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It was nearly a half decade ago now that Lincoln Riley, dressed in a slick blue suit and glossy cardinal tie, stood atop the Coliseum’s rooftop deck, grinning as he gazed out across the field below. He’d just been introduced as USC’s new head coach, and in that moment, anything felt possible for the future of Trojan football. Riley, at the time, was one of the most renowned young coaches in college football. And as he surveyed the scene, he painted the picture of a day when the Trojans were back on top and the Coliseum was hallowed ground once again.

“This place,” Riley said that day, “is going to be the mecca of college football.”

But less than five years later, as final seconds ticked away on a 41-27 loss to Oregon on Saturday, fans trudged towards the exits, and that very same stadium sat in hushed disbelief. The Trojans’ season wasn’t over by any means — not after a single loss to No. 20 Oregon — but in that moment, the future that Riley had envisioned felt as far away as ever.

There would still be chances for Riley and his Trojans to make their statement this season. But the stakes on Saturday had arguably never been higher for USC’s coach, who spent all off-season explaining how this season would be different. There were no more excuses, no more explanations for why USC was still falling short — even he seemed to agree to that. Everything he’d been pointing towards in the distance was now here, culminating all at once.

With a gauntlet of a Big Ten schedule ahead, there was no better time for Riley to prove he had USC moving in the right direction and no better matchup to help catapult the Trojans into College Football Playoff conversation than Oregon, its newest — and still maybe most bitter — rival. The whole college football world was watching, waiting to see if USC’s coach could deliver in the most critical of moments.

Instead, the Trojans found themselves in an all-too-familiar, all-too-painful position, one they’d experienced many times before during Riley’s tenure. Mistakes piled up. Ill-timed penalties, too. And worst of all, USC’s defense still couldn’t get a stop. It gave up 505 yards to Oregon, the third-most it had allowed over the past three seasons.

The Ducks would score on six of their last seven drives, almost all of which featured their backup quarterback at the helm. That was after Oregon star quarterback Dante Moore was knocked out of the game early in the second quarter following a brutal hit by USC linebacker Desman Stephens. The hit started a shoving match between players from both teams.

Stephens, who was seen celebrating after the play, was kicked out of the game, but remained on the sideline in the second half.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is taken off the field on a stretcher before being transported to the hospital after taking a hit from USC linebacker Desman Stephens in the second quarter. Stephens was ejected from the game.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

The play would cast a pall over the whole game, but Raiola managed to throw for 289 yards and two touchdowns against USC’s defense. Jayden Maiava, meanwhile, had 326 yards and two touchdowns, but completed just 23 of 42 passes.

The rushing attack wasn’t much better, as the Trojans averaged a mere 3.6 yards per rush.

The afternoon began on a bitter note for USC. After marching down the field on a 13-play opening drive, a third-down sack forced the Trojans to settle for a field-goal attempt. But Caden Chittenden missed an easy kick wide right. It was just the latest in a string of recent special teams slip-ups for the Trojans.

The defense, however, would hold early. Even after Oregon running back Jordon Davison burst out of the backfield for a 45-yard run on the Ducks’ first play. Oregon finished that drive with a field goal, the only points either high-scoring offense managed in the first quarter.

Unable to get anything going on the ground, the Trojans turned to their stud freshman receiver to pace the offense. Five of Maiava’s first seven completions went to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, one of which came on a 31-yard strike down the seam to the freshman, who reeled in a touchdown in spite of tight coverage.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava passes during the first quarter against Oregon on Saturday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

Oregon was mounting a response when Moore took off on a quarterback scramble. But as he slid, Stephens decked Moore with a direct hit to his helmet, even after he already gave himself up. Moore spent several minutes on the field before being loaded onto a cart and taken to Los Angeles General Medical Center by ambulance.

Raiola, the backup, would take the reins of Oregon’s offense in Moore’s place, leading the Ducks to the doorstep of the goal line. But once again USC’s defense stood tall in the red zone, holding Oregon to a field goal.

It wouldn’t have as much luck in the second half, as Raiola found a rhythm. He led the Ducks on two consecutive touchdown drives in just 11 total plays.

But USC responded with three straight scoring drives of its own, and even added a stop from its defense in between. The third — an 11-yard strike to Tanook Hines — tied the score 27-27 with less than 13 minutes remaining.

USC looked to have Oregon stopped in its tracks on the ensuing possession. Then, on a third-and-long incompletion, defensive tackle Jide Abasiri was flagged for rushing the passer. The penalty gave Oregon just the opening it needed. The Ducks scored five plays later, as Raiola lofted a prayer to the corner of the end zone that was answered by one of his wideouts, Dakorien Moore.

A failed fourth-down attempt for USC would all but end it, as Maiava’s desperation pass was swatted away, along with the Trojans’ hopes.

Aaron Donald made his triumphant return to NFL relevance on Monday night, and notably so did the Rams.

The team that looked lost in its Down Under debut returned to form against the New York Giants, even with star receiver Puka Nacua watching in street clothes because of hip pain.

Matthew Stafford was surgical with his passing, throwing four touchdown passes in a 28-6 victory. Receiver Davante Adams made several acrobatic catches befitting of the retina-burning yellow “Classic Sol” jerseys that turned the Rams into human highlighter pens.

Cornerback Trent McDuffie, acquired by the Rams in an offseason trade with Kansas City, made the most of his home debut with an interception in the second quarter that snuffed a Giants scoring threat. He broke up a game-high four passes.

Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald runs onto the field during player introductions before a 28-6 win over the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium on Monday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

SoFi Stadium, meanwhile, was a house of horrors for the Giants, who lost starting quarterback Jaxson Dart five minutes into the game when he was sandwiched by Rams defenders Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart and his left leg bent in an unnatural way.

That was a devastating blow to the Giants (1-1), who watched Dart wincingly limp off the field and into the blue medical tent. Later, it was off to the locker room for the second-year quarterback, and TV cameras showed him getting picked up by a cart in the bowels of the stadium, presumably for a more thorough medical examination before he was ruled out with a knee injury.

Surely, Dart could hear the roar of the Rams-heavy crowd as Adams made catch after catch — including a 31-yard touchdown in the first quarter and an 11-yarder in the third — and Kyren Williams pitched in with some pivotal plays of his own.

The Rams (1-1) extended their lead to 14-0 in the second quarter when, on third and six, Stafford connected with Williams on a 10-yard touchdown pass. That was set up by a 64-yard reception by Adams.

Stafford threw touchdown passes to Adams and Terrance Ferguson in the second half to take over sole possession of sixth place on the NFL’s all-time list with 427 passing touchdowns.

These were the Rams that most everyone anticipated seeing, the team with designs on ending this season with another Super Bowl at SoFi, where they raised the Lombardi Trophy in 2022.

Losing Dart was a gut punch to the Giants, who also got a scare early in the second quarter when standout receiver Malik Nabers doubled over in pain after a pass breakup. It was a shoulder injury that briefly sidelined him, although he was able to return later in the quarter.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes under pressure in the first half against the Giants.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Dart delirium was growing among Giants fans after the quarterback threw for three touchdowns and had a lofty passer rating of 134.2 in a 28-20 season-opening win over Dallas. So to lose him is a spirit-withering development.

Oddsmakers had the Rams as 7½-point favorites.

By the second half, a somber Dart was watching from the sideline in street clothes. It was a brutal weekend for a few of the NFL’s rising-star quarterbacks. Washington lost Jayden Daniels to an elbow injury, and Chicago’s Caleb Williams was carted off the field in tears, although that hamstring injury apparently wound up less serious than originally feared.

Donald, who spent his entire 10-year career with the Rams, retired after the 2023 season as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. After months of speculation, he decided to unretire and rejoin the Rams, who had traded for star Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett.

Garrett underwent knee surgery after the season-opening loss to San Francisco and was placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss four games. Donald helped pick up the slack Monday, and got a rollicking ovation in pregame as the last Rams defender announced.

Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald wraps up Giants running back Najee Harris for a three-yard loss near the goal line late in the second quarter Monday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Donald, who frequently commanded double-team blocking, made a memorable play near the end of the second quarter with the Giants — who had feasted on a Williams fumble — threatening to score.

On third down from the three, Donald pushed his way into the Giants’ backfield and wrangled running back Najee Harris for a three-yard loss. The beleaguered visitors opted to kick the first of their two field goals.

The Rams are squarely in the national spotlight with four prime-time games in five weeks. First, the opener in Australia, followed by the Monday night game. Next week, a Sunday night game at Denver, followed by a day game at Philadelphia, and finally another Monday night home game against Buffalo.

Dolly Parton — the “queen of country,” benevolent ruler of Dollywood and America’s true sweetheart — died at age 80 last month. But she lives on forever at home in our living rooms, in the warm echo of a Tennessee twang from the speaker and, perhaps surprisingly (although that shouldn’t be so), in the flickering glow of our television screens.

Parton got her start on the small screen, appearing on the “Cas Walker Farm and Home Hour” when she was 10. Eleven years later, she had a down-home breakthrough on the widely syndicated “Porter Wagoner Show.” There were multiple interviews with Barbara Walters, “Tonight Show” appearances with Johnny Carson, two successive variety shows and many a guest spot, including on “Hannah Montana,” “Designing Women” and “Reba.”

At the Emmys on Monday, Reba McEntire sang a soulful tribute to Parton with a cover of her 1983 song “Appalachian Mountains,” one of McEntire’s all-time favorites. Before that, though, came a heartfelt speech by Sally Field, Parton’s co-star in “Steel Magnolias.”

“If there are truly angels on Earth, then we just lost one: Dolly Parton,” Field said. “It was my great good fortune to have worked with Dolly in a film called ‘Steel Magnolias.’ And over the years, I never stopped loving her, though we lived very far apart. I adored her from Day One; how could you not? She was genuine and humble, supportive and blisteringly funny, with a bawdy sense of humor that would send any rude guy looking for a place to hide.

“I couldn’t see then what a real giant Dolly was — not just as an artist, but as a human,” she added. “She was a humanitarian whose contributions have made a profound difference in the lives of so many in her home state of Tennessee, and across our country. God bless you, Dolly Parton, my friend. I am not the only one on Earth that will love you forever and ever.”

Then came an archival clip of Parton introducing “Appalachian Mountains” the year it came out. “I’m very, very proud of the fact that I had the kind of parents that I did, and grew up in the Smoky Mountains, the Appalachian Mountains,” she said. “And I have written a song that touches me very deep, and I’m sure that, in your own way, that you certainly will relate to this. This song, like I say, is very important to me, and I hope you like it. And if you don’t like it, well, if you don’t mind, I would rather not hear about it later, OK? It’s a song that I call ‘Appalachian Mountains.’ ”

JSerra converted on three fourth downs in the second half Friday, allowing the Lions to battle back from a seven-point, first-half deficit to beat host Bishop Amat 37-28.

