John

Stones has been with City for nine seasons after joining from Everton for £47.5m.

He has enjoyed a trophy-filled spell at the club, winning six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cup and four League Cups, while also being capped 83 times for England.

Though he has played 277 games for his club, he only managed 13 starts last term, including six in the Premier League.

“I think we all self-doubt as players and feel things, and we want to get back as quick as possible. Maybe that’s a downfall sometimes that you try and push too soon,” he said.

“Definitely family [help], I think that’s my biggest thing, being around them and having their support.

“You can feel very lonely at times when you’re training by yourself and that’s the difficult part of it, being in a team sport, not training with the team when you run out on the pitch in your rehab.”

Stones has suffered a succession of foot, hamstring and thigh injuries over the past two campaigns, missing a total of 164 days and 33 games, according to Transfermarkt., external

Stones said: “There’s been points where you think you’ve been giving all this effort, you dedicate all your life – especially how I approach or go about my life and football, I give everything – on and off the pitch to be here or be ready to play games, and those are the dark days.

“I think everyone’s been through them and think, ‘why is this happening?’. You wish it would have gone a different path, but like I said, it’s self-doubt, there’s a lot of things.

“All of us have been through different upbringings and challenges through life and what did we do within those situations, was it fight or was it give up?

“I was a fighter from a young age, in difficult moments, you have to look at the bigger picture and realise what are your morals, what you believe in, and fight to make it worthwhile.”

Whether the process of Textor selling his stake in Palace influences Uefa’s final decision remains to be seen.

But it does provide an indication the businessman is open to severing ties with Palace, an eventual scenario that could allow the Premier League club entry into the Europa League.

The other two parties in the running are unconfirmed but well-placed sources have indicated that a globally-renowned entertainment giant based in Florida have shown an interest, while another consortium that includes the NBA star Jimmy Butler also have a reported interest.

Investment vehicle Sportsbank – who were named as the preferred bidder to buy into Eagle at a time Textor was looking for investment – have also shown an interest in making an offer.

However, it is claimed that it would have taken around a month for Sportsbank to draw the financial contributions from their investors from the Middle East and the US which would not suit Textor’s need for a quick sale to help aid Palace’s case with Uefa.

Sources claim that Johnson is best placed among the interested parties to pass the Premier League’s owner’s and directors test given his estimated £3.39bn fortune and his status as globally-renowned businessman. He is the heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company.

Uefa are expected to make a decision on whether Palace can participate in the Europa League by the end of June.

The Glasgow club say they are “surprised” by the charge over Brown’s comments and will “continue to challenge any action we consider to be unfair or disproportionate”.

The SFA rule states: “A club or recognised football body which publishes, distributes, issues, sells or authorises a third party to publish, distribute, issue or sell a match programme or any other publication or audio/visual material of any description in any media now existing or hereinafter invented, including but not limited to the Internet, social networking or micro-blogging sites, shall ensure that any such publications or audio/visual material does not contain any criticism of any match official calculated to indicate bias or incompetence on the part of such match official or to impinge upon his character.”

Rangers note that four out of five members of the SFA’s Key Match Incident Panel deemed the decision to be incorrect, adding that they have “serious concerns about the Scottish FA’s selective enforcement and inconsistency”.

“That finding helps explain the nature of a spontaneous emotional comment, delivered during a highly charged moment and immediately challenged live on air,” Rangers add.

“We have highlighted multiple examples of similar or stronger remarks made elsewhere in Scottish football that have led to no charges or sanctions.

“While we remain committed to maintaining high standards, we will continue to challenge any action we consider to be unfair or disproportionate.”

John Stamos was by Beach Boys founding member Mike Love’s side when news of bandmate Brian Wilson’s death on Wednesday was made public. The “Full House” star was also the messenger who delivered the heartbreaking news to Love, Wilson’s cousin-turned-longtime collaborator.

“I said, ‘Mike, your cousin passed away,’ and his face went blank,” Stamos, an honorary Beach Boys member, recalled to the New York Post. “And we sat in the car for two and a half hours or so … he didn’t say one word.”

