Dean Herrington said he has been let go as football coach at St. Francis after five seasons during which his teams won three league championships and made two Southern Section finals.
The team went 2-8 this season and failed to make the playoffs in a season in which there were numerous injuries at the quarterback position. St. Francis ended the regular season with a stunning 28-21 win over Cathedral.
Herrington also enjoyed success as head coach at Bishop Alemany and Paraclete. He said Wednesday night, “It was shocking but maybe a good parting of ways.” The school told him there were concerns about culture and morale issues.
Herrington should be quick to pick up offers from other high schools and junior colleges. He has been known for developing top quarterbacks.
He took over at St. Francis for his good friend and former Hart player, the late Jim Bonds.
Within 24 hours of approving a rule change that will allow student athletes and athletic department staff to bet only on professional sports, the FBI arrested more than 30 people in connection with a major sports gambling and betting scheme. The level of sophistication alleged in one 22-page indictment reads like an “Ocean’s Eleven” script with four New York Mafia families, a current NBA player and a head coach all allegedly involved.
For Adam Silver, commissioner of the NBA, the news and arrests are a public relations nightmare.
But for the NCAA, it’s a warning.
Since a 2018 Supreme Court ruling paved the way for sports betting, more than 35 states have legalized it, so I understand why the industry no longer feels dirty. But the governing body for more than half a million young athletes must remember nothing will ever sanitize that industry.
A century ago, the Black Sox scandal nearly destroyed baseball in America. Fast forward a hundred years and we find out 16 professional tennis players — including a U.S. Open champion — were fixing matches for gambling syndicates in Russia and Italy. In between, Pete “Charlie Hustle” Rose received a lifetime ban for betting on baseball games as a manager and Tim Donaghy, an NBA referee, is busted for betting on games. Last year, former NBA player Jontay Porter was found to have placed several bets on games using another person’s account. We call him “former” because the league banned him for life.
So, if NCAA officials believe it is too cumbersome to enforce its current gambling ban (it is investigating multiple violations across several schools), imagine what life inside the organization would be like without some sort of deterrent.
In fact, no imagination is required. Just read the indictment filed by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The FBI alleges the gambling scheme began in 2019, operated across 11 states and involved crime families with origins that date back more than a century.
According to documents, hidden cameras, programmable card shuffling machines and X-ray tables were among the pieces of technology used to steal tens of millions from victims during rigged poker games. Those allegedly involved in the scheme included Chauncey Billups — a Hall of Fame player and head coach of the Portland Trailblazers. Authorities said Billups, who led the Detroit Pistons to the 2004 championship, used his celebrity to lure in victims. In addition, the FBI said Damon Jones, a former player and assistant coach for the Lakers, shared inside information about the health of LeBron James with betters back in 2023. Terry Rozier, an active NBA player on a $100-million contract, was also arrested.
Now consider this: There are roughly 40,000 young men and women who play NCAA basketball and about 8,000 head and assistant coaches leading teams. How confident are you that March Madness won’t take on a different meaning if coaches and players are allowed to bet on games and find themselves underwater? A recent UC San Diego study found internet searches seeking help with gambling addiction increased 23% between 2018 and June 2024.
And while it’s true, the new rule maintains a ban against student athletes and coaches betting on college sports — so there are some guardrails against fixing games — but tilting outcomes is only one possible harm from gambling. The International Tennis Federation found that angry gamblers accounted for 40% of social media attacks aimed at players, with several threats credible enough to be submitted to the FBI. And there is already evidence that college students who aren’t athletes are using student loan money to place bets, and a 2023 NCAA survey found that 14% of U.S. 18- to 22-year-olds bet at least a few times a week.
Another 16% use a bookie.
I repeat: a bookie.
This just feels like a tragedy we can all see coming.
And we’re to believe the NCAA will be equipped to protect student athletes from predators when the Mafia is said to be using professional athletes and X-ray machines to steal from card players who are supposed to know better? The decision-making process for the human brain isn’t fully developed until a person is 25, and the NCAA just voted to let 18-year-olds with “name, image, likeness” money go in the deep water with sharks.
Given what just unfolded in the NBA this week the responsible move for the NCAA would be to pause the rule change — which is to take effect Nov. 1 — and reassess the risks. It’s one thing for sports gambling to cost a pro athlete to lose his career. It would be worse to see addiction or debt obligations steal a young person’s future before it begins.
In the spring of 2020, Doug Caines was burned out and finished coaching football.
“The COVID season probably broke me,” he said.
He had been head coach at Dos Pueblos High since 2018. He had been head coach at Santa Barbara from 2012-14. He remained at Dos Pueblos as a media arts teacher and focused on his own kids.
Then, in 2023, he was approached about becoming the girls’ flag football coach in the first season of the sport. It changed his life.
“Honestly, I’ve never had this much fun coaching football,” he said. “Man is it fun. The girls are just coachable and want to play and most are other athletes first.”
Dos Pueblos flag football receiver Brooklyn Hedricks, left, and quarterback Kacey Hurley.
(Michael Owen Baker/For The Times)
That feeling of fun, players wanting to learn and parents watching to enjoy the game instead of worrying about college recruiters best describes the third season of flag football. Everyone realizes this purity probably won’t last for long. Players are already getting offered flag football scholarships to colleges. High schools have started to seek out players.
