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John Bobich, in his 26th season coaching San Pedro High basketball, knows a few tricks in the coaching trade. All you had to do is listen and watch in the third quarter when he put 6-foot-5 junior Aidan Applegate into the game. Applegate was crouching at the scorer’s table waiting to be buzzed in.

“This is your chance,” Bobich told him.

Applegate had a shot blocked, which didn’t deter him. By the fourth quarter, he was comfortable and confident, scoring eight points in the quarter and finishing with eight rebounds to help San Pedro pull away from Granada Hills 64-51 in a Marquez tournament game between two potential City Section Open Division playoff teams.

Applegate said when he heard Bobich’s words of motivation, he thought, “It’s my opportunity to show what I could do.”

Bobich has known Applegate since he was 8 years old. In fact, Bobich knows most of his San Pedro players from coaching or seeing them play in local recreation leagues. His son is on the team. San Pedro is 12-4 and favored to win the Marine League. Ricky Alonso led the scoring with 19 points and Elias Redlow, AJ Bobich and Chris Morgan added 10 points apiece.

Granada Hills received 20 points from Kristapor Kedikian. Applegate celebrated his 17th birthday with the team serenading him.

Girls basketball

Birmingham 54, Kennedy 46: The Patriots (14-3) received 21 points from Kayla Tanijiri.

Head coach Thomas Frank says Tottenham are “completely aligned” about the future as he faces pressure from fans to improve results.

Frank has declared that the club are united behind the scenes, saying that chief executive Vinai Venkatesham makes “sensible decisions” and is “is one of the best communicators I ever met”.

Spurs were booed off after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland, and have won two of their past 11 Premier League games.

In the past week, Enzo Maresca has left Chelsea and Manchester United have sacked Ruben Amorim – with both head coaches departing amid fallouts with senior figures at their respective clubs.

But Frank says he has no such issues with Tottenham‘s hierarchy.

“I think the biggest thing is that we are completely aligned with the ownership,” Frank said.

“Vinai is one of the best communicators I ever met, as a CEO, leader or whatever, he is absolutely excellent in that.

“I think I’m OK, but he is way superior, which I think is crucial internally and externally.

“He’s calm and he takes sensible decisions – two rare abilities in football. He understands the journey we’re on.”

Tottenham, who visit Bournemouth on Wednesday, are in a congested mid-table, sitting 13th in the Premier League.

They are unbeaten in their past three matches, but have not scored from open play since 6 December.

Sporting director Fabio Paratici has continuously been linked with a move back to Italy with Fiorentina during recent weeks, but remains in place at Spurs.

Frank said: “We’re paying his wage, he’s working very hard.

“The last time I spoke to him? I spoke to him in the morning before the [Sunderland] game.”

Bob Pulford, a Hockey Hall of Fame player who went on to a lengthy career in the NHL as a coach and general manager, has died. He was 89.

A spokesperson for the NHL Alumni Assn. said Monday the organization learned of Pulford’s death from his family. No other details were provided.

A tough, dependable forward, Pulford helped the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup four times during his 14-year stretch with them from 1956 to 1970. The Newton Robinson, Canada, native was part of the 1967 team that remains the organization’s last to win a championship.

He was picked for five All-Star games and led the league in shorthanded goals three times. After recording 694 points in 1,168 regular-season and playoff games, Pulford was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.

Off the ice, Pulford was the first president of the players union, taking part in early collective bargaining and laying the foundation for the modern NHLPA.

Pulford spent his final two playing seasons with the Kings in the early 1970s before coaching them for the following five years. He then ran the Chicago Blackhawks’ front office as general manager or senior vice president of hockey operations for three decades from 1977 to 2007, going behind the bench to coach four times during that span.

“Whether coach, general manager, senior executive, or even multiple at the same time, Bob wasn’t afraid to serve in whatever role was most needed at the time and take on the different challenges associated with each that seem unthinkable by today’s standards,” said Blackhawks chairman and Chief Executive Officer Danny Wirtz, whose grandfather, Bill, employed Pulford. “We are grateful for his leadership and devotion to the sport, which will forever be part of our club’s history.”

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Pulford “left an indelible mark on the game,” especially given the various roles he filled.

“Bob became a friend, counselor and confidant to me — particularly in my early years as commissioner — and I had enormous respect for him and all he gave the game,” Bettman said.

The NHL Alumni Assn. in a post memorializing Pulford called him “one of the most respected figures in the history of hockey.”