With the nonleague victory, JSerra improves to 4-1, while Bishop Amat falls to 4-1.

JSerra quarterback Hayes Cloutier, who threw for two touchdowns and rushed for three, engineered all three second-half conversions, two with his legs and one with his arm.

The first, and most impressive, came on the Lions’ first possession of the half. Trailing 28-21 and facing fourth and three on the Bishop Amat 27-yard line, Cloutier zigged and zagged across the field, eluding most of the defense.

After the Lions tied the score, sophomore defensive back Sean Veritch snagged a deflected pass by Bishop Amat quarterback Domenico Doran, and the Lions drove to the Lancers’ 16-yard line. On fourth and 10, Evan Leddy kicked a 33-yard field goal to give JSerra an apparent 31-28 lead, but the Lions accepted a penalty on Bishop Amat that moved the ball to the 11-yard line.

JSerra coach Hardy Nickerson opted to go for it on fourth down, and Cloutier rewarded his gamble, scoring on an 11-yard run. Leddy’s extra point was blocked, and JSerra settled for a 34-28 lead.

JSerra High quarterback Hayes Cloutier leaps as he tries to evade a tackle by a Bishop Amat defenders.

(Nick Koza)

The Lions’ defense, which had given up scores on four of Bishop Amat’s five first-half possessions, then stiffened, forcing the Lancers to punt. With about two minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Lions reeled off a 23-play drive, which included four JSerra penalties and ate up more than 10 minutes.

A 22-yard run by Cloutier was key, as was his four-yard completion to Clark Cokely on a fourth-and-two play. The drive ended with a 44-yard field goal by Leddy that gave JSerra a 37-28 lead.

After surrendering 28 first-half points, JSerra held Bishop Amat scoreless, and running back Justin Clinton, who rushed for more than 130 yards, including a 67-yard burst and a 43-yard touchdown, in check in the second half.

“It was a heavyweight fight,” Nickerson said of the first half. “But my defensive staff just put it together in the second. We turned things up and made adjustments.

“We knew that if we could get in the throwing lanes and forced them to have to pass the football … we felt we would have a chance. And those guys went out and executed the second half and it was beautiful.”

Two unbeaten high school football teams, San Pedro and Bell, played on an old-school unmowed grass field on Friday night at Bell. The football disappeared at times when placed among the thick grass before the snap.

“Hey coach, do you need me to bring my lawn mower,” a Bell player joked.

San Pedro assistant coach Andres Srsen was pulling grass before the game to clear an area so kicker Dylan Moreno could practice field goals. “This is crazy,” Srsen said.

No one showed up to mow the field this week, coach Noel Padilla said.

It was the perfect environment for two blue-collar communities: San Pedro, known for its bustling port and dock workers, and Bell, known as a densely packed working class industrial city.

San Pedro (4-0) had little trouble navigating the thick grass, rolling to a 49-7 victory behind quarterback Seth Solorio, who completed 13 of 17 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns.

Braeden Villegas caught touchdown passes of 52 and 17 yards. Solorio rarely faced defensive pressure because of strong blocking from his offensive line. He was 10 of 11 for 175 yards in the first half when San Pedro led 35-7.

If any player proved he was in shape, it was San Pedro punt returner Chazz Fugatti, who returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown and easily ran through the thickest part of the grass. The only question was how tired he felt pumping his legs as the grass got thicker.

“Yeah, I was pretty exhausted after the touchdown,” he said. “Honestly, it was surreal. I was just excited to be out here and excited to play. It does feel like a corn field. It was fun.”

Another player having no issues running was tight end Joaquin Fernandez, who took a screen pass and ran 94 yards for a touchdown.

Solorio, who has 14 touchdown passes in four games, said of his team’s progress: “We’re really building chemistry. I love my guys. I love my receivers.”

Jaxon Brown and Villegas were Solorio’s primary targets.

San Pedro is considered a strong contender to be one of the final four teams in the City Section Open Division playoffs but will be gearing up for its annual Marine League rivalry game at defending champion Carson on Oct. 23, when the Pirates will really find out where they stand.

San Pedro players hoist Braeden Villegas after his touchdown reception against Bell.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

San Pedro had too much size and strength on its offensive and defensive lines for Bell (3-1), which hopes to offer competition to Garfield in the Eastern League. The Eagles’ only touchdown came on a 15-yard Aaron Hernandez touchdown reception in the first quarter after the Pirates lost possession by touching a punt and not recovering the ball. Or maybe they couldn’t find the ball?

Bell has five baseball players playing football, including quaterback/pitcher Manuel Pasillas, who showed off his toughness, being sacked only once in the first half by San Pedro’s Jaxon Moore.

Bell is supposed to get a new field and new scoreboard, with construction scheduled to begin as early as this month for a two-year project. Until then, the Eagles will need someone to keep cutting the grass.

From the moment they arrive at school, Dos Pueblos High seniors Ruby Streatfeild and Brooklyn Hedricks are practically inseparable.

Whether in class, at lunch or in practice, the two spend so much of their time together they can finish each other’s sentences, and that synergy is one reason the Chargers are in the hunt for a CIF flag football championship. Their competitiveness is another.