Yet for now, the participants are enjoying just having the chance to play a sport that used to be reserved for boys.
“Before freshman year, I had never played and never heard of it,” said star Dos Pueblos receiver/defensive back Brooklyn Hendricks, whose father, George, is head baseball coach and also an assistant flag coach.
Dos Pueblos head coach Doug Caines, center, talks with his players during halftime.
(Michael Owen Baker/For The Times)
She was a travel ball player for years in softball. Her parents spent lots of time and money taking her to games around the country. Guess what has happened in her junior year of high school?
“Softball was my best sport, but flag football honestly is my best,” she said. “To get a scholarship offer is crazy.”
Dos Pueblos is 18-2 and part of a strong group of teams from Ventura County and the Santa Barbara area ready to challenge the powerful teams in Orange County. Dos Pueblos’ took 18-1 Orange Lutheran to overtime before losing.
“That was the most intense game I’ve played in,” Hendricks said. “It was such a battle back and forth. It was so much fun.”
Besides Hendricks, who has more than 30 interceptions in her flag football career, quarterback Kacey Hurley has been a key contributor. Last season Hurley was the center snapping the ball to the quarterback. Now she’s the one firing spirals, with 49 touchdown passes so far.
The regular season ends on Oct. 15. The playoffs are Oct. 21, 25, 28 and Nov. 1 with the championship games on Nov. 8.
Caines has been revitalized and rejuvenated.
“It’s been magical,” he said. “The first year was so fun. No expectations. Everything was new — the first game, the first touchdown, the first interception. We’ve been able to keep that going.”
Based on Caines’ coaching experience, a real trend in the coming years could be veteran 11-man football coaches switching to flag football to get back to the days of players learning from scratch and appreciating every moment at practice and games.
Meanwhile, the players will keep having strange dances before and after games, applying eyeblack like it’s makeup and, most of all, having fun playing a sport that isn’t their main one but could be one day.
“This team has great chemistry,” Hendricks said. “There’s never any drama. We have a good set of coaches, We focus on having more fun. We love a win. That’s great. But it’s more of a family.”
The fallout from UCLA coach DeShaun Foster’s dismissal deepened Wednesday when interim coach Tim Skipper disclosed that defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe had agreed to “mutually part ways” with the team, depriving the Bruins of one of their most respected assistant coaches.
Meeting with reporters for the first time since he was selected to coach the team for the rest of the season, Skipper said he didn’t know the specifics of Malloe’s departure. One person close to the coaching staff, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the subject, told The Times that Malloe couldn’t get past blaming himself for the team’s 0-3 start, even suggesting that he be fired instead of Foster, so it was agreed that it would be best if he took time to regroup and focus on himself.
UCLA interim head football coach Tim Skipper claps as players participate in practice at Drake Stadium on Wednesday.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
It’s believed that Skipper will be given the resources needed to bolster his coaching staff if he wanted to bring in another assistant. In the meantime, Skipper said the team would take a collaborative approach among remaining staff to coaching the defense.
Malloe was a favorite of players and was known for demanding as much from himself as anyone on the team, choking up early last season when he discussed the need to fix the Bruins’ defense. After Malloe made two personnel switches, moving Oluwafami Oladejo from linebacker to edge rusher while elevating linebacker Carson Schwesinger into the starting lineup, UCLA’s defense went on to be a team strength.
Even though UCLA’s defense struggled in the early going this season, giving up 36 points and 431 yards per game, Malloe remained universally adored by players.
“I know some of the defensive guys loved him so much, and sorry to see him go,” offensive tackle Garrett DiGiorgio said. “Initial reaction as a man, he’s a great person, great family person, and he brought so much value to this team. It’s just unfortunate that I feel like he felt somewhat responsible, along with Foster as well. All we can do is support him on his next step, and hopefully he can come back and see the guys at some point.”
There were no immediate roster defections, Skipper saying that every player was accounted for going into one of the team’s longest practices of the season. Players will have 30 days to enter the transfer portal after their coach bid them farewell during an emotional meeting Sunday morning.
DiGiorgio said Foster told the players who were able to attend the hastily arranged meeting early in the team’s bye week to keep their heads up and keep pushing. Making things all the more difficult was the culpability that some players beared for the team’s fortunes.
“I felt somewhat accountable as a player and as a captain,” DiGiorgio said, “of letting him down as head coach.”
UCLA interim head football coach Tim Skipper talks with media before practice at Drake Stadium on Wednesday.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Skipper acknowledged the strain of replacing a close friend who had visited his parents’ house and eaten his mother’s cooking, saying he considered Foster part of his family.
“It definitely wasn’t just great feelings and things like that,” Skipper said of the situation, “but we both know we’ve got to move on.”
This is the second time in as many seasons that Skipper will serve as an interim coach after taking over for Jeff Tedford in July 2024 and guiding Fresno State to a 6-7 record that included an appearance in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Having served in an inconspicuous role since his arrival as special assistant to the head coach in the middle of July, Skipper spent part of the last few days introducing himself to players and letting them know about his history as a former middle linebacker at Fresno State who has made coaching stops at eight schools.
First impressions have been positive.
“His initial energy and just the way he is in meetings,” DiGiorgio said, “I think he’s trying to uplift us as athletes and he’s not really trying to focus too much on what happened but more on the future and what we can do.”
