Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow (Leeds United), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), Tom King (Everton).
Defenders: Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Jay Dasilva (Coventry City), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff City), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff City), Chris Mepham (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Rodon (Leeds United), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest).
Midfielders: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United), David Brooks (Bournemouth), Jordan James (Stade Rennais), Aaron Ramsey (Pumas UNAM), Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Sorba Thomas (Stoke City), Harry Wilson (Fulham), Joel Colwill (Cardiff City).
Forwards: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea City), Mark Harris (Oxford United), Lewis Koumas (Birmingham City – on loan from Liverpool), Daniel James (Leeds United), Brennan Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham).
At midseason, junior quarterback Taylor Lee of Oxnard Pacifica is a revelation, someone who didn’t start last season and has thrust himself into MVP consideration with 19 touchdown passes in his last three games and 26 in five games for the unbeaten Tritons (5-0).
“He’s amazing,” L.A. Hamilton coach Elijah Asante said. “Someone’s going to get a real good quarterback. The kid can play.”
On Thursday afternoon, Hamilton and Pacifica decided to play each other after both schools were given forfeit victories. Instead of taking the forfeits, they played at Hamilton, and Pacifica won 42-14 with a running clock through much of the second half.
Lee completed nine of 10 passes for 215 yards and four touchdowns.
He could have thrown touchdowns all night but Hamilton was able to run off plenty of time in the first half with short passes until drives were halted by a fumble and interception. Freshman quarterback Thaddeus Breaux completed 31 of 45 passes for 270 yards, with touchdown passes to Kristian Leslie and Jacob Riley. Leslie caught 16 passes for 125 yards.
What’s impressive about Lee is his ability to run Pacifica’s no-huddle, quick tempo offense. At the end of the second quarter, he moved the team quickly down field in 30 seconds, completing four consecutive passes for 82 yards and ending with a two-yard touchdown pass to Will Jones Jr. for a 28-0 halftime lead. It was like watching Corona Centennial’s effective no-huddle offense.
“We try to do it that way,” coach Mike Moon said.
Lee has benefited from a receiving group he’s known for years through youth football.
“I’ve been playing with the receivers since I was 6,” Lee said.
There’s also the offensive line made up of seniors.
“They’re my best friends,” Lee said.
Pacifica has to keep improving with its Marmonte League opener against Oaks Christian next week.
Hamilton (2-3) starts Western League play next week against Fairfax.
Thursday’s game brought no injuries and lots of sportsmanship. Both coaches were thrilled to have the opportunity to play. “A blessing,” Moon said.
A look at this week’s top high school football games in the Southland:
THURSDAY
Oxnard Pacifica (4-0) at Hamilton (2-2), 4 p.m.
It’s a last-minute game put on the schedule after both schools had opponents drop out. But what a quarterback matchup it features. Pacifica’s Taylor Lee vs. Hamilton freshman Thaddeus Breaux. Lee has 15 touchdown passes in the last two games. The pick: Pacifica.
FRIDAY
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (2-2) at Culver City (3-1), 7 p.m.
Basketball standout Tyran Stokes came out last week to play receiver and he has been cleared to make his football debut. Also expected to play is USC commit Luc Weaver, another receiver who has been sidelined because of a leg injury. The Knights want to challenge for a top-three spot in the Mission League and Culver City offers a good challenge. The pick: Notre Dame.
SATURDAY
Bishop Gorman (4-1) vs. Santa Margarita (3-1) at Tesoro, 7 p.m.
Bishop Gorman, after losing to Mater Dei last week in Las Vegas, travels to face another Trinity League opponent. The Eagles are trying to stay healthy before the grind of league play. The pick: Bishop Gorman.
AS I watched the scene playing out on the TV, my heart started pounding.
Estate agent Cherry was meeting her boyfriend’s mum, Laura, for the first time – bringing back memories of the real-life monster-in-law who tried to destroy me in ways you wouldn’t believe.
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Ayla Tash, 40, reveals the nightmare of a controlling mother-in-law and how it led to the breakdown of her relationship (posed by model)Credit: Getty
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My ex’s mum hated my guts from day one, she reveals (posed by model)Credit: Getty
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Daniel (Laurie Davidson) is embraced by Laura (Robin Wright) in The GirlfriendCredit: supplied
Hoping to make a good impression, she arrived with a beautiful bunch of flowers, but her future mother–in-law callously tossed them on a table, dismissing them as rubbish.
