SPORT

Jockey Dylan Kitts has been given a nine-year ban in a racing corruption case.

The rider and associate John Higgins conspired together to commit a corrupt practice by agreeing to stop a horse achieving its best possible position, it was found.

Kitts, 24, admitted to a disciplinary hearing he prevented his mount Hillsin from running on his merits when finishing third in a handicap hurdle at Worcester in July 2023.

Higgins, who has been banned from racing for 12 years, was deemed to be the mastemind behind the plan to stop Hillsin winning.

He is the father-in-law of Premier League footballer Ashley Barnes and is an associate of the horse’s owner Alan Clegg, who was not charged by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

Trainer Chris Honour was judged not to be part of the conspiracy but was found to have misled stewards and was fined £750.

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 1.

Rk. School (Rec.); Comment; ranking last week

1. SIERRA CANYON (2-0): Brandon McCoy gets nine dunks in season debut; 1

2. SANTA MARGARITA (3-0): Brayden Kyman made five threes at Pauley Pavilion; 2

3. REDONDO UNION (2-0): Seahawks take down nationally ranked Arizona Sunnyslope; 6

4. ST. JOHN BOSCO (2-0): Christian Collins scores 37 points in win over Harvard-Westlake; 5

5. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (1-1): Wolverines suffer two-point loss to St. John Bosco; 3

6. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (2-1): NaVorro Bowman scores 34 points at Pauley Pavilion; 4

7. CRESPI (2-0): New players making great progress early in the season; 7

8. CORONA CENTENNIAL: (3-0). High-scoring Huskies are back after scoring 100 points vs. Los Alamitos; 9

9. FAIRMONT PREP (4-0): Four straight wins to start season; 10

10. DAMIEN (4-0): Zaire Rasshan makes nine threes in Sunny Hills tournament title game; 15

11. JSERRA (4-1): Point guard Earl Bryson did well at Pauley Pavilion against No. 1 Sierra Canyon; 11

12. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY 0-1): Gave Harvard-Westlake a scare in opener; 16

13. CREAN LUTHERAN (2-1): Took down Campbell Hall, came close to Redondo Union; NR

14. ROLLING HILLS PREP (1-0): Plays in Da Vinci tournament this week; 12

15 LA MIRADA (0-1): Plays at Roosevelt on Friday; 13

16. EASTVALE ROOSEVELT (3-0): Freshman Travis Walton Jr. is off to impressive start; NR

17. WINDWARD (0-0): Wildcats open season Monday vs. Knight; 14

18. ETIWANDA (3-0): Talented group of sophomores; 22

19. ORANGE LUTHERAN (4-1): New coach Nate Klitzing is already working his magic; NR

20. ARCADIA (2-0): Play at St. Francis on Wednesday; 19

21. PASADENA (0-0): Open season on Wednesday; 20

22. CROSSROADS (3-0): Evan Willis debuts with 20-point performance; 21

23. MATER DEI (0-1): Lots of work ahead for Monarchs; 8

24. LA HABRA (4-1): Plays at Cerritos on Tuesday; 18

25. LONG BEACH POLY (0-1): Put up good fight vs. Roosevelt; 24

Joe Hawkins has gone from being an international exile in Exeter to helping Wales try to cope without their England-based contingent.

Steve Tandy’s men finish their autumn campaign with a daunting fixture against world champions South Africa in Cardiff on Saturday.

A game against the Springboks would be hard enough with a full squad but Wales will be forced into huge changes to the 23 that put in a spirited performance in the 52-26 defeat by New Zealand.

Tandy is without Montpellier’s Adam Beard plus 12 players who have gone back to English clubs because the money-raising encounter has been arranged outside World Rugby’s official Test window.

Hawkins, who won his first cap in two years against the All Blacks after a move to Scarlets allowed him to resume his international career, is confident that the deputies can step up.

“You’ve always got to be ready and a chance can always come earlier sometimes due to injuries,” said the centre or fly-half.

“The boys have been training hard and I’m pretty confident anyone who does come in can do a good job next weekend.”

CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points and took over when the game got close, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 120-105 victory over the Clippers on Sunday night.

Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points in his return to the Clippers’ lineup after missing 10 games because of a sprained right ankle. L.A. went 2-8 while Leonard was out.

Mitchell helped the Cavaliers pull away with a flurry of plays late in the third quarter. He finished with five three-pointers, eight rebounds and six assists.

Evan Mobley had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and De’Andre Hunter scored 17 points as Cleveland went 4-2 on a six-game homestand.

Ivica Zubac paced the Clippers with 33 points — two off his career high — and 18 rebounds.

James Harden, who had a franchise-record 55 points for the Clippers in a win at Charlotte on Saturday, missed all eight three-point shots and finished with 19 points.

The Clippers trimmed a 13-point deficit to one in the third when Mitchell went to work.