Wilson, the genius behind the Beach Boys, died Wednesday at age 82. The singer’s family announced his death on social media and his website, writing in a statement, “We are at a loss for words right now.” A cause of death was not revealed, but Wilson was diagnosed with dementia and placed under a conservatorship in May 2024. Wilson, who co-founded the Beach Boys in 1961 with brothers Dennis and Carl and cousin Love, also battled mental health issues and drug addiction for decades.

Stamos, 61, relived the somber moment on Thursday ahead of the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York, where Love was among the newest group of inductees that included George Clinton, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins and the Doobie Brothers. Though Love remained speechless after learning of Wilson’s death, Stamos said, “I knew how he was feeling.” The actor, who has performed with the Beach Boys over several decades, also spoke to the Post about Love, 84, and Wilson’s relationship, noting “they made beautiful music together.”

During the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony, Stamos introduced Love, who paid tribute to Wilson, as “my brother in music.” His sentiments on Thursday added to his social media tribute to Wilson on Wednesday.

“Brian Wilson wasn’t just the heart of The Beach Boys—he was the soul of our sound,” Love wrote as he reminisced on the group’s early days and Wilson’s lasting contributions to music.

Love added in his tribute: “Our journey together was filled with moments of brilliance, heartbreak, laughter, complexity and most of all, LOVE . Like all families, we had our ups and downs. But through it all, we never stopped loving each other, and I never stopped being in awe of what he could do when he sat at a piano or his spontaneity in the studio.”

Stamos was among the high-profile figures who paid tribute to Wilson on social media. Elton John, the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, Mick Fleetwood, Bruce Springsteen, Nancy Sinatra and California Gov. Gavin Newsom also honored Wilson.

“Wilson fundamentally changed modern music, helping make the Beach Boys not only the defining American band of their era, but also the California band to this day,” Newsom said in a statement. “He captured the mystique and magic of California, carrying it around the world and across generations.”

The Beach Boys established a quintessentially California sound with popular tracks including “Surfer Girl,” “California Girls” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.”

Wilson is survived by six children, including daughters Carnie and Wendy, who made up two-thirds of the Grammy-nominated pop vocal group Wilson Phillips with the Mamas and the Papas scion Chynna Phillips. He is preceded in death by his wife, Melinda, who died in January 2024. His brother Dennis drowned in 1983 while diving in Marina Del Rey, and Carl, his other brother, died of lung cancer in 1998.

On the day he turned 17, Jack Champlin gave himself his own best birthday present, one he got to share with his teammates.

The junior right-hander needed 27 pitches to retire all seven batters he faced to wrap up St. John Bosch’s 4-0 shutout of San Diego Patrick Henry in the Southern California Regional Division I championship game.

“I’m going to dinner with my family and my girlfriend,” he said when asked what he would do to celebrate. “I’m not sure where yet, but there are a lot of good places around here and we’ll make a decision.”

Champlin pitched in all seven playoff games for the Braves, picking up two wins and five saves, giving up no runs allowed in 11 2/3 innings.

“I don’t really feel the pressure … as a closer you need to have confidence in your stuff and I’m just happy to be put in that position,” said Champlin, who fielded a grounder back to the mound and underhanded a toss to first base for the final out of the season. “We knew our starter [Brayden Krakowski] had pitched earlier in the week and only had 14 outs remaining, so the gameplan was for me to come in after that or before if necessary. As it turned out I was able to finish each playoff game with the ball in my hand every single time.”

Krakowksi allowed three hits and got all the support he needed in the first inning, as James Clark led off the bottom half with a triple and scored on a single by Noah Everly. Miles Clark added a two-out RBI single. In the next inning St. John Bosco doubled its lead when James Clark hit an RBI double and later scored on an infield single by Jaden Jackson.

St. John Bosco closer Jack Champlin struck out three of the seven batters he faced to earn the save Saturday afternoon against Patrick Henry.