It’s a tale as old as time: son introduces the woman he loves to his mum, who instantly feels jealous that a new female will take her place.
So she makes her life HELL.
The reason The Girlfriend had such a strong impact on me was because, in many ways, I’d been there myself.
My ex’s mum hadn’t just disliked me, she’d hated my guts from day one.
She too had thrown down the flowers I’d given her the first time we met – not onto a table, but on the floor.
And the memories of the awful things she did while I was with her son still make me shudder.
Courteous to my face, but nasty behind my back, my monster-in-law, Jackie, constantly bad-mouthed me to friends and family – even my own neighbours.
She regularly told her son, Simon, that I wasn’t good enough for him and urged him to leave me, despite us having a child together.
Eventually, she succeeded and we split up. I simply couldn’t cope with her twisted games anymore.
My MIL threw a tantrum when me and my husband bought a house that was too far away from her
Thankfully I’ve had no contact with her since the split, but I still have nightmares about it – and watching TV show The Girlfriend brought them all back.
I won’t spoil the story for those who haven’t seen it, but although Cherry isn’t all that she seems, Laura’s actions beggar belief.
For me, though, there’s one big difference.
Courteous to my face, but nasty behind my back, my monster-in-law, Jackie, constantly bad-mouthed me to friends and family – even my own neighbours
Cherry
While Laura’s awful behaviour pushes her son into his lover’s arm, the same could not be said for me and my ex.
His mother’s constant interference created a crack so wide that we still don’t talk to one another, despite sharing a six-year-old.
‘Overbearing’
I’d hoped the unappreciated flowers might be a misunderstanding, but soon I was being subjected to constant put-downs.
Sometimes we’d pop to her house for breakfast and if I asked for a bit of fruit instead of bacon and egg, she’d tut and mutter that I was ‘strange’.
She’d also get in a huff if Simon chose to spend a Saturday night out with me, instead of going round to see her.
He’d tell me his mum was ‘in a mood’ because he wasn’t paying her as much attention now.
I thought he was joking – at that point I had no idea how bizarre their relationship was.
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Hit Amazon Prime thriller The GirlfriendCredit: Amazon Prime
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Ayla reveals her mother-in-law would constantly gaslight herCredit: Shutterstock
Just like obsessed Laura in The Girlfriend, Jackie had to know where Simon was at all times.
She’d call and text him multiple times a day, despite only living around the corner.
On one occasion, we were having sex at 11am when she messaged him six times in a row.
“Can you turn it off?” I pleaded as Jackie’s impatient alerts threatened to kill the moment.
I’m not alone in having a difficult relationship with my partner’s mum.
A two-decade study by Dr Terri Apter, a University of Cambridge psychologist, found that more than 60 per cent of women admitted their relationship with their mother-in-law caused them long-term unhappiness and stress.
Two-thirds of daughters-in-law also believed that their husband’s mother frequently exhibited jealous, maternal love towards their sons.
This was definitely true of Jackie.
She relished standing in front of me with her arms wrapped around Simon’s waist or shoulders.
And she had a key to his flat, so would often turn up unannounced.
One morning I plodded, half-awake, into the kitchen wearing nothing but a pair of knickers, only to find Jackie casually washing his dishes.
I complained that I found her actions overbearing and gently tried to explain to Simon that it wasn’t normal for a mum to be so involved in her adult son’s life.
But he responded saying she only did so because she “cared about him so much” and wanted to help.
Two-thirds of daughters-in-law also believed that their husband’s mother frequently exhibited jealous, maternal love towards their sons
During the three years we were together, Jackie would constantly gaslight me, telling Simon she’d sent texts inviting me to the cinema, or out shopping, and that I’d ignored them.
And if he dared take my side, she’d burst into tears on the phone so that he’d have to go round and console her.
Her words were vicious, but her actions were even worse.
If I invited her and her doormat of a husband round for dinner (yes, she controlled him too) she’d politely accept, then not turn up, secretly texting Simon afterwards to say she felt my invite was “fake”.
About a year into our relationship, I found out I was pregnant with our son, Josh.