The six-time All-Star had consecutive three-point plays, dropped a three-pointer and had two assists in the final 3:06 as the Cavaliers closed the quarter with a 15-3 run to open a 92-79 lead.

Mitchell then made another three-pointer and had two more assists in the opening minutes of the fourth as the Cavaliers pushed their lead to 18.

The Cavaliers were without key players as starting center Jarrett Allen (finger) and guards Lonzo Ball (knee), Sam Merrill (hand) and Craig Porter Jr. (hamstring) sat because of injuries.

Cleveland has played 10 different starting lineups while combating injuries.

Clippers guard Chris Paul picked up five assists in 17 minutes. Paul reportedly will retire after the season, and the 12-time All-Star received a warm ovation from Cleveland’s crowd when he checked in.

The 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year show will be held at MediaCityUK in Salford on Thursday, 18 December.

Gabby Logan, Alex Scott and Clare Balding will present the show live on BBC One, the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app from 19:00 GMT.

It will celebrate an incredible 12 months of sporting drama and triumph – from England’s victories at the Women’s Euros and Women’s Rugby World Cup, to Team Europe winning the Ryder Cup, Liverpool’s Premier League title, Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League success, and the British and Irish Lions’ series win in Australia.

Seven awards will be handed out including the prestigious main prize, which was won last year by Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson.

That will again be decided by a public vote, as will – for the first time – the Team of the Year.

Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, said: “This year has once again been packed full of amazing sporting moments and stories. I’m glad it’s not me having to pick who to vote for!

“We’ve seen drama, triumph and unforgettable moments on a global scale – and our homegrown stars, especially the women, have delivered like never before.

“I can’t wait to see who the public chooses to take home the win and celebrate another brilliant year.”

The seven award categories for 2025 are: BBC Sports Personality of the Year; World Sport Star of the Year; Helen Rollason award; Young Sports Personality of the Year; Coach of the Year; Team of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement award.

Contenders for the Sports Personality of the Year and Team of the Year awards will be announced in December.

Audiences will also be able to vote for World Sport Star of the Year before the live show.

Once the shortlists are announced, all voting for this year’s awards will be available online at bbc.co.uk/spoty.

Less than an hour before the Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicked off on Sunday, fans in SoFi Stadium erupted in cheers.

Watching the giant video board, the crowd celebrated as the Philadelphia Eagles blew a huge lead and lost to the Dallas Cowboys.

That meltdown by the defending Super Bowl champions positioned the surging Rams to move to the top of the NFC.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford continued his MVP-caliber play by passing for three touchdowns, and the defense also produced big moments as the Rams seized the opportunity with a 34-7 victory that extended their winning streak to six games and improved their record to a conference-best 9-2.

That makes the Rams the current No. 1 seed for the NFC playoffs.

There is still a long way to go. And the Eagles hold the tiebreaker over the Rams by virtue of their Week 3 victory at Philadelphia.

But if the Rams maintain sole possession of first place and secure home-field advantage, they would avoid another potential January trip to Lincoln Financial Field to play the Eagles, who eliminated the Rams there in the NFC divisional round last season.

The Rams play at Carolina next week and then at Arizona before returning to SoFi Stadium for another NFC measuring-stick game against the Detroit Lions. The Rams finish the season with a Thursday night game in Seattle, a trip to Atlanta and a home game against the Cardinals.

Rams tight end Davis Allen catches a pass in the second half against the Buccaneers on Sunday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

So the biggest question facing coach Sean McVay and the Rams: Are they peaking too soon?

Despite being without veteran tight end Tyler Higbee, right tackle Rob Havenstein and safety Quentin Lake — all placed on injured reserve last week — the Rams appeared nearly unstoppable on offense in the first half and dominant on defense throughout.

The Rams scored at least 34 points for the fourth time in five games. Stafford tossed two touchdown passes to Davante Adams and one to tight end Colby Parkinson, increasing his league-leading total to 30, with only two interceptions. Stafford has not had a pass intercepted in eight games.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw three more touchdown passes Sunday against the Buccaneers, giving him a league-leading 30.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

On Sunday the 17th-year pro completed his first 12 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown before a second-quarter pass fell incomplete. He finished 25 of 35 for 273 yards, the crowd chanting “M-V-P” after each of his last two touchdown passes.

Adams, who had bemoaned his performance in last week’s 21-19 victory over the Seahawks, seemingly was happier after catching five passes for 62 yards and increasing to 12 his league-leading total of touchdown catches.

On a night the Rams honored future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald with a bobblehead giveaway and other tributes, defensive end Kobie Turner and edge rusher Jared Verse each had two sacks. A secondary that intercepted four passes last week picked off two more, cornerback Cobie Durant returning one for a 50-yard touchdown and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. catching a desperation heave on the final play of the first half.

