Crenshaw

Carson High, an 11-time City Section champion, has been seeded No. 1 for the City Section Open Division playoffs under first-year coach William Lowe.

Birmingham, which has a 54-game winning streak against City Section opponents, was seeded No. 2. San Pedro is No. 3 and unbeaten Palisades is No. 4.

Carson will host No. 8-seeded King/Drew on Nov. 14. Palisades is the home team against No. 5 Garfield, while San Pedro hosts No. 6 Crenshaw and Birmingham hosts No. 7 Kennedy.

There was no City Open Division champion last season after Narbonne had to vacate the title for rule violations.

Venice is seeded No. 1 in Division I. Cleveland is No. 1 in Division II and Santee is top seeded in Division III.

In girls’ flag football, San Pedro was given the No. 1 seed for the Open Division. Games begin on Friday, with San Pedro hosting No. 8 Verdugo Hills; No. 4 Marshall is at No. 5 Banning; No. 6 Wilson visits No. 3 Panorama; and No. 7 Narbonne travels to No. 2 Eagle Rock.

NASHVILLE — A federal judge in Tennessee on Monday warned of possible sanctions against top Trump administration officials if they continue to make inflammatory statements about Kilmar Abrego Garcia that could prejudice his coming trial.

U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw filed an order late on Monday instructing local prosecutors in Nashville to provide a copy of his opinion to all Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security employees, including Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

“Government employees have made extrajudicial statements that are troubling, especially where many of them are exaggerated if not simply inaccurate,” Crenshaw writes.

He lists a number of examples of prohibited statements as outlined in the local rules for the U.S. District Court of Middle Tennessee. They include any statements about the “character, credibility, reputation, or criminal record of a party” and “any opinion as to the accused’s guilt or innocence.”

“DOJ and DHS employees who fail to comply with the requirement to refrain from making any statement that ‘will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing’ this criminal prosecution may be subject to sanctions,” his order reads.

Earlier this year, Abrego Garcia’s mistaken deportation to El Salvador, where he was held in a notoriously brutal prison despite having no criminal record, helped galvanize opposition to President Trump’s immigration crackdown. Facing mounting public pressure and a court order, the Trump administration brought him back to the U.S. in June, but only after issuing an arrest warrant on human smuggling charges in Tennessee. Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty to those charges and asked Crenshaw to dismiss them.

Meanwhile, Trump administration officials have waged a relentless public relations campaign against Abrego Garcia, repeatedly referring to him as a member of the MS-13 gang and even implicating him in a murder. Crenshaw’s opinion cites statements from several top officials, including Bondi and Noem, as potentially damaging to Abrego Garcia’s right to a fair trial. He also admonishes Abrego Garcia’s defense attorneys for publicly disclosing details of plea agreement negotiations.

Abrego Garcia has an American wife and child and has lived in Maryland for years, but he immigrated to the U.S. illegally from El Salvador as a teenager. In 2019, an immigration judge granted him protection from being deported back to his home country, finding he had a well-founded fear of violence there from a gang that targeted his family.

Since his return to the U.S. in June, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has announced plans to deport him to a series of African countries, most recently Liberia.

Loller writes for the Associated Press.

With two weeks left in the regular season for high school football, it’s become clear there’s a large and growing list of candidates for coach of the year. They are considered based on exceeding expectations, winning championships or helping to engineer a program turnaround when no one saw it coming.

Let’s review the great coaching performances so far this season:

Los Alamitos football coach Ray Fenton stands with his players on Thursday during an Alpha League opener at SoFi Stadium.

(Craig Weston)

• Ray Fenton, Los Alamitos: The man looks so fit he could run around any stadium without breaking a sweat. Few expected the Griffins to be 8-0 at this point, let alone be in the running for a Southern Section Division 1 playoff berth. He’s molded a team of best friends into believing in themselves no matter the opponent. San Clemente and Mission Viejo are the only teams standing in the way of a 10-0 regular season.