“Rest in peace, Bob,” the NHLAA said. “Your impact on hockey and on all who had the privilege of knowing you will never be forgotten.”

Liam Rosenior has flown to London to finalise his expected appointment as Chelsea head coach.

As BBC Sport reported on Thursday, Strasbourg boss Rosenior is the leading candidate to replace Enzo Maresca, who has left Stamford Bridge.

Talks to appoint Rosenior are at an advanced stage, and the 41-year-old is in the capital to complete formalities before he is named as Maresca’s successor.

BlueCo – the investment vehicle set up to purchase Chelsea in 2022 – has started the process of identifying candidates to replace Rosenior at sister club Strasbourg.

Chelsea caretaker manager Calum McFarlane says “there’s a chance” the new boss will be in place on Monday.

The under-21s coach stepped in after Maresca parted company with Chelsea following disagreements with leadership figures at the club.

McFarlane’s Chelsea drew 1-1 away at title challengers Manchester City on Sunday thanks to an equaliser in the closing moments from midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

Speaking after the match, McFarlane said: “When I first took the job, I was told I would take the Manchester City game. So that was three days with the group.

“There’s a chance the new manager will be in on Monday – that’s what I was told originally.

“Obviously, it’s Sunday now. We’ve been solely focused on the game. I’m sure I’ll get more information once I’m out of this press conference. But as far as I know, the new manager will be in shortly and I’ll lead the team until he’s in.”

Curt Cignetti knows winning. No matter where he finds himself, whether it’s James Madison or with the Division II IUP Crimson Hawks, success follows him. Since getting the opportunity to lead a program, Cignetti has never had a losing season.

When Indiana hired him in November 2023, the Hoosiers were the program with the most all-time losses in college football history, and ended the season with a 3-9 record under Tom Allen.

It wasn’t a work in progress, the Hoosiers football program needed to be rebuilt.

On New Year’s Day, Indiana will face Alabama in the highly anticipated Rose Bowl matchup. The Crimson Tide have a rich postseason history and a tradition of championships, but the Hoosiers are the favorites to win.

That is the Cignetti effect.

In two years, he transformed the program from an unranked team, spending most of its time at the bottom of the Big Ten Conference, to the No. 1 team in the country with a Heisman-winning quarterback, Fernando Mendoza.

“When he speaks, it means something,” Indiana linebacker Isaiah Jones said.

“He’s not gonna go around and hype you up, tell you something you want to hear, he’ll tell you what you need to hear and that’s what makes him so special as a coach.”

That kind of tough love echoes throughout the team, Jones said. Whether it’s the fifth-string linebacker or the starting linebacker, Cignetti and his staff coach everyone the same way. That is one of the reasons his players trust him and bought into his philosophy.

“All the coaches want to see you be the best version of yourself,” Jones said. “But you can’t do that if you’re sugarcoating it.”

Cignetti’s coaching style has turned a starting lineup that consists of more lightly recruited players than five-star prospects into the nation’s No. 1 team.

Their surprise arrival at college football’s biggest stage has fired up the Hoosiers.

Indiana defensive back D’Angelo Ponds answers questions during a new conference at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday.

(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)

“It’s definitely a chip on our shoulder,” Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds said. “Just to prove to the coaches that they missed out on the opportunity with us.”

The Hoosiers had the past three weeks off, earning a first-round College Football Playoff bye. Leading up to their quarterfinal showdown with Alabama in Pasadena, before their opponent was known, Cignetti made it a point to focus on how the Hoosiers could feature the best offense and defense in the country. He wanted players to focus on their own work rather than who they would be playing.

“In every single phase, in every single facet of the way that we practice and prepare, it’s all about being the best version of us, and not so much our opponent,” Indiana linebacker Aiden Fisher said.

But as soon as Alabama clinched its ticket to the Rose Bowl, the preparation flipped.

“Once we understood who the opponent was, it just kind of upped a notch,” Fisher said. “[Cignetti’s] done a great job of blocking out the noise, we don’t hear anything in the media, really.”

He wants his team to be present during their preparation, never taking a day for granted and getting their bodies and mindset right.

“He always says, at the later points in the season, it’s about who shows up ready to play, who’s the most prepared,” Indiana center Pat Coogan said.

The success of the team started with his recruitment. Regardless of which players leave or enter the locker room, Cignetti makes sure everyone is focused on the same end goal — winning.