Rams linebackers Jared Verse, left, and Josaiah Stewart, center, and defensive end Kobie Turner celebrate in the first half.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Rams special teams, which cost the team dearly in losses against the Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers, appear to be operating with efficiency since kicker Harrison Mevis replaced Joshua Karty and veteran Jake McQuaide supplanted Alex Ward as the snapper.

After Mevis kicked only extra points in his first two games, McVay finally gave him field-goal opportunities, and Mevis converted 40- and 52-yard kicks.

The Rams ruined Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield’s return to the stadium where he resurrected his career in 2022 by leading the Rams to a last-second victory over the Las Vegas Raiders with only two days of practice.

Mayfield sustained a left-shoulder injury and did not play in the second half. He completed nine of 19 passes for 41 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions.

It all added up to a convincing victory for the Rams. And here’s a scary thought for the rest of the NFL: The Rams are on track to get stronger down the stretch.

Receiver Tutu Atwell is eligible to return from injured reserve next week. Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, who suffered a broken collarbone in the second game of the season, is closer to a return. And McVay said Higbee and Havenstein could be back in four games, and Lake could return for the playoffs.

Those reinforcements would be a desirable situation for any Super Bowl contender in the NFC.

Especially the one currently on top.

I know from experience there are certain games where, if you are the player who makes the difference, the fans never forget it.

I had been a Liverpool player for more than three years when I scored my first winner for them against Manchester United in 2000. I was used to being asked for autographs and people talking to me, but that goal against our biggest rivals suddenly elevated everything to a different level.

I was now the player who had scored that goal for us, and against them. It was like people saw me in a different way, and certainly thought more highly of me, because I had given them this joy in a fixture that meant so much to them.

It will be the same for Eze now and the immediate effect of his hat-trick is that, in the next few games, he will be so full of confidence he will feel like he can try anything because he cannot do anything wrong.

Whenever he next walks out on the pitch, whether it’s against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday or Chelsea in the Premier League next weekend, he will feel he has the fans 100% behind him, because they adore him now more than ever.

It will be the same whenever he gets on the ball, too. You know the fans love you and that transfers to your game. You are thinking “give me the ball, what am I going to do next?” The feeling is amazing, and he will want to express himself and show the world how good he is.

That’s the buzz you get and it applies to any player scoring a hat-trick in a game of this size, but it always means a bit more when you are a fan of the team you do it for – it really does.

You feel a warmth from the supporters it is very hard to get if you’ve not grown up knowing it yourself.

I’d been at Old Trafford as a Liverpool fan watching them play there, so I understood what beating United meant to our supporters, the same as Eze will know what beating Spurs means to Arsenal fans.

What he did on Sunday will live with him forever, and the supporters will know he gets it too.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Lakers won their fourth consecutive game Sunday, holding off the Utah Jazz 108-106 in Delta Center behind 33 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists from Luka Doncic.

The Lakers (12-4) nearly squandered a 10-point lead in the final six minutes and 36 seconds, allowing the Jazz to cut the lead to one with 41.3 seconds remaining on a three-pointer from Lauri Markkanen. The Utah Jazz crowd that had been cheering loudly for the Lakers finally erupted for the home team when the Finnish forward knocked down the shot.

Markkanen could have given the Jazz (5-11) the lead with a 17-foot shot in the key, but the midrange jumper rattled out with 11.4 seconds to go. After Doncic split a pair of free throws, the Lakers forced Jazz guard Keyonte George into a contested three at the buzzer to seal the win.

LeBron James, playing in his second game of the year, had 17 points with eight assists. Austin Reaves had 22 points with 10 rebounds and four assists.

Starting center Deandre Ayton missed the second half because of a right leg contusion. He had just two points on one for two shooting in the first half while Doncic still powered the Lakers to a seven-point lead.

The guard continued to struggle with his three-point shot, missing seven of his first eight shots from beyond the arc Sunday, but dazzled with his playmaking again. He intercepted a pass, bounced the ball between Kevin Love’s legs while running the fastbreak and scooped up a lob pass to Jaxson Hayes. The roar from the pro-Lakers road crowd was just as loud as anything the Jazz did.

When Doncic attracted a triple team in the paint, he fired a two-handed, no-look pass backwards over his head to Marcus Smart who knocked down a three that put the Lakers up 55-49.

The Lakers entered the game shooting 33.8% from three, ranked 24th in the league. Doncic and Austin Reaves, the team’s highest volume shooters, have struggled the most. Reaves was one for eight from three on Sunday. Doncic was three for 12, including shots so off course that they barely grazed the rim.

When he finally got a shot to trickle over the rim in the third, Doncic held both arms out in disbelief and relief as the ball bounced up high and then through the net in the third quarter.

During practice Friday, UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close made it clear she wanted to see more from forward Angela Dugalic.

