King

Wood’s spot-kick, smashed high beyond Emi Martinez, was his 200th career goal and gives Forest something to defend at Villa Park next week.

The New Zealand international only returned this month, having been sidelined since October with his knee issue.

He missed the entirety of Sean Dyche’s reign, having surgery in December, but started the quarter-final first-leg draw in Porto three weeks ago.

Lucas Digne’s baffling decision to raise his arms and handle the ball as Omari Hutchinson tried to keep it in play gave Wood his chance with 19 minutes left.

There was an audible cheer when Wood stepped up to take the penalty – Morgan Gibbs-White having missed from the spot against Strum Graz and Braga this season.

There was a sense of expectation, which is only fair as Wood has not missed a penalty in 10 years – since failing to score against Hull for Leeds in April 2016.

He has now scored 28 successive spot-kicks.

“That’s what I have to do and that’s what I try to do. It’s the job, the responsibility that my team gives me,” he told TNT.

“It’s cup competitions. They come down to small margins at times. Both teams played very well. But it’s small moments that can potentially change games. Thankfully it went in our favour tonight and hopefully again next week.

“It’s one leg of the tie. It’s nice to have the advantage but going to Villa Park will be a tough game. They’re good at their place. But we’ve done the job here at home and now hopefully we’ll build into next week.”

He scored in last Friday’s 5-0 Premier League win at Sunderland – his first goal since a penalty against Midtjylland in October – and has six goals in 19 games for club and country this season.

Wood, 34, has explained he will have to manage his knee injury for the rest of his life – but after watching so much of Forest’s battle against the Premier League drop from the sidelines, he is just glad to be back in action and scoring.

“That’s all I wanted to do,” he said. “I wanted to get back fit and firing to help my team as best as I can at the end of the season. I knew we had a lot to play for when I was fighting to get fit and it’s showing. It’s some big competitions to be a part of.

“We’re in the crunch end of the season. We need to perform on both parts and we’ll be looking to do that for sure.”

SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

FIRST ROUND
DIVISION 1
Mira Costa, bye
Tesoro d. Los Alamitos, 25-19, 25-23, 25-17
Corona del Mar d. Mater Dei, 3-0
Huntington Beach, bye
Loyola, bye
Newport Harbor d. Millikan, 25-8, 25-13, 25-19
Santa Margarita d. San Marcos, 3-0
Redondo Union, bye

DIVISION 2
Camarillo d. Anaheim Canyon, 25-21, 25-17, 25-18

DIVISION 3
Palos Verdes d. Corona Centennial, 3-1
Sage Hill d. Malibu, 3-1
Valencia d. La Palma Kennedy, 25-12, 25-20, 25-20
Claremont d. Murrieta Valley, 3-1
Corona Santiago d. Mark Keppel, 3-2
Eastvale Roosevelt d. Downey, 3-1
Bishop Montgomery d. South Torrance, 3-2
St. John Bosco d. Woodbridge, 3-1
Mission Viejo d. Paloma Valley, 25-20, 25-15, 25-18
Santa Ana Foothill d. Canyon Country Canyon, 25-20, 25-19, 25-16
Servite d. Wiseburn Da Vinci, 3-0
Santa Barbara d. Diamond Ranch, 3-1
Trabuco Hills d. Westlake, 3-0
Crescenta Valley d. North Torrance, 25-18, 25-15, 25-21
Saugus d. Newbury Park, 25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 30-28
Windward d. South Pasadena, 3-0

DIVISION 5
Dos Pueblos d. Aquinas, 21-25, 20-25, 25-15, 25-11, 15-13
Hemet d. Summit, 3-2
Oak Park d. Damien, 25-22, 26-24, 25-16
El Dorado d. San Dimas, 3-1
Westminster La Quinta d. Garden Grove Pacifica, 3-2
Bishop Diego d. Rio Hondo Prep, 25-22, 25-22, 31-29
Brea Olinda d. Aliso Niguel, 26-24, 16-25, 25-21, 29-27
Norco d. Cajon, 23-25, 25-22, 25-17, 12-25, 15-13
Bellflower d. Crespi, 25-16, 25-22, 25-15
El Rancho d. San Gabriel Academy, 3-1
Ventura d. Vista del Lago, 25-14, 25-18, 25-21
Flintridge Prep d. Castaic, 3-0
St. Anthony d. Oxford Academy, 3-0
Orange County Pacifica Christian d. Etiwanda, 25-16, 25-16, 25-19
Ontario Christian d. Monrovia, 25-23, 25-21, 23-25, 25-18
Western Christian d. Westminster, 3-2

DIVISION 7
Pasadena Marshall d. La Mirada, 3-2
Rialto d. Rosemead, 3-1
La Sierra Academy d. Sierra Vista, 3-0
Trinity Classical Academy d. Canyon Springs, 25-19, 25-19, 25-19
Hacienda Heights Wilson d. Maranatha, 3-1
Cerritos Valley Christian d. Norwalk, 25-21, 25-15, 25-23
Foothill Tech d. Anaheim, 3-0
Bell Gardens d. Ganesha, 25-17, 25-21, 25-17
Long Beach Jordan d. Jurupa Valley, 3-0
Oakwood d. Savanna, 3-1
Knight d. Santa Ana, 3-2
Godinez d. Santa Barbara Providence, 3-2
Los Amigos d. San Jacinto Valley, 3-2
Indio d. Katella, 3-1
Tustin d. Highland, 3-0
Loara d. Gabrielino, 3-2

DIVISION 9
Palm Valley d. Bassett, 25-15, 28-26, 25-17
Webb d. Inglewood, 3-2
Le Lycée d. Acaciawood Academy, 25-16, 25-20, 25-21
Edgewood 3, Rim of the World 2
Indian Springs d. Compton Early College, 25-21, 25-20, 19-25, 25-13
YULA d. Coachella Valley, 3-0
Duarte d. Southwestern Academy, 3-0
Vasquez d. Legacy College Prep, 20-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-19
Wildwood d. Garden Grove Santiago, 3-2
Cantwell Sacred Heart d. Pilgrim, 3-1
Bethel Baptist d. Pacific Lutheran, 3-2
Avalon d. South El Monte, 3-1
Downey Calvary Chapel d. Xavier Prep, 3-1
Southlands Christian d. New Covenant, 3-0

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted)

SECOND ROUND

DIVISION 4
Village Christian at Bolsa Grande, Friday
Chino Hills vs.Long Beach Poly at Lakewood
Warren at Temple City
Liberty at Royal
Sunny Hills at St. Monica Prep
Northwood at Elsinore
Crossroads at Los Altos
Harvard-Westlake at San Marino

DIVISION 6
Temecula Valley at St. Francis
San Gabriel at Beverly Hills
Culver City at El Modena
Samueli Academy at Firebaugh
Ayala at Garden Grove
Moorpark at Capistrano Valley Christian
Pasadena Poly at Yucaipa
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Cerritos

DIVISION 8
Temescal Canyon at West Covina
Paramount at Santa Rosa Academy, 5 p.m.
Miller vs. CAMS at Long Beach Cabrillo
Cathedral City at Eastside
Burbank Providence at Temecula Prep
West Valley at Laguna Blanca
Palmdale Aerospace Academy at Garey
Desert Hot Springs at Glendale Adventist, 5 p.m.

Note: Second Round Divisions 3, 5, 7, 9 May 1; Quarterfinals Divisions 1 & 2 May 5; Quarterfinals Divisions 3-9 May 6; Semifinals All Divisions May 9; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.