“Me and Brooklyn are besties,” Streatfeild said. ”The biggest thing we have in common is we both want to win.”

Streatfeild began the season as a receiver but transitioned to quarterback when Ava Taiji sustained a tricep strain at the Chargers Invitational. She has flourished in her new role, passing for 823 yards and 18 touchdowns.

“It’s a lot harder, but I like it,” said Streatfeild, who has also rushed for 248 yards and five touchdowns. “I like getting the ball every play and being able to make more plays. It’s taught me to be a leader. It’s not just about being vocal, it’s about the energy you bring to the field and not letting a loss bring you down.”

The Chargers are 10-2 and have shut out five opponents. Their only defeats came within hours of each other at the Chargers Invitational, to reigning Southern Section Division I champion JSerra and Bonita Vista, the second-ranked team in the San Diego Section. They have won seven straight, giving up only 25 points in the process.

Naturally, Hedricks is Streatfeild’s favorite target.

“Brooklyn has the best hands and really good speed,” Streatfeild said. “If I throw her the ball, it’ll be caught.”

Hedricks, a receiver on offense and a linebacker on defense, has mutual trust in her quarterback. She already has 27 receptions for 355 yards and eight touchdowns.

“I know when Ruby throws it, it’s going to get there,” she said.

Both grew up playing soccer and their AYSO teams were once matched against each other at a tournament in Bakersfield when they were 12, although neither knew it at the time.

Dos Pueblos quarterback Ruby Streatfeild throws on the run during a 31-0 win over Santa Barbara.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“My family figured it out later,” said Streatfeild, who ended the first drive of last week’s nonleague game at Santa Barbara by rolling to her left and zipping a perfect pass to Hedricks in the corner of the end zone. Hedricks later scored on a 40-yard interception return in the team’s 31-0 victory.

“Ruby and Brooklyn have been with us since Day 1, they’re both three-sport athletes and both have sisters who also play,” said Dos Pueblos coach Doug Caines, who started the program in 2023. “It’s incredible for Ruby to be clicking this fast at a new position. As for Brooklyn, she’s so gifted at reading the quarterback. She had two pick-sixes at the Ventura Showcase.”

In the winter, the two play on the varsity soccer team (Hedricks plays forward; Streatfeild left back) under the guidance of Hedricks’ father George, who is also the head baseball coach.

“I don’t think we’ve ever assisted each other in soccer,” said Hedricks, who tallied six goals and three assists last season.

Asked which is more exhilarating — scoring a goal or a touchdown — the two looked at each other and said in unison: “A touchdown!”

Hedricks plays outfield in softball and will move from right field to center in the spring.

“I got a promotion,” she joked.

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1. Dos Pueblos receiver Brooklyn Hedricks catches a pass. 2. Dos Pueblos quarterback Ruby Streatfeild runs with the ball. (Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Hedricks had 30 hits, 23 RBIs and 20 runs with 26 putouts in 26 chances last season as Dos Pueblos advanced to the Division 3 semifinals.

Streatfeild’s spring activity is track and field, where she competes in the 100-meter dash, long jump and both relays. She ran the anchor leg as the Chargers set a school record in the 4×100 meters with a time of 48.66 seconds at the Division 2 prelims last year.

However, both consider flag football their primary sport and have received offers to play in college.

“My dad encouraged me to try out and I loved it from the start,” said Hedricks, who is the school’s all-time leader in interceptions with 45. “I’ve never struggled learning plays.”

Hedricks’ sister Reagan is a freshman linebacker and punter on the junior varsity team.

Streatfeild’s inspiration was her sister Sterling, who was a tailback and free safety and now attends Vanderbilt. Last June, the sisters helped the Conquer Chargers’ U17 team win the inaugural Roma Bowl in Italy after Sterling’s graduation. Ruby was named the tournament MVP.

“She was in ninth grade and came to watch her older sister try out and after that first day she said ‘I want to do that,’” Caines said of Ruby, who caught a team-best 104 passes for 1,101 yards and 18 touchdowns last fall.

Ruby Streatfeild has thrown for 823 yards and 18 touchdowns since switching from receiver to quarterback early in the season.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Streatfeild and Hedricks’ bond grew even stronger as teammates on the Conquer Chargers, which won the high school girls division at the NFL Flag championships in July in Westfield, Ind. That roster also featured Kacey Hurley, who quarterbacked Dos Pueblos to the Southern Section semifinals last fall and is now a freshman at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

“We tried out in November and were with the team for eight months prior to nationals,” Hedricks said. “We trained once or twice a week in Camarillo and some days we carpooled.”

“It was fun experience but that was five-on-five not seven-on-seven, which is a whole different format,” added Streatfeild, who was thrilled to learn the next morning that a play she made — diving to catch the ball before it hit the ground — was No. 1 on the ESPN “SportsCenter Top 10.” She also made the list for her 60-yard touchdown catch in the playoffs last season against Edison.

“That just shows what a game-changer Ruby is,” Caines said. “I mean, to make an ESPN highlight not once but twice? Amazing!”

While they do not socialize much off campus, the hours they spend together on it have forged a close friendship.

“It’s harder to hang out after school because of where we both live,” said Hedricks, who has a 45-minute commute from Lompoc to Goleta. “Not a big deal — I’m used to it by now.”

Caines is grateful for the attention his stars have brought to Dos Pueblos, located in the foothills across the 101 Freeway from UC Santa Barbara.