“We are all cut from the same cloth,” Coogan said. “That’s why I think this locker room bonds so well, and why we’ve had success, no matter how many people have transferred.”

Fans flying into Pasadena talk about the ghost of the past, Fisher said. The Hoosiers last made an appearance in the Rose Bowl in 1968 when they lost to USC. A win on New Year’s Day will help bolster the football culture in Indiana, but the team understands it needs to focus on Thursday’s game against Alabama and ignore the bigger picture.

“It’s a privilege and honor to play in the Rose Bowl,” Fisher said. “But we’re still playing a football game of four quarters that we have to go and win.”

Having won just four Championship games in the first half of last season, Oxford were staring at an immediate return to League One.

But they appointed the experienced Rowett – who had managed Millwall, Birmingham City, Derby County and Stoke City in the second tier – with the aim of securing Championship survival.

He turned Oxford’s fortunes around quickly, winning three successive matches over the Christmas period to open up a nine-point gap to the relegation zone as part of a nine-game unbeaten run in the league that ultimately secured United’s survival.

Despite going on a run of five games without a win, Rowett’s side rallied with four wins and two draws in the final nine games of the season to end the campaign in 17th place, four points above the drop zone.

But despite keeping a large chunk of their squad this season, Oxford have struggled – their tally of 22 goals scored is the fourth-worst in the division with on-loan 20-year-old Tottenham striker Will Lanskhear their top scorer with five goals.

They lost their opening three league games this season and were thrashed 6-0 at home by Premier League side Brighton in the second round of the Carabao Cup during a difficult August.

It took until 21 September to get their first league win – a 3-1 victory at Bristol City – but they won just three more games under Rowett, the last a 2-1 victory over Ipswich Town on 28 November.

With Sheffield Wednesday effectively relegated – sitting 30 points from safety on minus nine points after deductions for financial infringements – Oxford’s hierarchy have decided to act now in the hope they can avoid being one of the other two sides who will join them in League One come May.

England coach Brendon McCullum says his side haven’t lived up to “high hopes and expectations” after failing to regain The Ashes, but that fans can expect his side to “show what we’re capable of achieving” in the final two Test matches in the series against Australia.

MATCH REPORT: England beaten to lose another Ashes in Australia

Available to UK users only.

After Friday afternoon’s practice, USC football coach Lincoln Riley said he had no update on D’Anton Lynn, who has been the target of Penn State’s defensive coordinator search.

Penn State showed interest in Lynn last year before he received a contract extension from USC. Lynn was hired by the Trojans after a successful season as the defensive coordinator at UCLA.

“This is what happens this time of year, especially when you have a really good staff and are doing a lot of positive things,” Riley said. “We’re excited about having the opportunity to keep continuity but if there is turnover, not just with that position but any position, these are coveted jobs. It’s just part of the world we live in.

“Obviously, D’Anton has done a really good job here and we’ll see how it turns out.”

Being prepared for change is a must in the current college football climate, Riley said.

“Contingency plans for coaches, players, staff, everyone because so much can and does change,” Riley said. “Our job is to be prepared and have flexibility. You can’t always predict everything that’s going to happen but you have to be ready to adjust. Yeah, every team goes through it on some level and you try to handle it as well as you can.”

Riley has liked what he has seen in practice as USC (9-3) prepares for its Alamo Bowl matchup against Texas Christian on Dec. 30.

“We’ve done a really good job the last couple of years of going to work and we’re not thinking about what players or coaches are here or aren’t here,” Riley said. “It’s all about trying to maximize this time and build for the future.”

USC announced Tuesday that redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maiava had re-signed for the upcoming season and is not joining Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane — USC’s two best receivers — in declaring for the 2026 NFL draft.

“It’s great. Anytime you can get a returning guy like that who has played a good amount of football, it’s important,” Riley said of Maiava. “He’s also become a good leader in this program and I’d expect that to continue to improve. The majority of this team has already re-signed, we know those guys are going to be here and it’s cool for those guys to show how much they believe in this place and what we’re doing.

“The exciting thing is you look ahead and you start to imagine pairing what we have coming back with what’s going to be walking through the door here in three weeks or so, but it starts with your veterans who have been through the fire and we have a lot of them back.”

Maiava, one of the last players to leave the practice field Friday, made it clear why he chose to stay.

“Coach Riley,” Maiava said. “Of course, the staff too and my brothers. I’m super grateful to be back out here. I’m focused on a day at a time, staying level-headed, making the right decisions and just taking care of the ball.”

