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Triumph, a Sylmar charter school, is having season to remember

The City Section might have a contender for small-schools basketball success in Sylmar-based Triumph, a charter school that opened in 2010 and is having its best season ever.

The Jaguars, under coach Fabian Avila, have been led by the Garcia brothers, Antonio, a 6-foot-3 senior, and Damian, a freshman point guard.

Antonio was one of the leading scorers in the City Section last season and is averaging 19 points this season.

“He’s very strong and physical,” Avila said.

His brother is averaging 11 points.

Probably the best win for Triumph was over AGBU when Antonio scored 22 points.

Triumph, which has an enrollment of fewer than 400 students, relies on multiple-sport athletes. One of the players is playing basketball and soccer simultaneously.

Avila is in his ninth year and said this is his best team. There are no transfers and all are students from the Sylmar area.

Last season, the team made it to the Division IV semifinals before losing when it was down to five players because of injuries. This season, the roster is at 13 with freshmen helping out.

The school has won one City title — in boys’ volleyball.

The big question is where Triumph will be placed in the playoffs depending on computer rankings.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

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Prep talk: JuJu Watkins returns to Sierra Canyon on Friday

JuJu Watkins is returning to Sierra Canyon High on Friday, the place where she was a high school basketball All-American.

The school will hold a ceremony retiring her jersey at halftime of the boys’ basketball game between Sierra Canyon and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

She will be presented with a framed jersey.

Watkins is sitting out this season at USC while recovering from a knee injury.

Sierra Canyon girls’ basketball coach Alicia Komaki said, “She raised our standards, which was hard to do because we had won four state championships. She was an incredibly talented player.”

Watkins was also making a huge impact in the college game until her injury last season during the NCAA playoffs.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

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The Times’ top 25 high school basketball rankings

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 7.

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

1. SIERRA CANYON (13-1): Brannon Martinsen starting to contribute after injury; 1

2. REDONDO UNION (16-3): Mira Costa will be the challenge in league play; 2

3. SANTA MARGARITA (19-2): Showdown with St. John Bosco on Friday at home; 3

4. ST. JOHN BOSCO (11-4): Braves need to give Christian Collins some help; 4

5. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (17-2): Mission League showdown with Crespi on Friday; 6

6. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (13-4): Knights face Sierra Canyon on Friday; 7

7. LA MIRADA (11-6): Big win over Crespi; 17

8. CRESPI (13-6): Celts start Mission League vs. Bishop Alemany on Wednesday; 10

9. CREAN LUTHERAN (14-5): Begin league play on Tuesday vs. Anaheim Canyon; 5

10. ETIWANDA (17-1): Open league play vs. Los Osos; 12

11. CORONA DEL MAR (15-1): Big league game vs. Los Alamitos on Monday; 9

12. DAMIEN (15-4): Faces Etiwanda on Thursday; 14

13. CORONA CENTENNIAL (15-5): Lost in OT to Coronado; 11

14. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY (7-6): Close loss to Etiwanda; 13

15. VILLAGE CHRISTIAN (13-5): League showdown with Heritage Christian on Tuesday; 15

16. THOUSAND OAKS (16-0): Lancers face Oaks Christian in league game on Friday; 18

17. BRENTWOOD (18-1): Sophomore Ethan Hill keeps leading Eagles to victory; 19

18. JSERRA (13-8): Lions need to get healthy for Trinity League play; 16

19. MIRA COSTA (16-2): Mustangs quietly looking good for Bay League play; 21

20. ELSINORE (18-0): Kamrynn Nathan is averaging 24.6 points; 22

21. MATER DEI (12-7): Transfer students have given Monarchs a lift; NR

22. LOS ALAMITOS (8-6): Faces Corona del Mar on Monday; NR

23. INGLEWOOD (14-5): Jason Crowe Jr. had games of 50 and 51 points; 24

24. ST. FRANCIS (16-2): 7-foot-4 center Cherif Millogo is living up to expectations; NR

25. WINDWARD (12-6): Open Gold Coast League vs. Campbell Hall on Tuesday; NR

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Vick Hope shares rare snaps of baby boy Micah as she and husband celebrate first Christmas as parents

VIC Hope has shared a rare snap of her baby boy Micah as she and husband Calvin Harris shared their first Christmas as a family of three.

The BBC Radio 1 presenter, 36, gave birth to the couple’s first child in July, returning to work for an awards ceremony in October.

Vick Hope shares has given a rare insight into her family life over the festive periodCredit: Instagram
Her husband Calvin Harris was seen playing with the tot at the dinner tableCredit: Instagram
Vick, 36, was seen giving their son Micah a cuddle as they posed in matching pyjamasCredit: Instagram

Now she has given her Instagram followers a sneak peek into her festive period with the iconic DJ and their firstborn.

Vick kicked off her image carousel with a snap showing her donning a shimmering gold dress as she sat at a table awaiting a Christmas feast.

She pulled her locks back into a stylish up-do and kept her make-up natural, accessorising with huge gold earrings.