St. John Bosco beat eighth-seeded San Diego St. Augustine 2-1 in the first round and No. 5 Villa Park 7-4 in the semifinals in a rematch of the Braves’ 4-3 nine-inning triumph in the Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals.

Patrick Henry had lost 3-0 to Granite Hills in the San Diego Section Open Division final but after back-to-back victories over two of the best Southern Section teams in Santa Margarita and Crespi, the Patriots (23-11-2) came to Bellflower confident they could upset the No. 1-ranked team in California.

It did not happen. Instead, the Braves notched their 19th consecutive win, 30th in 34 games and capped an historic campaign, which included a 3-2 walk-off victory over Santa Margarita to capture the program’s first Southern Section crown May 30 after losing to Beckman 2-1 in eight innings in the Division 3 title game last season.

“We’ve proven ourselves,” Champlin said in the midst of a celebration on the same field where he and his returning teammates rallied to defeat Bakersfield Christian 5-4 and claim the Division III regional championship last June.

Champlin took the hill with one out in the top of the seventh inning in last year’s regional final, got the final two outs, and was credited with the win when the Braves scored the game-ending run on a balk in the bottom of the inning.

Saturday’s achievement was even sweeter because it was accomplished at the highest level and was a testament to second-year coach Andy Rojo, who held the first-place plaque high and declared “We won the West!” as his players surrounded him.

“It’ll take a lot for any team to match what we’ve done winning by three titles in one year — the Trinity League championship, the Southern Section Division 1 championship and the regional Division I championship,” said Rojo, who got his squad to the top of the mountain despite losing 12 players to graduation — including pitcher Anthony Cosme (Cal Poly Pomona), center fielder Julian Villasenor (Washington State) and first baseman Zach Woodson (Pepperdine). “Tomorrow will be two months since we lost a game (the Braves last suffered defeat on April 8 against Santa Margarita). I couldn’t be more proud.”

CINCINNATI — All-Star right-hander Corbin Burnes of the Arizona Diamondbacks is set to undergo Tommy John elbow surgery, ending his season early in the first year of a $210 million, six-year contract.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Friday the decision was made with “a lot of people weighing in.” Lovullo said the surgery probably would be scheduled for next week.

The announcement came three days after the Diamondbacks put Burnes on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.

The 30-year-old left his most recent start with Arizona leading 3-0 in the top of the fifth inning Sunday. After Burnes allowed a single by CJ Abrams with two outs, he gestured toward the dugout with his glove and yelled in frustration.

Burnes allowed a run and four hits in 4 2/3 innings. He is 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA in 11 starts this season.

Burnes signed with the Diamondbacks after earning his fourth consecutive All-Star nod in his only season with Baltimore last year. He spent his first six years with Milwaukee before an offseason trade to the Orioles in early 2024.

“This is a tough day to get this news,” Lovullo said. “But we’ll find a way to rally around him, play hard for him all year long.”

St. John Bosco is one win a way from a rare Triple Crown — winning championships in the Trinity League, Southern Section Division 1 title and Southern California Division I regional.

The Braves (29-4) advanced to the regional final with a 7-4 win over Villa Park on Thursday in the semifinals. They will play host to Patrick Henry from the San Diego Section at 4 p.m. Saturday for the title.

Noah Everly had two hits and two RBIs while Jaden Jackson had two hits. Jack Champlin pitched in his sixth playoff game, getting his fourth save. He has yielded no runs in 9 1/3 playoff innings. He also had an sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth when the Braves scored two runs. Aidan Young had two hits for Villa Park.

Patrick Henry 5, Crespi 3: Tyson Bobo threw a complete game for Patrick Henry. The Celts played without several of their senior standouts.

Point Loma 6, San Dimas 4: The Pointers advanced to the Division II final. Michael Hall had a two-run home run.

Banning 3, Rancho Mirage 2: The Pilots have made it to the Division IV final, scoring three runs in the sixth inning. Angelo Duarte had the big hit in the inning.