Maiava is happy for Lemon, who won the Biletnikoff Award as college football’s top receiver after catching 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior this season.

“It was awesome, everybody was there in the lobby when we found out … it’s well-deserved,” Maiava said. “He and Ja’Kobi set the standard for everyone. He won the award, so I’d say we had pretty good chemistry even off the field going out to eat and places. I had to do my job, but he did his job, too, as best he could.”

Defensive end Braylan Shelby also is grateful to be back with the Trojans for another season.

“I always knew I wanted to be here, he said. “Bowl games mean a lot and it’s a time for the team to put it all together and play together one last time.”

Regarding the new NFL model for announcing re-signings, Shelby said: “Some people love it, some hate it. … USC is a step ahead of the game and I think it’s the right step. In this NIL era, it helps fans know who’s returning.”

Having re-signed, junior safety Christian Pierce is excited about being a potential starter next fall.

“The bowl game is a huge start going into next season in terms of building the culture,” Pierce said. “My focus is on trying to understand the defense even more and the skills and techniques I’ll need to get better at. The talk after re-signing was more on the coaching staff and the program.”

Riley praised offensive lineman Tobias Raymond on his willingness and ability to play multiple positions on the front line.

“He was one of the most important players on the entire team,” Riley said. “His toughness was off the charts, his versatility with all the different lineups we played, being able to physically and mentally handle that. He was just a steadying presence. He’ll be a huge key coming back as a captain, a leader and a player. As many of those guys as you can have in a locker room — you’ll be a lot closer to winning.”

Much to his coach’s liking, Raymond has embraced his leadership role.

“I’ve just tried to be more vocal, set an example and hold other people to the standard our coaches have put out for us,” said the 6–foot-6, 315-pound redshirt sophomore out of Ventura. “Pick people up when things are low and when things are high making sure we’re keeping level-headed.”

Regarding the transfer portal, Riley said he plans to be less reliant on it than in previous years.

“The number we’re talking about is so much less than before, so moving forward we’ll be able to zero in on what we’re going to go after. So the picture is starting to become clearer on what we’ll be targeting.”

Wiegman replaced Phil Neville as England manager in September 2021, guiding the Lionesses to their first piece of major silverware at Euro 2022 when they beat Germany 2-1 in the final at Wembley.

England then reached the World Cup final in Australia in 2023, only to lose 1-0 to Spain.

At this year’s Euros, England showed incredible battling qualities to remain in the tournament and became the only country in the competition’s history to have three different matches go to extra time.

By reaching the final Wiegman became the first women’s or men’s manager to reach five consecutive major international finals after leading the Netherlands to the Euro 2017 title and 2019 World Cup final.

The Lionesses beat Spain 3-1 on penalties in July after the final finished 1-1 after extra time in Switzerland, with Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saving two of Spain’s efforts in the shootout.

The victory meant Wiegman became just the second manager after Germany’s Christina Theune to win three successive European Championships.

England’s success led to Wiegman being named women’s coach of the year at the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards, while she also won the women’s coach prize at the Fifa Best Awards for a record fifth time.

Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows shared the BBC Sports Personality Coach of the Year award in 2024 after guiding Keely Hodgkinson to 800m Olympic gold at the Paris Games.

Sir Alex Ferguson won the inaugural Coach of the Year award in 1999, the year Manchester United won the Treble.

Previous winners include Sir Clive Woodward, Colin Montgomerie and Claudio Ranieri.

Wiegman joins Arsene Wenger, Sir Dave Brailsford and Sir Gareth Southgate in winning the award more than once.

Hardy Nickerson, a Verbum Dei grad who played linebacker at Cal, made the Pro Bowl five times, coached in college and the NFL and did two stints as head coach at Bishop O’Dowd in San Jose, has been named head football coach at JSerra.

Nickerson, 60, becomes the first Black head football coach in the Trinity League since it was formed in 2008.

JSerra is hoping to strike gold like Santa Margarita did in hiring Heisman Trophy winner and 15-year NFL quarterback Carson Palmer, who delivered a Southern Section Division 1 championship and CIF state championship Open Division bowl win this year in his rookie season as head coach. Palmer used his NFL connections to put together a top-notch group of assistant coaches.