For a while, Jackie softened – but within minutes of his birth, she reverted to type.
I had a terrible labour which culminated in an emergency c-section. Josh then had to be rushed to intensive care.
I felt exhausted, broken and bloody, so we requested that loved ones give us time to rest.
Everyone respected our wishes – except Jackie.
An hour after I’d got off the operating table, she burst into the room armed with balloons and a giant teddy bear.
“We’ve all been through it, you know,” she crowed as I burst into tears and begged Simon to get her out of there.
She even insisted on sneaking into the intensive care unit to see our newborn, even though I hadn’t been able to see him yet.
Jackie’s treatment only worsened when we finally brought Josh home.
She would message me constantly, telling me which wet wipes to use and what kind of vests I should be putting on him.
I even saw messages on Simon’s phone telling him to hide clothes I’d bought for the baby and replace them with ones she’d supplied instead.
The bullying was so bad, I even went to see a counsellor.
Jackie’s interference caused countless arguments and at one point, I even left Simon after she texted him claiming that I was “lazy” and “a useless mum”.
What hurt even more was that he never defended me.
That’s when I realised the level of control she really had over him.
It was relentless and in the end, I left for good.
I realised I would never be able to have a healthy relationship with such a mummy’s boy and that Jackie would never change.
Thankfully, I have little to do with her now, although she did try to continue her antics after we split.
She bombarded my friends and family with messages claiming that I was mentally ill, an unfit mother and needed help.
Luckily, they knew what she was like and blocked her.
But I’ve had to write my story anonymously, for fear of any backlash.
As a mother of a son myself, I understand it can be difficult seeing your child growing up, moving on and having another woman take centre stage.
But I’ve vowed never to be like my ex’s mum and to try to love whoever my son brings home.
I know all too well what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a hate campaign from a woman it is impossible to compete with.
England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales have gained control of their autumn fixtures as part of World Rugby’s alterations to the women’s global calendar.
The new WXV Global Series, which will replace the WXV competition, will run from 2026-2028 and feature the top 12 teams in the world.
Seeking to build on the success of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, national federations and unions will be able to choose their own home and away games in September and October.
Alongside each of the home nations, Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States qualify as the top 12 sides.
Those 12 nations are locked in to the WXV Global Series until the next Rugby World Cup in 2029.
Each side will receive the same amount of money from World Rugby to compete in the fixtures no matter how many Tests they choose to play.
Fixtures will be announced by each nation after the World Cup.
“This is really important in the context of [breakaway league] R360 and other competitions that are being discussed as we need to give the national federations, players and fans certainty,” World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin said.
“This allows that certainty over a four-year cycle that allows the national federations and unions to go and have those conversations [on contracts] with the player groups. It is a really important milestone.”
Teams ranked 13-18, who World Rugby describe as facing greater “financial challenges”, will play their fixtures in a single destination in 2026 and 2028, funded by the global governing body.
Those teams are Brazil, Fiji, Hong Kong China, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.
This means WXV – a three-tier competition introduced in 2023 to supply more meaningful games before the World Cup – will no longer run.
BBC Sport understands the top 12 sides will play between 9-16 Tests in a calendar year, outside of World Cup years, with a maximum of six Tests.
The total of games will include fixtures played by home nations in 2027 when they also provide players for the first British and Irish Lions women’s tour to New Zealand.
World Rugby says there will be over 100 games across the three-year Global Series competition and £9m will be invested, which is hoped will build on the World Cup in England that has seen record viewing figures and the final at Twickenham on 27 September sold out.
“The launch of the WXV Global Series marks another landmark moment for the women’s game, following what will be an era-defining Women’s Rugby World Cup in England,” World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson added.
“It delivers on our commitment to raise standards, provide consistent and competitive fixtures, a clear international calendar that prioritises welfare, and create sustainable commercial outcomes for the women’s game globally.”
In 2023, World Rugby announced a new men’s competition starting in 2026 made up of 24 teams, split into two divisions.
If Kerley were to run quicker than Usain Bolt’s 100m record of 9.58 seconds, he would receive $1m (£730,000) in prize money from the Enhanced Games.