• Terrance Whitehead, Crenshaw: When head coach Robert Garrett was placed on administrative leave before the season began, the Crenshaw grad and longtime assistant took over. Garrett helped train him, and Crenshaw is 7-1 going into a Coliseum League title decider against King/Drew on Friday. The Cougars have discipline, resiliency and are playing to make Garrett and his assistants proud.

  

  Crenshaw interim coach Terrance Whitehead speaking with quarterback Danniel Flowers.

  (Robert H. Helfman)

• Brad Vonnahme, Crespi: Who predicted the Celts would be 8-0 and headed to the Del Rey League championship in Vonnahme’s third season of a massive rebuilding job? He hasn’t brought in transfers, rather relying on players who start out as freshmen learning the game and move up. There’s a group of sophomores being developed who could be very good in the coming seasons.

• Jason Negro, St. John Bosco: The Braves have established themselves as the No. 1 team in California, if not the nation, while relying on an improving sophomore quarterback and four receivers headed to college success. He knows championships are won with the help of the offensive and defensive lines, and those are the areas to watch as the playoffs approach.

  

  St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro has his team ranked No. 1 in the nation.

  (Craig Weston)

• Jon Ellinghouse, Sierra Canyon: The Trailblazers are 8-0 and no one has come close to beating them. The season will be based on whether they can break through and disrupt the St. John Bosco-Mater Dei domination. Their defense is clearly the best in Southern California.
• Dylen Smith, Palisades: He lost his field, lost his weight room and nearly lost his team to the Palisades fire. And yet, the Dolphins have persevered and are 8-0 with players who stayed and a couple new ones who wanted to experience an adventure with no guarantee of success.
• Chad Johnson, Mission Viejo: With the Diablos (7-1) having wins over Santa Margarita, Folsom and San Diego Lincoln, Johnson challenged his team with a difficult nonleague schedule and they’ve met that challenge. He placed his trust in quarterback Luke Fahey, and don’t doubt how far this team can advance.
• Rick Clausen, Westlake: An assistant coach all his life, Clausen decided to accept the head coaching position even though his wife died of cancer. He’s somehow managed to balance parenting duties and coaching duties, helping a Westlake team go from 0-10 last season to 8-0 this season in his rookie year.
• Tony Henney, Dana Hills: Wherever Henney goes, he succeeds. He’s been head coach at Nordhoff, Trabuco Hills, St. Bonaventure and Westlake. He has Dana Hills at 8-0 going into a game on Friday against 8-0 Laguna Beach, whose own coach, John Shanahan, surrounded himself with an elite group of assistants, including former JSerra head coach Scott McKnight. The winner of the battle of the unbeatens might not be stopped the rest of the way.

• Kevin Hettig, Corona del Mar: With his team 8-0 and tough games ahead, Hettig has quietly and competently prepared the Sea Kings to stay focused and keep improving each week.

  

  Corona del Mar head coach Kevin Hettig, quarterback Brady Annett, and NMUSD superintendent Dr. Wesley Smith.

  (Don Leach/Staff Photographer)

• Jason Miller, Leuzinger: Who loses his only quarterback who can pass and still keeps the team winning? Miller and the Olympians (6-1) are on the verge of ending Inglewood’s reign as a league champion by using 5-foot-8 Journee Tonga as his versatile offensive weapon and replacement quarterback.

• Mike Moon, Oxnard Pacifica: Moon is trying to get his always underrated 8-0 team to run the table in the Marmonte League. He’s helped develop junior quarterback Taylor Lee while managing rising expectations and winning close games.

  

  Mike Moon of Oxnard Pacifica has his team at 8-0.