Skipper was upbeat in his first public remarks since taking over for Foster, shaking every reporter’s hand before encouraging them to call him “Skip,” his preferred nickname. He said he would treat this bye week as a sort of mini-training camp before shifting into game preparation mode for the Bruins’ Big Ten Conference opener against Northwestern on Sept. 27.
“We are completely resetting,” Skipper said. “We’re not going to dwell on the past, we’re not going to dream about the future. We’re going to worry about right now.”
How do the Bruins go from the Big Ten’s only winless team to one that can start having success?
“We need to change our style of play, as far as how hard and how fast and how physical we play, OK?” Skipper said. “Starting with me and the rest of the staff, we have to make sure we simplify things so guys can play full speed ahead and there’s less thinking. That’s kind of my whole motto.”
Rediscovering the joy in football is part of that new approach. DiGiorgio said players are starting to play music in the locker room again, the offensive lineman bringing in his own portable sound system for everyone to enjoy.
“We’ve got to be able to come out here and not treat practice as practice,” DiGiorgio said, “but more as something that we get to do and we have the ability to be on this team.”
DiGiorgio said players would also meet with athletic director Martin Jarmond every Sunday to talk about how things are going with the team and try to build momentum for the rest of the season. Jarmond received public support for the coaching change Wednesday in a statement from Chancellor Julio Frenk provided to The Times.
“At a top university like UCLA, a successful football program plays a powerful role in building community and strengthening connections,” Frenk said in the statement. “I support Martin Jarmond’s decision to replace the football coach. As the leader of our athletics program, he will oversee the process of hiring a new head coach who will elevate UCLA football to national prominence and uphold our commitment to ensuring the best experience for our student-athletes.”
As far as the rest of this season goes, Skipper said he wouldn’t measure success by wins and losses but style of play.
“We need to get out there and give a product that everybody’s proud of,” Skipper said, “that’s exactly all I’m worried about.”
The DeShaun Foster era is over after 15 games and just five victories, the former UCLA star running back’s storybook rise to head coach at his alma mater coming to an abrupt, deflating end.
After an 0-3 start that included back-to-back losses to Mountain West Conference teams, Foster was dismissed on Sunday in a move that showed the Bruins will no longer accept their status as the laughingstock of the college football world.
Tim Skipper, the former Fresno State interim coach who was brought in as a special assistant to Foster before this season, will serve as the interim coach for the rest of the season as the school commences a search for a permanent replacement.
UCLA was outscored by a 108-43 margin in its first three losses, leading to trolling tweets from the Big Sky and Pac-12 conferences in addition to widespread ridicule from national media figures who noted that the Bruins had clinched last place in the Mountain West and were the only remaining winless team in the Big Ten.
Athletic director Martin Jarmond said he made the decision to remove Foster after consultation with UCLA chancellor Julio Frenk, acting swiftly because there was no clear path to success in the Big Ten even with an extra week to prepare for the conference opener against Northwestern on Sept. 26.
“I felt with the timing, the bye week,” Jarmond said, “it gave our young men the opportunity to just take a breath, recalibrate and change some things that give them the best chance to finish out the season strong and also as a signal to our fans that this is not what Bruin football is going to be.”
Jarmond accepted responsibility for having hired Foster in February 2024 after a process lasting less than 72 hours and said he regretted putting the rookie coach in a difficult situation going into a new conference after national signing day with just half a year to prepare.
“I think you make the best decisions with the circumstances and the resources that you have to work with,” Jarmond said, referring to the constraints of still having the reduced revenue of Pac-12 membership combined with a condensed timeline.
Foster, who compiled a 5-10 record in a little more than one full season, is owed roughly $6.43 million in buyout money per the terms of his five-year contract, barring a new job that offsets that amount. UCLA said it would pay Foster’s buyout from athletic department-generated funds.
“Serving as the head coach at UCLA, my beloved alma mater, has been the honor of a lifetime,” Foster said in a statement. “While I am deeply disappointed that we were unable to achieve the success that our players, fans, and university deserve, I am grateful for the opportunity to have led this program.”
Starting Monday, the coaching change will open a 30-day transfer window for UCLA players who want to leave for other teams. Since the Bruins have not played four games, departing players will have the option to use a redshirt season but not immediately play for their new team.
The Bruins already appear to have lost three high school recruits after Johnnie Jones, a four-star offensive tackle from Bradenton, Fla.; Anthony Jones, a three-star defensive lineman from Irvine Crean Lutheran High; and Yahya Gaad, a three-star edge rusher from Medina, Tenn., said they were no longer committed to the school.
Foster’s dismissal shifts the spotlight onto Jarmond, who made the unconventional move to hire Foster despite Foster’s having no experience as a coordinator or head coach. Jarmond’s reluctance to fire coach Chip Kelly at the end of the previous season after the Bruins had absorbed embarrassing home losses to Arizona State and California necessitated the need for a quick replacement once Kelly left to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, leading some to blame the athletic director for leaving the football program in such a bind.
“I understand the criticism,” Jarmond said. “What I’ll remind you is these decisions aren’t made in a vacuum. There are many stakeholders and factors that go into where and when and how to make a coaching change. That said, ultimately, I’m the athletic director. I’m the steward of this program, and the buck stops with me.”
