Boys

CITY SECTION BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)

DIVISION I

First Round

#16 LA Roosevelt at #1 Taft

#9 East Valley at #8 Harbor Teacher

#12 El Camino Real at #5 VAAS

#13 Van Nuys at #4 North Hollywood

#14 Grant at #3 Cleveland

#11 Sun Valley Poly at #6 Vaughn

#10 Verdugo Hills at #7 Larchmont Charter

#15 South Gate at #2 Sylmar

DIVISION II

First Round

#17 San Fernando at #16 Bravo

#20 Magnolia Science at #13 Birmingham

#19 Burton at #14 Fairfax

#18 Granada Hills Kennedy at #15 Middle College

DIVISION III

First Round

#17 Annenberg at #16 Animo Robinson

#20 King/Drew at #13 Stern

#19 San Fernando at #14 Animo De La Hoya

#18 Smidt Tech at #15 Animo Bunche

DIVISION IV

First Round

#17 Canoga Park at #16 Bell

#20 Chavez at #13 Neuwirth Leadership

#19 West Adams at #14 USC Hybrid

#18 Community Charter at #15 Washington Prep

DIVISION V

First Round

#17 Garfield at #16 Dymally

#24 Simon Tech at #9 Alliance Levine

#21 LAAAE at #12 Valor Academy

#20 Valley Oaks CES at #13 Rancho Dominguez

#19 Lakeview Charter at #14 Franklin

#22 LA Jordan at #11 Stern

#23 Port of LA at #10 Animo De La Hoya

#18 Triumph Charter at #15 Sotomayor

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 7 p.m. unless noted)

OPEN DVISION

QUARTERFINALS

#8 Carson at #1 Granada Hills

#5 LA Marshall at #4 Venice

#6 Wilmington Banning at #3 Chatsworth

#7 Eagle Rock at #2 Palisades

Note: Second Round in Divisions II-V, May 7 at 4 p.m. at higher seeds; Quarterfinals in Division I, May 7 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Quarterfinals in Divisions II-V, May 11 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Semifinals in Open and Division I, May 12 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Semifinals in Division DII-V, May 13 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Finals in all divisions May 15-16 (sites and times TBD).

Make it 17 and counting.

That is how many boys’ tennis titles Palisades has won in a row after its 18.5 to 11 victory over Taft in the City Section Open Division championship match Wednesday afternoon at Balboa Sports Center in Encino.

Freshman Kensho Ford, who reached the CIF singles semifinals at the Ojai tournament four days earlier, swept his four sets at No. 1 as expected — dropping a total of three games in the process — but what co-coaches Robert Silvers and Bud Kling did not anticipate was Zach Cohen sweeping at No. 4 to give the top-seeded Dolphins a split of the 16 possible singles points.

Cohen played No. 1 doubles with Zach Stuffman all season but was itching to play singles for the playoffs and wound up winning all six of his sets including two before being subbed out for the last two rotations in Monday’s semifinal rout of fourth-seeded Marshall.

“I’ve been asking for two years now and when Coach Rob told me Saturday I’d be in singles I was so excited,” said Cohen, who was also the Division I individual champion while pacing the Dolphins to their fifth straight cross-country team title in November at Elysian Park.

Five is nice, but 17 straight is a dynasty unparalleled in City Section history. No team in any sport from a City school has ever produced a longer streak and no coach has more City crowns than Kling’s 55 (33 boys, 22 girls). Palisades has also appeared in 21 straight finals. The last time two other schools met for the City’s upper division title was 2004 when El Camino Real defeated West Valley League rival Granada Hills.

Palisades got another surprise when the sophomore tandem of Josh Glaser and Bennett Murphy, who were bumped up to varsity a month earlier, won all three of ithebsets at No. 3 doubles, beating the Toreadors’ top two duos in tiebreakers.

Taft’s Dannes Djalilov won two sets at No. 1 singles during Wednesday’s City Section Open Division tennis final.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Danees Djalilov took two of his four sets at No. 1 singles and Brandon Celestine did the same at No. 4 for the second-seeded Toreadors, who were the last team to defeat Palisades in the finals — doing so in 2007 and 2008 led by two-time City individual singles winner Josh Tchan.

Moments after Ford finished off his 6-0 victory over Alec Volodarskiy to move his team within half a point of the championship, Stuffman and new partner Jack Plotkowski put the Dolphins over the 15-point threshold by completing a sweep at No. 1 doubles with a 6-2 ousting of Taft’s No. 2 team.

Taft was seeking its eighth City title and first since winning Division II in 2019.

SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

FIRST ROUND
DIVISION 1
Mira Costa, bye
Tesoro d. Los Alamitos, 25-19, 25-23, 25-17
Corona del Mar d. Mater Dei, 3-0
Huntington Beach, bye
Loyola, bye
Newport Harbor d. Millikan, 25-8, 25-13, 25-19
Santa Margarita d. San Marcos, 3-0
Redondo Union, bye

DIVISION 2
Camarillo d. Anaheim Canyon, 25-21, 25-17, 25-18

DIVISION 3
Palos Verdes d. Corona Centennial, 3-1
Sage Hill d. Malibu, 3-1
Valencia d. La Palma Kennedy, 25-12, 25-20, 25-20
Claremont d. Murrieta Valley, 3-1
Corona Santiago d. Mark Keppel, 3-2
Eastvale Roosevelt d. Downey, 3-1
Bishop Montgomery d. South Torrance, 3-2
St. John Bosco d. Woodbridge, 3-1
Mission Viejo d. Paloma Valley, 25-20, 25-15, 25-18
Santa Ana Foothill d. Canyon Country Canyon, 25-20, 25-19, 25-16
Servite d. Wiseburn Da Vinci, 3-0
Santa Barbara d. Diamond Ranch, 3-1
Trabuco Hills d. Westlake, 3-0
Crescenta Valley d. North Torrance, 25-18, 25-15, 25-21
Saugus d. Newbury Park, 25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 30-28
Windward d. South Pasadena, 3-0

DIVISION 5
Dos Pueblos d. Aquinas, 21-25, 20-25, 25-15, 25-11, 15-13
Hemet d. Summit, 3-2
Oak Park d. Damien, 25-22, 26-24, 25-16
El Dorado d. San Dimas, 3-1
Westminster La Quinta d. Garden Grove Pacifica, 3-2
Bishop Diego d. Rio Hondo Prep, 25-22, 25-22, 31-29
Brea Olinda d. Aliso Niguel, 26-24, 16-25, 25-21, 29-27
Norco d. Cajon, 23-25, 25-22, 25-17, 12-25, 15-13
Bellflower d. Crespi, 25-16, 25-22, 25-15
El Rancho d. San Gabriel Academy, 3-1
Ventura d. Vista del Lago, 25-14, 25-18, 25-21
Flintridge Prep d. Castaic, 3-0
St. Anthony d. Oxford Academy, 3-0
Orange County Pacifica Christian d. Etiwanda, 25-16, 25-16, 25-19
Ontario Christian d. Monrovia, 25-23, 25-21, 23-25, 25-18
Western Christian d. Westminster, 3-2

DIVISION 7
Pasadena Marshall d. La Mirada, 3-2
Rialto d. Rosemead, 3-1
La Sierra Academy d. Sierra Vista, 3-0
Trinity Classical Academy d. Canyon Springs, 25-19, 25-19, 25-19
Hacienda Heights Wilson d. Maranatha, 3-1
Cerritos Valley Christian d. Norwalk, 25-21, 25-15, 25-23
Foothill Tech d. Anaheim, 3-0
Bell Gardens d. Ganesha, 25-17, 25-21, 25-17
Long Beach Jordan d. Jurupa Valley, 3-0
Oakwood d. Savanna, 3-1
Knight d. Santa Ana, 3-2
Godinez d. Santa Barbara Providence, 3-2
Los Amigos d. San Jacinto Valley, 3-2
Indio d. Katella, 3-1
Tustin d. Highland, 3-0
Loara d. Gabrielino, 3-2

DIVISION 9
Palm Valley d. Bassett, 25-15, 28-26, 25-17
Webb d. Inglewood, 3-2
Le Lycée d. Acaciawood Academy, 25-16, 25-20, 25-21
Edgewood 3, Rim of the World 2
Indian Springs d. Compton Early College, 25-21, 25-20, 19-25, 25-13
YULA d. Coachella Valley, 3-0
Duarte d. Southwestern Academy, 3-0
Vasquez d. Legacy College Prep, 20-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-19
Wildwood d. Garden Grove Santiago, 3-2
Cantwell Sacred Heart d. Pilgrim, 3-1
Bethel Baptist d. Pacific Lutheran, 3-2
Avalon d. South El Monte, 3-1
Downey Calvary Chapel d. Xavier Prep, 3-1
Southlands Christian d. New Covenant, 3-0

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted)

SECOND ROUND

DIVISION 4
Village Christian at Bolsa Grande, Friday
Chino Hills vs.Long Beach Poly at Lakewood
Warren at Temple City
Liberty at Royal
Sunny Hills at St. Monica Prep
Northwood at Elsinore
Crossroads at Los Altos
Harvard-Westlake at San Marino

DIVISION 6
Temecula Valley at St. Francis
San Gabriel at Beverly Hills
Culver City at El Modena
Samueli Academy at Firebaugh
Ayala at Garden Grove
Moorpark at Capistrano Valley Christian
Pasadena Poly at Yucaipa
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Cerritos

DIVISION 8
Temescal Canyon at West Covina
Paramount at Santa Rosa Academy, 5 p.m.
Miller vs. CAMS at Long Beach Cabrillo
Cathedral City at Eastside
Burbank Providence at Temecula Prep
West Valley at Laguna Blanca
Palmdale Aerospace Academy at Garey
Desert Hot Springs at Glendale Adventist, 5 p.m.

Note: Second Round Divisions 3, 5, 7, 9 May 1; Quarterfinals Divisions 1 & 2 May 5; Quarterfinals Divisions 3-9 May 6; Semifinals All Divisions May 9; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.

Serving, blocking, passing and hitting.