Softball

El Modena 8, Poway 6: Parker Mayes hit a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning in the Division I semifinal. El Modena will host Chula Vista Mater Dei at 4 p.m. Saturday. Mater Dei defeated Bonita Vista 5-4. It was Mayes’ second home run of the game.

Legacy 2, St. Bonaventure 1: Brianna Gonzalez hit a home run and Yesenia Villegas had an RBI single during a two-run fifth inning to lift Legacy into the Division III championship game. Savannah Medina threw a complete game.

If there were an MVP of the Southern Section baseball playoffs, Jack Champlin of St. John Bosco High would be the runaway winner.

In 8 1/3 scoreless innings of relief pitching over five playoff games, he has struck out nine and earned two wins and three saves. He starts at third base until the Braves send him to the mound.

The junior began the season as a starting pitcher, was injured and returned in a closing role that he has come to cherish.

“I like closing way more than starting,” he said.

He has helped Division 1 champion St. John Bosco move into Thursday’s semifinals of the regional playoffs with a home game against Villa Park. He hopes to celebrate his 17th birthday playing for a regional championship on Saturday.

Opponents better find a way to get the lead before Champlin comes in because he says he has no blown saves this season. He has a 4.1 grade-point average, too.

“I throw the ball and they don’t hit it,” he said as any true closer would say.

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

John Brenkus, the charismatic TV host who found creative ways to get sports fans to think about science, has died, his production company, Brinx.TV, said Sunday in a statement.

“John, co-founder of Base Productions, founder of Brinx.TV, and co-creator and host of the 6-time Emmy Award-winning ‘Sport Science,’ had been battling depression,” the statement read. “John lost his fight with this terrible illness on May 31st, 2025.”

The statement added that Brenkus’ “heartbroken family and friends request privacy at this time, and encourage anyone who is struggling with depression to seek help.”

Brenkus grew up in Vienna, Va., and was a participant in multiple Ironman Triathlon races. Also a successful businessman and media producer, Brenkus was best known as the host of “Sport Science.”

The show aired from 2007-2017, first on Fox Sports as hour-long episodes for two seasons, then on ESPN in segment form within the network’s other programs. It featured scientific experiments that tested common notions about athletes, their abilities and the capacity of the human body.

In addition to the participation of numerous sports stars, Brenkus would often take part in the experiments, putting himself “in harm’s way for the sake of scientific discovery,” as ESPN once put it.

“Standing a very average 5’ 8” tall, and tipping the scales at an equally average 160 pounds, Brenkus intersperses his hosting and executive producing duties on Sport Science with performances as the show’s ‘Everyman,’ to help demonstrate what happens when a regular guy steps on the field, into the ring, or on the court with top athletes at the top of their games,” a 2009 ESPN press release stated. “Along the way, he helps audiences understand their own physiologies and how to improve their overall performance, health and well-being.”

ESPN’s Randy Scott remembered his former colleague, who was reportedly 53 when he died, Monday morning on “SportsCenter.”

“John was uniquely talented and singularly brilliant at not only analyzing sports but then translating sports and science to generations of fans in memorable ways, because John was memorable,” Scott said. “… This world was a better place with John Brenkus in it.”

To say that St. John Bosco and Santa Margarita engaged in a championship baseball game on Friday night that will be remembered for a lifetime would be an understatement.

“This game was special, something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. You really had to fight for it,” said St. John Bosco left fielder Noah Everly.

It was a Southern Section Division 1 final filled with drama. Teenagers came through with big play after big play until finally in the bottom of the ninth inning, with the bases loaded, Miles Clark hit a walk-off single up the middle to give St. John Bosco a 3-2 victory and its first baseball championship before a sold-out crowd of 3,010 at Cal State Fullerton.

“It hurts a lot,” Santa Margarita coach Chris Malec said. “It was a great effort by both sides. There were so many amazing moments.”

Let’s start with Santa Margarita pitcher Brennan Bauer, who threw five scoreless innings of relief and somehow escaped twice with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to keep the game going. First he had a 3-and-1 count to Everly and got a pop fly with one out. Then he had a 3-2 count with Moises Razo and got a fly out to the warning track.