Deliveries of the CH-53K King Stallion to the U.S. Marine Corps are starting to ramp up, with the planned 16-aircraft annual milestone now expected for Fiscal Year 2029. The Marine Corps also says that, for the future, they are open to developing a mine countermeasures version, something that would be able to replace the current MH-53E.

Updates on the latest developments within the Marine Corps’ CH-53K program were today provided by Col. Kate Fleeger, a program manager for the H-53 Helicopters Program, at the annual Modern Day Marine conference in Washington, D.C., at which TWZ is in attendance.

Fleeger confirmed that, while the legacy CH-53E and MH-53E are “both still healthy and viable” and critical components of the Marine Corps fleet, the focus is now very much on the CH-53K as the future of heavy lift.

Currently, four Marine Corps squadrons have CH-53Ks as part of their stable, and Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 (HMH-461), which was the first fleet squadron, is fully outfitted with Kilos.

“We also have our training squadron, HMHT-302, which has received multiple CH-53Ks and will continue to be a dual type/model series training squadron throughout the transition from the Echo to the Kilo,” Fleeger explained. “We also have the CH-53K in our developmental test squadron, HX-21 at Patuxent River, and with our operational test squadron, VMX-1, in Yuma, Arizona.”

With the CH-53K “rocking and rolling across the board,” the 25th example off the Sikorsky production line in Stratford, Connecticut, was delivered earlier this week. Fleeger said that the service expects to add another eight aircraft for the rest of the year. This is part of a total Marine Corps program of record of 200 aircraft, a figure that has not changed. On top of this figure, Israel has procured 12 CH-53Ks, and Fleeger confirmed that the country is “in conversations” about the potential for additional aircraft.

As part of ongoing training work, HMH-461 has been putting the CH-53K through its paces “in every clime and place in CONUS,” Fleeger said. This has included taking the aircraft on detachments at the Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) school in Yuma, and in exercises out of Twentynine Palms, California.

Fleeger said she is “extremely happy with how the aircraft is performing” with the operational fleet.

Meanwhile, the CH-53K is also still being tested, with the two units covering operational and developmental tests. “We are continuing to expand the envelope of the baseline aircraft that’s been delivered to the fleet, whether it’s expansion of the envelope with the existing equipment, or whether it’s modifications that allow for additional capability moving forward, and ultimately providing those modifications to fleet aircraft,” Fleeger explained.

Part of the recent mission expansion saw one CH-53K lifted by another example of the same type, to broaden options for the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel, or TRAP mission. The aircraft that was lifted had its gear boxes and engines removed, but this is common practice, Fleeger said. The purpose of the test was not only to set up and document the flight characteristics, but also the rigging procedures. In the test, the aircraft that provided the sling load weighed about 28,000 pounds, which is well below the 36,000 pounds maximum external load for the CH-53K.

“When you talk to the pilots that lift something like that, even something that heavy, there’s very little ‘feel’ in the cockpit that you have a significant load underneath,” she added.

One of the other elements of additional testing has involved aviation ground fuel delivery. This involved a CH-53K landing with fuel and then providing this fuel to a V-22 tiltrotor that landed next to it.

At the same time, the transition to the CH-53K has involved training pilots with four Containerized Flight Training Devices (CFTD) now delivered. “They are state-of-the-art, fully immersive environments that have some of the highest fidelity visual databases and digital acuity that you’ll see in flight simulation today,” Fleeger said.

“The pilots have every opportunity to see exactly what’s going to happen in the aircraft before they even get in the aircraft. The idea here is the first time a pilot sits in that cockpit on the flight line is kind of a non-event, because he’s basically seen everything he needs to see along the way.”

These new CFTDs consist of a mobile box with the “guts of the simulator inside.” As Fleeger explained, “Gone are the days of the big dome, fully motion-based simulators that we’ve had previously. The motion platform is no longer a big portion of what provides the training fidelity. The majority of that fidelity actually comes from the visual systems, the realism of the visual system, and the haptic cueing to the pilots.

Another training aid is the Advanced Aviation Training Device, or AATD, new for the H-53 community, but loosely based on some of the early developmental training systems that arrived with the V-22, with its interactive cockpit learning environment.

“This is a lower fidelity,” Fleeger said, “There’s just screens, computer monitors, if you will, that show the pilot the outside visuals. But the pilot also has a see-through virtual-reality goggle set that he puts on. It’s absolutely amazing technology that really allows you, with very little additional cost, to be able to get that immersive and simulated environment.”

The AATD is designed primarily as a familiarization training device or for refresher-level training. “You got a few minutes, you go spend some time in here,” Fleeger explained. “You brush up on some stuff. It can also be used for some of the more advanced activities, like tactics, techniques, and procedures development. You can get in there and try some things out before you get to the aircraft and do it in the real world.”

The AATD has been so successful at its current location in New River, close to the training squadron, that the Marines expect to expand throughout the rest of the fleet as it works through the CH-53K transition.

Concurrently, Fleeger says the service has been “very forward-leaning with our Marines in the maintenance shed and making sure that they have the training tools that they need in order to prepare for a state-of-the-art, very data-intensive, data-rich aircraft.”

Maintenance of the fleet benefits from a fully condition-based maintenance model, at least for some of the CH-53K’s components.

“We can look at the vibratory signatures, the temperature signatures on gearboxes, for example, and we can understand when that gearbox might be approaching the end of its life.” The result is that the fleet is increasingly able to manage the maintenance rather than having the maintenance manage them. They can decide when they want to change that gearbox, for example, depending on operational commitments, the amount of flight time they may have planned, the criticality of that flight time, the availability of spares, and so on.

All of this training, including shipboard evolutions, is building up toward the first operational deployment, with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, in Fiscal Year 2027. Last month, the CH-53K fleet hit 10,000 fleet flight hours, a big milestone considering there are currently only 25 aircraft in the fleet.

At this stage, there are 12 aircraft sitting on the production line in Stratford, in various phases of completion.

“The fact that there are 12 aircraft is a big improvement as we move forward in the ramp-up through low-rate initial production,” Fleeger explained.

Once Sikorsky hits the milestone of 16 production aircraft per year, this will trigger the start of the Marine Corps CH-53K transition from East Coast to West Coast, and thus across the entire heavy-lift fleet.

Fleeger said that the line will be “getting up there” toward full-rate production at the end of Fiscal Year 2028, with the milestone to be achieved in FY29.

“The East Coast squadrons will complete transition, and then the transition plan will move out to the West Coast, and we will start transitioning the West Coast squadrons there as well,” Fleeger added. The CH-53E is slated to be retired in 2032.

As for the Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon, it is slated to be withdrawn in 2027. Exactly what will happen with its primary airborne mine countermeasures mission, a general capability set that is increasingly in the spotlight, is unclear. Currently, the Navy is beefing its MH-60 Seahawk mine countermeasures capabilities to help offset the loss. Still, the unique heavy countermeasures sled-towing capability that will be gone when the MH-53E leaves the inventory is likely to be felt, as will the heaviest vertical lift capability organic to the U.S. Navy.

According to Fleeger, “there have not yet been conversations about the Navy procuring the CH-53K or producing a minesweeping variant.” However, she added that “we are certainly open to that in the future, should that need arise.”

Whether or not the CH-53K eventually adopts another new mission, the type is clearly keeping busy for the time being, as the Marine Corps looks forward to taking it on its first operational deployment next year.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

LONDON — In the world of diplomatic faux pas, it could have been a lot worse.

At Tuesday’s state dinner honoring King Charles III and Queen Camilla, President Trump said that during a private meeting earlier in the day the British monarch had agreed with him that Iran should never be allowed to have nuclear weapons.