Earlier this month, Olympic swimmer Ben Proud became the first British athlete to sign up, despite World Aquatics being the first international sport federation to ban athletes, coaches and officials from its events if they have taken part in the competition.
An athlete commission from UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) described the Enhanced Games as a “reckless venture” which could “damage the integrity of world sport irrevocably.”
In January, Kerley was tasered and arrested by police following a confrontation with officers in Miami but said later in May it was down to a “misunderstanding”.
He was reported to have been arrested for allegedly punching his former girlfriend and fellow athlete Alaysha Johnson in the face.
As well as his bronze in Paris, Kerley also won 100m silver at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
He has also won world 4x100m and 4x400m gold medals, and recorded the sixth-fastest 100m time in history with 9.76 seconds.
Indian troops have participated in the Russian-led Zapad-2025 military drills, Russian state agency TASS said on Tuesday, highlighting Moscow’s close ties with New Delhi, whose growing ties with the United States have been strained by the imposition of hefty tariffs by President Donald Trump.
The Indian Ministry of Defence confirmed that it had sent 65 armed forces personnel to participate in the five-day military exercise, a theatrical demonstration of firepower conducted jointly by Russia and Belarus to test their combat readiness in the event of an invasion.
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The manoeuvres, which featured 100,000 troops in a display of might that included nuclear-capable bombers and warships, took place at a time of heightened tension with NATO countries, coming just days after the downing of Russian drones in Poland last week.
“Today we are conducting the final part of the Zapad 2025 strategic exercise,” said Putin, wearing a military uniform.
India was not the only foreign power involved, with “task forces and military contingents” from Iran, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Mali also joining in, TASS reported, citing the Kremlin.
But India’s participation, led by a battalion of the highly respected Kumaon Regiment and aimed at strengthening “the spirit of cooperation and mutual trust” with Russia, will have raised eyebrows amid signs that the US may be losing a key ally in Asia, seen as an important counterweight to China.
Strains emerged between the two countries last month after the Trump administration imposed 50 percent tariffs on Indian imports, accusing New Delhi of fuelling Moscow’s deadly attacks on Ukraine with its purchases of Russian oil.
Earlier this month, Trump seemed to confirm the rift, posting on social media that both India and Russia appeared to have been “lost” to “deepest, darkest China” as the three countries cozied up at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin.
India-US ties back on track?
But last week, Trump announced on X that India and the US are continuing negotiations to address trade barriers between the two nations. He previously accused India of imposing high tariffs on US goods.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded to Trump’s post on X, saying: “India and the US are close friends and natural partners”.
“I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership,” Modi added.
On Tuesday, Modi thanked Trump for wishing him a happy 75th birthday.
“Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday. Like you, I am also fully committed to taking the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights,” he posted on X.
This is not the first time that India has participated in Russian military exercises. In 2021, shortly before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, New Delhi said it sent an unspecified number of troops to Russia’s Volgograd region to join activities linked to “Counter Terrorism and Conventional operations”.
India’s ties with Russia go back to the erstwhile USSR, which provided extensive help to the Indian economy. Throughout the Cold War, India chose to remain non-aligned, but it sourced most of its weapons from the Soviet Union.
New Delhi still buys most of its defence equipment from Moscow, but over the past two decades, it has attempted to diversify its weapons imports.
Iran-Russia continue strategic alignment
Iran also participated in this year’s Zapad, according to the TASS, though the presence of its troops was not confirmed by official channels.
Tehran is known to be a close strategic partner of Russia, supplying it with self-detonating Shahed drones used in the Ukraine war and, according to Western intelligence sources, ballistic missiles.
Tehran and Moscow launched a joint military drill in the Caspian Sea after Israel launched bombings of Iran, leading to 12 days of war. The US also joined the war after targeting an Iranian nuclear site with bunker buster bombs.
On Tuesday, the US confirmed that its military officials observed the military drills the previous day after accepting an invitation to the event.
The US presence on the sidelines comes as it tries to wrestle Russia into bringing its war in Ukraine to an end, while seeking closer ties with Belarus.
LA28 announced Starbucks as the official coffee partner for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics and Team USA on Tuesday, adding a fourth founding-level partner to the growing sponsorship list with less than three years to go before the Games.
