lineup, relying on a strong team bond that’s developed quickly through an even faster form of communication.

PechaKucha presentations are traditionally 20 slides, each with a photo. The speaker has 20 seconds to explain each slide for a total presentation time of 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

The Lakers’ version consists of five slides: where you’re from; favorite basketball memory; person, event or thing that has impacted your life; your non-basketball happy place; and dealer’s choice.

“A lot of times most of the interactions you’ll have with your teammates is on the basketball court,” forward Jake LaRavia said. “So it’s good to just kind of either learn some stuff about them outside of basketball, like hobbies and stuff like that, where they come from. And that just helps you kind of understand who the person is a little bit better.”

Assistant coach Scott Brooks started his presentation with a photo of a walnut, symbolizing the walnut farm he worked on during the weekends to help his family make ends meet. LaRavia showed a photo of his driveway as the origin of his basketball journey. Doncic spoke about how his daughter Gabriela changed his life.

One coach and one player present, and then they each nominate the next coach or player to go. With about half of the players and coaches left, Redick said he’s already noticing the holdouts actively planning their presentations before their nominations.

“We’re just constantly encouraging and empowering our guys to get connected,” Redick said. “I believe if you’re connected off the floor, you’re connected on the floor. You need buy-in to that. I’m not trying to take credit for my staff here. It’s the guys on the team, they’re bought into that.”

Doncic, for one, isn’t sold. He deadpanned that he doesn’t think the exercise helps.

Just the fact that Doncic made the joke meant it’s working.

Settled after last season’s jarring trade, the 26-year-old’s personality has started to emerge among his teammates. He is a sarcastic jokester who expresses love for his teammates by threading passes to them through pinhole-sized gaps in the defense and then trash talking them right soon after.

Lakers coach JJ Redick, with injured forward LeBron James next to him, questions a call along with guard Marcus Smart during the game against the Spurs on Wednesday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Doncic’s smiling antics, whether he’s trying to sit on Austin Reaves’ lap on the sideline or swishing halfcourt shots in a contest with Reaves, Maxi Kleber and staff members, show just how connected the superstar feels to the team.

“Honestly, the feeling is I’m enjoying, very much, playing with these guys,” Doncic said. “AR [Reaves] can’t play. We’re still missing LeBron. So this team has a big potential. But everybody who steps on court, gives maximum, man, everybody. So it’s very enjoyable to play.”

Reaves is present on the road trip but will miss a third consecutive game Saturday. The Lakers ruled him out after practice Friday as his right groin injury progressed to a strain after previously being categorized simply as soreness.

James did not make the trip to Atlanta. He progressed to on-court basketball activities this week after missing four weeks because of a sciatica on his right side. He was playing one-on-one with coaches, Redick said. A stint with the South Bay Lakers is on the table, but no decision has been made.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer hasn’t played a single minute for the Lakers yet. Reaves, averaging 31.1 points and 9.3 assists, has missed the last two wins, and Doncic has played in only half of the games. But the Lakers are still fifth in the NBA in offensive rating.

“It shows how professional we are,” guard Marcus Smart said of the team’s chemistry despite constantly changing personnel. “I think a lot of people, especially who aren’t in the brotherhood, they forget that you build a relationship with guys, and then one guy or a couple guys, you get traded and you got to rebuild another one. You don’t understand how tough that is, how much of a toll that takes.”

Just as Smart spoke, Doncic appeared behind the group of reporters, clapping loudly. Then Doncic made sure to put on the record that he would beat Smart at a team-building competition that night. Both smiled as they walked away.

“Los Angeles sports legend” is the most appropriate way to describe the contributions of Gail Goodrich, who returned to Southern California on Friday as an 82-year-old full of stamina and humbleness after his alma mater, Sun Valley Poly High, named its gymnasium the Gail Goodrich Sports Complex.