  (Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

• Raymond Carter, Torrance: The former All-City running back at Crenshaw has his team at 8-0, beating local team after local team led by junior quarterback Gibson Turner, who has 20 touchdown passes.
• Mark Carson, Rio Hondo Prep: Year after year, Carson has Rio Hondo Prep ready to succeed. This year’s 8-0 start is no different. A challenge ahead will be playing in a tougher playoff division.
• Darryl Goree, Palm Springs: An 8-0 start has the Indians being the talk of town. Senior linebacker Koa Rapolla has been turned loose and is averaging 13 tackles a game.
• Rick Curtis, Crean Lutheran: Curtis figured out how to best use one of the best athletes in the Southland, quarterback/point guard Caden Jones, and it has led to an 8-0 record.

If you reach 300 career coaching victories in high school football in California, it usually means you’re headed to any and all halls of fame.

Matt Logan of Corona Centennial became the 15th coach to reach the magic club with a win on Thursday night.

It’s a combination of longevity and success. Many of California’s most memorable coaches are on the list.

The next coach within reach is Robert Garrett of Crenshaw. He started the season with 290 victories but has yet to be on the sideline while being under administrative leave by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Garrett has stayed home, checked in each day with full pay and continues to say he has done nothing wrong. LAUSD has 120 days to finish its ongoing investigation.

Crenshaw is 5-1 under interim coach Terrence Whitehead. Ronnie Flores of CalHiSports.com, which compiles the 300-club list, said Garrett will get credit for each Crenshaw victory or loss if he is eventually reinstated as coach.

Here’s a list of the 15 coaches in the 300 club, according to CalHiSports.com:

399 — Bob Ladouceur, De La Salle

360 — Marijon Ancich, St. Paul, Tustin

339 — Bruce Rollinson, Mater Dei

338 — Bob Johnson Los Amigos, El Toro, Mission Viejo

338 — Herb Meyer, Oceanside, El Camino

323 — John Barnes, Magnolia, Los Alamitos

319 — Lou Farrar, Royal Oak, Charter Oak

316 — Jim Benkert, Westlake, Oaks Christian, Simi Valley

316 — Kevin Rooney, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame

314 — Bill Foltner, Princeton, Middletown

313 — Randy Blankenship, Nevada Union, Clovis West, Fallbrook, Capistrano Valley, Madera, Aptos

306 — Mike Marrujo, Pius X, Placentia Valencia

300 — Matt Logan, Corona Centennial

300 — Steve Denman, Tehachapi

300 — Mike Herrington, Bellflower, Hart

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

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A federal judge has concluded that the Department of Justice’s prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia on human smuggling charges may be an illegal retaliation after he successfully sued the Trump administration over his deportation to El Salvador.

The case of Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who was a construction worker living legally in Maryland when he was wrongly deported to his home country, has become a proxy for the partisan struggle over President Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown and mass deportation agenda.

U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw late Friday granted a request by lawyers for Abrego Garcia and ordered discovery and an evidentiary hearing in Abrego Garcia’s effort to show that the federal human smuggling case against him in Tennessee is illegally retaliatory.

Crenshaw said Abrego Garcia had shown that there is “some evidence that the prosecution against him may be vindictive.” That evidence included statements by various Trump administration officials and the timeline of the charges being filed.

The departments of Justice and Homeland Security did not immediately respond to inquiries about the case Saturday.

In his 16-page ruling, Crenshaw said many statements by administration officials “raise cause for concern,” but one stood out.

That statement by Deputy Atty. Gen. Todd Blanche, on a Fox News program after Abrego Garcia was charged in June, seemed to suggest that the Department of Justice charged Abrego Garcia because he won his wrongful-deportation case, Crenshaw wrote.

Blanche’s ”remarkable statements could directly establish that the motivations for Abrego’s criminal charges stem from his exercise of his constitutional and statutory rights” to sue over his deportation “rather than a genuine desire to prosecute him for alleged criminal misconduct,” Crenshaw wrote.

Likewise, Crenshaw noted that the Department of Homeland Security reopened an investigation into Abrego Garcia days after the Supreme Court said in April that the Trump administration must work to bring back Abrego Garcia.