“That’s all Brennan,” Malec said.

In 22 1/3 playoff innings, Brenann won four games and gave up one earned run.

Then there was Everly coming through with a stunning catch on the run in left field in the top of the ninth inning to prevent a Santa Margarita extra base hit with a runner on first.

“That was an extraordinary catch,” Malec said.

Said Clark: “Oh my goodness, Noah came through.”

Coach Andy Rojo raises the championship plaque after St. John Bosco’s 3-2 win over Santa Margarita.

(Nick Koza)

So did Clark against relief pitcher Ethan Russell in the bottom of the ninth. Bauer had run out of innings, having reached his 10-inning max after throwing five innings against Crespi in the semifinals. Russell walked Razo on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases, setting the stage for Clark.

“We were locked in the whole game,” Clark said. “We didn’t lose our mental focus. I kept telling my guys we have to stay focused.”

Razo had a two-run double in the first inning to give the Braves an early lead. Santa Margarita took advantage of an error and closed it to 2-1 in the second on Brody Schumaker’s second hit. The Eagles tied tied it at 2-2 in the fifth with a squeeze bunt by Blake Ankrum, the third sacrifice of the game.

After Gavin Cervantes started on the mound and freshman Brayden Krakowski pitched into the sixth inning, St. John Bosco turned to its closer, Jack Champlin, who was magnificent. In four scoreless innings, he gave up one hit with four strikeouts. At one point, a Santa Margarita batter appeared to challenge Champlin after the count went to 3-0. Champlin struck him out, unleashing a fist pump.

St. John Bosco ended up being the most consistent team in the Southland for the 2025 season. The Braves went 27-4 and became the first Trinity League champion to win a Division 1 title. All the other Trinity League teams that have won Division 1 never won the league title. And beating top-seeded Corona 2-0 on Tuesday was quite an accomplishment itself.

Major League Baseball has been trying for years to increase the number of Black players participating in the sport, creating such programs as the Compton Youth Academy and the DREAM Series. There were 59 Black players on opening day MLB rosters, a slight increase from the previous year but far from the numbers in the 1980s.

St. John Bosco’s baseball team, which plays for a Southern Section Division 1 championship on Friday against Santa Margarita at Cal State Fullerton, offers hope for the future with five Black players in the starting lineup.

“Definitely something to be proud of,” center fielder Miles Clark said.

The sports of football and basketball have been taking away Black athletes, but St. John Bosco’s group of Clark, his twin brother James, Noah Everly, Jaden Jackson and Macade Maxwell have embraced baseball and put themselves in position to pursue college baseball and beyond.

Each player offers speed and athleticism. Maxwell had an RBI single in the semifinals against Seth Hernandez of Corona. James Clark and Everly lead the team in hitting at .394 and .347, respectively. St. John Bosco won its first Trinity League title since 2017 and is 24-5. …

Santa Margarita is much improved after getting players back from injuries, so ignore the fact it has 12 losses. Carter Enoch came back to add hitting to the Eagles’ lineup and Brennan Bauer has been the winning pitcher in all four playoff games. Seventeen seniors are graduating at 10 a.m. at the Honda Center.

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

Legendary rocker and Indiana native John Mellencamp apologized Thursday “on behalf of most Hoosiers” for the “poor, poor sportsmanship” displayed during the Pacers’ home win over the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals two days earlier.

Although the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. did not call out any specific Indiana sports fan in the statement he posted to X hours before Game 5, Mellencamp seemed to have a particular person in mind — popular ESPN personality Pat McAfee.

“I was embarrassed when somebody, under whose direction I don’t know, called out some of the people who had made the trip from New York to support their team — and in turn, support our team,” the “Hurts So Good” singer wrote. “The audience booed these people. I’d say that was not Hoosier Hospitality. One could only say it’s poor, poor sportsmanship.”

Hours after Mellencamp posted his statement, McAfee reposted it on X and identified himself as the one who instigated Pacers fans to behave in such a manner.