“You’re not using what you’ve earned,” Close recalled telling her while speaking with reporters Friday.

Dugalic is going to face some of the best players in the country this week. Close thinks she can match up with them, but she needs Dugalic to play like it. With all the work Dugalic has done on her low-post game over the offseason, she can’t settle for floating around the perimeter.

Close won’t let her.

“I just want her to be all she can be,” Close said. “She’s been an animal down there in the low post, and I want her to hunt for that. I don’t want her to settle for playing on the perimeter when she’s got a whole lot more tools in her toolbox that she’s not accessing.”

Close got that version of Dugalic in Sunday’s 88-37 rout of Southern at Pauley Pavilion. The third-ranked Bruins were in full control from whistle to whistle, even pitching a second-quarter shutout, and Dugalic led the way with 20 points, five rebounds and an assist. She shot eight for 15 from the floor with a trio of three-pointers.

It was pure dominance by UCLA. The Bruins shot 51% from the field while holding the Jaguars to 29%. They outrebounded Southern by 30. They forced 13 turnovers, nine in the first half, and scored 28 points off them. And on the offensive end, UCLA was flowing with 24 assists to Southern’s nine.

Gabriela Jaquez added eight rebounds and five assists to go with six points. Her first basket, a layup after cutting through the paint in the second quarter, gave the senior guard her 1,000th career point. Kiki Rice had 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Lauren Betts finished with 15 points and six rebounds.

Dugalic opened the scoring for UCLA with a midrange jumper followed by a fast-break layup. She finished the first half with nine points, tied for the team lead with freshman forward Lena Bilic, who finished the game with 14 points.

Despite Dugalic’s strong start, Close issued her another challenge at halftime.

“I just want you to focus on making the right basketball play,” Close said. “What’s the defense doing? I didn’t think she was reading the defense. I thought she shot it well, and I thought she got some great rebounds, but I didn’t think she was in the flow that we’ve been seeing from her the last few days and our last few games.”

Close added that she thinks Dugalić is playing some of the best basketball of her career, and she’s continuously fighting to raise her standard. It’s not about how many points she scores, it’s about her decision making her defense, her consistency.

The Bruins entered that second quarter with a 22-9 lead thanks to a 14-2 run over the final six minutes of the first quarter after holding Southern (1-4) scoreless during the final three minutes. UCLA then exploded for a 27-0 run in the second quarter while holding the Jaguars scoreless for the entire period. It was the first time the Bruins had held an opponent scoreless for an entire quarter since they achieved the same feat on Dec. 5, 2021 against San José State.

Still, Close wasn’t satisfied.

During halftime, Close said she reminded the Bruins of what they want to accomplish. Close wrote down a list of “passion plays,” or goals for every single player to get in the second half.

UCLA guard Kiki Rice controls the ball in front of Southern forward DeMya Porter during the first half of the Bruins’ win Sunday at Pauley Pavilion.

(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)

It’s part of a mentality Close is trying to instill in her players. They know a 51-point win against an unranked Southern team isn’t going to give them the feedback they need.

“Outcomes are actually a distraction,” Close said, referencing legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban. “What are the processes that we’re going to be committed to that are going to actually lead us to where we want to go?”

UCLA (6-0) will face No. 4 Texas on Wednesday in the Players Era Women’s Championship in Las Vegas, followed by either No. 2 South Carolina or Duke on Thanksgiving. The Bruins then will host No. 15 Tennessee on Nov. 30.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

CITY SECTION

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

At Birmingham High

DIVISION I

#5 Marquez vs. #2 South Gate (time TBA)

DIVISION II

#2 San Fernando vs. #1 Cleveland (time TBA)

DIVISION III

#2 Hawkins vs. #1 Santee (time TBA)

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

At Southwest College

OPEN DIVISION

#6 Crenshaw (10-1) vs. #1 Carson (8-3), 6 p.m.

SOUTHERN SECTION

(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

DIVISION 1

Santa Margarita vs. Corona Centennial at Rose Bowl

DIVISION 3

Oxnard Pacifica at Palos Verdes

DIVISION 7

Barstow at Apple Valley

DIVISION 8

Beckman at Brea Olinda

DIVISION 12

Santa Paula at Grace

DIVISION 13

Woodbridge at Montebello

DIVISION 14

South El Monte at Pioneer

8-MAN

DIVISION 1

Flintridge Prep at Cornerstone Christian

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

DIVISION 2

Los Alamitos at San Clemente

DIVISION 4

La Habra at San Jacinto

DIVISION 5

Rio Hondo Prep at Redondo Union

DIVISION 6

Ventura at St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy

DIVISION 9

Ramona at Cerritos Valley Christian

DIVISION 10

Tahquitz at Hillcrest

DIVISION 11

Baldwin Park at Valley View

8-MAN

DIVISION 2

Lancaster Baptist at Cate, 1 p.m.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has not ruled out Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee leaving in January to further their World Cup ambitions – but says the interests of his club will come first.