Abrego Garcia was indicted May 21 and charged June 6, the day the U.S. brought him back from a prison in El Salvador. He pleaded not guilty and is now being held in Pennsylvania.

If convicted in the Tennessee case, Abrego Garcia will be deported, federal officials have said. A U.S. immigration judge has denied Abrego Garcia’s bid for asylum, although he can appeal.

Abrego Garcia has an American wife and children and has lived in Maryland for years, but he immigrated to the United States illegally as a teenager.

In 2019, he was arrested by immigration agents. He requested asylum but was not eligible because he had been in the U.S. for more than a year. But the judge ruled he could not be deported to El Salvador, where he faced danger from a gang that targeted his family.

The human smuggling charges in Tennessee stem from a 2022 traffic stop. He was not charged at the time.

Trump administration officials have waged a relentless public relations campaign against Abrego Garcia, repeatedly referring to him as a member of the MS-13 gang, among other things, despite the fact he has not been convicted of any crimes. The government has provided no clear evidence of gang affiliation, and Abrego Garcia denies the allegation.

Abrego Garcia’s attorneys have denounced the criminal charges and the deportation efforts, saying they are an attempt to punish him for standing up to the administration.

Abrego Garcia contends that, while imprisoned in El Salvador — in a notorious lockup with a documented history of human rights abuses — he suffered beatings, sleep deprivation and psychological torture. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has denied those allegations.

Levy writes for the Associated Press.

With Dorsey grad Mustard providing a rousing halftime concert aided by a Super Bowl-like sound system and Nike supplying players with much-appreciated sports apparel, the rivalry football game between host Crenshaw and Dorsey on Friday night was both loud and hip. The school colors blue and green were worn proudly by both sides.

On the field, Crenshaw (5-1) came away with a 12-8 victory on the strength of a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown by Kyion Rattler and a 20-yard touchdown reception by Deonce’ Lewis, both in the first half, for a 12-0 halftime lead.

Lewis provided a spark with big catch after big catch from quarterback Danniel Flowers. Lewis had five receptions for 77 yards.

This was a Coliseum League opener to determine which team might be able to give King/Drew competition for first place. Dorsey (2-4) hadn’t scored in its previous two games before Makhi McCluster ran three yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter.

Absent from the game was Crenshaw coach Robert Garrett, who missed his first Dorsey-Crenshaw game since he took over as head coach in 1988. Garrett is on administrative leave, receiving full pay and assigned to home. He went to Friday’s Sierra Canyon-Gardena Serra game in Chatsworth to watch a couple players on both teams with Crenshaw ties, including the brother of former Crenshaw standout De’Anthony Thomas.

Garrett’s longtime assistants have been running the team, with Terrence Whitehead the interim coach.

“We miss him so much,” Lewis said of Garrett, who prepared the team through the summer. “That’s all we play for. Without him, none of this is possible. We have to keep going. The other coaches are stepping up. I’m very proud of them.”

As long as Garrett eventually returns as head coach, every Crenshaw victory this season will count toward his pursuit of 300 career victories, according to CalHiSports.com. He’s at 295 career wins, the winningest coach in City Section history. But when his administrative leave will be resolved remains uncertain.

Dorsey wide receiver Mario McWilliams cuts across the field for extra yardage against Crenshaw.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

For now, Crenshaw is progressing. The team that struggled with player turnout in recent years had 30 players on Friday listed as suiting up. Three players from eight-man power Animo Robinson have made an impact in the transition to 11-man football.

“They’re great add ons,” Lewis said.

Also contributing has been sophomore defensive lineman Jeremiah Alexander, who was playing drums in the school band at this time last year. Garrett got him to come out, and Alexander had a sack before being taken out because of an injury.

Dorsey put the pressure on Crenshaw in the second half behind two sacks from Saul Avila-Machado.