Mira Costa put it all together over the final three sets of its Bay League boys’ volleyball showdown with Redondo Union on Monday night, prevailing 26-28, 25-13, 25-18, 25-22 to avenge a five-set loss in the teams’ first meeting and stake its claim for the No. 1 seed in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.

“Last time we didn’t think they were as good as they were, but we’ve watched a lot of film since then and saw where they like to go,” said outside hitter Mateo Fuerbringer, who finished with a match-high 27 kills and four of his team’s nine aces. “We didn’t pass that well in the first set, but after that we started spreading the ball around more and our serving was really good tonight. We got them out of system a lot.”

Colby Graham had nine kills and three blocks and ended each of the middle sets with a kill as the Mustangs (31-2, 7-1) totaled 15 stuff blocks. Wyatt Davis added eight kills and three blocks and Enzo Barker finished with five kills and two aces.

Redondo Union’s Vaughn Flaherty, left, and JR Boice try to block a hit from Mira Costa’s Colby Graham.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Mira Costa snapped Redondo Union’s 18-match winning streak and evened up the league standings, but the Mustangs gained the tiebreaker by virtue of fewer sets lost head-to-head.

Mira Costa saved three match points in the first set before Mavrick Essert ended it with one of his eight kills for the visiting Sea Hawks (26-3, 7-1). His older brother Cash Essert had 11 kills and JR Boice added 10 but Redondo Union was unable to maintain its momentum, never leading once in the last three sets.

Redondo Union keyed on Fuerbringer to win the first encounter 27-25, 21-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13 on its home court March 26, but Monday’s match was a different story as Mira Costa varied its attack to keep the Sea Hawks on their heels.

“We were gassed the first time because that was right after we played Loyola,” Mustangs setter Jake Newman said. “Loyola took a lot out of us even though we won. So we weren’t prepared for Redondo, but this time around we had two weeks to practice and study their tendencies.”

Mira Costa libero Dane Del Riego returns a serve in a four-set victory over Redondo Union on April 20, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Newman said closing the match in four sets was critical.

“At 24-22 we were telling each other we have to win, we’re not letting this go five,” he said. “We needed to beat them in four for the league championship.”

Mira Costa lost to Corona del Mar in tournament play early in the season but has since defeated the Sea Kings twice. It also has victories over Huntington Beach, Loyola and Newport Harbor — all of which will likely make the highest division.

Redondo Union won its own Varsity Invitational tournament Saturday, rallying to beat Loyola in the finals, and swept Newport Harbor at home March 21.

Coach Greg Snyder praised the Mustangs for executing the game plan to near perfection but warned it may not be the last time they have to face their archrival.

“That’s a really good team we just beat … we could very well see them again the playoffs,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens.”

April 14 (UPI) — The Justice Department on Tuesday asked a federal court to dismiss the convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members who were found guilty of leading and organizing the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The request includes 12 former members of the groups, all of whom prosecutors said were ringleaders of the attack. After his return to office in 2025, President Donald Trump pardoned most of those who were convicted for their parts in the riot, a move affecting more than 1,000 people. However, the sentences of some, including these 12, were commuted to time served instead, freeing them from prison though the convictions remained.

The group involved in the Justice Department request on Tuesday includes Stewart Rhodes, a leader of the Oath Keepers who was sentenced to 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and other charges. Prosecutors said Rhodes and other Oath Keepers “began plotting to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power” after the 2020 election, CBS News reported.

Others whose sentences were commuted are Proud Boys leaders Ethan Nordean, Zachary Rehl, Dominic Pezzola and Joseph Biggs, who were also convicted of seditious conspiracy for their role.

Appeals involving this group have continued, and the Justice Department requested Tuesday that federal appeals panels vacate the earlier convictions and drop the cases in whole.

“The United States has determined in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of this criminal case is in the interests of justice,” wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Lenerz in the filing, Politico reported.

Greg Rosen, former chief of the Justice Department’s Capitol Siege Section, criticized the move, CBS News reported.

“It’s a reminder of what drove the pardons in the first place-the political violence is acceptable as long as your politics align,” he told CBS News. “And it’s a continuing and sad commentary on the current state of the department.”

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court to throw out the seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders who were sentenced to prison terms for leading members of the far-right extremist groups in attacking the U.S. Capitol to keep President Trump in the White House more than five years ago.

Trump commuted the prison sentences of several Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders in January 2025 in a sweeping act of clemency for all 1,500-plus defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.

The request by the Justice Department would go a step further and erase the convictions for the extremist group leaders, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes.

In court filings, prosecutors asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to vacate the convictions so that the government can permanently dismiss the indictments.

“The government’s motion to vacate in this case is consistent with its practice of moving the Supreme Court to vacate convictions in cases where the government has decided in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of a criminal case is in the interests of justice — motions that the Supreme Court routinely grants,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing signed by U.S. Atty. Jeanine Pirro.

Juries in Washington convicted the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders of orchestrating violent plots to stop the peaceful transfer of power after Trump’s 2020 election loss to Democratic President Biden.

Kunzelman and Richer write for the Associated Press.