She followed with a tender snap of Micah on her tummy before images showed Summer hitmaker Calvin, 41, picking up their Christmas tree and their tot wearing a ‘my first Christmas’ baby grow.

DADDY COOL

Calvin Harris is the doting dad as he poses with baby son Micah in a papoose


GOT HOPE

Vick Hope looks incredible as she returns to work after she welcomed first child

Snapshots of their family celebrations followed as Calvin was seen sat by the baby in his high chair.

In her caption, Vic wrote: “Twas the season.”

MUM JOURNEY

Back in October, Vick admitted that she’d been covered in “bright yellow s**t” since giving birth.

And addressing a graphic snap of her placenta, posted by hubby Calvin, she joked: “‘It was posted by my husband but placentas are amazing.

“I am keen to celebrate motherhood after what my vagina has done – it’s f***ing majestic. 

“And now you’ve all seen my placenta too!”

The placenta pic was included in a series of snaps he posted, as he announced the birth of his son on Instagram back in August.

The post, which included images of Vick in a birthing pool, had snaps of her placenta with capsules, suggesting they had it encapsulated – an increasingly popular trend.

He wrote in the caption: “20th of July our boy arrived. Micah is here!

“My wife is a superhero and I am in complete awe of her primal wisdom! Just so grateful.

“We love you so much Micah.”

Vick previously posted a series of summer highlights on Instagram and looked radiant as she cradled the couple’s son at the couple’s sprawling Spanish residence.

Calvin bought the stunning 138-acre farm, known as Terra Masia, back in 2022, and the couple spent much of the summer there, with Vick even giving birth in the Ibiza property.

Micah’s festive wardrobe was on full display in Vick’s latest uploadCredit: Instagram
Summer hitmaker Calvin was on Christmas tree dutyCredit: Instagram
Vick gave birth back in JulyCredit: Instagram
She captioned her upload with the words ’twas the season’Credit: Instagram

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The Times’ top 25 high school basketball rankings

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 6.

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

1. SIERRA CANYON (10-1): Trailblazers getting close to full strength; 1

2. REDONDO UNION (13-2): Sea Hawks looking like Sierra Canyon’s major challenger; 3

3. SANTA MARGARITA (15-2): Drew Anderson is a big man rising in performance; 2

4. ST. JOHN BOSCO (9-3): Overtime loss to Phoenix (Ariz.) Sunnyslope; 4

5. CREAN LUTHERAN (12-3): Semifinalist for Classic at Damien; 8

6. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (15-2): Face JSerra on Friday; 5

7. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (10-4): Josiah Nance is back from injury; 6

8. ARCADIA (11-1): Win over San Gabriel Academy makes Apaches the real deal; 16

9. CORONA DEL MAR (14-0): Fourteen straight wins for Sea Kings; 11

10. CRESPI (11-4): Celts advance to Classic at Damien semifinals; 13

11. CORONA CENTENNIAL (14-3): Stanford commit Isaiah Rogers is delivering; 9

12. ETIWANDA (15-1): Lost in overtime for first defeat; 10

13. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY (6-5): Freshman Zach Arnold continues to perform well; 7

14. DAMIEN (14-3): Came within one point of upsetting Redondo Union; 14

15. VILLAGE CHRISTIAN (11-5): A 41-point performance from freshman Will Conroy; 12

16. JSERRA (12-5): Lions starting to make improvement; 17

17. LA MIRADA (8-5): Matadores keep challenging themselves; 15

18. THOUSAND OAKS (13-0): Dylan McCord is firing in threes; 18

19. BRENTWOOD (15-1): Thirty-point performance from AJ Okoh; 22

20. EASTVALE ROOSEVELT (10-5): Big performance from Sloane Harris; 21

21. MIRA COSTA (15-1): Made it to Torrey Pines semifinals; 23

22. ELSINORE (18-0): Undefeated season still going strong; 24

23. MAYFAIR (6-3): Next up is Crossroads on Monday; 20

24. INGLEWOOD (11-4): Jason Crowe Jr. is averaging 44.0 points per game; 25

25. CYPRESS (12-5): In divisional semifinals at Torrey Pines; NR

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Nicki Minaj takes stage with Erika Kirk, praises Trump and mocks Newsom

Fireworks lit the stage and the audience roared as pop star Nicki Minaj walked out hand-in-hand with Erika Kirk Sunday in a surprise appearance at Turning Point USA’s annual convention in Phoenix.

“I love this woman; she is an amazing woman,” said Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, who headed the right-wing student organization until he was killed in September. “Words are words, but I know her heart.”

Minaj, who has surprised some fans in recent months by embracing the MAGA movement, praised President Trump and mocked California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“I have the utmost respect and admiration for our president,” Minaj said. “I don’t know if he even knows this but he has given so many people hope that there is a chance to beat the bad guys and to win and to do it with your head held high.”

Minaj then read some of her former social media posts mocking Newsom, calling him “Newscum” and “Gavie-poo.”

“Imagine being the guy running on wanting to see trans kids, haha, not even a trans adult would run on that,” she said. “Normal adults wake up and think they want to see healthy, safe, happy kids — not Gav.”