Nickerson also has lots of NFL connections and far more coaching experience than Palmer. He once was defensive coordinator at Illinois, served as an NFL assistant with the 49ers, Bears and Buccaneers and and has been head coach at Bishop O’Dowd from 2010-13 and from 2022 through this season, when his team won a state Division 5-AA championship.

He takes over a program that went 3-7 last season and cut ties with former Azusa Pacific head coach Victor Santa Cruz. Nickerson will soon learn that coaching in the Trinity League is similar to college and the NFL, where teams expect to win or there is little assurance of keeping a job for long.

The film tells the truth. The Lakers are not a good defensive team, evidenced by the sight of the NBA’s top guards blowing past Lakers defenders into the paint during a 10-game defensive swoon that ranks among the league’s worst.

Yet when coach JJ Redick shows his team the tape and then backs it up with the numbers, there’s still cautious optimism that the Lakers can improve.

“I don’t think there’s anybody in that meeting room that thinks we’re a good defensive team right now,” Redick said, “but I also don’t think there’s anybody in that meeting room who thinks we can’t be a good defensive team. We’ve got to get better.”

In the 10 games since LeBron James returned to the lineup, the Lakers have scored 121.8 points per 100 possessions, a significant increase in their offensive rating of 115.4 during the first 14 games of the season. While their offensive rating ranks fifth in the league during the last 10 games, their 120.9 defensive rating ranks 27th. It’s a dramatic increase from their previous 113.7-point defensive rating.

The most glaring issues are the team’s defense in transition and early in the opponent’s offense, Redick said. The Lakers give up 1.19 points per possession in transition, fifth-worst in the league.

Sunday’s game in Phoenix against the Suns, who scored 28 fast-break points against the Lakers on Dec. 1, will be a significant test as the Lakers (17-7) try to avoid their first losing streak this season.

Led by Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves — who is out for at least a week because of a left calf strain, the team announced Friday — and the 40-year-old James, the Lakers are not destined to be a fast team on either side of the court. They were outmatched against San Antonio’s dynamic backcourt led by the speedy De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, who combined for 50 points Wednesday as the Spurs scored 27 fast-break points and knocked the Lakers out of NBA Cup contention.

Losses like that exposed the Lakers’ lack of speed on the perimeter, but the team also has shown flashes of excellence against the best guards. The Lakers held 76ers star Tyrese Maxey to five points on two-for-six shooting in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ four-point win at Philadelphia on Dec. 7.

“It’s less of scheme stuff. A little more of urgency,” guard Gabe Vincent said. “A little more of doing all the little things. If you don’t do them, like I said, there are some great players in this league that will expose you.”

One of the team’s top defensive options is on the bench. Forward Jarred Vanderbilt has played only three minutes in the last 10 games. He entered the game against Philadelphia only after Jake LaRavia took a shot to the face that loosened a tooth.

Vanderbilt, an athletic forward, has been a consistent force on defense during his career but struggles to contribute on offense. While he impressed coaches with how hard he worked in the offseason to improve his shooting and ballhandling, Vanderbilt made only four of 14 three-point shots in the first 14 games. He averaged 5.6 rebounds per game before James returned to the lineup Nov. 18, pushing Vanderbilt to the bench.

Before the Lakers’ last game against the Suns, Redick said part of it was a numbers game with James’ return and felt the team would settle on a nine-man rotation. Vanderbilt had tasks he “needed to be able to do consistently to play” even before James returned, Redick said.

Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, scoring against Lakers guard Luka Doncic, and teammates continually drove past their defenders during an NBA Cup game Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

But making changes at that time was difficult, the coach acknowledged. The Lakers were in the midst of a seven-game winning streak. But they’re 2-3 in the last five games, which have laid their defensive struggles bare, and coaches are “looking at everything.”

“If this continues,” Redick said Friday, “he’ll definitely get his opportunities.”

After practice Friday, Vanderbilt stayed on the court shooting extra three-pointers with staff members.

Meanwhile, Reaves will be reevaluated in approximately one week, the Lakers said after practice.

The guard averaging 27.8 points, 6.7 assists and 5.6 rebounds has led the Lakers in total minutes played as the team weathered stretches without James and Doncic. Reaves responded with a career-best start. He is ninth in the NBA in scoring and could be on track to earn his first All-Star nod as he enters a critical contract decision this offseason.

Reaves will miss at least Sunday’s game at Phoenix, Thursday’s game at Utah and a Dec. 20 game at the Clippers. After another game at Phoenix on Dec. 23, the Lakers begin a stretch of five consecutive home games, starting with a marquee Christmas Day matchup against the Houston Rockets.