“We’re doing a little Middle East work right now … and we’re doing very well,” Trump told the audience. “We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we’re never going to let that opponent ever — Charles agrees with me, even more than I do — we’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.”

While many Britons would agree with the president’s sentiment, the comment triggered mild consternation among pundits in the U.K.

By convention, people aren’t supposed to relay private conversations with the monarch. That is partly because the king has to remain above the political fray, but also because the sovereign doesn’t have the ability to wade into a public debate and correct the record if he’s misquoted.

“Generally, as a matter of protocol, I think I would expect discussions between heads of state to be sort of behind the scenes, in those closed meetings, for those to be sort of kept private,” said Craig Prescott, an expert on constitutional law and the monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London. “And, you know, this was something that the U.K. government wanted to avoid.”

There had been a fair amount of jitters before the king’s trip to the United States, which comes amid Trump’s very public frustration with U.K. Prime Minster Keir Starmer over his failure to support U.S. actions in the Iran war.

Like all royal visits, this is a carefully choreographed diplomatic event carried out at the request of the U.K. government, which hopes that warm relations between the king and Trump can help repair the rift.

But Trump is an unconventional leader who has a penchant for breaking protocol, and there were concerns about just what he might say or do.

At least in this case, the king’s comments seemed clearly within the bounds of existing U.K. government policy.

“The King is naturally mindful of his government’s long-standing and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement designed to provide context to the president’s remarks.

Prescott said that “in a sense, this was always the issue, just what Trump would do or say — would he put the king in an embarrassing position?’’ Prescott said.

“You always had that sort of issue of what he would post on social media,” he said. “And I think, you know, this could have been much, much worse.”

Before the state dinner, Charles gave a speech to a joint session of U.S. Congress. The king received repeated standing ovations during the address, which celebrated the longstanding bonds between the U.S. and Britain while nodding to differences over NATO, support for Ukraine and the need to combat climate change.

Now, from the U.K. government’s point of view, the trip is shifting to safer ground as the king and queen leave Washington behind and head to New York, where the focus will be on the city’s creative industries, rather than politics.

The most difficult part of the trip may be over, Prescott said.

“If this is the only controversy arising out of this phase of the state visit, I think overall this has been an enormous success for the king and the British government, because the king was able to make some quite pointed remarks in Congress and it hasn’t really yielded any sort of negative reaction from the president.”

“In a sense,” he said, “you get the feeling that the king rather charmed Washington with his speech to Congress and, you know, his very witty speech at the state banquet.”

Kirka writes for the Associated Press.

April 29 (UPI) — Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla laid flowers at the Sept. 11 memorial and met with victims’ families and first responders in New York City on the third day of their state visit to the United States.

It was the first visit by a reigning British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II visited in 2010.

The terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in 2001 killed nearly 2,800 people, 67 of them British. During the queen’s trip, she officially opened what is now called the Queen Elizabeth II September 11th Garden. The lower Manhattan space honors the British citizens who died in the attacks.

The royal couple laid flowers beside the reflecting pool, which has the names of victims etched into the side. Standing beside them were firefighters and officers from the New York Police Department, the Port Authority Police Department and the New York Fire Department, in dress uniforms, The New York Times reported.

Charles spoke to both houses of Congress on Tuesday, and he mentioned that 9/11 was the first time that NATO invoked Article 5, which declares that an attack on any members is an attack on all.

Charles referenced the attacks during the speech.

“We stood with you then,” he said. “And we stand with you now in solemn remembrance of a day that shall never be forgotten.”

Trump has repeatedly claimed that NATO has never come to the aid of the United States.

Charles also emphasized his country’s involvement in the war in Afghanistan. Trump said earlier this year that British troops “held back” in the war, which caused some Brits to demand the state visit be canceled.

After the visit to the memorial, the king went to Harlem to meet with young people who run an urban farm. He fed lettuce to the chickens, The Times reported.

Camilla visited the New York Public Library and gave a speech about the power of literature. She gave the library a replica of Roo, the character in Winnie the Pooh, a British children’s classic.

The library has the original stuffed animals that inspired A.A. Milne to write the Pooh series, but the Roo animal was lost.

Wednesday evening, the king and queen will attend a reception with “celebrated creative and cultural figures from both sides of the Atlantic,” the British Embassy said. They will then head back to Washington.

The pair will attend a block party for the United States’ 250th anniversary in Virginia Thursday and say good-bye to Trump, ending their state visit.

April 29 (UPI) — U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted King Charles III and Queen Camilla at a state dinner at the White House on Tuesday, where both leaders praised the U.S.-British relationship and pledged to strengthen the alliance.

In the East Room of the White House, Trump described the king’s state visit to the White House as “historic,” occurring as they prepare to celebrate the United States’ 250th year of independence.

“It is only natural that Americans begin this by paying tribute to the transcendent bond we share with the nation that Thomas Jefferson himself called our mother country,” Trump said.

“Tonight, on the eve of our 250th year of cherished independence, we turn to the sovereign embodiment of our British heritage and say, sincerely, thank you to our friends, the United Kingdom, for the richest inheritance that any nation has ever given to another.”

He complimented the “fantastic speech” Charles had given only a few hours earlier before a joint meeting of Congress, joking that the king was able to garner a standing ovation from the Democrats.

“I’ve never been able to do that,” Trump said. “They like him more than they’ve ever liked any Republican or Democrat, actually.”

Charles echoed Trump in his own speech that followed, stating that he was glad for the opportunity to renew the “bonds of history and friendship” between their two nations and people.

“Ours is an unbreakable bond of history and heritage, culture and commerce, industry and invention, and we are determined to face the future together,” Charles said.

“Tonight, we are here to renew an indispensable alliance, which has long been a cornerstone of prosperity and security for both British and American citizens.”

Referring to the demolished East Wing where construction is underway on Trump’s $400 million ballroom, Charles joked that he couldn’t help but notice the “readjustments” to the White House followed the president’s visit to Windsor Castle in September.

In the same vein, he jokingly apologized for the British “attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814,” when British forces set fire to the building during the War of 1812.

At the end of his speech, Charles presented Trump with the bell from the HMS Trump, a British submarine that the king said played a “critical role” during the Pacific War.

“May it stand as a testimony to our nation’s shared history and shining future,” he said. “And should you ever need to get a hold of us — well, just give us a ring.”

The pair spoke for about 25 minutes before more than 125 attendees, according to the guest list. They included six conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices, several members of Trump’s Cabinet and business leaders Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Tim Cook of Apple and Robert Kraft of the Kraft Group.

A statement from the first lady said the decor of the dinner was intended to reflect “a shared appreciation for gardens,” with guests greeted by cherry blossoms as they entered the Grand Foyer, towering trees and blooming garden boxes.

Tables were clothed in green pleated linens and set with more than 250 pieces of vermeil from the White House collection, the Office of the First Lady said.

The three-course meal included garden vegetable veloute, handcrafted spring herbed ravioli with ricotta cheese and morels, a Dover sole meuniere, potato pave, spring ramps, snow peas and parsley oil.

For dessert, the attendees were served a beehive-shaped chocolate gateau with a vanilla bean cremeux custard inside an almond joconde, all with a creme fraiche ice cream.

King Charles III has hailed US-UK ties at a state dinner in the White House after speaking at a joint session of Congress in a rare appearance by a British monarch. The visit marks 250 years since American independence, and comes amid strains over the war on Iran.

Britain’s King Charles III has used a speech in front of the United States Congress to pledge NATO unity and call for support for Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.

The address on Tuesday came during the royal’s four-day visit to the US, with the US-Israel war with Iran, US President Donald Trump’s criticism of NATO, and trade tensions between the longtime allies looming large.