“This is where it all started,” Goodrich said. “I have great memories here. I’m emotional that they’re going to name the gym after me. I had great coaches. I had great teammates. I’ve been one to always look to the future. Today is a day to recall and look back.”

There are few individuals in sports history who achieved what he accomplished in his hometown as a basketball standout. He led Poly to the City championship over Manual Arts in 1961, helped UCLA win two NCAA titles under coach John Wooden, including a record-setting 42-point performance in the 1965 final, and won an NBA title as the Lakers’ leading scorer in 1971-72 on a team that had a 33-game winning streak and featured fellow future Hall of Famers Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain.

In the 1961 title game, Goodrich suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter. He came back to dominate the fourth quarter, finishing with 29 points. He played the game on a Wednesday, graduated on a Friday and was at UCLA that Monday.

Four of Goodrich’s high school teammates attended Friday’s ceremony, including center Ernie Brandt, who said, “I’m the guy who passed the ball to him all the time.”

This was the second gym-naming ceremony for Goodrich, who traveled from his home in Idaho in 2015 to see Madison Middle School in North Hollywood name its gym the Gail Goodrich Sports Center.

He graduated from Madison at 5 feet 2 and 99 pounds. At Poly, by his senior year, he was nearing 6 feet tall. He was known for his accurate left-handed shooting touch. He recalled how his father built a basket at home and he practiced into the night.

“I lived at the Poly gym. I became a gym rat. The gym became my second home,” he said.

He helped launch Wooden’s UCLA basketball dynasty that would lead to 10 titles in 12 years. Assistant coach Jerry Norman was one of the few recruiters to pay attention to him in high school and was at Poly on Friday. Goodrich was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996.

In 2014, Goodrich wrote about Wooden, “He never talked about winning. He talked about being a success and being able to look in the mirror at the end of the day. If you did the very best you could, that’s all anybody could ask.”

Poly opened its gym two seasons ago. Officials sought recommendations for dedicating the gym. Poly coach Joe Wyatt said there was no need for debate.

“I said, ‘Gail Goodrich.’ That’s an easy one. That’s perfect,” Wyatt said.

“As a friend told me, ‘I reached the top of the mountain for my craft,’” Goodrich told Poly students who filled up the bleachers. “Yes, you will get roadblocks and get knocked down. Sometimes you have to take three steps back, but find your mountain and don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do it.”

Warning: This story contains information some readers may find distressing

Quarterback Dak Prescott says the Dallas Cowboys’ players are “hurting” following the death of team-mate Marshawn Kneeland.

Defensive lineman Kneeland, drafted by the Cowboys in the second round in 2024, died aged 24 on Thursday.

Frisco Police Department in Texas said Kneeland appeared to have taken his own life after a vehicle pursuit and multi-agency search on Wednesday night.

Kneeland, in his second season with the Cowboys, scored his first NFL touchdown by recovering a blocked punt on Monday in a loss to Arizona.

Prescott and his team-mates had a team video call in the wake of Kneeland’s death which the 32-year-old said had been “very tough” following a “tragic loss”.

“I hurt for Marshawn, I hurt for his family, I hurt for his girlfriend, I hurt for every single one of my team-mates,” Prescott told CBS Texas.

Prescott’s own brother Jace died by suicide, external in 2020 and he has worked with mental health initiatives in the past few years.

He acknowledged Kneeland’s death had been “triggering” and it was “hard to balance” his emotions.

“This is a pain that you don’t wish upon anybody,” he said.

“You wish none of us had to go through this. You wish Marshawn didn’t have to go through what he went through.

“Tough moment for this team. I feel and hurt for everybody that’s involved in this and Marshawn’s family and loved ones.”

The Cowboys have a bye this week on the NFL schedule before they return to competition on 17 November at Las Vegas.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit the BBC Action Line.

COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. — Woodrow Lowe, a three-time All-American linebacker at Alabama and an 11-year starter for the NFL’s San Diego Chargers, has died. He was 71.