Neither player has started a Premier League game this season. Zirkzee has figured for just 82 minutes in the top flight, while Mainoo has played for 93 minutes since coming on at half-time against Burnley on 30 August.

Both players are known to be unhappy about the situation and – having lost their international spots with England and the Netherlands respectively – are keen to secure January moves to get regular game time before next summer’s World Cup.

Amorim sympathises with the pair, but says he will only sanction moves if they are right for United.

“I was a football player,” he said. “I understand everything, and I want to help my players in every situation.

“I understand the frustration of some players, seeing the World Cup is there. I know what it means.

“But the first thing is that the club comes first. If I can help the club and the players, I will be happy. If not I have to think about the team.”

Both Mainoo and Zirkzee could profit from the injury to striker Benjamin Sesko and the departures of Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo to the Africa Cup of Nations next month.

That is without the strange case of Matheus Cunha, who pulled out of a planned appearance to switch on the Altrincham Christmas lights on Saturday with an injury a club source described as “minor”.

United are on a five -game unbeaten run heading into Monday’s game against Everton at Old Trafford.

But United’s two most recent games were draws at Nottingham Forest and Tottenham that required late equalisers after Amorim’s side had squandered first-half leads.

For that reason, the former Sporting boss is reluctant to say the “storm” he predicted in his early days at the club has passed.

“I don’t like to say the storm is over,” he said. “It’s my job, especially in our club, to always have that feeling [that a storm is coming].

“It gives me the sense of urgency in every training [session] and, in the Premier League, everything can change so fast because all the teams can win any game.”

In a social media world where fights between players in the handshake line, fights among fans in the bleachers and fights in the locker room always seem to receive the most clicks and attention, let’s hope a simple act of sportsmanship and kindness from Saturday’s South Gate-Dorsey football playoff game goes viral.

After South Gate won the City Section Division I semifinal 28-20, several Dorsey players were distraught.

The winning quarterback, junior Michael Gonzalez, heard a strange sound while shaking hands.

“I heard someone crying,” he said. “I looked to my right and saw two players, one I knew and one I didn’t.”

He went over to console both. The player he didn’t know, William Smith of Dorsey, was resting on one knee, head down, helmet off.

Gonzalez said he told him, “There’s more to life than just football. You got college. Keep your head up. It was a good game.”

Losing a semifinal game is tough. But winning and acting with class and respect also can be tough.

Asked where he learned about sportsmanship, Gonzalez said, “It’s what I was taught by my mom and coaches. Be a good person no matter what.”

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

What a day it turned out to be for boyhood Arsenal fan Eze.

Before the match Tottenham manager Thomas Frank joked “who?” when questioned about how close Eze was to becoming a Spurs player in the summer. Those words certainly came back to haunt him.

A first senior hat-trick is a big landmark in itself, let alone a first treble in Premier League north London derby history.

Eze signed for Arsenal in a deal worth £67m and is starting to cement himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet for manager Mikel Arteta.

When he signed for the Gunners there were questions about where he would fit into the side but, after an injury to captain Odegaard, Eze has taken his opportunity with both hands.

The 27-year-old has taken time to settle as he got used to a different role in this Arsenal team than the one he was used to at Crystal Palace, but he has already started to deliver big moments.

He provided an excellent pass for Gabriel Martinelli’s stoppage-time equaliser against City, scored the winner against Palace and now has a first senior hat-trick against rivals Tottenham.

Eze provides something different to the rest of the Arsenal forwards and his unpredictability adds another edge to Arsenal’s forward line.

The Gunners have another two big games coming up, with matches against Bayern Munich and Chelsea, but Eze will relish the challenge given the form he is now in.

“That’s him. He had two days off after the England camp and after day one he wanted to train,” Arteta said.

“He wanted to come back and improve and ask questions. When you have such a talent and such an intelligence and then you add that willingness to be better and practise, these things happen.

“When I spoke to Thomas Tuchel (about him) I said how good is he? He said to me one of the best I have seen. I rate him one of the best in terms of talent. If we add in now his work rate, willingness to play for this team and the joy I sense when he is the building we have a special player there.”

No English player has been involved in more goals that Eze in 2025 in the Premier League. Only Erling Haaland (25), Mohamed Salah (23), Bryan Mbeumo (21) and Antoine Semenyo (18) been involved in more Premier League goals than the Arsenal number 10 (18 – 10 goals, eight assists).

“I know how much this move from Crystal Palace meant to him and what a performance from him. Best player on the pitch,” former Crystal Palace forward Clinton Morrison told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“This is where his Arsenal career takes off.”

Despite being denied a three-peat in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, the Mater Dei High girls volleyball team still ended the season a champion — and ranked No. 1 in California.