But Charles avoided any reference to specific frictions during his speech at the US Capitol, instead striking a light tone in his joke-heavy opening.

He praised what he called the shared history and values of the two countries, quipping at one point that Washington, DC was “a tale of two Georges”, the first US President George Washington and his ancestor, the UK’s King George.

He assured lawmakers, to laughs, he was not in the US “as part of some cunning rearguard action” in a delayed continuation of the Revolutionary War.

“I am here on this great occasion in the life of our nations to express the highest regard and friendship of the British people to the people of the United States,” the sovereign said to repeated standing ovations.

But amid broad themes of unity, more pointed messages lurked.

Charles did not directly address the US-Israel war with Iran or Trump’s outspoken criticism of NATO allies who have rejected joining Washington’s war efforts.

Instead, he praised support for NATO and the alliance’s invocation of its Article 5 collective defence treaty in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

“We answered the call together, as our people have done so for more than a century, shoulder to shoulder through two world wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan and moments that have defined our shared security,” he said.

He then turned to funding for Ukraine, an increasingly pointed issue in the Republican-controlled US Congress.

“Today, Mr Speaker, that same unyielding resolve is needed for the defence of Ukraine and her most courageous people,” he said, referring to House Speaker Mike Johnson.

In one instance, Charles hailed the “$430 billion in annual trade that continues to grow, the $1.7 trillion in mutual investment that fuels that innovation”.

Last week, Trump threatened to impose a “big tariff” on the UK if it did not drop a digital services tax on US tech companies.

At another point, Charles pointed to global environmental concerns.

“We ignore, at our peril, the fact that these natural systems, in other words, nature’s own economy, provide the foundation for our prosperity and our national security,” he said.

Trump has called climate change a “con job” and withdrew from the landmark Paris Agreement climate accords during his first and second terms. His administration has since pursued deregulation of fossil fuels and pivoted away from green energy, an approach embraced by many members of the president’s Republican party.

Other messages appeared to gently reference political trends in the US, where critics have accused Trump of using the Department of Justice for political retribution and of overturning long-standing norms of presidential authority.

Charles described the “common ideals” of the US and UK: “The rule of law, the certainty of stable and accessible rules, an independent judiciary, resolving disputes and delivering impartial justice”.

He also drew a throughline between the Magna Carta, the 13th-century document that established that the British king was subject to law, and constitutional and legal precedent in the US, calling it “the foundation of the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances”.

The address came shortly before Trump was set to host Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, for an official state dinner.

The pair were then set to visit New York and Virginia, before an official farewell ceremony at the White House on Thursday.

WASHINGTON — King Charles III will address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, becoming the second British monarch in history to do so as the United States commemorates the 250th anniversary of its independence from England.

The king’s address, the centerpiece of a four-day state visit, comes at a moment of unusual strain between Washington and London. President Trump has repeatedly clashed with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the United States’ war with Iran, derided the British government’s refusal to commit forces to the conflict and even mocked the Royal Navy’s battleships as “toys.”

At a welcome ceremony for the king and Queen Camilla at the White House, Trump struck a more appreciative tone, describing the relationship between the two nations as a centuries-old “cherished bond.”

“Long before Americans had a nation or a Constitution, we first had a culture, a character and a creed,” the president said. “Before we ever proclaimed our independence, Americans carried within us the rarest of gifts — moral courage — and it came from a small but mighty kingdom from across the sea.”

Trump said that some may think it is “ironic” to honor the British king during celebrations of America’s independence, but argued the tribute “could not be more appropriate.”

“Americans have had no closer friends than the British,” Trump said. “We share the same root. We speak the same language. We hold the same values. And together, our warriors have defended the same extraordinary civilization under twin banners of red, white and blue.”

Trump said he will not be attending the king’s remarks at the Capitol due to security protocols, but said he planned to watch from afar. He did not elaborate on any security concerns, but the decision comes in the aftermath of a shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner in which authorities said Trump was a likely target.

Following the welcome ceremony, the king joined Trump in the Oval Office for a closed-door bilateral meeting.

The president appeared to be enjoying the visit. He told the crowd at the White House that his late mother “loved” the royal family and watched their events on television. The president even joked his mother had a “crush” on the king when he was younger.

“I wonder what’s she’s thinking right now,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Trump posted on Truth Social that he planned to raise with the king and queen a media report suggesting his family roots may be tied to the royal family, a prospect he appeared to find amusing.

“I’ve always wanted to live in Buckingham Palace!!!” the president said in the post.

The king is scheduled to address Congress at 3 p.m. EDT. He is expected to delivered prepared remarks about the two nations’ shared history and their enduring diplomatic ties, while offering measured acknowledgment to the tensions defining the current moment.

The only precedent for an address by a British monarch was 35 years ago, when Queen Elizabeth II addressed a joint session of Congress in 1991. The timing of her address came after the end of the Gulf War.

How the king will address the current geopolitical tensions, including the Iran war and Trump’s threats to leave the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, remains to be seen.

But hanging over the king’s visit is the shadow of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont), one of the most vocal lawmakers pushing for the release of the Epstein files, last month requested that the king privately meet with some of the women who were sexually abused by the late financier.

The request was made in a letter to Buckingham Palace. In it, Khanna noted that the Epstein scandal extended to Britain, where the king’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was tied to the alleged misconduct.

In February, the former Prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to Epstein, marking the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was criminally apprehended.

But the king declined to meet directly with the survivors, Khanna said in an MS NOW interview on Tuesday morning. The California Democrat said he expects the king to address the issue during his remarks to Congress.