Minaj then urged boys to “be boys.”

“There is nothing wrong with being a boy,” she said. “How about that? How powerful is that? How profound is that? Boys will be boys and there is nothing wrong with that.”

Minaj praised Turning Point USA, saying the organization is encouraging youth to connect with God.

“There has been a lack of that in our media, in our everyday conversations,” she said. “Christians have been being persecuted right here in our country in different ways.”

Minaj drew attention from the Trump administration in November, when she publicly backed the president’s assertions that Christians face persecution in Nigeria, a claim the Nigerian government has disputed.

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The Times’ top 25 high school basketball rankings

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 5.

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

1. SIERRA CANYON (8-1): Headed to Oregon for Christmas tournament; 1

2. SANTA MARGARITA (13-1): Reached semifinals in Tarkanian Classic after double-overtime win over Las Vegas Bishop Gorman; 2

3. REDONDO UNION (9-2): Reached semifinals in Tarkanian Classic; 5

4. ST. JOHN BOSCO (8-2): Back-to-back losses to top teams in Florida; 3

5. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (13-2): Loss to the top team in Idaho; 4

6. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (9-2): Zachary White continues to provide key rebounds; 7

7. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY (4-3): 6-foot-11 Mahamadou Diop is delivering; 6

8. CREAN LUTHERAN (9-3): Set to play in Classic at Damien; 8

9. CORONA CENTENNIAL (11-2): Lost to Utah Timpview in Las Vegas; 9

10. ETIWANDA (14-0): Classic at Damien will offer challenges; 11

11. CORONA DEL MAR (11-0): Faces 10-4 Cypress on Tuesday; 12

12. VILLAGE CHRISTIAN (8-4): Playing in Mission Prep tournament; 10

13. CRESPI (8-4): Tough schedule will pay off for league play; 13

14. DAMIEN (13-2): Set to host Classic at Damien; 14

15. LA MIRADA (5-4): Matadores are improving; 17

16. ARCADIA (9-1): Apaches are about to get even better with sit-out period players; 19

17. JSERRA (8-5): Headed to San Diego for Torrey Pines tournament; 16

18. THOUSAND OAKS (10-0): Lancers knocked off unbeaten Chaminade; NR

19. BISHOP MONTGOMERY (10-0): Semifinalist at Mission Prep tournament; NR

20. MAYFAIR (5-2): Josiah Johnson is a player to watch; NR

21. EASTVALE ROOSEVELT (7-4): It’s a learning experience in Las Vegas; 22

22. BRENTWOOD (13-1): Went 3-1 in Hawaii; 23

23. MIRA COSTA (12-1): Torrey Pines tournament will be test; NR

24. ELSINORE (16-0): Junior Kamrynn Nathan averaging 25 points a game; NR

25. INGLEWOOD (10-4): Averaging 92 points a game; NR

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The Times’ top 25 high school basketball rankings

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 4.

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

1. SIERRA CANYON (7-1): Face Crean Lutheran on Saturday; 1

2. SANTA MARGARITA (11-1): Headed to Las Vegas for Tarkanian Classic; 2

3. ST. JOHN BOSCO (8-0): Champions of their own tournament behind Christian Collins; 3

4. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (9-1): Next up is a trip to Hawaii; 4

5. REDONDO UNION (6-2): Went 1-1 on East Coast trip; 5

6. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY (1-3): Another team headed to Las Vegas; 6

7. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (6-2): Face Riviera Prep from Miami on Friday; 7

8. CREAN LUTHERAN (9-2): Hunter Caplan has been making major contributions; 8

9. CORONA CENTENNIAL (10-1): Isaiah Rogers is MVP of San Juan Hills tourney;11

10 VILLAGE CHRISTIAN (7-3): Freshman Will Conroy leading team in scoring; 9

11. ETIWANDA (13-0): North Orange County tournament champions; 15

12. CORONA DEL MAR (11-0): 11 straight wins to start season is impressive; 16

13. CRESPI (6-4): Waiting for cavalry to arrive on Dec. 26 ; 10

14. DAMIEN (12-2): Went 2-1 on trip to Idaho; 14

15. FAIRMONT PREP (6-4): Suffering close losses to good teams; 12

16. JSERRA (6-4): Jaden Bailes continues to lead Lions; 13

17. LA MIRADA (4-4): Strong schedule will pay off; 18

18. CHAMINADE (11-0): Close win over El Camino Real keeps Eagles unbeaten; 19

19. ARCADIA (7-1): Good win over Pasadena in Pacific League opener; 20

20. PASADENA (3-2): Bulldogs waiting for players to become eligible; 21

21. CROSSROADS (7-1): Winning without Evan Willis (flu); 22

22. EASTVALE ROOSEVELT (5-3): Face Hesperia on Tuesday 23

23. BRENTWOOD (10-0): Headed to Hawaii; 24

24. RANCHO VERDE (9-2): Semaj Carter has been on scoring run; NR

25. ROLLING HILLS PREP (10-1): Suffered first loss to Los Alamitos; 17

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