Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. It was championship weekend for Southern Section baseball and softball. And there were some crazy moments and performances.
Greatness on display
It’s tough enough to win one Southern Section Division 1 baseball title going through the gauntlet of top teams. St. John Bosco did it back to back in a 2-0 win over Norco.
Julian Garcia turned in one of the best pitching performances in championship game history. He gave up a first-inning double to Codey Brown and that was the last hit by a good-hitting Norco team. He struck out 14 and walked none. Here’s the report from Cal State Fullerton.
Here’s a look where Garcia’s individual performance ranks in some past championship games.
Things got bizarre leading up to the Division 2 final when Ganesha was prepared to only send backups to the game because its head coach and players were committed to traveling to Mississippi for a camp.
The superintendent intervened and asked them to stay because Ganesha would have faced severe sanctions from the Southern Section. All the players showed up Saturday and the team beat Loyola 6-3. Here’s the report.
Mira Costa, which lost its top two pitchers to injuries before the season and early in league, rallied from a 6-1 deficit to beat Agoura 9-7 to win the Division 3 title. Quite an achievement for coach Andy Diver and his players.
Despite lots of teams opting out, the Southern California regional championships begin this week. St. John Bosco is playing to defend its regional title and was seeded No. 1 in Division I.
Here are the pairings.
Softball
JSerra High ace Liliana Escobar strides forward as she windmills a pitch against La Mirada in the Southern Section Division 1 championship game on Friday night.
(Nick Koza)
JSerra won its first Southern Section Division 1 championship in softball behind pitcher Liliana Escobar, who was the best all season. The Lions defeated La Mirada 3-2. She struck out 12. Here’s the report.
Whittier Christian went into rally mode to defeat Mater Dei 5-3 in the Division 2 final, getting two-run home runs in the seventh and eighth innings from Mia Camacho and Bella Perez.
Carson came away as City Section Open Division champions with a 12-1 win over defending champion Granada Hills. The Colts and Highlanders have met the last four years in the final, with Carson prevailing three times. Home runs by Anaiyah Popoalii and Ashannalee Titialii keyed the win.
Here are the regional playoff pairings that begin Tuesday.
Track
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame senior JJ Harel won his second consecutive state high jump championship.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
The state track and field championships in Clovis were very good for Southern California athletes.
Servite won the boys championships as its sprinters, led by 100 meters champion Benjamin Harris, put on a show.
JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame cleared 7-2 in the high jump to defend his state title.
Jaslene Massey of Aliso Niguel set a state record in the girls discus.
Here’s the report from Clovis.
Determined to succeed
Jonah Jeovany Vasquez of Cathedral has made it to the state track championships in the 1,600 in his first year running track.
(Vasquez family)
Things didn’t go as well as Cathedral’s Jonah Vasquez had hoped at the CIF track and field championships. He just missed qualifying for the finals in the 1,600.
But his story is just beginning in his first season running track.
Here’s a look at his story and where he intends to go.
Volleyball
Mateo Fuerbringer, center, celebrates with his Mira Costa teammates following a five-set win over Loyola on March 20, 2026.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
It was a season to remember for Mira Costa’s volleyball team, which won the state championship Saturday in Fresno.
The Southern Section Division 1 champions faced top teams all season and prevailed, with junior Mateo Fuerbringer stamping himself as the top player for his class in the nation.
End of an era
Tom Meusborn announced his retirement as head baseball coach at Chatsworth.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Tom Meusborn and Spud O’Neil, two high school baseball coaching giants, have retired from head coaching duties.
Meusborn coached for nearly 35 years at Chatsworth and Sierra Canyon. His eight City Section championships remains the most by any coach in City Section history.
“It’s time,” he said after four seasons at Sierra Canyon.
O’Neil, the head coach at Lakewood since 1984, lost in the Southern Section Division 6 playoffs and retires with 985 career victories.
Notes . . .
Former St. John Bosco and UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen has received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business….
Damien has begun a search for a new baseball coach. AJ LaMonda was head coach for five years….
Devin Davis is the new baseball coach at Castaic….
Ernest Baskerville is the new basketball coach at Pasadena….
Western quarterback Chance Thomas is transferring to Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, which opens the season hosting St. John Bosco in August….
Tight end Luke Karby of Mission Viejo has committed to Duke….
Kevin McCaffrey has been dismissed as baseball coach at Corona del Mar after eight seasons….
Kevin Nichols is the new football coach at Garden Grove…
Katey Thompson has stepped down as boys volleyball coach at Corona del Mar….
Standout junior pitcher Justin Kirchner (11-0) of Harvard-Westlake has committed to Vanderbilt. He was previously committed to Yale….
Brad Willis is the new boys basketball coach at Villa Park. He had been coaching girls basketball at the school….
Standout quarterback Dane Weber of Chaparral has committed to Cal….
Tight end Luke Gazzaniga of Santa Margarita has committed to Kansas….
Defensive end Elyjah Staples from Marquez has committed to Cal….
Matteo Huarte of Mater Dei won the Southern Section individual title. He’s the grandson of Heisman Trophy winner and Mater Dei grad John Huarte….
Makena Cook, the top flag football quarterback for Orange Lutheran, is transferring to Sierra Canyon, which is starting a flag football program this fall….
Cole Kim of Sunny Hills won the Southern California Regional golf tournament last week and will be the player to beat at the state championships Wednesday at San Gabriel Country Club….
Pitcher Jake Brande of Rancho Christian has committed to Cal Poly….
Laura Browder has resigned as boys and girls volleyball coach at La Canada.
From the archives: Kaniya Bragg
UCLA shortstop Kaniya Bragg was a star at Garden Grove Pacifica.
(Nick Koza)
Kaniya Bragg, who was The Times’ softball player of the year in 2024, is living up to expectations and more for UCLA this season.
She entered this week as a key player for the Bruins in the College World Series with a .387 batting average and 18 home runs.
Here’s a story from 2024 outlining why she was the best high school player.
Recommendations
From Texas, a school district continues bureaucratic hurdles for media trying to cover high school sports.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on former Palisades pitcher Mason Edwards becoming an ace for USC.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on Zoe Thompson, an eighth-grader at Harvard-Westlake who might be the best soccer player in a famous family of soccer players.
Tweets you might have missed
Until next time….
Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.
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