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Chavez 15, Grant 1

Discovery 20, Central City Value 19

Fremont 10, Harbor Teacher 0

LA Jordan 15, Washington Prep 0

Lakeview Charter 17, Valor Academy 3

Maywood Academy 18, Elizabeth 1

Maywood CES 7, Marquez 1

Port of Los Angeles 14, King/Drew 8

Roybal 9, Hollywood 1

San Fernando 3, North Hollywood 2

Sun Valley Magnet 11, Valley Oaks CES

Sun Valley Poly 5, Verdugo Hills 2

Sylmar 11, Granada Hills Kennedy 3

Torres 6, Sotomayor 4

Triumph Charter 18, Bert Corona 3

Troy 15, Fulton 0

Van Nuys 14, Arleta 4

Vaughn 13, VAAS 2

SOUTHERN SECTION

AAE 11, Silver Valley 1

Alta Loma 5, Los Altos 3

Animo Leadership 6, HMSA 2

Arrowhead Christian 8, Ontario Christian 4

Bishop Diego 10, Villanova Prep 2

Buena 5, Saugus 4

Cajon 2, Citrus Valley 1

California 18, Schurr 2

Canyon Country Canyon 11, Burbank Providence 2

Corona 6, Norco 4

Corona Santiago 7, Corona Centennial 0

Damien 6, Chino Hills 3

Dunn 6, Santa Clara 0

Eastvale Roosevelt 10, Riverside King 7

Etiwanda 3, Rancho Cucamonga 1

Faith Baptist 9, Valley Torah 3

Gabrielino 3, Arroyo 1

Liberty 5, Cornerstone Christian 4

Mary Star of the Sea 6, South El Monte 5

Mountain View 15, El Monte 4

Nuview Bridge 10, SJDLCS 1

Oak Park 12, Fillmore 11

Pacific 13, Entrepreneur 0

Palm Desert 19, Xavier Prep 1

Rancho Mirage 9, Palm Springs 1

Redlands East Valley 6, Beaumont 3

San Dimas 5, Colony 1

San Gorgonio 8, Rim of the World 7

San Jacinto Valley Academy 13, San Jacinto Leadership 0

St. Bonaventure 2, Foothill Tech 1

Troy 15, Fulton 0

Upland 4, Los Osos 3

Western Christian 4, Jurupa Valley 3

Whittier 5, Hoover 3

Yucaipa 9, Redlands 1

YULA 10, de Toledo 6

INTERSECTIONAL

Cathedral 17, Stella Charter 1

Loma Linda Academy 17, Public Safety Academy 4

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Animo Venice 15, Stella 2

Animo Watts 21, AHSA 6

Carson 24, Gardena 0

Discovery 27, Valor Academy 16

Dorsey 9, Fremont 5

East Valley 18, Grant 8

Garfield 6, South East 1

LA Jordan 12, Washington Prep 9

Legacy 15, Bell 0

Mendez 19, Belmont 2

Middle College 20, LAAAE 6

Narbonne 7, Rancho Dominguez 4

Panorama 24, Vaughn 24

San Pedro 8, Wilmington Banning 2

SOCES 20, VAAS 0

Triumph Charter 15, Lakeview Charter 5

USC-MAE 21, Animo Bunche 4

West Adams 16, Manual Arts 2

SOUTHERN SECTION

Arroyo 13, Gabrielino 0

Bishop Amat 8, Lakewood St. Joseph 6

Bloomington 16, Rim of the World 6

Castaic 15, Golden Valley 5

Duarte 12, Nogales 2

Jurupa Valley 14, RSCSM 4

La Quinta 6, Shadow Hills 2

La Salle 8, Crescenta Valley 3

Long Beach Jordan 21, Century 12

Ocean View 16, Estancia 0

Orange Vista 5, Arlington 3

Rancho Mirage 16, Palm Springs 1

Rosary 14, Sonora 12

Riverside North 6, Rancho Verde 4

Sacred Heart of Jesus 15, Pomona Catholic 0

San Marino 14, South Pasadena 6

Santa Paula 24, Nordhoff 2

Segerstrom 26, St. Pius X-St. Matthias 0

Sunny Hills 17, Oxford Academy 0

INTERSECTIONAL

El Camino Real 10, Calabasas 2

LA University 15, Long Beach Cabrillo 4

Laton 17, Valley Christian Academy 16

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 11, Birmingham 2

April 27 (UPI) — British King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in the United States for a state visit Monday as President Donald Trump issued public assurances that the monarch would “be very safe.”

The British Ambassador to the United States Christian Turner and U.S. Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley greeted Charles and Camilla after they landed at Joint Base Andrews on Monday afternoon.

President Trump and first lady Melania then welcomed them at the South Portico of the White House, where they posed for photos outside, NBC News reported.

Following discussions between Buckingham Palace and the White House following Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, Buckingham Palace announced Sunday that Charles and Queen Camilla would be going ahead with the visit, with some very minor changes.

The president told CBS’s 60 Minutes on Sunday that the White House, which King Charles will visit, was “really safe.”

“I think it’s great, he’ll be very safe… the White House grounds are really safe. This area of not very many acres is really safe. And he’ll be staying here, I believe he’s going to a couple of other locations because he’s here for a few days,” Trump said.

“They called him and they are so looking forward to being here. We spoke this morning.”

The palace said in a statement Sunday that the royal couple was eagerly anticipating their trip.

“Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the day, and acting on advice of the government, we can confirm the state visit by their majesties will proceed as planned. The king and queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the visit getting underway tomorrow.”

Preparations for the visit, which is in reciprocation for Trump’s state visit to Britain in September and to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary, were at an advanced stage when Saturday’s incident occurred, with Britain’s Union Jack flag flying alongside the Stars and Stripes in the streets around 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Turner said Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Trump on Sunday to wish him well following the shooting and that the visit would go ahead largely unchanged.

Charles and Camilla also contacted the Trumps privately following Saturday’s attack to express their sympathy.

Turner said the focus of the visit would be “renewing and revitalising a unique friendship.”

The “shared history, shared sacrifice and common values” of the two countries would be on display, highlighting a partnership that made the people of both the United States and Britain “safer, richer and happier,” he added.

After an official welcoming ceremony and events at the White House on Tuesday, Charles is expected to then head to Capitol Hill to address both houses of Congress, before Trump and first lady Melania Trump host an official state dinner for the royal couple in the East Room of the White House in the evening.

On Wednesday, the royal couple will go on to New York where Charles will be hosted by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for a wreath-laying ceremony ​to commemorate the 67 British victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Charles and Camilla return to Washington for their formal parting with their hosts on Thursday before heading to Virginia and then onwards to the British overseas territory of Bermuda.

The visit comes at a time when trans-Atlantic relations have been strained over the United States’ war with Iran, with Trump angered that Britain has not supported it, although it has allowed U.S. military aircraft to use British air bases in Britain and in Diego Garcia.

Trump has repeatedly attacked Starmer over his refusal to back the U.S. military offensive but the pair are also at odds over “opening” North Sea oil and gas fields, with Trump saying it was imperative Britain resumed drilling and extraction, and immigration, where he said Starmer needed to emulate the “strong” policies of the United States.

London is hoping the royal visit will go some way to smoothing over the difficulties, particularly given Trump’s well-known admiration for the British monarchy.

Asked by the BBC on Thursday whether the king coming to the United States would heal the rift, Trump said it was very likely to.

“Absolutely. He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes. I know him well, I’ve known him for years. He’s a brave man, and he’s a great man. They would absolutely be a positive.”

However, he was less positive regarding his relationship with Starmer but said he still had a chance to recover from a domestic crisis over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington if he changed direction on energy and immigration.

WASHINGTON — Two and a half centuries after the American colonies declared independence from Britain under King George III, his descendant King Charles III lands in Washington on Monday with trans-Atlantic ties under strain and security in the spotlight.

A shooting at a Washington dinner attended by President Trump on Saturday sparked a last-minute security review of the four-day state visit, intended to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary, and the U.S.-U.K. “special relationship.”

Buckingham Palace said the king “is greatly relieved to hear that the president, first lady and all guests have been unharmed.” After a security review, the palace said the trip “will proceed as planned.”

Trump praises the king but derides Starmer

A rift between the U.K. government and Trump over issues including the Iran war had already raised the political stakes for the British monarch’s visit.

In recent weeks, Trump has lambasted Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his unwillingness to join U.S. military attacks on Iran, dismissing Britain’s leader as “not Winston Churchill,” the World War II prime minister who coined the phrase “special relationship” for the U.K.-U.S. bond.

It’s part of a wider rift between Trump and the United States’ NATO allies, whom he has called “cowards” and “useless” for not joining action against Iran. A leaked Pentagon email suggested the U.S. could reassess support for the U.K.’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic. Britain and Argentina fought a 1982 war over the islands, also known as the Islas Malvinas.

The president insists the political chill won’t affect the royal visit. Charles “has nothing to do with that,” Trump said in March, meaning NATO.

The president has spoken in glowing terms about Charles, repeatedly referring to the monarch as his “friend” and a “great guy.”

He also continues to mention his “amazing” trip to the U.K. in September with first lady Melania Trump for an unprecedented second state visit. Starmer hand-delivered the invitation from the king in the Oval Office five weeks after Trump returned to office, in a very public attempt to woo the Republican president.

The U.K. royal family laid on pomp and pageantry for the Trumps, with scarlet-clad guardsmen, brass bands and a sumptuous banquet at Windsor Castle.

“President Trump has always had great respect for King Charles, and their relationship was further strengthened by the president’s historic visit to the United Kingdom last year,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The Associated Press. “The president looks forward to a special visit by Their Majesties, which will include a beautiful state dinner and multiple events throughout the week.”