“I am ‘somebody,’” McAfee wrote.

Mellencamp and McAfee were both on hand Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as the Pacers defeated the Knicks 130-121 to take a 3-1 series lead. Addressing the crowd during a fourth-quarter timeout, McAfee called out celebrity Knicks fans Spike Lee, Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet — all of whom were in attendance that night — and encouraged Pacers fans to “send these sons of b— back to New York with their ears ringing!”

Stiller addressed the matter later that night on X, saying he assumed that McAfee was “playing around” and that all the fans he met at the arena were “awesome and incredibly cool.”

Mellencamp, however, was not happy with the shenanigans.

“I was not proud to be a Hoosier, and I’ve lived here my entire life,” the singer once known as Johnny Cougar wrote. “On behalf of most Hoosiers, I would like to apologize for our poor behavior. I’m sure the Pacers had nothing to do with this smackdown.”

Mellencamp’s use of the “smackdown” appears to be a thinly veiled reference to McAfee, who is a color commentator and occasional wrestler for WWE. “Friday Night SmackDown” is one of the organization’s signature TV shows.

It is unclear why Mellencamp opted to voice his displeasure so long after the incident occurred. Perhaps he plans to be in attendance Thursday night at Madison Square Garden as his Pacers attempt to seal their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2000.

One person who won’t be there is McAfee, despite a friendly invite from Stiller.

Jack Champlin, a junior pitcher for St. John Bosco, surveyed the memorable scene Tuesday afternoon. There were fans standing everywhere — down the lines, around the outfield walls, in the press box. It was the top of the seventh inning, and No. 1 Corona had two runners aboard trying to rally in the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals.

“I love it,” he said. “There’s close to 1,000 people and it’s electric. I didn’t feel any pressure, didn’t feel nervous.”

He got a strikeout and fly ball to save St. John Bosco’s stunning 2-0 victory over Corona and unbeaten pitcher Seth Hernandez, who had never lost in two years of high school baseball.

“Tough day for people who don’t normally have tough days,” said Corona coach Andy Wise, who guided the Panthers to the Division 1 title last season and saw his team’s record drop to 28-3.

The Braves will play Trinity League rival Santa Margarita in Friday’s 7 p.m. Division 1 championship game at Cal State Fullerton.

Everything St. John Bosco needed to do to pull off victory happened. Left-hander Trevor Heishman gave up one hit in 6 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts. He struck out Corona’s hottest hitter, Anthony Murphy, three times.

The Braves refused to be intimidated by the 99-mph fastball of Hernandez, who came in with just four walks and 96 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings and an 18-0 record in high school baseball. He struck out nine, walked three and gave up a run in the second inning on consecutive singles by Champlin and Macade Maxwell. St. John Bosco scored another run in the fifth on a Hernandez balk.

“He’s just another player like us,” Champlin said of the Braves’ attitude toward Hernandez, one of the top pro prospects in the nation. “We weren’t scared. We came out with confidence we were going to win from the time we stepped on the field.

Second-year coach Andy Rojo has St. John Bosco in the Division 1 final.

(Nick Koza)

In two years as head coach, Andy Rojo has taken the Braves to the Division 3 final (last season) and now the Division 1 final on Friday.

His batters made Hernandez throw 92 pitches in five innings and hit the ball hard when they needed. “The key for us we wanted to put the ball in play,” he said.

St. John Bosco has never won a section baseball title after all the success the football and basketball teams have had. But this 26-4 team won the Trinity League championship for the first time since 2017 and has beaten Santa Margarita two of three times this season.

And they’ve got Champlin ready to be the closer again on Friday.

“I haven’t had a blown save,” he said with the confidence of a true closer.

Santa Margarita 12, Crespi 0: Ben Finnegan had three hits and four RBIs and Brennan Bauer gave up two hits in five scoreless innings to send the Eagles into the Division 1 championship game.

Mater Dei 5, Fountain Valley 4: A three-run sixth inning propelled the Monarchs to the comeback win in the Division 2 semifinals. Lawson Olmstead broke a 4-4 tie with an RBI single. Brandon Thomas picked up the save in the seventh and will pitch in the championship game.