Etc.

The Lakers assigned guard Bronny James to the G League on Friday.

BERKELEY, Calif. — Mike White, who had a successful career as a college coach with California and Illinois and later coached the NFL’s Oakland Raiders, has died. He was 89.

Cal said White’s family confirmed that he died Sunday in Newport Beach.

White helped the Golden Bears win a share of the Pac-8 title in 1975, led the Illini to their first Rose Bowl in 20 years in the 1983 season and coached the Raiders in their first two seasons back in Oakland in 1995-96 after leaving Los Angeles.

He also worked as an assistant for the San Francisco 49ers and was on Dick Vermeil’s staff with the St. Louis Rams when they won the Super Bowl following the 1999 season.

“Mike was special,” said Burl Toler Jr., a linebacker who played at Cal under White from 1974-77. “He treated us like men and with a lot of respect. Mike was a very gifted and smart coach who loved Cal and loved being a coach, and he surrounded himself with a lot of like minds who instilled in us a will to succeed.”

White was a four-sport student-athlete at Cal in the 1950s and spent time as an assistant with the Bears and at rival Stanford before getting the head coaching job at his alma mater in 1972.

White had a 35-30-1 record in six seasons at Cal, with his biggest success coming in 1975 when he was named coach of the year after the Bears finished tied with UCLA for first place in the conference. Cal finished 14th in the nation with an offense that featured Chuck Muncie and quarterback Joe Roth.

White also coached quarterback Steve Bartkowski earlier at Cal and helped develop him into the No. 1 overall pick in the 1975 NFL draft.

He then left for the NFL, spending two seasons as an offensive line coach for the 49ers, before returning to college in 1980 with Illinois. He led the Illini to a 47-41-3 record with three bowl trips, including a loss in the 1984 Rose Bowl to UCLA.

That 1983 Illinois team went 9-0 in the Big Ten and is the only team in conference history to beat every other conference opponent in the same season.

White then returned to the NFL in 1990, spending five seasons as an assistant with the Raiders before taking over as head coach. He had a 15-17 record before getting fired after the 1996 season.

Dubow writes for the Associated Press.

In a high school football season full of surprises, the biggest was a Heisman Trophy winner guiding his alma mater to a state championship in California’s toughest division in his rookie season of coaching.

Who had Carson Palmer and Santa Margarita on their bingo card toppling Sierra Canyon, Orange Lutheran, Corona Centennial and Corcord De La Salle in a four-game postseason stretch that left the Eagles as Southern Section Division 1 and CIF Open Division state champions?

The final piece of the puzzle was solved with Santa Margarita’s 47-13 win over De La Salle on Saturday night at Saddleback College, the ninth consecutive season a Southern California team won California’s highest bowl game.

It’s been fruitless to think anyone was beating Santa Margarita (11-3) over the last month with a healthy Trent Mosley. Two weeks ago he dazzled Corona Centennial in the Division 1 final with 10 catches for 292 yards. On Saturday, even though De La Salle knew what he could do, Mosley still was unstoppable. In the first half, when Santa Margarita opened a 35-7 halftime lead, Mosley had eight catches for 134 yards and touchdowns from 34 and six yards and also ran seven yards for another touchdown. He finished with 11 receptions for 183 yards.

With his underrated speed, upper-body strength and skills to play multiple positions, Mosley has been the best player in California for weeks. Santa Margarita has been getting him the ball much more in the postseason, and opponents have had no answers for defending him.

“Mosley is incredible,” De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh said of the USC commit. “He does some special things on the football field.”

Said Mosley: “It feels great. We’ve worked hard. I wanted to come out and do my best. It’s sad to go but a what a great way to end it.”

Leki Holani of Santa Margarita was throwing down De La Salle running backs all night in the CIF state final.

(Craig Weston)

How Santa Margarita rose to the top with Palmer at the helm is an equally compelling tale. Palmer was hired with little coaching experience but his decision-making, judgment and connections from the NFL world became clear with the all-star coaching staff he put together, none more important than retaining defensive coordinator Steve Fifita, last season’s interim coach. With nine returning defensive starters and three defensive line transfers, the Eagles had no weaknesses on a defense that repeatedly neutralized the best offensive players game after game.

“It’s been an unreal year from start to finish,” Palmer said. “I could not be more proud of these guys, could not be more proud of our coaching staff and support system.”