Trump, meanwhile, told the BBC that the king’s visit could “absolutely” help repair the trans-Atlantic relationship.

“He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes,” the president said.

Some have called for the trip to be canceled

Kristofer Allerfeldt, a University of Exeter professor specializing in American history, said the two governments have very different objectives for the trip.

He said that for Charles, the trip is about “reinforcing long-term ties, showcasing the monarchy’s soft power and reminding the world that Britain still carries diplomatic weight.”

For Trump, it’s more about “a media event,” with emphasis on the optics of a visit that resembles a meeting of “two gilded monarchs.”

Some U.K. politicians worry that the trip is fraught with opportunities for embarrassment. Trump’s recent broadsides at Pope Leo XIV have heightened those concerns.

Ed Davey, leader of the U.K. centrist opposition Liberal Democrats party, earlier this month called Trump “a dangerous and corrupt gangster” and implored the government to cancel the trip.

“I really fear for what Trump might say or do while our king is forced to stand by his side,” Davey said in the House of Commons. “We cannot put His Majesty in that position.”

Starmer defended the visit, saying “the monarchy, through the bonds that it builds, is often able to reach through the decades” and bolster important relationships.

Andrew and Epstein cast a shadow

Raising the stakes is the shadow of the king’s younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who has been stripped of his royal title of Prince Andrew, exiled from public life and put under police investigation over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. He has denied committing any crimes.

Epstein victims have urged the king to meet with them and other sexual abuse survivors. It’s unlikely he will do so.

Charles has visited the U.S. 19 times, but this is his first state visit to the country since becoming king in 2022. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made four state visits to the U.S.

The king, who is 77 and was diagnosed in early 2024 with an undisclosed form of cancer, will spend four days in the U.S. accompanied by Queen Camilla.

In Washington, the king and queen will have a private tea with the Trumps and attend a garden party and a formal White House state dinner. The president and the king will also have a one-on-one meeting.

The royal couple will also visit the Sept. 11 memorial in New York and attend a 250th birthday block party in Virginia, where Charles will also meet Indigenous leaders involved in nature conservation — a favorite cause of the environmentalist king.

Three centuries after Britain’s kings and queens gave up any real political power, the royals remain symbols of soft power, deployed by elected governments to smooth international relationships and send messages about what the U.K. considers important.

A key moment will be the king’s speech to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday. It’s only the second time, after Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, that a U.K. monarch has addressed a joint meeting of both houses.

Elizabeth praised liberalism on that trip, spoke against the idea that “power grows from the barrel of a gun” and praised the “rich ethnic and cultural diversity of both our societies.”

The king’s treasured causes, including the environment and harmony among religious faiths, are in contrast to Trump’s. He’s unlikely to accentuate differences, but Allerfeldt said that, in the monarch’s subtle way, the king could use his speech to send a message.

“He does have an unorthodox way of looking at the world, and I think maybe he can actually have something valid to say when he addresses Congress,” Allerfeldt said.

Superville and Lawless write for the Associated Press. Jill Lawless reported from London.

LONDON — The challenge for King Charles III as he arrives in the United States this week is, as always, to live up to his mother’s example.

The late Queen Elizabeth II wowed Congress in 1991 with a speech that celebrated the shared democratic traditions of Britain and the United States, quoted Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and highlighted the deep bonds between the two nations.

Those themes will also be at the top of Charles’ agenda as he celebrates America’s 250th birthday and seeks to calm tensions surrounding Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to support President Trump’s war against Iran, said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University in Texas.

“We’ve got to always make the distinction that there’s a difference between the government of the U.K. and the kings and queens of Great Britain, who are really always coming to try to put [on] a good face,” Brinkley told the Associated Press. “Politics come and go; prime ministers, presidents, come and go; but there’s something deeper about the special relationship between the United States and the U.K.”

Charles and Queen Camilla begin a four-day trip on Monday, when they will have tea with the president and First Lady Melania Trump, then tour the White House beehive, in a nod to the king’s focus on the environment.

The formal arrival ceremony will take place Tuesday, with a 21-gun salute, brass bands playing the national anthems of both countries and a contingent of U.S. service members passing in review. The ceremonies will be followed by a meeting between Trump and Charles.

Behind the scenes

But beneath the pomp and pageantry will be a carefully choreographed diplomatic event staged, like all royal visits, at the request of the British government. Starmer resisted pressure to cancel it after Trump belittled the British military’s sacrifices in Afghanistan and criticized him personally for failing to back the U.S. in its war alongside Israel against Iran.

Despite those tensions, Trump has continued to speak warmly about Charles.

“History has shown that President Trump really tries to be impressive whenever he’s dealing with British royalty,” Brinkley said. “And I’m sure it’ll be the same this time around.”

Ever since 1939, when King George VI became the first British monarch to set foot on the soil of the country’s former colony, there’s been a special sort of excitement whenever the royals come to the United States.

Take that first visit, which took place as World War II loomed over Europe. The royals toured the East Coast and attended a picnic at President Roosevelt’s private home in Hyde Park, N.Y. “King tries hot dog and asks for more,’’ declared the New York Times.

But the big moment was when the royals traveled to Mount Vernon to lay a wreath at the tomb of George Washington. It showed respect at a time of isolationism.

“People could see the handwriting on the wall and know that it was going to be important for the United States and Britain to stay strong for fighting against Hitler,” said Barbara Perry, a presidential scholar at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center.

But bonding over sausages had broader benefits, helping the royals build links to the general public as well as its leadership. After war broke out in September 1939, Queen Elizabeth, the wife of George VI and mother of the future Elizabeth II, wrote to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to say how moved she’d been by letters from Americans who enclosed small sums for British forces.

“Sometimes, during the last terrible months, we have felt rather lonely in our fight against evil things, but I can honestly say that our hearts have been lightened by the knowledge that friends in America understand what we are fighting for,’’ she wrote.

The queen’s connection

Queen Elizabeth II built on those relationships, making four state visits to the U.S. during her 70-year reign. She joined President Ford in celebrating America’s bicentennial in 1976 and met with President George W. Bush in 2007 as British and American forces fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Smoothing turbulent waters and reminding both sides about their common bonds were what those trips were all about.

Charles’ visit will be no different. It includes a commemoration of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, a ceremony honoring fallen service members and an event to be attended by Queen Camilla to mark the 100th anniversary of Winnie the Pooh stories by British author A.A. Milne.

Certain events will be avoided.

The royals won’t meet with Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, despite calls for the king to address his accusations related to his brother Andrew’s links to the convicted sex offender. Nor are there plans for Charles to meet with his son Prince Harry, who has been a critic of the monarchy since giving up royal duties and moving to California.

Those issues aren’t the priority, said Robert Hardman, author of “Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story.”

“He’s going because 250 years ago the Founding Fathers of the USA kicked out his great-times-five grandfather, and he’s going to say, `No hard feelings, it’s been a great divorce, we’ve had a lovely 250 years and let’s reflect on the high points,’’’ Hardman said. “I mean, there are going to be some very, very large elephants in the room during that visit … but, you know, there are plenty of other things for the king to focus on.”

History, not politics

Charles’ speech to a joint session of Congress offers the chance to deliver the message that long-term friendship is more important than transient disputes.

He is also likely to offer a bit of humor, as his mother did when she addressed lawmakers in 1991.

Wearing soft peach amid a sea of gray suits, the diminutive monarch began her remarks with a joke about an earlier blunder at the White House when her lectern was so tall it obscured the audience’s view of her.

“I do hope you can see me today from where you are,’’ she deadpanned.