West Ranch 8, Etiwanda 7: Ty Diaz had a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning, culminating in a three-run comeback victory in the Division 2 semifinals. Etiwanda took a 7-5 lead with two runs in the top of the eighth. Diaz finished with three hits and two RBIs.

San Dimas 4, Beckman 1: The Saints advance to the Division 3 championship game. They will face Glendora, a 7-5 winner over Temecula Valley.

There was drama, clutch hitting and a little luck in Friday’s Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal playoff game between Crespi and Mira Costa.

“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky,” Crespi coach Mike Glendenning said.

The game ended in the bottom of the ninth with a Nate Lopez pop fly falling in left field as Mira Costa’s shortstop, left fielder and center fielder tried to catch it. It scored the winning run in the Celts’ 3-2 victory.

What a game it was. Tyler Walton was cruising along with a one-hitter and a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning for Crespi. With one swing, Lucas Schermer of Mira Costa sent an 89 mph fastball far over the left-field wall to give the Mustangs a 2-1 lead. Crespi fans were stunned and suddenly silent.

Just before Crespi players went to hit in the bottom of the seventh, catcher Landon Hodge gathered his teammates in the dugout and reminded them to trust each other.

“We’ve been here before and came through,” he said.

Up came Gavin Huff, one of 11 seniors set to graduate Friday night. He hit a ball to left field into the wind down the line. It carried to the foul pole, struck it, then caromed back onto the field. The umpires signaled home run to tie the game.

Mira Costa junior pitcher Garrett Jacobs was magnificent, striking out six in seven innings. Hodge finished with three hits for Crespi (24-2). Diego Velazquez threw three scoreless innings of relief. Mira Costa (28-3) had its 26-game winning streak come to an end. Crespi advanced to Tuesday’s semifinals against host Santa Margarita.

Gavin Huff of Crespi gets hug in dugout after his game-tying home run in the bottom of the seventh.

(Craig Weston)

Afterward, Crespi’s seniors were hustled into two vans and driven from Hartunian Field to the Celts’ Encino campus to shower, change and participate in graduation ceremonies at 6:30 p.m. Hodge’s uniform, hands and arms were so covered in dirt from three hours of catching, sliding and hitting that he might have needed a car wash to make it to graduation.

More drama happened at Villa Park, where Trinity League champion St. John Bosco pulled out a 4-3 win in nine innings. Jaden Jefferson had an RBI double in the top of the ninth. But the big moment was the bottom of the seventh, when Villa Park came back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game and had the winning run on third with two outs. Jack Champlin came out of the bullpen to record a strikeout for the Braves.

Top-seeded Corona received a leadoff home run from Anthony Murphy, his 11th of the season, and relied on a one-hitter from Ethin Bingaman to get past Norco 2-0. Norco freshman pitcher Jordan Ayala impressed with his performance. It will be Corona at St. John Bosco in the semifinals on Tuesday.

Santa Margarita got a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh from Warren Gravely IV to defeat Los Alamitos 5-4. Before that, Los Alamitos tied the game on a Sutton Deninno home run in the seventh.

Division 2

West Ranch 10, Sultana 0: Hunter Manning threw a no-hitter and struck out eight to move West Ranch into the Division 2 semifinals. It was the second no-hitter this week by West Ranch pitchers. Nolan Stoll and Mikey Murr hit home runs.

Etiwanda 8, Servite 3: Derick Kim had two hits and four RBIs and LJ Roellig and Josh Adams hit home runs to send the Eagles into the Division 2 semifinals.

Fountain Valley 5, Torrrance 2: Logan Hunt threw five scoreless innings while allowing one hit for Fountain Valley.

Mater Dei 2, Foothill 0: Brandon Thomas struck out 13 with no walks for the Monarchs, his second shutout of the Division 2 playoffs. Gavin Lauridsen struck out nine for Foothill.