Dos Pueblos’ Brooklyn Hedricks, left, celebrates with teammate Kindah Ahmad-Reda after returning an interception for a touchdown against Santa Barbara.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“We’re not in Orange County or San Diego, we’re the northernmost school in the Southern Section and we don’t get as much exposure but we’re fighting for relevancy,” he said. “It was so cool seeing 805 [area code] girls beat more established club teams from Texas and Florida. It shows we have good teams up here.”

Dos Pueblos finished 24-3 last season and played even with JSerra for almost three quarters before losing 20-0 in the Division 1 semifinals. This year’s goal is to make it to the finals.

“We’ve had a different quarterback every season, so this is nothing new,” Streatfeild said. “We’re still progressing but beating Westlake was huge. We have the best coach, so I think we can make the top division. We’re going to give it our all.”

Arizona State hockey player Matthew Mayich remains incapacitated more than two weeks after he collapsed during an outdoor team practice in Tempe.

“Matthew’s injuries [are] from exertional heat stroke that caused the lack of oxygen to his brain,” the family’s attorney, Robert Carey, told The Times on Thursday. “There were no other contributing conditions, only exertion-related heat. This is not a coma, and the family is at his bedside praying for a miracle.”

While the family has not given up on the 21-year-old former draft pick of the St. Louis Blues, Carey said the prognosis they have received is not good.

“He’s been incapacitated from the moment he left the field, and with no chance of recovering,” said Carey, who added that he is limited on what he has been authorized to discuss concerning Mayich’s condition.

He added that the family is “just giving him a chance to have a miracle. And when they decide that’s not coming — I don’t know. They’re in a position no parent should ever be in.”

Mayich was selected by the Blues in the sixth round of the 2023 draft but never signed with the team. He played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League and one at Clarkson University last season before transferring to Arizona State.

Arizona State and its police department referred questions from The Times to a recent statement from the university. In its statement, the university did not mention Mayich by name because of “privacy interests” but talked about an ASU hockey player “who collapsed during an outdoor workout on Aug. 20” and “remains hospitalized.”

Arizona State said that the workout was a team event at which coaches and training staff were present, “along with a third party who had previously worked with the ASU Hockey team.”

The university stressed that it has policies regarding the engagement of “outside entities who interact with ASU student-athletes” and heat-illness guidelines for outdoor workouts. It added that James Rund, senior vice president for educational outreach and student services, would lead a review into the “circumstances surrounding the workout and related university policies, procedures and training protocols.”

“The review will take the time needed to collect and assess information in a manner that is thoughtful, respectful of the student-athlete, his family, his teammates and ASU’s privacy obligations,” the statement says.

The practice took place on a field outside the team’s on-campus arena. According to the university’s statement, the campus police department responded to a 911 call at approximately 8:30 a.m. “and began investigating as they would anytime they are called to a serious incident.”

The temperature at around that time in Tempe that morning was in the upper 80s.

Carey said that from talking to people who were present at the practice and relying on “other objective evidence,” he has determined that it was a military-style practice that ran “nonstop for well over an hour. And there was no rest, and there was almost no water.”

“Matthew was struggling,” Carey said, based on the information he has gathered. “He was disoriented, confused, dizzy, well before he collapsed. … Matthew was demonstrating signs of a problem well before he collapsed, and they did nothing.”

After Mayich’s collapse, Carey said, the staff was “completely and utterly unprepared” to treat him.

“So when he left the field that day, by the time he got to the hospital, there was almost zero chance of recovery,” Carey said.

Carey, who was chief deputy attorney general of Arizona during the 1990s, said he has been retained as the family’s counsel to help guide them through the situation, but no decision about any kind of legal action has been made at this point.

“They’re not going to make any decisions, and I’m not going to make any recommendations, until we get an investigation completed that’s transparent and robust and competent,” Carey said. “We need to know what happened before we can say you have rights or here’s a way to fix things for other kids down the road. …

“We just need to see what the evidence is. That’s our main goal right now, let’s go get the evidence and figure out what happened.”

He added that the family wanted him to express their gratitude for the outpouring of support they’ve gotten during this time.

“They’re from Canada and they’re in Arizona, where they had no connection really, and they’re sitting in a hospital every day,” Carey said, “and they’re just very appreciative of the support they’ve received across the country to help them.”

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Cheer captain. Student body president. Leader for Shoes for Souls, a nonprofit that gives out shoes to people in need.

Sarah Sobel is one busy teenager at Sierra Canyon High. She knows how to be organized, which her father, David, an assistant athletic director, probably offered some tips to follow.

Sarah took over running Shoes for Souls from her sister, Lindsay, who created the organization in 2016. More than 70,000 shoes have been donated.

High school is a balancing act between academics, school activities and other responsibilities. So far, Sarah is finding time to do all of it.

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

Mission Viejo High’s offensive line did not want to be on the field against St. Paul on Friday night. This was evident by their first two plays.

The Diablos’ opening drive began with a 60-yard rushing touchdown, created by a massive gap on the left side of the offensive line. Senior running back Carson Vandermade wasn’t close to being touched by a defender on his way to the end zone.

A 60-yard passing touchdown immediately ensued on the next possession. Of course, the offensive line made sure sophomore quarterback Brett Burnor had more than enough protection to launch one deep to a wide receiver

Coach Chad Johnson knows the level of skill he has on his hands. He’s never had a more talented and cohesive line in his two-plus decades of coaching high school football.