The chamber erupted in laughter. A standing ovation followed. Then she launched into a speech about democratic values, the rule of law and the Atlantic Alliance — the foundation of NATO.

Those are values that critics of the current U.S. administration say it has retreated from in recent years. But Charles will offer his own take on those ideas, Brinkley said.

“The theme of the speech is going to be American exceptionalism, American history, the importance of U.S.-British alliance, and some memories from the past,” he said. “But also about the love affair the two countries share with each other, even though it goes over rocky rapids from time to time.”

Kirka writes for the Associated Press.

Lionsgate’s “Michael” is on track to unseat “Straight Outta Compton” as the king of musical biopics.

Early returns suggest the Antoine Fuqua-directed film will surpass the $60-million opening weekend box office record set by the N.W.A biopic in 2015, with the studio expecting an opening that could reach $70 million.

“Michael Jackson is one of the most influential artists in human history. His impact on music, fashion, dance, film and business has withstood the test of time,” said Adam Fogelson, the chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.

“All of those things together seem to have created a profound response from audiences of all ages,” he added.

“Michael,” starring the legendary pop star’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, hits 3,900 screens nationwide on Friday.

The film marks the first time the story of Michael Jackson’s life and career are back in movie theaters since 2009’s “This Is It.” That posthumous documentary followed the rehearsals for his London residency, which was canceled after he died, just 18 days before the first of 50 scheduled shows.

That film remains the highest-grossing documentary of all time with nearly $270 million in global ticket sales.

The stakes may be higher for “Michael,” not just because of its roughly $200-million cost, but also its circuitous journey to the big screen.

Early development on the motion picture began in 2019, but frequent changes — both in the storyline and production — forced delays. The original idea was to encapsulate Jackson’s life from childhood fame with the Jackson 5 to his solo commercial peak during the ’80s and end with the child sex abuse allegations he faced in 1993.

That version of the film was well underway when the production was forced to go back to the drawing board due to a legal issue. The Jackson estate, which is in support of the project, reportedly discovered the early draft of “Michael” violated a $15-million settlement with the accuser in that case. Part of the agreement stipulated that the alleged victim would never be pictured or mentioned in a dramatization of Jackson’s life.

Production reconvened for 22 additional days and the Jackson estate took on tens of millions of dollars in additional reshoot costs.

The current version of “Michael,” hitting theaters this weekend, is set between the 1960s and 1988. It closely follows the controlling relationship between Jackson and his father, Joe Jackson, played by Colman Domingo, and tracks the king of pop’s peak stardom. Janet Jackson is notably absent from the storyline.

Depending on how the movie performs, there are plans for a potential sequel. The follow-up would tell the second half of Jackson’s career, where much of the scrapped footage could be used. Lionsgate has done advanced work to ensure that a significant amount of the previously captured footage could be included.

So far, the movie is receiving mixed reviews. As of Friday morning, the critic’s consensus on Rotten Tomatoes was less than favorable, with a score of 40%. But Lionsgate remains confident the film will resonate positively with average moviegoers and Jackson fans, both domestically and globally.

“The audiences that are now starting to watch the movie in early previews have been euphoric,” Fogelson said. “Audiences are speaking loudly and clearly about how much they appreciate the final product.”

Even outside of theaters, Jackson’s story continues to find success. “MJ,” the jukebox musical based on his life, is in its fourth year on Broadway and has had both national and international showings. Michael Jackson’s estate has also collaborated with Cirque du Soleil for several acrobatic productions since 2011. The “Michael Jackson ONE” show, which first premiered in 2013, recently extended its run on the Las Vegas Strip until 2030.

Tiffany Naiman, the director of music industry programs at UCLA, said the sustained interest in the pop icon speaks to his loyal fan base and place in American cultural history.

“He represents not only extraordinary artistic achievement, but also the contradictions of fame at its most amplified,” Naiman said in a statement. “That tension — between brilliance and controversy, innovation and scrutiny — is precisely what continues to draw audiences back, and what will likely shape both the film’s reception and its broader cultural impact.”

Seeing Tripp King flick a rubber ball toward the net with his stick is like spotting an unidentified flying object and wondering if you missed it because the shot happens faster than the blink of an eye.

His lacrosse coach at Loyola High, Jimmy Borell, brings out one of those baseball radar guns twice a year to clock how fast his players can send that ball through a net.

King’s right hand delivers the ball at 100 mph and his left hand at 90 mph.

“I pray he doesn’t cut the net,” Borell said.

In a sport that’s beloved on the East Coast, King is helping bring respect to lacrosse players learning the game on the West Coast.

He started lacrosse in kindergarten, showing up to participate in South Bay Lacrosse Club. By first grade, he was wearing lacrosse pads. He also played football and basketball. When he reached Loyola as a freshman, he was still a three-sport athlete, but he had become so talented in lacrosse that it became his focus.

“I always loved the speed of lacrosse,” said the junior. “I see that similarity in basketball. It’s always pulled me knowing you have to be good at everything instead of one particular skill.”

At 6 feet 1 and 200 pounds with the thick calves of a football player, he’s an attacker that every opponent must track. He’ll stand behind the net ready to receive the ball and make a pass to teammates who will quickly get the ball back to him for a goal with one flick of his wrist.

He had 102 points during the regular season (65 goals, 37 assists) for a Loyola team seeded No. 1 for the seven-team Southern Section Division 1 playoffs that begin this week. Loyola has a bye in the opening round and won’t play until May 9.

“He’s pretty special,” Borell said. “He’s got the tangibles, very skilled, can use both of his hands and has a very quick step.”

He’s committed to North Carolina, which is a dream come true since he was born to be a Tar Heel. Both of his parents went to North Carolina.

Tripp King, wearing No. 11, is an attacker for Loyola’s No. 1-ranked lacrosse team.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

“I’ve grown up a Tar Heel,” he said.

He’s also a kind, friendly future Tar Heel, something you can’t always say about lacrosse players who often feel they are either entitled or frustrated when people don’t pay enough attention to them.

Classmates swear by King.

“Nice,” is what several told me.

He returns to the South Bay Lacrosse Club to give back, working with young players just like when somebody helped him as a 5-year-old.

He’s someone ready to head to the East Coast determined to be proof of how determined West Coast players have become.

“A lot of the stereotypes of the West Coast are surfer boy or doesn’t take it seriously,” he said. “We’ve made it an atmosphere at Loyola where every day we’re waking up at 5 o’clock for 6 a.m. practices. We’re getting in extra work before and after practice. I think that lazier, not tough stereotype isn’t true. The West Coast is growing.”

King lives in Manhattan Beach, where celebrities and pro athletes can be seen walking or riding bikes on any given day.

King is only 17, but if he’s taking a walk or riding a bike, pay attention, because one day, he’s going to be recognized as lacrosse trendsetter from the West Coast.