Foster’s biggest selling points were his status as a legendary UCLA player who had appeared in the Bruins’ last Rose Bowl game in 1999 and his success as a running backs coach at the school under previous head coaches Jim Mora and Kelly.
During a meeting at Jarmond’s home the night before Foster’s hiring, the candidate told his future boss that he would win through a relentless approach.
DeShaun Foster, left, holds up a UCLA jersey with athletic director Martin Jarmond after being introduced as UCLA’s new football coach on Feb. 13, 2024.
(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
“He said, ‘Listen, Martin, no one’s going to outwork me, no one’s going to outwork this program,’” Jarmond said on the day of Foster’s introductory news conference. “ ‘If we lose a game, it’s going to be because we just weren’t good enough that day. But I guarantee you, I’m going to do everything I can and in my power to make this program successful.’ ”
In announcing the move, UCLA said a comprehensive national search for Foster’s replacement would involve Jarmond and executive senior associate athletics director Erin Adkins, who would be assisted by a committee composed of accomplished sports and business executives and UCLA greats that would be announced once finalized.
What will the Bruins be seeking in their next coach during a search that’s expected to last several months unless an ideal candidate who is available suddenly materializes?
“It’s got to be someone who exemplars our true Bruin values — respect, integrity and just understands those four letters,” Jarmond said, “but we’ll be looking for a coach quite frankly who sees the vision to take UCLA to the playoffs. We want to win at the highest level.”
Jarmond emphasized that this search was very different than the one that led to Foster’s hiring, noting the increased resources available because of UCLA’s move to the Big Ten and the extended timeline that will presumably lead to a wider pool of attractive candidates.
Jarmond touted Foster’s passion and integrity among the biggest factors that led to his hiring, and it didn’t hurt that the coach was wildly popular among returning players, allowing the Bruins to keep much of their roster intact heading into his debut season.
But Foster’s inexperience showed in his first game, the coach admitting he was nervous and unsure about how to address reporters after his team rallied for a victory over Hawaii. The Bruins started the season 1-5 before winning four of their last six games, momentarily steadying Foster’s standing with donors and fans.
A flurry of offseason moves in which Foster overhauled his coaching staff and scored a number of big recruiting wins, including the acquisition of star Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava from the transfer portal, appeared to show signs of growing on the job. Another promising development came during Big Ten media days in July, when Foster delivered a coherent opening message one year after stumbling his way through widely mocked and memed remarks that included the coach telling reporters, “We’re in L.A.”
But there was also a curious step backward. The coach who initially said he wanted to give his program a family feel, holding a carnival-like spring practice complete with a fire twirler and putting names on the backs of jerseys to help reporters identify players, severely curtailed access to practices and player interviews during training camp.
Foster’s team couldn’t consistently move the ball, get defensive stops or avoid penalties. The Bruins are still seeking their first lead of the 2025 season after having fallen behind 20-0 against Utah, 23-0 against UNLV and 14-0 against New Mexico.
Foster’s pillars of discipline, respect and enthusiasm clearly never took hold given his players’ repeated penalties, lagging preparation for lesser opponents and lack of passion on the sideline.
In his final meeting with reporters before his dismissal, Foster initially blamed his team’s shortcomings on a lack of execution before finally accepting culpability when pressed by a reporter about who was ultimately responsible.
“Everything that happens can fall on me,” said Foster, who turns 46 in January. “I’m the head coach, so it can fall on me.”
Trying to sound upbeat in a monotone voice, Foster said he would use the bye week to make tweaks before the Bruins opened Big Ten play on the road against Northwestern.
“You know, we’ve got two weeks to fix this,” Foster said, “and just looking forward to this opportunity to get it fixed.”
A proud Bruin having met an inglorious ending, those fixes will now be in the hands of someone else.
Derwin Henderson was not intending to coach this season. He hadn’t been a head coach since 2019 at Hawthorne. But he lives in the Inland Empire, and Rialto High kept asking him to take the open position. He finally relented, and big changes are already taking place.
Rialto is off to a 3-0 start with wins over Ontario, Temecula Prep and Indio. That’s notable because the team was 0-10 last season and 1-9 in 2023.
Henderson has been a head coach at Morningside, South East and Hawthorne. He was in the LAPD for 33 years, rising to sergeant. His son, Bryce, is a freshman football player at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
Linebacker Alberto Tapia has been a standout for Rialto on defense. Noah Valdez is a top athlete on offense and defense.
The games figure to get tougher in the coming weeks, but there’s a culture change at Rialto that certainly is good for the players and the student body.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
Brett Steigh, a Narbonne High graduate, booster, local businessman and gambler, claims he violated City and Southern Section rules by paying parents of high school football players to help level the playing field.
Steigh said during a Monday night appearance on the “Fattal Factor” podcast that he paid parents to secure transfers for Narbonne and St. Bernard before currently “helping” Bishop Montgomery. Narbonne in Harbor City is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, while the Archdiocese of Los Angeles operates St. Bernard in Playa del Rey and Bishop Montgomery in Torrance.
While name, image and likeness policies allow for payment of players, recruiting transfer athletes and paying their parents as much as $50,000 remains a violation of the California Interscholastic Federation’s undue influence rules.