“It’s abnormal for us to have a line like this, and I’m really enjoying it,” Johnson said after Mission Viejo’s 77-12 victory.

The reason for that rarity is a simple one: every single starting lineman this season is a returning player. Nobody lost to graduation. No transfers. Johnson said he doesn’t recall that ever being the case.

Mission Viejo High offensive linemen (starting second from left) Tyler Johnson, Dylan Felli and Noah Lee in their custom-made jerseys they put on after the Diablos built a huge lead against St. Paul and they were pulled from the game.

(Caleb Otte / For The Times)

In addition, four of the five starting lineman have NCAA Division I offers.

Senior left tackle Dylan Felli has offers from the University of San Diego and Montana. The guy who helped him create the first touchdown of the game, senior left guard Amaziah Siale, is committed to Louisiana State. Center Max Davidson, who is a junior, has an offer from Northern Arizona, and senior right tackle Tyler Johnson is committed to Cornell.

If the experience and college offers aren’t enough to prove their stature, their size should. Davidson and Felli are listed at 6 feet 4. Siale is 6-7 inches tall and weighs 345 pounds, while Johnson is 6-6 and nearly 300 pounds.

They wouldn’t look out of place lining up across from USC or UCLA. Standing near them is staggering. Trying to out muscle them is nearly impossible.

Johnson said that his team finally has a threatening run game because of the gaps the linemen create.

“Usually we have to throw the ball to get [opponents] to back off, and then we can run it,” he said. “This year, we’re gonna run the ball until they commit everybody and then we’ll throw it.”

There are two other linemen who also play key roles: senior right guard Noah Lee and senior Baxter Middagh.

Lee is the smallest guy in the group. At 5-10, he looks out of place standing next to the big boys. Once he is on the field, however, the size difference is forgotten.

At 295 pounds, with a low center of gravity, Lee can’t be moved. It’s why he has earned his starting position over the last two seasons despite competing with potential DI players. He might not have any offers, but he doesn’t drag the rest of the group down. In fact, he’s often the leading voice on the sideline.

As for Middagh, his role is adding a new wrinkle to the offensive scheme this season. Last year he was playing on the line. Against St. Paul, he was deployed at tight end. His blocking expertise and size — 6-6 and 295 pounds — allow him to still help in pass and run protection, but now his impact can be felt with the ball in his hands.

Case in point, Middagh scored a touchdown on a screen pass Friday. He was surprisingly fast, making it even harder to tackle him. Opponents will struggle if Mission Viejo can get Middagh, who is committed to Idaho, into open space.

Johnson said he might rotate who plays on the line based on what a possession needs, but that their best 11 includes Middagh on the field.

“He is super athletic and can catch the ball really well,” Johnson said. “The catches he makes are insane, some one-handed, and he runs a 5.3 [second] 40-yard dash at 300 pounds.”

Off the field, the mountainous young men turn into humble and funny teenagers. After being taken out at halftime, all six players cheered on the backups and joked with each other about everything and nothing.

At one point, Middagh’s family came down to the sideline and he went over to hug everybody and chat. There was no embarrassment by their presence near his teammates and friends, just an appreciation for those who love and support him.

Siale also sheepishly waved to his family in the stands, getting a slight grin on his face when they yelled back down to him. Late in the fourth quarter, the public-address announcer credited Siale with a block on a big run play even though the big man hadn’t touched the field all half. He just laughed and high-fived some teammates who were offering sarcastic congratulations.

Despite their talent, cohesiveness and positive personalities, Johnson said that his offensive line isn’t perfect. In Mission Viejo’s 55-17 win against Chaparral in the season opener, they made some silly penalties for unnecessary roughness after the play ended, which negated big gains. Johnson wants that cleaned up moving forward.

“You don’t play up to a good team and down to a team that is not as good. You stay consistently great,” he said.

His team obliged. Whenever the offensive line gives the quarterback time to pass and the running backs space to run, there isn’t much complaining a coach can do.

“I’m going to try to take it all in and soak every game up, because I know at some time the curtain is going to call and they’re going to graduate,” he said.

Two guys standing on Mission Viejo’s sideline were wearing custom made shirts of the offensive line. It was a picture of them all standing together, with the words “Higher Council” printed below. The message is clear.

Siale succinctly said what everybody else was dancing around.

“We’ve got the number one offensive line in the nation,” he said.

That claim will be put to the test against one of California’s best teams next week, when Mission Viejo travels to Sacramento to play Folsom High. Northern California will meet the Higher Council.

Unlike North Sea oil, most of which is exported and then reimported in various refined forms, almost all North Sea gas is used domestically in the UK.

The UK is heavily reliant on gas imports with over 60% imported from Norway and the United States.

Wholesale natural gas prices have surged this year as a result of the Iran war and are currently at a three-year high, prompting concerns over energy security.

Gas storage levels in Europe are significantly lower than usual for this time of year after countries delayed stockpiling in the summer in the hope that the conflict would end before winter and prices would in turn fall.

They face the prospect of rushing to buy gas now or paying potentially higher prices when the winter comes.

Prices are set internationally and a green light to Jackdaw would not lower the cost of gas for domestic consumers.

But extracting gas domestically creates lower greenhouse gas emissions than liquefying, shipping and regasifying liquid natural gas (LNG) imported from other countries.