Crenshaw got the ball back clinging its 12-8 lead with 4:53 left and was able to run out the clock thanks to clutch completions by Flowers to De’Andre Kirkpatrick for nine yards and Lewis for 20 yards.

Lewis said it was “cool” that Mustard performed at halftime, but he and his teammates were too busy with football to listen. “We have to show the City is still alive,” he said.

Crenshaw wide receiver Deance’ Lewis (11) makes a catch against Dorsey defenders Jordan Young (12) and Jordan Johnson (16).

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

A look at two of this week’s top high school football games in the Southland:

THURSDAY

Eastvale Roosevelt (3-2) at Corona Centennial (4-1), 7:30 p.m.

Centennial tries to give coach Matt Logan his 300th career victory. Roosevelt is on a three-game winning streak, but the Huskies are headed to another Division 1 playoff berth. The pick: Centennial.

FRIDAY

Dorsey (2-3) at Crenshaw (4-1), 7 p.m.

Playing without coach Robert Garrett (administrative leave), Crenshaw continues to show resilience behind quarterback Danniel Flowers. This is a key Coliseum League opener because the winner figures to face King/Drew to decide the league title. Dorsey needs to get the ball to its playmakers, led by Stafon Johnson Jr. The pick: Dorsey.

Crenshaw High has started its football season 2-0 but has done so without longtime head coach Robert Garrett.

Terrance Whitehead has been serving as interim head coach and running practices.

In a phone call Friday, Garrett said, “I’m just following [school] orders. There’s no wrongdoing on my part.”

Garrett, who has been head coach since 1988, entered this season with 290 career victories.

Crenshaw interim coach Terrance Whitehead speaking with quarterback Daniell Flowers.

(Robert H. Helfman)

Asked when he might return, Garrett said his absence is “indefinite.”

A call and an email to the district office, which was closed Friday, went unanswered.

Crenshaw plays Hamilton next week.

CITY SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS

MONDAY’S RESULTS

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION II

#17 Orthopaedic 12, #16 Torres 0

#13 Bell 16, #20 Bernstein 4

#14 Maywood Academy 13, #19 Mendez 3

#15 Wilson 20, #18 Roybal 0

DIVISION III

#16 Sun Valley Magnet 17, #17 Contreras 13

#20 Middle College 24, #13 Sotomayor 10

#14 Diego Rivera 18, #19 Maywood CES 11

#18 Animo Venice 12, LA Leadership Academy 5

DIVISION IV

#16 Animo Bunche 13, #17 Stella 3

#13 Jordan 18, #20 Valley Oaks CES 5

#19 Crenshaw 33, #14 Manual Arts 22

#18 Animo Robinson at #15 Valor Academy

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION I

#16 Cleveland at #1 Port of Los Angeles

#9 Palisades at #8 Verdugo Hills

#12 South Gate at #5 Eagle Rock

#13 Roosevelt at #4 Chavez

#14 Marshall at #3 Garfield

#11 Poly at #6 Chatsworth

#10 San Fernando at #7 Bravo

#15 Arleta at #2 Legacy

SECOND ROUND

DIVISION II

#17 Orthopaedic at #1 Marquez

#9 Hamilton at #8 Harbor Teacher

#12 Sylmar at #5 Franklin

#13 Bell at #4 Northridge Academy

#14 Maywood Academy at #3 SOCES

#11 Fremont at #6 Taft

#10 King/Drew at #7 Triumph Charter

#15 Wilson at #2 Narbonne

DIVISION III

#16 Sun Valley Magnet at #1 Lincoln

#9 USC-MAE at #8 University

#12 Alliance Bloomfield at #5 North Hollywood

#20 Middle College at #4 South East

#14 Diego Rivera at #3 Jefferson

#11 Huntington Park at #6 CALS Early College

#10 University Prep Value at #7 Community Charter

#18 Animo Venice at #2 Rancho Dominguez

DIVISION IV

#16 Animo Bunche at #1 Westchester

#9 East Valley at #8 Lakeview Charter

#12 Fulton at #5 Washington

#13 Jordan at #4 Reseda

#19 Crenshaw at #3 Animo De La Hoya

#11 Vaughn at #6 Monroe

#10 Discovery at #7 LACES

#18 Animo Robinson or #15 Valor Academy at #2 Van Nuys

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)