The Monarchs (35-5) captured their second Open Division state title in three years and their third overall with a 25-13, 25-22, 25-18 sweep of Rocklin on Saturday night at Santiago Canyon College.

Getting 31 kills from USC signee Layli Ostavar and 43 assists from Cal State Bakersfield-bound setter Sam Capinpin, Mater Dei closed out the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 2 winners with a 13-6 run in the third set.

Dan O’Dell’s squad won 20 of its last 21 matches — its only blemish being a four-set defeat to Sierra Canyon in the CIF-SS final.

Earlier Saturday, Cypress made the most of its first state finals appearance by sweeping Clovis West, 25-20, 25-23, 25-22, to win the Division II title under head coach Alex Griffiths.

Isabella Faro had 14 kills and fellow senior Hannah Schoffstall dished out 30 for the Centurions (25-10), who swept Santa Ana Foothill on November 6 in the CIF-SS Division 3 final.

It was redemption for Cypress, which had lost to Bishop Diego in the CIF-SS Division 3 semifinals and to Long Beach Poly in the first round of the Division II regionals last season.

On Friday, Harvard-Westlake earned its sixth title and first since 2021 with a 25-22, 25-14, 25-17 victory over Roseville Woodcreek in the Division I championship match.

Kylie Parker pounded 14 kills and dug 15 balls, Sophia Cotter had 11 kills and senior middle blockers Lauryn Lewis (committed to Penn) and Maya Stillwell (committed to Northwestern) controlled the net for the Wolverines (28-8), who finished third in the Mission League behind Sierra Canyon and Marymount and lost to Mater Dei in the Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals, a remarkable turnaround for a team that had a losing record and missed the playoffs last year.

Coach Morgan Wijay returned to the program in January after a decade-long stint at Bishop Alemany, where she guided the Warriors to back-to-back CIF titles in 2021 and 2022. Wijay was on Adam Black’s staff back in 2007 when Harvard-Westlake won the Division III state title.

England just about rode out a second-half fightback from Argentina as an eye-catching Twickenham debut from Max Ojomoh helped extend their winning streak to 11 successive Tests.

Ojomoh scored one try and made another with a crossfield kick in the first half as England stretched out into a 17-3 lead at the break.

Their advantage could have been even more emphatic had hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie not had a try ruled out for a slight knock-on on the final play of the first half.

Argentina, who fought back from 21 points down to beat Scotland last weekend, crowbarred their way back into the contest though.

Justo Piccardo slid in before a pair of penalties from Tomas Albornoz and Santiago Carreras reduced the deficit to 17-16 on the hour.

But England seemed to recapture the momentum just in time.

A big break from Alex Coles set up a platform from which Ojomoh popped up for Henry Slade to stroll in under the posts.

George Ford’s conversion and penalty pushed England 11 points clear, only for Rodrigo Isgro’s converted try in the final minute to set up a grandstand last play.

The Pumas, needing a try to snatch victory, pounded away, with support from a small but loud collection of fans in the stands.

However, a final line-out, within 10 metres of the England line, went astray to wild cheers from the majority of the 80,807 spectators and Alex Mitchell kicked to the stands to ensure his England side successfully round off a 2025 that has featured only one defeat, a reverse against Dublin in February.