Chris O’Shea, the boss of British Gas owner Centrica, said any additional domestic gas supply would reduce Britain’s reliance on imported fossil fuels, “so it’s got to be good”.

He told the BBC’s Today programme: “It wouldn’t lower the cost materially, but basic economics would tell you that if you’ve got a fixed demand for a product and you increase the supply, the price should move.”

He also pointed to the high tax rates on profits from North Sea oil and gas, adding that the new extraction would give the government more money to spend.

It was still just the first quarter of his first college football game at USC when Luke Wafle offered a first glimpse of his staggering potential. The freshman defensive end tossed aside a San Jose State tackle with one swift move, then steamrolled a running back standing in his way. In the process, San Jose State’s quarterback was forced from the pocket and Wafle, now sprinting from the other direction, nearly forced a safety.

It would’ve been an eye-opening sequence for any pass rusher, let alone a true freshman. But at USC, those who have watched Wafle for months now say it’s basically what they’ve come to expect from the Trojans’ top defensive prospect.

“He’s a very special player,” said linebacker Desman Stephens II.

“Probably the most talented freshman I’ve gone against in my time here at USC,” said left tackle Elijah Paige.

“Just a beast on the field,” added defensive tackle Floyd Boucard. “He doesn’t play like a freshman.”

Wafle played just 23 snaps in his first game, but he made the most of them. He was the Trojans’ highest-graded defender, according to Pro Football Focus, with two pressures on 13 pass rushes and two stops on the other 10 in the victory.

And when USC takes on Fresno State on Friday night, chances are he’ll get even more reps to wreak havoc.

“A young man like that brings a lot of excitement on the other side of the field,” defensive tackle Kameryn Crawford said with a smile.

He called it “a crazy feeling” just to play along the defensive front with Wafle.

The freshman’s presence alone should help change the trajectory of a Trojan defensive line that’s fallen short of expectations the last few seasons under coach Lincoln Riley. USC’s top pass rusher from a year ago (Crawford) had 5 1/2 sacks last season, while no one outside of Tuli Tuipulotu has had more than 6 1/2 in a single season under Riley at USC.

Wafle might change that this season. That certainly looked like the case last Saturday.

“The thing I liked most about him Saturday is he didn’t hesitate,” Riley said. “He was around the ball. He was around the quarterback. He made some plays for us, obviously, and he was really close to making a bunch of others. And I think that’s just scratching the surface of how good this guy can be.”

USC defensive end Luke Wafle (94) pressures San Jose State quarterback Luke Weaver (3) during the first quarter of the season-opening game last Saturday at the Coliseum.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

Even beyond Wafle, Riley has reason to feel good about his defensive line. Namely because it’s as deep as it’s been in his five seasons at USC. Two of the Trojans’ better linemen — Jahkeem Stewart and Braylan Shelby — didn’t play in the win, and the unit still looked like the strength of the defense.

Whether those reinforcements will be back Friday remains to be seen. Both were listed on USC’s second depth chart of the season after being absent from the first, suggesting they could suit up.

Safety issues

The reviews coming out of last week’s debut for USC’s defense were less glowing for the secondary, which gave up three pass plays of 20 yards or more in the second half.

Most of those coverage busts came from USC’s backups at the position, but it does beg questions about the depth in the Trojans’ defensive backfield.

Riley acknowledged that the Trojans “need a couple of those guys to play a little sharper” at the safety position, primarily. Redshirt senior safety Prophet Brown said that he tried to put his arm around those young players this week.

“Nobody is perfect,” Brown said. “The greats aren’t perfect. But they do learn from their mistakes.”

How much USC’s secondary will be tested this week by Fresno State remains to be seen. The Bulldogs are breaking in a new quarterback, junior Jayden Mandal.

SEATTLE — Nneka Ogwumike had 23 points and 12 rebounds, Rae Burrell scored 22 points, and the visiting Sparks beat the Seattle Storm 90-74 on Sunday in their final game before the FIBA World Cup break.

The Sparks scored the first 13 points in an opening 18-2 run and Dearica Hamby’s layup with 5:45 left in the first half capped an 11-0 spurt that gave them a 39-20 lead. Seattle shot 32% (12 of 38) from the field and two of 11 (18%) from behind the arc before going into halftime trailing by 19. The Storm were just as bad from three-point range in the second half, finishing four of 22.

Cameron Brink had 11 points on three-of-15 shooting for the Sparks (15-25).

Flau’jae Johnson scored 11 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter and Dominique Malonga had 17 points, on eight-of-21 shooting, and 15 rebounds for the Storm (8-32). Zia Cooke made six of 17 from the field for 14 points.

Seattle is 1-18 against Western Conference teams this season, its only win coming at the Sparks, 82-64, on July 6.

The Storm’s Jordan Horston fell awkwardly midway through the third quarter, limped to the locker room and did not return.

Awa Fam and Natisha Hiedeman did not play for the Storm.

Up next for the Sparks: at Dallas on Sept. 17.

DETROIT — The same old story played out for the Dodgers on Saturday. They got a strong outing from their starting pitcher and an uninspiring performance by their offense, resulting in a close game.

This time the Dodgers lost, 2-1, despite left-hander Blake Snell’s five innings of one-run baseball.

The Dodgers’ last five games have been decided by one run. They’ve lost all but one of them.

It was Snell’s fourth game back from arthroscopic elbow surgery in May. He’s limited opponents to one run or none in every start. Saturday marked the first time he threw fewer than six innings since being activated this month.