Lowe died at his home in Collierville, Tenn., on Thursday, according to the National Football Foundation.

Lowe was a 2009 NFF Hall of Fame inductee. He starred at Alabama (1972-75) and was the second player in program history to make the first-team All-America list three times. He helped the Crimson Tide make the Sugar Bowl in 1973, losing to eventual national champion Notre Dame, and was a consensus All-America selection the following year.

“Woodrow Lowe was one of the finest linebackers ever to play the game, and we are deeply saddened to learn of his passing,” NFF Chairman Archie Manning said. “A three-time All-American and one of the most decorated linebackers in college football history, he defined excellence at one of the top programs in the country.

“After his playing days, he dedicated himself to shaping young lives as a coach and mentor, carrying forward the lessons of excellence and dedication that defined his own career. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the entire Alabama football community.”

Born June 9, 1954, in Columbus, Ga., Lowe got his football start at Phenix City Central High in Alabama. He stayed in state for college and set a single-season record at Alabama with 134 tackles in 1973. The Tide went 43-5 during his four seasons in Tuscaloosa, and his 315 career tackles still rank fourth in school history.

A fifth-round draft pick by the Chargers in 1976, Lowe played in 164 of 165 possible games during his NFL career and tallied 21 interceptions, including four returned for touchdowns.

He coached at the high school, college and professional levels before retiring in Tennessee.

Lowe also was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame and the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame.

Hamilton also faces an investigation for failing to slow sufficiently for the yellow flags waved when Leclerc lost control.

Norris topped all three sessions in sprint qualifying and had a comfortable advantage over Piastri throughout.

He said: “It was a little bit tougher than I would have liked. But we did the job we needed to do, which was to be fastest today.

“Qualifying is always one of the best things here. It’s difficulty, it’s bumpy, it’s tricky, always a joy, always puts a smile on your face.

“But a long weekend, another qualifying and another couple of races to go but a good start.”

Rain is forecast for Saturday morning in Sao Paulo, when the sprint race is due to start at 14:00 GMT. Qualifying for the grand prix is at 18:00.

Norris’ result is the best possible start to the weekend and gives him the opportunity to build his championship lead – eight points are awarded to the winner of the sprint, seven for second and so on down to eighth place.

Antonelli impressed in second, his best time set on his first lap, while the surprise package of qualifying was Alonso, who set the fastest time in the second session and was just 0.253secs off pole in his midfield car in the final shootout.

His team-mate Lance Stroll was seventh fastest, ahead of Leclerc, Racing Bulls’ Iscak Hadjar and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg.

Dominic Perfetti is a 6-foot-7 starting basketball player for St. John Bosco. Even more impressive is that he’s one of the top high school lacrosse players in the nation and has committed to Syracuse.

He became interested in lacrosse when a friend gave him a stick when he was 6 years old. He started fooling around with it and has been playing lacrosse ever since. He got so good that top programs on the East Coast reached out. And he’s been playing for a club team, too.

He’s so tall as a defender that it makes him a unique player.

“I might be the tallest lacrosse player in history,” Perfetti joked.

His size, combined with 6-9 Christian Collins and 7-1 Howie Wu, gives St. John Bosco a formidable trio in basketball. If his team is busy in the basketball playoffs, he’ll also try to play lacrosse simultaneously for the Braves.

He’ll gladly demonstrate his shooting ability in lacrosse if anyone presents him with a stick and ball. And he can dunk, too.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

From Jack Harris: The now two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers made their first moves of the offseason on Thursday.

The biggest one will ensure will ensure a familiar face is back for their pursuit of a three-peat next year.

The team picked up its $10-million club option for third baseman Max Muncy, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly, bringing the now longest-tenured member of the roster back for what will be his ninth season in Los Angeles.