City Section

University 8, Jefferson 1: Evan Han had two hits and two RBIs in the City Section Division III championship game.

Emmerdale spoilers have teased one character goes missing next week despite them planning to be at the wedding of Aaron Dingle and John Sugden, with a new mystery

There’s a new mystery on Emmerdale next week it seems, with spoilers suggesting a character goes AWOL in the build-up to a wedding.

While an explanation is hinted at, fans will no doubt fearing the worst amid recent trouble with killer John Sugden. It’s his wedding to Aaron Dingle next week, and a key guest appears to be missing.

So has something bad happened to Mackenzie Boyd amid their run-in with enemy John? Perhaps not, as he’s involved in a separate storyline – but it is a bit weird that Mackenzie would go missing on Aaron’s big day just as things got heated with John.

According to the spoilers, as Aaron and John prepare to say their vows Mack has mysteriously vanished and no one knows where he is. Whether he shows up remains to be seen.

That said, he finds himself caught up in Ross Barton’s drama with his new brother Lewis Barton next week. After the pair try to steal Lewis’ cannabis plants from his secret farm in the attic of his home, Lewis catches them and Mack becomes trapped.

READ MORE: Emmerdale spoilers: Cancer diagnosis, wedding ‘nightmare’ and killer ‘exposed’

Prior to this, Ross gets Lewis’ keys and manages to get Mack to help him, with them soon finding the farm in the attic. But when Lewis gets an alert on his phone that suggests an intruder is in the attic he opens up a camera app and makes a discovery.

He realises it’s Mack and calls out Ross who he’s with, wanting an explanation from both of them – seemingly trapping Mack in the process amid the wedding. Lewis agrees to let Mack go on one condition, he wants to know the truth about his his mother Emma Barton died.

Whether something else happens to Mack after this and it causes him to go AWOL remains to be seen. There’s also every chance he’s vanished because he’s simply trapped at the home of Lewis.

It comes as John risks being exposed next week when more than one secret threatens to come to light.

Next week it’s confirmed that his ex Aidan has woken from his coma, and soon John is fearful Aidan will expose his lies and the truth about their past.

Then there’s the fact the lake is being dredged due to the slurry leak, caused by John to frame Mack last week. Viewers know that John dumped Nate Robinson’s body in this very lake after killing him in September – so is this the moment the body is found?

With that and Aidan being awake and Aaron having pre-wedding jitters, not to mention John plotting an escape, will the big day go ahead? Will they even make it to the vows? Of course the last thing John will need on top of all of this is for Mack to target him once more – so might John be pushed over the edge?

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

May 14 (UPI) — Democrat John Ewing Jr. defeated incumbent Republican Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert to become Omaha’s first Black mayor.

Ewing, a former Omaha deputy police chief and current Douglas County, Neb., treasurer, defeated Stothert by an unofficial margin of 48,693 to 37,758, as reported by the Douglas County Election Commission. The commission will canvass and make the election official on May 29.

Ewing will also be the first Democrat to serve as Omaha mayor since 2013. Stothert had won three consecutive terms before this loss. Stothert had been the first woman elected city mayor.

Democrats also won four of the seven City Council seats.

The mayor’s office is nonpartisan, but the candidates’ parties came into play as an ad from Stothert stated that “Ewing stands with radicals who want to allow boys in girls’ sports.” KETV-TV reported that Ewing said in response that “Nobody’s ever brought that question up. So I believe it’s a made-up issue by Jean Stothert and the Republican Party.”

Ewing ran an ad that connected Stothert to President Donald Trump, to which she told KETV that “Donald Trump does not call me and ask for advice.”

Omaha and its suburbs make up Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, and it carries a presidential electoral vote, which can be won by a party different than who may carry the state-wide election and its four electoral votes.

The state generally leans Republican, but Democrats have won the 2nd Congressional District with some regularity, as Kamala Harris did in 2024, Joe Biden in 2020 and Barack Obama in 2008. On the other hand, Republican Donald Trump won in 2016 and GOP member Mitt Romney took the vote in 2012.