OPEN DIVISION

QUARTERFINALS

#8 Banning at #1 Granada Hills

#5 El Camino Real at #4 Venice

#6 Birmingham at #3 Carson

#7 Kennedy at #2 San Pedro

Note: Divisions I-IV Quarterfinals Fri., May 23 at 3 p.m. at higher seeds; Semifinals (all divisions) Wed., May 28 at higher seeds; Finals May 30-31 at Birmingham (Divisions II-IV) and TBD (Open-Division II).

CITY SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS

(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION II

#17 Orthopaedic at #16 Torres

#20 Bernstein at #13 Bell

#19 Mendez at #14 Maywood Academy

#18 Roybal at #15 Wilson

DIVISION III

#17 Contreras at #16 Sun Valley Magnet

#20 Middle College at #13 Sotomayor

#19 Maywood CES at #14 Diego Rivera

#18 Animo Venice at LA Leadership Academy

DIVISION IV

#17 Stella at #16 Animo Bunche

#20 Valley Oaks CES at #13 Jordan

#19 Crenshaw at #14 Manual Arts

#18 Animo Robinson at #15 Valor Academy

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

FIRST ROUND

DIVISION I

#16 Cleveland at #1 Port of Los Angeles

#9 Palisades at #8 Verdugo Hills

#12 South Gate at #5 Eagle Rock

#13 Roosevelt at #4 Chavez

#14 Marshall at #3 Garfield

#11 Poly at #6 Chatsworth

#10 San Fernando at #7 Bravo

#15 Arleta at #2 Legacy

SECOND ROUND

DIVISION II

#17 Orthopaedic or #16 Torres at #1 Marquez

#9 Hamilton at #8 Harbor Teacher

#12 Sylmar at #5 Franklin

#20 Bernstein or #13 Bell at #4 Northridge Academy

#19 Mendez or #14 Maywood Academy at #3 SOCES

#11 Fremont at #6 Taft

#10 King/Drew at #7 Triumph Charter

#18 Roybal or #15 Wilson at #2 Narbonne

DIVISION III

#17 Contreras or #16 Sun Valley Magnet at #1 Lincoln

#9 USC-MAE at #8 University

#12 Alliance Bloomfield at #5 North Hollywood

#20 Middle College or #13 Sotomayor at South East

#19 Maywood CES or #14 Maywood CES at #3 Jefferson

#11 Huntington Park at #6 CALS Early College

#10 University Prep Value at #7 Community Charter

#18 Animo Venice or #15 LA Leadership Academy at #2 Rancho Dominguez

DIVISION IV

#17 Stella or #16 Animo Bunche at #1 Westchester

#9 East Valley at #8 Lakeview Charter

#12 Fulton at #5 Washington

#20 Valley Oaks CES or #13 Jordan at #4 Reseda

#19 Crenshaw or #14 Manual Arts at #3 Animo De La Hoya

#11 Vaughn at #6 Monroe

#10 Discovery at #7 LACES

#18 Animo Robinson or #15 Valor Academy at #2 Van Nuys

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

OPEN DIVISION

QUARTERFINALS

#8 Banning at #1 Granada Hills

#5 El Camino Real at #4 Venice

#6 Birmingham at #3 Carson

#7 Kennedy at #2 San Pedro

Note: Divisions I-IV Quarterfinals Fri., May 23 at 3 p.m. at higher seeds; Semifinals (all divisions) Wed., May 28 at higher seeds; Finals May 30-31 at Birmingham (Divisions II-IV) and TBD (Open-Division II).