More to follow

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

Angelou 73, Hawkins 19

Lincoln 52, Wilmington Banning 46

Maywood Academy 66, United Christian Academy 20

Orthopaedic 61, Annenberg 14

Wilmington Banning 76, Annenberg 29

SOUTHERN SECTION

ACE 59, Hesperia Christian 38

Arcadia 88, San Fernando Valley Academy 24

Arlington 59, Kaiser 48

Arrowhead Christian 52, Cajon 47

Ayala 75, Downey 66

Beckman 71, Sage Hill 50

Bell Gardens 44, Mountain View 19

Buckley 74, Paso Robles 40

California 77, Chino 64

Camarillo 62, Calabasas 61

Canyon Country Canyon 64, Firebaugh 42

Cathedral 71, Santa Clara 41

Cerritos 68, Bosco Tech 60

Cerritos Valley Christian 74, California Military Institute 29

Chaffey 61, Schurr 52

Chaminade 82, Chaparral 60

Chino Hills 69, Newport Harbor 46

Colton 88, Grand Terrace 60

Corona Centennial 102, Los Alamitos 74

Corona Santiago 102, Carter 68

Costa Mesa 42, Garden Grove Santiago 39

Crean Lutheran 71, Campbell Hall 57

Crespi 90, Mater Dei 59

Crenshaw 54, Lancaster 36

Damien 68, Anaheim Canyon 59

Don Lugo 64, Glendale 63

Eastvale Roosevelt 81, Rancho Cucamonga 52

El Dorado 52, Irvine 35

Elsinore 74, Norco 53

Etiwanda 61, Rancho Christian 48

Gahr 71, Mission Viejo 58

Garden Grove 55, Westminster La Quinta 49

Gardena Serra 62, Western Christian 53

Glendora 64, Quartz Hill 55

Great Oak 60, Norte Vista 58

Hillcrest 58, Rialto 47

Indian Springs 53, Sultana 27

Jurupa Hills 74, Riverside North 67

Keppel 61, El Toro 41

Laguna Hills 80, Murrieta Valley 69

La Habra 60, St. Bernard 50

Lakeside 66, Bolsa Grande 34

La Serna 64, Warren 62

Los Altos 76, Esperanza 67

Los Osos 54, Huntington Beach 47

Mira Costa 63, Bonita 47

Montclair 56, Edgewood 37

Murrieta Mesa 77, Palm Desert 60

Nipomo 52, SLOCA 24

North Torrance 58, Ridgecrest Burroughs 40

Oakwood 62, Claremont 56

Ocean View 63, Lakewood 52

Orange Lutheran 58, St. Francis 49

Orange Vista 66, Hemet 52

Oxnard 65, Righetti 42

Oxnard Pacifica 50, Moorpark 46

Pasadena Poly 53, Rowland 42

Pilibos 59, YULA 52

Pioneer 68, Sierra Vista 56

Portola 63, Garden Grove Pacifica 47

Redondo Union 68, Sunnyslope 64

Riverside King 49, Hacienda Heights Wilson 45

San Bernardino 69, Alhambra 50

San Clemente 62, Yorba Linda 46

San Gabriel 65, Glenn 18

Santa Ana Foothill 81, Calvary Baptist 57

Santa Fe 53, Duarte 37

Santa Margarita 77, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 73

Santa Monica 75, Fillmore 32

Servite 61, Loyola 60

Shadow Hills 61, Troy 58

Sierra Canyon 69, JSerra 45

Silverado 74, Corona 42

St. Anthony 73, Laguna Beach 32

St. John Bosco 57, Harvard-Westlake 55

Summit 71, Citrus Hill 53

Summit Leadership Academy 75, Lucerne Valley 17

Sunny Hills 58, Northview 25

Temescal Canyon 54, Twentynine Palms 45

Torrance 57, Northwood 50

Tustin 53, San Dimas 41

Valencia 63, Agoura 53

Whittier Christian 55, West Covina 40

Woodbridge 54, Ontario Christian 41

INTERSECTIONAL

Bishop Amat 84, Brawley 48

California 72, Clovis East 68

Crenshaw 54, Lancaster 36

Eastside 84, Hollywood 35

Fairfax 77, Bakersfield 72

Fairmont Prep 35, Buchanan 21

Heritage Christian 43, El Camino Real 41

Holtville 47, Xavier Prep 38

Irvine University 70, South Gate 30

Maywood Academy 66, United Christian Academy 20

Newbury Park 65, LA Marshall 62

Oaks Christian 76, Clovis East 68

Orlando (FL) Oak Ridge 57, SoCal Academy 51

Oxford Academy 80, Waipahu 72

St. Genevieve 59, Verdugo Hills 48

St. Monica 49, Venice 42

Vanden 58, Hesperia 37

Village Christian 96, Palisades 68

GIRLS

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aliso Niguel 53, Tustin 24

Anaheim Canyon 63, Highland 39

Arrowhead Christian 45, Hesperia Christian 31

Bishop Amat 43, Beaumont 36

Bishop Diego 55, Santa Maria 36

Burbank 54, Fullerton 30

Calabasas 57, AGBU 29

California School for the Deaf Riverside 46, Woodcrest Christian 27

Campbell Hall 62, YULA 55

Carpinteria 50, Valley Christian Academy 43

Carter 38, La Quinta 34

Cerritos Valley Christian 50, Marymount 28

Chino Hills 57, Palm Desert 54

Crossroads 57, Mayfield 13

El Dorado 37, Corona Santiago 19

El Toro 63, La Habra 20

Estancia 34, Irvine University 20

Fairmont Prep 65, Marlborough 35

Flintridge Prep 47, Los Osos 45

Hemet 48, Lakeside 4

Holy Martyrs Armenian 59, Pasadena Poly 51

Keppel 52, Murrieta Valley 38

Knight 54, Rosamond 48

Laguna Hills 36, Saddleback 18

Lancaster 42, Tehachapi 40

Leuzinger 68, Temecula Valley 50

Loma Linda Academy 64, Rowland 63

Millikan 41, Ridgecrest Burroughs 28

Muir 42, Samueli Academy 27

Nipomo 52, SLOCA 24

Northwood 40, Katella 28

Palm Springs 38, Indian Springs 33

Rialto 55, Bonita 34

Rim of the World 40, Pacific 31

Riverside Notre Dame 39, Vista del Lago 18

Rolling Hills Prep 54, Rancho Cucamonga 51

Sacred Heart of Jesus 54, Notre Dame Academy 33

San Clemente 56, San Juan Hills 46

Santa Margarita 83, Hacienda Heights Wilson 33

Santa Maria 60, Santa Clara 9

Shalhevet 61, Ramona Convent 5

St. Bernard 53, Beverly Hills 34