The Dodgers also picked up a $3.55-million club option for reliever Alex Vesia (keeping him out of arbitration), according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly. Additionally, they shook up the 40-man roster with a series of maneuvers that included Tony Gonsolin being designated for assignment.

None of the moves were overly surprising, starting with the option the Dodgers exercised at the end of a two-year, $24-million deal Muncy signed in the 2023 offseason.

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From Ryan Kartje: The drill is simple. Just a basic throw-and-catch warm-up, called “Pat-and-Go,” that USC and many other football programs do virtually every day. Quarterbacks loosen their arms, while pass catchers get their legs warm, running routes on air. It’s the sort of drill where it’s easy enough to slough off a rep or two. Or to get a little casual, like playing catch in the yard.

But when Makai Lemon lines up during Pat-and-Go, there is nothing casual about what comes next. Every rep is taken seriously, every reception reeled in with intention. The junior has taken thousands of these reps, caught thousands of these passes over three seasons at USC, each filed away as a data point for Lemon to later access.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen one he didn’t catch game-like,” USC coach Lincoln Riley says. “Rarely does he ever take a rep that isn’t very intentional.”

It’s a fitting snapshot of the Trojans’ top receiver, one that captures more than just his prowess as a football player. Every action with Lemon is deliberate, every detail accounted for. That singular focus has made him the most reliable receiver in college football and, come April, a surefire first-round NFL draft pick, all while somehow maintaining a strikingly low profile for a pass catcher of his caliber.

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UCLA BASKETBALL

From Ben Bolch: At her players’ request, Cori Close showed up inside Pauley Pavilion five hours before tipoff. The UCLA women’s basketball coach was joined by her assistants and managers for pregame shooting at 6:30 a.m., so many players filling the court that the sessions had to be staggered.

Three days after a lackluster showing in their season opener, the Bruins felt they had something to prove in their first game at home. The additional work before facing UC Santa Barbara on Thursday reflected their commitment.

“I mean, I never have to coach this team’s work ethic,” Close said. “That is never in question. And so that’s a really fun place to be in.”

The day’s biggest gratification would come later, the third-ranked Bruins resembling an All-Star team at times during an 87-50 rout of the Gauchos that showed glimpses of the firepower they hope to fully unleash by season’s end.

Forward Gabriela Jaquez revealed one of the best long-range shooting displays of her career, making four of seven three-pointers on the way to 21 points. Point guard Kiki Rice was a constant playmaker in her return to the starting lineup while scoring 20 points, grabbing eight rebounds and distributing three assists. Shooting guard Gianna Kneepkens added another dimension to the offense with four more three-pointers and 20 points.

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UCLA box score

LAKERS

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: The only way that game could have ended was with a free throw.

Thanks to two missed free throws from San Antonio’s Julian Champagnie with 0.2 seconds remaining, the Lakers survived 118-116 Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs in a disjointed game that dragged on for nearly three hours and included 66 total fouls and 84 free throws.

The Lakers (7-2) won their fifth consecutive game, fighting through exhaustion from playing in their third game in four days and a short rotation without guard Austin Reaves. At halftime, players and coaches acknowledged how tired they felt. Coach JJ Redick said when he woke up at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday “it was like a bus had hit me.”

Here are three takeaways from the game:

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Ex-NBA player accused of selling LeBron James injury secrets pleads not guilty

CLIPPERS

Jalen Green scored 29 points in his Phoenix debut, Devin Booker added 24 points and the host Suns beat the short-handed Clippers 115-102 on Thursday night.

Green, who missed the Suns’ first eight games with a right hamstring strain, played 23 minutes and was 10 of 20 from the field, including six of 13 from behind the three-point line.

Grayson Allen, playing through an illness, scored 18, Mark Williams had 13 points and nine rebounds and Royce O’Neale scored 17, 11 in the third quarter when Phoenix outscored the Clippers 40-23 to take a 91-74 lead.