Starbucks will enter the Olympic arena for the first time by providing specially designed coffeehouses in the Olympic and Paralympic village, competition venues and volunteer hubs for athletes, fans and spectators.
“Starbucks is proud to bring connection, culture, community and incredible coffee to the world stage,” said Tressie Lieberman, executive vice president and global chief brand officer of Starbucks Coffee Company.
The Seattle-based coffee giant represents LA28’s second major founding partner of the year, joining Honda, which announced its Olympic deal in April. Longtime partners Delta and Comcast are the cornerstones of the corporate sponsorship program that will be the backbone of what LA28 has promised will be a privately funded Games.
Domestic sponsorships are intended to cover $2.5 billion of the Games’ estimated $7.1 billion budget. As of August, the private organizing committee had contracts for more than 70% of its total sponsorship goal, LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman told The Times. Financial terms for the latest deal were not disclosed.
“This is our chance to co-create a Games that will resonate for generations to come, and welcoming Starbucks to the LA28 and Team USA family marks the coming together of a world-class brand and a globally embraced event, with a shared commitment to shaping culture and community,” Wasserman said in a statement.
LA28 has also announced two other partnerships in September, bringing in equipment rental company Sunbelt Rentals and T-Mobile for Business.
Costa Coffee supplied coffee for the Tokyo and the Paris Games after the British chain was acquired by Coca-Cola — one of the International Olympic Committee’s longest-standing and most prominent partners — in 2019. But Coca-Cola has been exploring a sale of Costa Coffee, according to Reuters. As a worldwide partner, the Atlanta-based soda company has exclusive Olympic and Paralympic rights to non-alcoholic beverages.
1 of 2 | The Russian military on Monday invited western media to watch its Zapad-2025, an exercise that included BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher of the Baltic Fleet’s anti-saboteur unit. Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via EPA
Sept. 15 (UPI) — The Russian military put on a show of force Monday in a training exercise intended to prepare for a future war with Western countries.
The exercises included about 7,000 troops in locations in Belarus, a neighboring country aligned with the Kremlin, as well as in Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave, which is sandwiched between NATO-members Poland and Lithuania, according to reports from western media invited to witness the event.
The Zapad military drills are meant to simulate an attack by Western countries. Zapad, which means “West” in Russian, are normally routine drills and were last held in 2021, just before Russia invaded Ukraine.
The most recent drills took place amid heightened worries the conflict will spill into neighboring countries and comes weeks after Polish forces and their NATO allies shot down a large number of drones that had entered the country’s airspace.
The drills included a mock battle at the Borisovsky Training Ground in central Belarus, where Russian and Belarusian aircrafts, tanks and artillery opened fire on imagined Western forces, reported ABC News. Two Su-34 jets dropped large bombs and tanks fired across a field as Russian and Belarusian forces simulated retaking a village, the news outlet reported.
Western media were invited to observe the event as part of a recent thaw in relations with Belarus, which included the release of 52 political prisoners, some from western Europe.
Two unnamed U.S. military officials made a surprise visit to observe the drills, reported the Guardian.
“The best viewing seats will be provided for you,” the Belarusian defence minister, Viktor Khrenin, told them.
Belarusian Minister of Defense Viktor Khrenin said in a Telegram post that the exercise was held farther away from it western border and they were trying to reduce tensions with eastern Europe.
However, Poland responded by deploying up to 40,000 troops along its border with Belarus and NATO has stepped up jet patrols against more Russian drone incursions, reported the Guardian.
Now Catherine will be trying her luck in Love Island Games as a bombshell, an insider told us: “Catherine has flown out to Fiji and is in holding right now – she’s being lined up as a bombshell for Love Island Games.
“She didn’t find love the first two times around on the ITV show – but wants to find a man and crack the US this time!”
Catherine’s rep and Peacock have been contacted for comment.
Love Island’s Emma cosies up to newly single ITV star
The spin-off will bring together iconic Islanders from the UK, USA, France, Malta, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Lucinda Strafford, who shot to fame on series seven of the UK version before appearing in Love Island Australia series five, and series 10’s Tyrique Hyde will both be part of the starting line-up.
This week’s top high school football games in the Southland:
FRIDAY
Mater Dei (2-0) at Corona Centennial (2-1), 7 p.m.