“I ain’t doing nothing that others aren’t doing,” Steigh said, alleging Orange County private schools, including national powerhouse Mater Dei, paid to secure transfer players.
A Mater Dei spokesperson has not yet responded to a request for comment in response to the allegation.
Steigh said he recruited players in 2018 and 2024 to Narbonne without the knowledge of the head coaches while paying parents to move. Both times, Narbonne was sanctioned by the City Section for rule violations.
He said he met with St. Bernard President Carter Paysinger in 2020 and agreed to support that school after former Narbonne coach Manuel Douglas took over the program. Douglas told The Times on Tuesday the payments reached close to $1 million between funding tuition for incoming freshman football players and improvements at the school. Douglas said school administrators were aware of the contributions.
Steigh said he has now been “supporting” Bishop Montgomery with the knowledge of the school’s president, Patrick Lee.
Bishop Montgomery had five transfers declared ineligible by the Southern Section and has received more than 20 transfers in its football program entering this school year. The school fired its head coach, Ed Hodgkiss, on Saturday.
In a text message to The Times, Lee denied any connection to Steigh.
“What he said was an outright lie,” Lee said. “Neither the principal nor I ever met this man, spoke to him, emailed him, texted him — nothing.”
The City and Southern Section commissioners are aware of the statements Steigh made during the podcast, with one telling The Times they are reviewing them.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is investigating why five Bishop Montgomery transfer students were declared ineligible for two years by the Southern Section for violating CIF bylaw 202, which involves submitting false information. The archdiocese declined to address questions about Steigh’s allegations.
“The Archdiocese of Los Angeles does not discuss details of an ongoing investigation,” a spokesperson told The Times. “Once we have more information, we’ll share that with you.”
Bishop Montgomery canceled the game it was scheduled to play Friday against Leuzinger High, the second consecutive week the team forfeited a game after calling off a contest against Mater Dei last week. If Bishop Montgomery cancels the remainder of its football season, the players on the roster might be free to immediately transfer to other programs if they get a hardship waiver.
Steigh said he agreed to appear on reporter Tarek Fattal’s podcast because he felt it was wrong that Hodgkiss — the Bishop Montgomery football coach — was fired.
“Pat knew what the deal was and now he’s backing away. Not fair,” Steigh said, referring to the Bishop Montgomery president.
Hodgkiss told The Times he has been advised by legal counsel not to answer any questions.
A Bishop Montgomery parent wrote in a letter to The Times that an influx of football transfers joining the program was given preferential treatment.
“Returning players were demoted, excluded from trips or quit,” the parent wrote. “Archdiocesan Catholic values appear secondary to short-term athletic exposure. Despite my June outreach to the school, no reply ever came.”
In the spring, The Times asked new Bishop Montgomery Principal Michele Starkey if she was aware of any involvement by Steigh in Bishop Montgomery’s program. She said no.
When Steigh was asked during the podcast why he would risk players’ eligibility by getting involved at Bishop Montgomery, Steigh said he felt previous administrations he worked with didn’t have the backbone to succeed at recruiting players.
“They told us it wouldn’t be … sorry I shouldn’t say that,” Steigh said of Bishop Montgomery’s leadership. “They’re basically supporting to win right now.”
When pressed for more details, Steigh said, “I can’t comment on any players at Bishop Montgomery.”
He said he has now decided to retire from supporting high school football programs.
Steigh said he previously was a traditional booster at Narbonne, making donations to help pay for helmets, uniforms and a washing machine.
“In 2018, I decided to play the game that everyone else was playing,” Steigh said. “The head coach at the time did not want to do this. It was all on me. I lied to him. These players just showed up. Why? I wanted to compete with the private schools. I felt it was unfair public schools being left behind.”
Four coaches of Marine League schools forfeited games against Narbonne last season while demanding a City Section investigation into whether transfers were paid to play for the school.
“All these rumors through all these years, it’s all true,” Steigh said. “It was all me.”
The question of whether Bishop Montgomery’s football team goes forward with its season after firing its head coach on Saturday and forfeiting last week to Mater Dei remains uncertain.
The school fired head coach Ed Hodgkiss and did not announce a replacement. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles continues to conduct an investigation into why five transfer students were declared ineligible for two years by the Southern Section for violating CIF bylaw 202, which involves submitting false information.
Bishop Montgomery is scheduled to play Leuzinger on Friday, but Leuzinger coach Jason Miller said he canceled practice on Monday considering the holiday and uncertainty over whether the game would be played. Bishop Montgomery forfeited its game last week to Mater Dei after numerous players were suspended for leaving the sideline before the end of a game in Hawaii in which the Knights lost 34-27.
Adding another possible twist, if Bishop Montgomery were to cancel its season, players could seek a hardship waiver from the Southern Section to gain immediate athletic eligibility at another school without moving. When programs have been dropped in the past, that opens the way for hardship waivers. And Bishop Montgomery has lots of players other programs would welcome.
A decision on the program’s future is expected this week.
E.C. Robinson turned 80 earlier this month. He was head coach at Locke High when Darian Hagen and Sirr Parker were standout City Section football players in the 1980s and 1990s. Then he went to coach at University.
Now one of his sons, Bryan, is head coach at University, with another son, Jason, the offensive coordinator, and he’s serving as a proud “consultant.”