The Clippers lost their third straight. They played without James Harden, who missed the game for personal reasons, and Kawhi Leonard, sidelined with a right ankle sprain.

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Clippers box score

NBA standings

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra returns from a game in Denver to find his home on fire

KINGS

Brad Marchand scored two goals and Sam Reinhart got the go-ahead goal on his 30th birthday in the Florida Panthers’ 5-2 victory over the Kings on Thursday night.

Anton Lundell got a short-handed goal in the third period and Sam Bennett also scored for the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Panthers, who rebounded from a 7-3 loss against the Ducks to get their first victory on their four-game West Coast road trip.

Marchand has scored a goal in three straight games since returning to the Panthers from a one-game absence to travel to Nova Scotia to support a close friend who lost his daughter to cancer last month. The veteran tied the game late in the first period after taking the puck from Anton Forsberg behind Los Angeles’ net, and he added his ninth goal of the season in the third.

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Kings summary

NHL standings

DUCKS

Leo Carlsson‘s short-handed goal midway through the third period proved to be the winner as the Ducks rallied to beat the Dallas Stars 7-5 on Thursday night.

Carlsson scored on a slap shot 10:38 into the third period to give the Ducks a 6-4 lead. Troy Terry had an assist on the goal.

Chris Kreider scored twice, Cutter Gauthier, Olen Zellweger, Ian Moore added goals and Mason McTavish added an empty-netter for the Ducks, who’ve won five consecutive games and seven of their last eight. Lukas Dostal finished with 21 saves.

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Ducks summary

NHL standings

2028 OLYMPICS

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: With no permanent structures to build for the 2028 Olympics, LA28 hopes the lasting legacy of the Summer Games will live on in the hearts of Angelenos through one of the largest volunteer programs ever.

The private organizing committee launched registration for an expanded volunteer program on Thursday, allowing potential volunteers to express interest in participating in community events now, helping with the Games in 2028 or both.

LA28 will partner with local organizations and nonprofits for community volunteering events that will begin before the end of 2025. Potential volunteers for the Olympics, which begin on July 14, 2028, and follow with the Paralympics opening on Aug. 15, can also register their interest now, but applications will not open until summer of 2026.

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THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1943 — The Detroit Lions and New York Giants play the last scoreless tie in the NFL.

1968 — Red Berenson scores six goals, including four in the second period, to lead the St. Louis Blues to an 8-0 victory over Philadelphia.

1974 — South Africa is awarded the Davis Cup against India. India refuses to play in the final because of its opponent’s apartheid policy. It’s the first time the final is not played.

1985 — Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, the former middleweight boxer convicted twice of a triple murder in 1966 and the hero of a Bob Dylan song, is released after 19 years in prison. Carter, 48, is freed after a federal judge rules the boxer and a co-defendant were denied their civil rights by prosecutors during trials in 1967 and 1976.

1991 — Magic Johnson, who helped the Lakers to five NBA championships, announces he has tested positive for the AIDS virus and is retiring.

1998 — Awesome Again steals Skip Away’s thunder and the $5.12 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs with a three-quarter length victory over Silver Charm. Skip Away finishes sixth and misses becoming the first horse to earn $10 million.

1999 — Tiger Woods becomes the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win four straight tournaments, capturing the American Express Championship.

2003 — The defending champion U.S. baseball team fails to qualify for the 2004 Athens Olympics, losing to Mexico 2-1 in the quarterfinals of a qualifying tournament in Panama City, Panama.

2008 — Jerry Sloan is the first NBA coach to win 1,000 games with one team when his Utah Jazz beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 104-97. Sloan, 1,000-596 with the Jazz, has an overall coaching record of 1,094-717 with the Jazz and Chicago Bulls.

2009 — Zenyatta comes from last after a poor start and fights off Gio Ponti in the stretch to win the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. The 5-year-old mare, ridden by Mike Smith, beats a loaded field of 11 males and becomes the first female to win the race in its 26-year history.