This is the third Trinity League team the Huskies have played in their tough nonleague schedule. They’ve beaten Servite and lost to Santa Margarita. They have a history playing Mater Dei and must find a way to run the ball effectively. Mater Dei has been surprisingly inconsistent on offense. New quarterback Ryan Hopkins has a great group of receivers but the Monarchs need improvement with a game against Bishop Gorman looming next week. The pick: Mater Dei.
Mission Viejo (3-0) at San Diego Lincoln (3-0), 7 p.m.
Prepare for an offensive shootout on Lincoln’s new turf field. Lincoln has scored 57, 36 and 50 points. Mission Viejo has scored 58 and 53 points in its last two games. Lincoln is the best team in San Diego. Mission Viejo, led by quarterback Luke Fahey, could complete one of the best starts in school history with a victory considering it already owns wins over Santa Margarita and Folsom. The pick: Mission Viejo.
Olympic swimmer Ben Proud has become the first British athlete to join the controversial Enhanced Games – but says he would never do anything to undermine ‘clean’ sport.
But he has now committed to an event which allows athletes to take banned performance-enhancing drugs.
He never won Olympic gold or broke the 50m freestyle world record, which has stood since 2009, but feels that the Enhances Games “give me a new opportunity to continue this pursuit and see how far I can take things”.
Asked if he thinks the event undermines clean sport, Proud told BBC Sport: “No. I think it opens up the potential avenue to excel in a very different way.
“Speaking for myself, I think realistically I’ve achieved everything I can, and now the Enhanced [Games] is giving me a new opportunity. I definitely don’t think that’s undermining a clean sport.
“I really respect the sport I’ve been part of, and I would never step back in knowing I’ve done something which isn’t in the rules.”
Proud said he sees ‘traditional sport’ and the Enhanced Games as “two very separate entities”, and that he found athletes breaking the rules “incredibly frustrating”.
“I see doping in clean sports as a complete no-go,” he said. “I don’t have any time for that.
“The fact it’s still happening is a problem. It’ll always be a cat and mouse game, there will always be people developing new techniques or people getting away with things.
“That’s one thing that has ruined sport for a lot of people. The anti-doping agencies just don’t have the ability to completely make sure everyone is clean and on a level playing field, and that to me has always been the biggest frustration.
“If you were part of my life for the past 12, 13 years, you’d see how much time you have to allocate to making sure we’re available to be tested on a daily basis, making sure we’re constantly giving our samples.”
BBC Sport has asked the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) for comment.
Wada’s latest Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) report, external was published in July, covering 2022. It said that from 241,143 samples, 1,979 (0.82%) were reported to be adverse findings, of which 1,376 (69.5%) resulted in an ADRV.
A look at this week’s top high school football games in the Southland.
FRIDAY
Baltimore St. Frances (1-0) at St. John Bosco (2-0), 7 p.m.
Two nationally ranked powerhouses meet to keep their mythical national championship hopes alive. St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro said St. Frances has as much talent as any team in the country. The Braves have an impressive group of six linebackers that willl try to use their speed to deal with St. Frances’ big-play weapons. It’s another opportunity for sophomore quarterback Koa Malau’ulu to get the ball to his prolific group of receivers. The pick: St. John Bosco.
Folsom (2-0) at Mission Viejo (2-0), 7 p.m.
One of Northern California’s top teams is led by Brigham Young-bound quarterback Ryder Lyons. Mission Viejo counters with Ohio State-bound quarterback Luke Fahey. It should be an offensive slugfest. The pick: Mission Viejo.
They believe their actions were warranted to highlight the issues seen off the field in high school football despite receiving criticism from some. An LAUSD investigation eventually determined a group of Narbonne players were ineligible, and the City Section imposed a three-year playoff ban on Narbonne for rule violations.
Mike Christensen, the former Carson football coach, said he’s “sad” that the booster Brett Steigh has admitted involvement in the ongoing Bishop Montgomery football scandal that has resulted in the team’s season coming to an end. Steigh also helped finance St. Bernard’s football program, which shut down its team in 2021, 2022 and 2023 following the resignation of coach Manuel Douglas, a former Narbonne coach.
Christensen said coaches who participated in the forfeits last year faced repercussions from school district personnel, “but it needed to be done.”