Together, they’re trying to resurrect a University program that was down to less than 25 players three years ago. The roster has increased to more than 70, with the return of a junior varsity team, and the Robinsons are committed to “restoring pride” in the program.
University coach Bryan Robinson (left) and brother Jason Robinson, an assistant, with their father, 80-year-old EC Robinson, a former Locke and University coach.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
It’s a true Los Angeles story, with Bryan calling it “about homecoming, mentorship and generational impact.”
Like his father, Bryan became a teacher. He has been making frequent visits to Emerson Middle School, the feeder school for University, trying to convince students to come out for football.
When he was playing some 20 years ago, most of his classmates started in youth football. These days he must teach from scratch, showing kids how to put on shoulder pads, block and tackle.
“It’s not a lot of guys who’ve played,” he said. “It’s fun but also challenging. I get to instill all our football knowledge while they are raw.”
Bruce Davis, a former UCLA All-American linebacker who went on to win the Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers, is also on the coaching staff.
“My brother, coach Davis and I are big on development,” Bryan said. “We’re not just herding them out there. We’re really spending time fine-tuning these athletes, really developing them so they can compete on a higher level.
University quarterback Jeremy Pacheco (left) and defensive back Tareq Abdul.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
The team won its opening game against Lincoln 21-19, with junior Tareq Abdul making two interceptions and sophomore linebacker D’Elliott Jones contributing 12 tackles. Quarterback Jeremy Pacheco returned from a knee injury in 2024 to throw a touchdown pass.
This past week, University improved to 2-0 with a 19-8 win over Fremont. Abdul had another interception, returning it for a touchdown.
EC Robinson said the game has changed since the 1980s, when the focus was on running the football. Now passing is prominent, even in youth football.
He largely stays in the background, observing and offering advice when needed.
“I did a lot when they first got the job a couple years ago,” he said. “I wanted to make sure they were doing the right things with the kids. Paperwork is a big issue, making sure the kids are cleared. During the game, I monitor when you call a timeout. I’m trying to make sure they learn practice structure.”
It’s pretty fun when your father is serving as a mentor and is close by to answer questions about a game he has taught for decades.
As Bryan said, “We’re not just building a team — we’re restoring pride in a program with deep roots in Los Angeles football history.”
A look at two of this week’s top high school football games:
FRIDAY
Mission Viejo vs. Santa Margarita at Trabuco Hills
Carson Palmer debuts as head coach for Santa Margarita, which has perhaps the toughest schedule in Southern California. It won’t be easy taking down quarterback Luke Fahey and the Diablos, but the return of Trent Mosley at receiver, the arrival of Trace Johnson at quarterback and a strong defensive line make this the most intriguing game of the night. The pick: Mission Viejo.
Eagle Rock at Granada Hills Kennedy
It’s two All-City quarterbacks going at it, with Liam Pasten vs. Diego Montes. Both teams are favored to win their respective leagues, so this is big for playoff seedings. The pick: Eagle Rock.
The Foothill League doesn’t have to take a back seat to any league when it comes to tradition and success, from producing state champions to being the league where Hall of Fame coaches Harry Welch and Mike Herrington once saw huge success.
All seven schools that are part of the William S. Hart Union High School District took part Saturday in the first Foothill League media day at Saugus High. There’s much to admire about the league, including that all seven schools have athletic trainers and six of the seven head coaches are also full-time teachers.
Valencia running back Brian Bonner on why he stayed four years at the same high school: “The coaches showed me a lot of love the past four years. If I’m doing fine at Valencia, there’s no reason to leave and go somewhere else.” pic.twitter.com/mK9rJx9vAQ
Hart, Canyon and Valencia have produced their share of NFL players. And this season, Valencia has the talent to make a run in Southern Section Division 2 or 3 with the return of running back Brian Bonner, a Washington commit, and quarterback Brady Bretthauer.
Coach Larry Muir is entering his 20th season as head coach and still teaching four classes of U.S. history each day. “He’s a lot nicer in the classroom,” Bretthauer joked. “He picks on the football player.”
Bretthauer also revealed how he motivates his linemen to block. “If I get sacked, no In-N-Out,” he said.
Even though Muir is challenged daily to balance his time and commitment from teaching to coaching football, Muir said he wouldn’t want it any other way. “I love being in the classroom,” he said. “I literally don’t feel I go to work. “
The rivalries in the league guarantee the sports-crazed Santa Clarita Valley weekly entertainment. About the only issue is a lack of stadiums. Canyon and Valencia have stadiums and College of the Canyons also hosts games.
“It’s playoffs every week,” Golden Valley coach Dan Kelley said. “There are no slouches.”
Golden Valley will have a four-year starter in lineman Evan Nye, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound senior.
Castaic is turning to junior Aidan Mojica, a former tight end, as its new quarterback. There’s a promising sophomore linebacker in Lucas Duryea, who will be eligible at the end of September after transferring from Chaminade.
West Ranch has a first-year head coach in TJ Yonkers. Its top returning defensive player is Max Piccolino, who had 15 1/2 sacks last season.
Carson Soria, a former receiver, is moving to quarterback for Canyon. He’s also the punter, so beware of trick plays.
Hart quarterback Jacob Paisano will be trying to get the ball to junior Matix Frithsmith in a variety ways, whether Frithsmith is playing running back or slot receiver. Two of Hart’s players are the sons of principal Jason D’Autremont.