2010 — Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning starts his 200th consecutive game, a 26-24 loss at Philadelphia. Manning joins Brett Favre as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to start 200 consecutive games.

2016 — Stephen Curry sets an NBA record with 13 three-pointers — one game after missing all his long-range attempts for the first time in two years — and the Golden State Warriors beat the winless New Orleans Pelicans 116-106. Curry finishes with 46 points, three days after his league-record streak of 157 games with at least one three was snapped.

2018 — For the second straight year, France wins the Six Nations Rugby Championship on points difference from Ireland.

2021 — Kyle Larson holds off Martin Trues Jr. in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway to earn his 10th win of the season and claim his first Cup Series championship.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

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

The experiment of using Kookaburra cricket balls in some rounds of the County Championship has been scrapped.

Kookaburras have been used in some rounds for each of the past three seasons, but the move was largely unpopular due to the trend of bat dominating ball.

Directors of cricket from the 18 first-class counties expressed their desire to end the experiment in October.

And the decision was confirmed by a meeting of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s professional game committee (PGC) earlier this week.

It means all 14 rounds of the 2026 County Championship season will be played with balls manufactured by Dukes.

Dukes are the traditional supplier of cricket balls for first-class cricket played in England. Dukes balls are hand-stitched and, in general, offer more assistance to bowlers.

Kookaburra balls are machine made and are mainly used in countries like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

The Kookaburra ball was introduced into the County Championship with the idea of preparing English players for overseas conditions. The theory was that it would encourage bowlers of higher pace and lead to spin having an enhanced role.

It was used for two rounds of matches in 2023, and expanded to four rounds for 2024 and 2025.

Two rounds of Kookaburra matches earlier this summer, played in June, resulted in a lot of dull cricket. The average first-innings total across the Championship was 430, 59 individual scores of 100 or more were made and Surrey racked up 820-9 declared against Durham at The Oval.

The ECB’s high performance arm – those involved in the England teams rather than the county game – still stands by the decision to use the Kookaburra, however, which points to the conflicts within the game.

Speaking last month before the decision was confirmed, ECB men’s performance director Ed Barney said: “We valued the Kookaburra ball. Has it achieved what we intended to? Yes, 100%.

“To be most effective with the Kookaburra ball you have to bowl at a higher speed. Has it drawn more spin bowling into the domestic game? Yes it has.”

Statistics from the past three County Championship seasons shows the optimal bowling speeds with the Kookaburra were around 85mph, but 75-79mph with the Dukes.

Forty per cent of deliveries were bowled by spinners during Kookaburra rounds but only 25% when using the Dukes.

“Ultimately the domestic game has a decision to make of whether it wants its core purpose to be about producing and developing players for international cricket or whether its core purpose is about a product that is competitive and appealing to the domestic context,” added Barney.

“That is the choice the domestic game and ECB has to make, and it is quite difficult for it to co-exist together.”

The move to return to the Dukes for the entire Championship season comes after counties rejected proposals to restructure the competition.

A new set-up of 12 teams in the top flight and six in the bottom tier, with each side playing 13 matches, was turned down in favour of the current system.

The Championship will remain with 10 teams in Division One, eight in Division Two, all playing 14 matches.

NEW YORK — Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he profited from rigged poker games and provided sports bettors with non-public information about injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Jones, a onetime teammate of James, said little during back-to-back arraignments in federal court in Brooklyn, letting his court-appointed lawyer enter not guilty pleas in a pair of cases stemming from last month’s federal takedown of sprawling gambling operations.

Jones, 49, acknowledged he read both indictments and that he understood the charges and his bail conditions, which include his mother and stepfather putting up their Texas home as collateral for a $200,000 bond that will allow him to remain free pending trial.

Jones’ lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, told a judge that they “may be engaging in plea negotiations.” He is due back in court for a preliminary conference with other defendants on Nov. 24.