Quarterbacks were pressured by a line that had Isaia Vandermade recording nine sacks in the postseason. The linebackers, led by Dash Fifita and Leki Holani, were able to move freely and make tackles with blockers preoccupied by the line. The secondary, led by sophomore star Ca’ron Williams, had the freedom to be aggressive knowing quarterbacks wouldn’t have much time to release the ball. Siua Holani closed the scoring with an interception return with 1:36 left in the fourth quarter.

De La Salle (12-1) thought it would have a chance to end Northern California’s losing streak. Santa Margarita had not seen the Spartans’ veer-option attack. Steve Fifita even had dreams about the veer watching so much film to prepare his players. But the Eagles were ready for quarterback option plays and power runs up the middle. And De La Salle didn’t help matters by committing four personal fouls in the first four minutes. The only touchdowns for De La Salle came on short runs by Jaden Jefferson after recovering Santa Margarita fumbles.

The reason Santa Margarita became so dominant over the last month was the improvement in the offense. Quarterback Trace Johnson became comfortable and injured players came back, including tight end Luke Gazzaniga, who had touchdown receptions from 20 and two yards Saturday. Johnson ended his brief stay at Santa Margarita after transferring from Florida by completing 17 of 20 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns.

French superstar Kylian Mbappe scores on his return from injury to help Real Madrid to a crucial 2-1 win at Alaves.

Kylian Mbappe’s and Rodrygo Goes’s goals earned Real Madrid a tense 2-1 win at Alaves in La Liga to potentially keep coach Xabi Alonso in his job.

Madrid, second, reeled league leaders Barcelona’s advantage back to four points and recorded only their third victory in the last nine games across all competitions.

After a home defeat by Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday, Spanish media reported that anything but a victory would cost Alonso his position.

Following Mbappe’s superb opener on Sunday, Carlos Vicente pulled Alaves level in the second half, but Rodrygo secured the visitors a much-needed victory at Mendizorrotza Stadium.

Alonso was able to bring his key player, Mbappe, back into the side after he could only watch the defeat by City from the bench due to knee discomfort.

The coach also handed a debut to Victor Valdepenas at left-back, with both Alvaro Carreras and Fran Garcia suspended, and Ferland Mendy being one of several players out injured.

Mbappe appeared to be feeling his knee and hobbling in the first few minutes, but despite that, he was the game’s most influential player.

The forward had a shot deflected wide and then fired narrowly over as Alaves sat deep and tried to keep the 15-time European champions at bay.

By the time Mbappe opened the scoring in the 25th minute, his discomfort seemed to have cleared up.

Released by Jude Bellingham, Mbappe drove towards goal at full tilt and whipped a shot into the top right corner for his 17th league goal of the campaign.

England international Bellingham then blasted home from close range, but his strike was ruled out for a handball, as the ball had struck his arm.

Needing to fight back, Alaves moved onto the front foot and took control of the game before the break, almost pulling level.

Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a fine save with his head, even if he knew little about it, to deny Pablo Ibanez from close range.

Los Blancos were dangerous again soon after the interval, with Alaves goalkeeper Antonio Sivera saving well from Mbappe and then Vinicius Junior.

They came to rue those misses when Vicente pulled Alaves level after 68 minutes.

The forward got in behind Antonio Rudiger, controlled former Madrid midfielder Antonio Blanco’s chipped pass, and whipped a shot past Courtois.

Eduardo Coudet’s side almost took the lead when Vicente’s low cross from the right was nudged wide by Toni Martinez, who was shifted off-balance as he shot by Raul Asencio’s pressure.

Instead, Madrid pulled back in front, with Vinicius breaking in down the left and crossing for Rodrygo to finish from 6 yards out.

It was the Brazilian’s second goal in two games after going the previous 32 matches without finding the net, and Alonso celebrated vehemently, knowing his future could depend on it.

Vinicius had appeals for a penalty turned down, and Bellingham came close in stoppage time as Madrid tried in vain to put the game to bed and ease their nerves.

Third-place Villarreal’s visit to face Levante was postponed due to a weather warning in the Valencia region. Real Oviedo, 19th, sacked coach Luis Carrion after a 4-0 hammering at Sevilla.

On Saturday, champions Barcelona beat Osasuna 2-0 to win a seventh straight La Liga game and ensure they will lead the table into 2026, regardless of what happens in the final round of fixtures before the winter break.