He limited the Tigers to three hits and issued three walks. Four of those six baserunners reached before Snell briefly left the game in the third inning.

Snell had cruised through the first two innings, a Texas leaguer into shallow right field the only blemish on an otherwise perfect beginning.

The third inning, however, started to go haywire. Snell walked Javier Báez, traditionally a free swinger, to open the frame. Tigers rookie Max Clark laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy lost control of the ball as he tried to throw to first, enabling Clark to reach base as Báez advanced to second.

Against Gleyber Torres, Snell left a changeup too far over the plate for a ground-rule double. The high hop over the yellow line on the right-field fence saved a run, sending Clark back to third, but the Tigers pulled ahead 1-0.

Snell threw two pitches to Hao-Yu Lee and then, after a conversation with home plate umpire Chris Guccione, headed off the field and disappeared down the dugout tunnel.

There was no immediate explanation provided by the team or the umpires. Snell soon returned and resumed with a 1-and-1 count on Lee.

Snell got out of the inning without further damage, inducing Lee to pop out and, after walking Kevin McGonigle, striking out Dillon Dingler and Eduardo Valencia.

Snell made it six straight punch-outs by striking out the side in the fourth and kicking off a scoreless fifth with another. Snell’s outing ended with Dingler waving at an outside fastball for strike three.

The Dodgers’ offense, however, failed to give him run support. Through five innings, they mustered only two baserunners against Tigers starter Keider Montero.

In the sixth, they finally strung multiple hits together and got a run out of it. Alek Thomas led off with a double to left that ricocheted off the wall on a hop. Shohei Ohtani grounded out on a close play at first, moving Thomas to third. Then Freddie Freeman lined an RBI single to right.

The Dodgers went on to load the bases with one out. But, following a concerning pattern, they failed to squeeze any more runs out of the opportunity.

The Dodgers entered Saturday batting .211 with the bases loaded this month, putting them in the bottom third in the majors. When Tommy Edman grounded into a double play to end the sixth inning, it was their third with the bases loaded this month.

In the ninth, the Dodgers were a few feet from pulling ahead. With two outs and a runner on first, the Tigers brought in closer Kenley Jansen, the former Dodger, to face Teoscar Hernández.

In an 0-and-2 count, Hernández sent a cutter for a ride to deep left-center. But Báez made an over-the-shoulder catch a few steps from the wall.

Dodgers left-hander Jack Dreyer took the mound for the bottom half and, with runners on the corners, gave up a walk-off single to McGonigle.

DETROIT — As Tarik Skubal crossed the field from the bullpen, he had to crane his neck to catch part of the tribute video playing on the massive screen behind him.

By the time he reached the Dodgers dugout, the crowd rose to give him an ovation. Skubal controlled his expression and wiped his face with the towel draped over his neck.

Less than four weeks ago, he said goodbye to the only organization he’d known — the Detroit Tigers drafted him in 2018 out of Seattle University. Now, he was back in the ballpark he’d called home for six years.

In the Dodgers’ 2-1 win Friday, Skubal showed why he was widely considered the best player available at the trade deadline, holding the Tigers to one run and four hits over six innings. The Dodgers’ offense continued to scuffle but did just enough to bounce back from a three-game sweep in Atlanta — the 14th time this month they played a game decided by a single run.

Skubal’s reception included some boos (and “Scuuuub”s) as he took the mound. Even though the trade was out of Skubal’s control, a faction of the Tigers fan base — including this reporter’s rideshare driver from the airport — was upset Skubal never reached an agreement for a contract extension with Detroit (62-72).

The Tigers’ last publicly discussed extension offer was four years and $75 million at the end of 2024 — which drastically pales in comparison to the contract he’s expected to garner in free agency this offseason.

The mutual affection between the player and Detroit, however, took center stage Friday, even as Skubal tamed the Tigers’ offense.

He quickly reined in his emotions. After a delay for a PitchCom malfunction, Skubal gave up a leadoff double to Detroit’s Gleyber Torres on a fastball down the middle. But then the left-hander retired the next 12 batters.

Skubal struck out the side in the third inning, getting Max Clark to swing through a changeup, Javier Báez to chase a high fastball and Torres to watch an off-speed pitch clip the bottom of the zone.

That streak ended with a double up the left-field line from Eduardo Valencia, who turned on an inside slider to lead off the fifth. Then with two outs, Clark stayed back on an outside fastball and sent it the other way for a triple that drove in the game’s first run.

The Dodgers have struggled at times since the All-Star break, but Will Smith’s return from injury and Shohei Ohtani’s return to pitching should help.

Skubal induced Báez to fly out to center field and punched the palm of his glove on his way off the field.

The Dodgers (81-54) missed a chance to tie with one out in the sixth, when Kyle Tucker was thrown out at home trying to score on a pinch-hit single by Kiké Hernández. But they salvaged the inning when Teoscar Hernández drew a walk and Miguel Rojas smoked a single through the infield to tie the score.

In the seventh, the Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs and failed to squeeze in a run.

Evan Phillips took over on the mound in the bottom of the inning. Skubal’s pitch count stood at only 83, but he had thrown 100 pitches in each of his previous two starts.

The Dodgers finally took the lead in the eighth, manufacturing a run with singles from Teoscar Hernández and Freddie Freeman on either side of a sacrifice bunt from Ben Rortvedt.