Summit 55, San Dimas 28

Tesoro 59, La Serna 52

Twentynine Palms 57, Fontana 36

Valencia 68, Brentwood 58

Village Christian 42, St. Margaret’s 37

Villa Park 44, JSerra 40

Western Christian 35, Kaiser 21

West Ranch 67, Faith Baptist 16

West Torrance 68, Laguna Beach 29

Whittier Christian 54, Whittier 38

Wiseburn-Da Vinci 47, Vista Murrieta 33

Yorba Linda 55, Brea Olinda 38

Yucaipa 53, La Canada 36

Yucca Valley 47, Citrus Valley 35

INTERSECTIONAL

Chula Vista Mater Dei 50, Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 36

Ewa Beach Campbell (HI) 48, Burbank Burroughs 37

East Bakersfield 60, Bishop Diego 37

King/Drew 44, Eastside 39

Ontario Christian 92, Ontario (Canada) O’Connor 40

Shadow Hills 55, Olympian 17

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 65, Palisades 50

British light-heavyweight Anthony Yarde loses his third shot at a world title as WBC champion David Benavidez stops him in the seventh round of their bout in Saudi Arabia.

READ MORE: Bloodied Yarde stopped in third world title heartbreak

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In the video game world, conquering the “cheat code” means a player has figured out the secret password to stay alive.

In the high school football world, Matt Logan, the coach at Corona Centennial, is the only public school coach in California to have figured out how to beat private schools in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.

His teams won back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015, then couldn’t crack the playoff code of beating St. John Bosco or Mater Dei for the next eight seasons.

Then came Friday night, when before some 4,000 fans, Centennial defeated Mater Dei 28-27 in the Division 1 semifinals to advance to a championship game Friday against Santa Margarita at the Rose Bowl. Going through the private-school gaunlet of the Trinity League is not easy but the Huskies fear no one.

How was the “cheat code” solved?

The truth is St. John Bosco and Mater Dei gathered so much talent on the offensive and defensive lines and so much depth that beating them in the postseason in recent years became unlikely.

This season, finally there were cracks in the armor.

“They’re not what they were,” assistant coach Anthony Catalano said. “They have weaknesses.”

Mater Dei had no elite running back like Jordon Davison; the offensive line couldn’t overcome its lack of experience and too many 15-yard penalties proved costly. St. John Bosco’s inexperience at quarterback and the absence of an elite running back also were exposed. Both teams had as good as a receiving corp as there is in the nation, but this season showed you have to be able to run the ball successfully in the fourth quarter.

This is the first time Mater Dei became a three-loss team since 2015. This is the first time Mater Dei or St. John Bosco have not played in a final since 2012 when Long Beach Poly won the title.

There’s still one more private school for Centennial to conquer, Santa Margarita, in Friday’s championship game. The two teams met Aug. 28 with Santa Margarita winning in overtime 33-27 when Logan missed the game because of a health scare.

Santa Margarita’s defense must be pierced for Centennial to win. The Eagles’ defensive line, linebackers and secondary are loaded with talent. Carson Palmer’s coaching staff, filled with former NFL players like himself, have shown they can teach, lead and handle X’s and O’s. They’ve also figured out the code to make it through the toughest schedule in Southern California.

It will be a great championship weekend for the Southern Section and City Section.

What a story for the return of Crenshaw (10-1) to the City Open Division final on Saturday against 11-time champion Carson at L.A. Southwest College. Interim coach Terrence Whitehead and his players are motivated to win for coach Robert Garrett, who has been on administrative leave all season. And what a season it has been for Carson junior quarterback Chris Fields III.

In Southern Section Division 2, surging San Clemente will host Los Alamitos in a rematch of their Alpha League game won by the Tritons. Sophomore quarterback Preston Beck has made tremendous progress in the last five weeks for San Clemente. It’s a rare game of home-grown players representing their communities absent of transfer students.

In Division 3, it’s the battle of top junior quarterbacks featuring Taylor Lee of unbeaten Oxnard Pacifica and Palos Verdes with Ryan Rakowski, who delivered a stitle title last season.

In Division 5, Rio Hondo Prep is 13-0 and going for a third consecutive title against Redondo Union, which is making its first championship appearance sine 1944. In Division 13, Montebello has reached its first final since 1935 and will play for its first championship against Woodbridge.

The competitive equity playoff system is creating championship opportunities for teams with little championship history. That’s a positive for fans bored of seeing the same teams every season in the finals.