“My relationship with my principal was never the same,” Christensen said.
Perhaps the coach under the most pressure was former Banning coach Raymond Grajeda, who was the first to forfeit his league game to Narbonne. Then the three others followed.
“We got punished hard from the district office,” Grajeda said. “It was one of the reasons for me quitting.”
He said all the rumors about money changing hands and school officials declining to investigate without evidence was motivation to the coaches as a unit to try to stop the rule violations.
“Everything was true,” Grajeda said. “We live in the community. Some of those deals that went down, they were in our backyard. If you’re going to do the transfer thing, do it right. I feel some sense of relief. The future of football in this area, we want to be competitive and fair.”
Former Gardena coach Monty Gilbreath said, “I think it turned out to be good because we were able to bring attention what was going on and caused the City Section to take a closer look. We knew as coaches it was a fact. We didn’t have the means to prove it.”
Christensen retired, Gilbreath resigned as did Grajeda, who now spends his time watching his freshman daughter play flag football for Banning.
Only San Pedro coach Corey Walsh kept coaching this season.
“I do not care at all,” Walsh said of the reaction to the booster accepting responsibility for the illegal payments. “We’re playing Great Oak this week. I was trying to see the bigger picture. I knew where this was headed if something didn’t change.”
Christensen said last January he was attending a coaches’ convention when several coaches came up to him and thanked him for taking a stand last fall.
He wrote on Instagram: “And just like that… I’m officially out of the love island villa. What a mad, unforgettable ride.
“First off, thank you to every single one of you who’s supported me—whether you were backing me to find love, keeping up with the show, or just curious from what you’ve seen online—I’m genuinely grateful.
“My journey might’ve been shorter than expected, but I walked in as me and walked out as me. No regrets,” he continued.
Dumped Love Island star Remell confirms he’s dating villa girl he wasn’t coupled up with as they ‘soft launch’ romance
“I got to meet some incredible people, make real bonds and live out something most only dream about.
“Seeing my name in headlines has been surreal to say the least—but trust, this is just the beginning.”
“I’m walking out with my head high and my heart full. Can’t wait to show you lot what’s next.”
The ban by India’s government of online betting games has ended the national cricket team’s sponsorship by Dream11.
Published On 2 Sep 20252 Sep 2025
India are looking for a new lead sponsor to replace Indian fantasy sports platform Dream11 after the government banned real-money online gaming last month, leaving the world’s richest cricket board scrambling to secure new revenue.
Dream11, which had signed a three-year contract worth about 3.6 billion rupees ($44m) running through 2026, can no longer sponsor the national team after the central government banned real-money online games as well as their promotion, including fantasy sports.
India’s upper house of parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 last month.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which commands some of the world’s most lucrative broadcast deals thanks to cricket’s popularity and India’s vast population, set a September 16 deadline for new bid submissions.
The auction is unlikely to remain unsold for long, but with the Asia Cup starting on September 9, India may take the field without a front-of-shirt sponsor in the opening week, which includes the marquee match against rivals Pakistan on September 14.
The Economic Times reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter, that the board is seeking 35 million rupees ($397.6k) per match for bilaterals, and 15 million ($170.4k) per match for India’s fixtures in International Cricket Council and Asian Cricket Council tournaments in a three-year sponsorship cycle.
Over an estimated 140 games in the 2025-28 cycle, the BCCI expects to generate about 4.52 billion rupees ($51.3m), about 940 million ($10.7m) more than under Dream11’s deal, which was 3.58 billion ($40.7m) for the period July 2023 to March 2026 – an uplift of more than 20 percent.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca thinks Cole Palmer’s injury is “not random” and is concerned about the lingering effects of winning the Fifa Club World Cup.
The 23-year-old forward has been ruled out of Saturday’s Premier League match at home to Fulham.
Palmer’s injury has been linked to an unprecedented 12-month season where his team played 64 matches, including the expanded Club World Cup tournament in July.
After beating Paris St-Germain in New Jersey on July 13, and having less than two weeks to prepare for the current campaign, Chelsea had their shortest ever gap between seasons. This included the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns, which were impacted by the Covid pandemic.
When asked about Palmer’s absence, Maresca said: “I don’t think that it is random that our three players with the most minutes last year were Levi [Colwill], Cole and Moi [Caicedo].