Saugus has the son of Valencia principal Kullen Welch playing for them, which should make for an interesting game when those two schools play. Beckham Welch is an offensive lineman for the Centurions.
Saugus coach Jason Bornn, who organized the media day, wondered how many championships would be won if the talent in the area was concentrated at one or two schools rather than seven.
“If we only had one or two high schools, Mater Dei and St. John Bosco wouldn’t have a chance,” he said.
It was perfect timing on Monday for the Moore League to hold its first football media day, considering that five of the seven head coaches are new and the host school, Long Beach Jordan, is opening its new stadium next week.
Alfred Rowe (Long Beach Jordan), Mario Morales (Lakewood), Justin Utupo (Long Beach Poly), Raudric Curtis (Long Beach Wilson) and Malcolm Manuel (Long Beach Cabrillo) all promised to lead their respective programs to success through passion and determination. The two returning coaches, Romeo Pellum (Long Beach Millikan) and Calvin Bryant (Compton), offered similar commitments.
“Just having a new stadium and changing the culture, it’s exciting,” said Rowe, who went to Long Beach Poly and played for Pete Carroll at USC. “The most important thing is effort. Our goal is nobody is going to outplay us.”
Compton has a new stadium and a new $225-million, 31-acre campus. Bryant spent five years having his students attend a former middle school. “Our guys are fired up,” Bryant said. “I can’t get them to go home.”
They love their weight room. They love their classrooms. The team went 3-7 last season but could be one of the most improved. They just added All-City running back Edward Rivera from South East.
Five of the seven head coaches are Black, reinforcing the diversity of the schools they represent. “The coaches and leaders look like their players,” Lakewood’s Morales said.
Curtis played at Pomona-Pitzer and is a former head coach at Bellflower and was an assistant at Mayfair. “Wilson is not going to be edged out any longer,” he vowed. “We’re not going to take a back seat any longer.”
There were big-time players in attendance, including 6-foot-4, 220-pound tight end Jude Nelson of Long Beach Millikan. He’s bigger now than his brother, quarterback Malachi Nelson. “I can beat him up a little,” he joked.
Poly brought quarterback Deuce Jefferson (Weber State), cornerback Donte Wright Jr. (Georgia), tight end Jaden Hernandez (Colorado State), among others. Lineman Anthony Rodriguez certainly looked like he has spent the offseason in the weight room. He’s 6-5, 280 pounds, down 20 pounds from last season. Committed to UC Davis, he said, “I’m way leaner. I’m still chunky but thick.”
Wilson has 6-5 quarterback Mack Cooper, a three-year starter. Lakewood turns to three-year starter Tiwan Jones in the secondary.
All-league basketball player Sama’Jay Jackson of LB Jordan is playing football for first time since 2020. QB. 6-4. He quit during COVID. Junior. pic.twitter.com/YEhLV9bsIe
One of the most intriguing players is 6-4 junior quarterback Sama’Jay Jackson of Jordan. He was an all-league basketball player. He’s returning to football for the first time since he gave up the sport in 2020 when the pandemic struck. He’s fast, running a 4.6-second 40-yard dash.
Millikan is opening its season next weekend in Nevada playing Foothill in Henderson.
As Hart High football players participated in a 6 a.m. workout on Wednesday morning, injured player Micaiah Underwood was given an important task — flying the team’s drone to take video. He had been trained by head coach Jake Goossen.
When an alarm went off alerting low battery, Underwood calmly manipulated the controls to bring the drone down — though it briefly went so high that teammates were joking it was out of control.
Managers make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for football players to eat after practices.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Every head coach needs to delegate responsibilities and rely on others to help him focus on getting his team ready, and three important positions in 2025 are drone operator, manager and athletic trainer.
Every program needs one of each.
At a City Section school earlier this week, three managers were making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for players to eat after practices. At another school, the athletic trainer was taping ankles and roaming the field in case of an emergency. For those teams without athletic trainers, coaches were forced to take on the task.
Coaches kept handing out their keys to managers to retrieve or open something.
From the hard to believe file. The Hart High Hawks were using a drone to film a football workout and the drone was attacked and disabled by a real Hawk. Let’s see what the insurance company says. pic.twitter.com/lfC2GYxDO8
Managers and trainers have been around for years, but drone operators are new. At Hart, they have to pay special attention to hawks. Seriously, Hart had a drone disabled by a hawk. Now there are spotters to make sure no hawks are nearby. After all, Hart’s new nickname is the Hawks and apparently the real hawks like flying drones.
So everyone say thanks to the drone operators, managers and trainers. They’re unsung helpers every program needs.
Electric bikes lined up at Hart High.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Oh, and one more trend. There are so many players using electric bikes to get to practices perhaps a charging station is next to be added on a program’s football budget.
Long Beach City College football coach Brett Peabody has agreed to resign following backlash from a profane direct message he sent to an online publisher who is critical of President Trump.
On the day of Trump’s inauguration in January, Peabody sent a private message to Aaron Rupar, who has nearly 1 million followers on X. Rupar, in turn, made the message public.
“You’re done you sorry fascist scumbag, hope you get held accountable for the bulls— that yiu e spread. Justice is in the horizon kiddo,” Peabody’s direct message read. He then added “you’ve*” to correct his own typo.