Jones was among more than 30 people arrested in the gambling sweep. The others included reputed mobsters and prominent basketball figures, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.

Sports bettor Marves Fairley also pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges alleging he cashed in on information about injuries to NBA players, including some that prosecutors say Jones provided to him.

Jones, an NBA journeyman, earned more than $20 million playing for 10 teams in 11 seasons from 1999 to 2009. He and James played together in Cleveland from 2005 to 2008 and he served as an unofficial assistant coach for James’ Lakers during the 2022-2023 season.

According to prosecutors, Jones sold or attempted to sell non-public information to bettors that James was injured and wouldn’t be playing in a Feb. 9, 2023, game against the Milwaukee Bucks, texting an unnamed co-conspirator: “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out.”

James wasn’t listed on the Lakers’ injury report at the time of the text message, but the NBA’s all-time scoring leader was later ruled out of the game because of a lower body jury, according to prosecutors, and the Lakers lost the game 115-106.

On Jan. 15, 2024, prosecutors said, Fairley paid Jones approximately $2,500 for a tip that Davis, the Lakers’ forward and center at the time, would see limited playing time against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of an injury.

Fairley then placed a $100,000 bet on the Thunder to win, prosecutors said, but the tip was wrong. Davis played his usual minutes, scored 27 points and collected 15 rebounds in a 112-105 Lakers win, prompting Fairley to demand a refund of his $2,500 fee, prosecutors said.

Jones, a native of Galveston, Texas, who played college basketball at the University of Houston, is charged in both cases with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. As part of his bail agreement, his travel is restricted to parts of Texas and New York City. He was allowed to keep his passport to use as identification for flying until he obtains a REAL ID, which his lawyer said should happen soon.

A hot hand from outside the three-point arc, Jones once proclaimed himself in an interview with Insidehoops.com as “the best shooter in the world.” He played in every regular season game for three consecutive seasons from 2003 to 2006.

After his playing days, he worked as a “shooting consultant” for the Cavaliers and was an assistant coach when the team, led by James, won the NBA championship in 2016.

In the poker scheme, according to prosecutors, Jones was among former NBA players used to lure unwitting players into poker games that were rigged using altered shuffling machines, hidden cameras, special sunglasses and even X-ray equipment built into the table.

According to the indictment, Jones was paid $2,500 for a game in the Hamptons where he was instructed to cheat by paying close attention to others involved in the scheme. His instructor likened those people to James and NBA All-Star Stephen Curry, prosecutors said. When in doubt, Jones was told to fold his hand, prosecutors said.

In response, according to prosecutors, Jones texted: “y’all know I know what I’m doing!!”

The poker scheme often made use of illegal poker games run by New York crime families that required them to share a portion of their proceeds with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonnano crime families, according to prosecutors.

Members of those families, in turn, also helped commit violent acts, including assault, extortion and robbery, to ensure repayment of debts and the continued success of the operation, officials said in court documents.

Sisak writes for the Associated Press.

Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown has been extradited from Dubai to the United States to face a charge of second degree attempted murder relating to a shooting incident in May.

The Miami Police department said the former Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers player was “located in Dubai and was apprehended” before being “extradited to Essex County, NJ (New Jersey), by US Marshals”.

The added Brown was being held there prior to being moved to the Miami-Dade County Jail.

Following an investigation into the incident in May, police issued an arrest warrant in June which alleged Brown took a gun from a security guard and fired two shots at a man he had brawled with earlier on.

No arrests were made at the time and no injuries were reported.

Brown had been detained by police at the time of the incident before being released.

“I was jumped by multiple individuals who tried to steal my jewellery and cause physical harm to me,” claimed Brown in a social media post. “Contrary to some video circulating.

“Police temporarily detained me until they received my side of the story and then released me. I went home that night and was not arrested.”

Brown played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and scored a touchdown as they beat the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl at the end of the 2020-2021 season.