“Levi is injured, Cole too and Moi today only had his first training session since the West Ham game.
“It is not random, it is the amount of games. Look at [Manchester] City last year, they lost Rodri after two or three games. He was a player that had the most minutes for them.
“We are going to have problems this season for sure because of last season. But It’s about how we can adapt and get players to recover.”
England defender Colwill started 35 of Chelsea’s 38 league matches last season but is expected to be out for the majority of the season after knee surgery.
Meanwhile, Caicedo is now a doubt for the visit of Fulham, having been Chelsea’s only player to start every league match last season.
Palmer, who pulled out of last week’s win at West Ham with a niggle in the warm-up, was also a near ever-present in the previous campaign.
Maresca added: “I have said that with Cole we are much better with him than without him. But if he has some problems we need to give him the right time to recover.
“It doesn’t matter if Estevao [Willian] is there or not, we can’t tell Cole he can relax, we need Cole back at 100%.”
Fifpro president Sergio Marchi claimed Fifa “chose to continue increasing its revenue at the expense of the players’ bodies and health” in July after Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over PSG to end the tournament in the United States.
A look at two of this week’s top high school football games in the Southland:
THURSDAY
Corona Centennial (1-0) vs. Santa Margarita (0-1) at Trabuco Hills, 7:30 p.m.
Centennial is trying to go to 2-0 against Trinity League teams after a 42-14 win over Servite. Quarterback Dominick Catalano made an impressive senior debut running the offense. It will be a lot tougher against a Santa Margarita defense with an active, aggressive front seven. Look for the Eagles to try to get the ball more often to receiver Trent Mosley. The pick: Santa Margarita.
FRIDAY
Valencia (1-0) at Chaminade (1-0), 7 p.m.
Chaminade upset Oaks Christian last week, showing off its very good offensive line. Valencia has a top dual-threat quarterback in Brady Bretthauer, plus explosive running back Brian Bonner. The pick: Valencia.
If you browse through social media, it’s easy to find commentary about canceling the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
There are Angelenos who lack confidence in the city and county’s ability to roll out the red carpet due to perceived failures during the Palisades and Altadena fires.
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One syndicated columnist pleaded with L.A. not to work with “a lawless U.S. regime,” while sportswriter and author Jeff Pearlman wondered if Latin American athletes would feel safe in the U.S. due to the Trump administration’s current deportations.
There are pushes from some, but how possible is it that the Games will be canceled?
Why is backing out difficult? We’re three years away
Host cities and host country national organizing committees (in this country, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee) sign a host city contract (HCC) after the International Olympic Committee officially awards the Games.
The contract for the 2028 Games, signed by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti and then-City Council President Herb Wesson in September 2017, includes procedures for termination from the IOC’s perspective but doesn’t leave the same option for the host city or the national organizing committee.
“While one cannot foreclose all potential theories, it is hard to imagine a scenario where Los Angeles could terminate the HCC without facing substantial legal issues,” Nathan O’Malley, an international arbitration lawyer and a partner at Musick, Peeler & Garrett, wrote in an email. “Especially if the reason for ending the contract was a political disagreement between the federal, state and local branches of government.”
When even COVID-19 didn’t stop the Games
After an initial one-year delay of the Tokyo Games, medical professionals pleaded to cancel amid rising COVID-19 cases.
LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman has emphasized that he has assurances from the federal government that the United States will be open, despite recent travel bans and tighter scrutiny of international travelers arriving in the U.S.
Trump’s June proclamation includes exemptions for athletes, team personnel or immediate relatives entering the country for the FIFA World Cup, the Olympics or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State.
If any city should be ready to host the biggest Olympics in history, it should be L.A. Not only because of the existing venues, but because of the unprecedented 11-year planning time after the IOC awarded the Games in 2017.
Now with less than three years remaining, relocating to a city that would likely have to build new venues would be unrealistic for the IOC.
“For Los Angeles, a city whose identity is partly predicated on staging the Olympics twice, and now having a third time,” said Mark Dyreson, a sports historian at Penn State University, “I think it would be really, really difficult for L.A. to give up the Olympics.”
(Illustrations by Lindsey Made This; photograph by Jamie-Lee B.)
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