Rupar shared the message on his X account and added, “I get lots of threatening DMs but I usually don’t get them from head coaches of college football programs.” That post has been viewed 1.2 million times and reposted by 4,200 users as of Wednesday.
Records obtained by the Long Beach Post show that Peabody has agreed to resign. Emails the Post obtained indicate Peabody was placed on paid administrative leave in February and a month later he agreed to resign at the end of the year.
Peabody will remain on paid leave through December and will be paid a six-month severance of approximately $60,000, according to a settlement agreement obtained by the Post.
Marques Cooper was named LBCC acting head coach in March. Cooper had been the defensive coordinator and has been an assistant coach at Azusa Pacific, El Camino College and Santa Monica City College.
Peabody told the Long Beach Post in January that sending the message to Rupar was “dumb” and “was clearly not the best decision.” He apologized to LBCC, saying the tone of the post was “harsh and regrettable,”
“It was not a threat in any way, shape or form,” Peabody said. “If you read it, I’m not sure how it could be construed as a threat. … I’d like to see journalists held at a higher standard.”
A petition to reinstate Peabody that was posted on change.org by LBCC players and associates of Peabody has 68 signatures. “Throughout his tenure with us, [Peabody] has demonstrated exceptional leadership, dedication, and a true, burning passion for helping athletes develop both their skills and character,” the petition reads.
Peabody took over as head coach at LBCC in 2013, leading the Vikings to conference titles and bowl wins in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. Previously, he was head coach and an assistant at L.A. Harbor College and head coach at South High School in Torrance.
It was 7 a.m., and Fremont High’s Andrew Williams was sleeping at his grandmother’s house in South Los Angeles when she woke him up to tell him a USC football coach wanted to speak to him on her cellphone before he went to school.
Williams will never forget that moment on Feb. 12. Defensive line coach Eric Henderson was calling to officially offer him a scholarship to play for the Trojans.
“You don’t believe it until you see it,” he said. “When he told me in his tone and how serious he was, I knew it was real. It was destiny calling. It took me a couple hours to reflect what was going on. I was stunned.”
By lunch time in the school quad, while surrounded by friends and classmates, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Williams was calling Henderson to tell him, “I’m ready to become a Trojan.”
Henderson replied, “Hold on. I have someone who wants to speak to you.”
Coach Lincoln Riley joined the called.
“He said, ‘We’re so excited to have you here.’ It was genuine,” he said.
Fremont High senior Andrew Williams has shown his versatility as a defensive end, tight end and fullback.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Williams was so unknown in the recruiting world before committing to USC last February that he said, “I wasn’t mentioned by any recruiting sites. I had no stars. Honestly it didn’t make me feel any different. I was the same player before the stars and without the stars. Most people still don’t know about me.”
He said a three-touchdown, 10-tackle performance as a junior against L.A. Jordan last fall while playing fullback, defensive end and receiver caught the attention of Colorado State assistant Chad Savage, who later joined USC as an assistant.
Recruiting players from inner city Los Angeles used to be a priority for USC and UCLA. Fremont grad Ricky Bell, a star running back for USC, has his name on the Pathfinders’ stadium. Fremont grad Mark Bradford was a star receiver at Stanford. Crenshaw has sent numerous players to USC and UCLA. Dorsey’s head coach, Stafon Johnson, was a standout running back for the Trojans.
But a drop in talent in the City Section has made identifying potential success stories more difficult. Williams, who has a 3.8 grade point average and plans to graduate in December, said he hopes to be part of the start of a rebirth in championing players from the inner city.
“I’m comfortable with people looking up to me,” he said. “Somebody in the city is actually doing it. Just as I can do it, so can you.”
He doesn’t doubt the road ahead remains difficult.
“I feel I was one of the least privileged kids,” he said. “To have the opportunity I’m doing now. … If I was another 6-5 kid that wasn’t from South Central, I would have been known. They would have shot me up the rankings. They don’t show that in the city I love. That’s cool. That’s for them to keep sleeping on us.”
Living 10 blocks from Fremont with his grandmother since he was 7, Williams said he didn’t discover football until his freshman year. He said he had too much free time until reaching high school and finding something to focus on.
“Have you heard the saying, ‘People get stuck and lost in the system?’ People become a product of their environment,” he said. “I needed time to figure my way out. I came to a realization when I came to high school that something was going to have to happen.”
With his height, athleticism — he can dunk — and agility — he also ran track — USC will watch him this fall to see whether his position will be tight end or defensive end. He’s a raw, intriguing prospect with lots of room to become stronger.
First-year Fremont coach Derek Benton was the coach at Jordan last season when Williams had his big game.
“He made his mark against me, then I knew and heard about him and it was one of the attractions coming here,” he said. “I’m very impressed with Andrew as a person.”
All Williams wanted was an opportunity to get a degree in college. He wants to study communications and learn about sports broadcasting. He said he didn’t need to visit multiple colleges or seek attention from social media. The USC offer was enough.
“Football teaches you can’t expect results without work,” he said. “People expect things in life, but they don’t put the work in. That’s a lesson football teaches you. It teaches unity, leadership, how to treat others.”
He has been rewarded for making good decisions and surrounding himself with people who want to see him succeed. All he’s ever wanted was a chance to prove himself.