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Hollywood 8, Dorsey 6

San Fernando 4, Monroe 2

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alemany 6, West Torrance 2

Arroyo Grande 11, Dos Pueblos 3

Avalon 6, Southlands Christian 5

Bethel Christian 29, Packinghouse Christian 7

Bosco Tech 6, Glendale 4

Cathedral 4, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 3

Chaffey 8, Diamond Ranch 6

Chino 7, Don Lugo 2

Cornerstone Christian 9, San Jacinto Academy 8

Dominguez 20, Compton Centennial 9

Foothill Tech 5, Oxnard Pacifica 0

Hueneme 10, Santa Clara 6

Immanuel 4, Trinity Classical Academy 3

Lancaster 20, Vasquez 12

Linfield Christian 6, Aquinas 5

Moorpark 9, Oxnard 8

Ojai Valley 8, Sequoyah 3

Ontario 5, Montclair 5

Orange 12, La Palma Kennedy 2

Placentia Valencia 7, Century 6

Riverside Prep 6, Ganesha 5

San Dimas 7, La Canada 6

Sequoyah 17, Ojai Valley 4

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 17, West Ranch 1

Sierra Canyon 15, Saugus 8

Sonora 7, Oxford Academy 5

St. Bonaventure 8, Santa Paula 5

Tahquitz 11, Riverside Poly 10

Wiseburn-Da Vinci 5, Artesia 4

INTERSECTIONAL

Anaheim Canyon 5, Wilmington Banning 0

Culver City 10, Venice 4

Esperanza 8, South East 7

Trinity Classical Academy 8, Fresno Christian 0

Golden Valley d. Arleta, forfeit

Granada Hills 15, Hart 12

LACES 8, St. Bernard 5

Sylmar 5, Valencia 2

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Eagle Rock 7, Arleta 6

Torres d. Elizabeth, forfeit

Venice 12, Verdugo Hills 0

SOUTHERN SECTION

Bethel Christian 22, Packinghouse Christian 4

Flintridge Sacred Heart 8, Village Christian 2

Highland 7, Hart 3

HMSA 19, Gardena Serra 1

Mira Costa 12, Irvine 8

Moorpark 8, Saugus 6

Rio Hondo Prep 11, Sacred Heart of Jesus 1

Saugus 2, Moorpark 0

Sonora 11, Bishop Montgomery 1

Village Christian 6, Vasquez 2

INTERSECTIONAL

Arleta 8, Viewpoint 5

Burbank Providence 7, Eagle Rock 2

Burbank Providence 11, Sylmar 6

CSDR 11, Model Secondary School (D.C.) 2

Granada Hills 16, West Torrance 4

Long Beach Poly 9, Carson 7

Venice 12, Flintridge Sacred Heart 2

Verdugo Hills 3, Vasquez 3

Viewpoint 9, Sylmar 6

Westlake 14, Granada Hills 2

The best way to climb a mountain is one step at a time.

Especially when you’re wearing skates.

And the Kings will be wearing skates and staring at a very large mountain when they take the ice Sunday for Game 4 of their best-of-seven Stanley Cup playoff series with the Colorado Avalanche, a loss away from elimination.

“You’ve just got to start with the first one,” defenseman Mikey Anderson said after a fast-paced 45-minute practice Saturday. “You try to win the first one, and then reset and go from there.”

Since the Kings trail 3-0 a win in Sunday’s matinee at Crypto.com Arena will do little more than extend the series one game, sending the teams back to Denver. To advance to the second round, the Kings need to win four in a row against the team that posted the NHL’s best record in the regular season.

How big a mountain is that? Well, the Avalanche haven’t lost four in a row since October and the Kings haven’t won a first-round playoff series since 2014.

One step at a time.

“You just have to win one, that’s first off. And then the hardest one will be the next one,” Kings interim coach D.J. Smith said. “And then, you know, it’s just momentum changes. But you can’t think about that without winning one, and you can’t think about winning one without winning the first period.

“You’re up against it, but I don’t think you can think about winning the series. You just got to think about winning one game.”

The series has been a lot closer than the deficit would indicate. The Kings have won the battle of the special teams, with their penalty kill shutting out the NHL’s highest-scoring team on nine chances. They’ve also scored a power-play goal in each of three games and held Nathan MacKinnon, the league’s top goal-scorer, to one assist in three games.

MacKinnon didn’t even take a shot in Game 3, yet Colorado won 4-2 with two goals bouncing in off the skates of Kings forward Adrian Kempe and goalie Anton Forsberg while another was scored into an empty net.

“You still lose the game,” Anderson said. “This time of year doesn’t really matter. You can say it feels good, you do all these good things. But if you don’t win the game, it’s kind of it’s the only thing that matters right now.”

ings center Scott Laughton (21) checks Avalanche defenseman Sam Malinski (70) into the boards during the second period of Game 2 in Denver.

(Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)

Added forward Scott Laughton, “Sometimes you get the bounce, sometimes you don’t. You have to have a very-narrow minded focus. We’ve got to stick to the process.”

The Kings have only four goals in the series and have scored just once at even strength, so Smith scrambled his bottom two forward lines in practice Saturday in a search for speed in the offensive end. But he said he doesn’t plan any major changes for Game 4, adding the Kings just need to check harder, move the puck better and get to the net more.

“I think that the game plan is correct,” he said.

However the Kings have taken just 76 shots in the three games, making things far too easy for Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood, who has been brilliant.

“We’ve got to find ways to put the puck in the net, whether that’s crashing the nets, making the play for an empty netter. It doesn’t matter at this point,” said Kings’ captain Anze Kopitar, whose 20-year NHL career ends when his team’s season does. “We’ve got to find a way.”

Smith, who rallied the Kings into the playoffs after taking over for Jim Hiller with 23 games left in the regular season, is making his Stanley Cup playoff debut as a head coach. But he’s been in this position before. As an assistant with Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League, Smith coached a team that overcame a 3-0 deficit and went on to win the league title.

That was a big mountain. And they climbed it one step at a time.

“We’ve just got to play our best game one time, and then we’ll worry about the next game,” Smith said. “But we have to find a way to score more while playing the exact same defense.

“Is it hard? Yes. Are we going to give it everything we got? Yes. I think you’re going to see our best game in the series.”

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Animo Venice 9, Animo Robinson 7

CALS Early College 9, East College Prep 6

Smidt Tech 16, Alliance Ouchi 7

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aquinas 2, Linfield Christian 0

Alhambra 15, Mark Keppel 1

Arlington 7, Riverside Poly 2

Arrowhead Christian 15, Woodcrest Christian 5

Ayala 1, Diamond Bar 0

Baldwin Park 4, Garey 3

Banning 10, Desert Hot Springs 0

Bishop Amat 9, La Salle 8

Bishop Diego 16, Santa Clara 7

Camarillo 6, Oak Park 4

Canyon Springs 20, Riverside North 4

Capistrano Valley Christian 20, Webb 8

Carpinteria 4, Malibu 3

Castaic 9, Hart 8

Century 12, Westminster La Quinta 0

Cerritos 10, Glenn 1

Chaparral 5, Vista Murrieta 4

Charter Oak 9, Hacienda Heights Wilson 0

CIMSA 13, Silver Valley 3

Corona 21, Eastvale Roosevelt 6

Corona Centennial 11, Riverside King 6

Corona Del Mar 12, Marina 2

Costa Mesa 6, Fullerton 1

Covina 8, Rowland 3

Cypress 8, Santa Ana Foothill 5

Desert Mirage 13, Cathedral City 2

Dos Pueblos 5, Rio Mesa 1

Downey 3, La Mirada 2

Duarte 11, Nogales 1

Dunn 6, Villanova Prep 5

Edgewood 16, Workman 0

El Dorado 8, La Habra 2

El Modena 6, Crean Lutheran 1

Etiwanda 8, Chino Hills 5

Fillmore 6, Santa Paula 2

Gahr 13, Warren 0

Garden Grove Santiago 6, Magnolia 0

Glendora 13, Claremont 2

Golden Valley 3, Saugus 0

Great Oak 7, Murrieta Mesa 3

Hemet 9, Perris 1

Hesperia 4, Oak Hills 3

Hesperia Christian 8, Desert Christian 5

Highland 16, Antelope Valley 0

Hillcrest 11, Lakeside 3

Hueneme 7, Channel Islands 0

Katella 4, Ocean View 2

La Canada 3, San Marino 2

Laguna Beach 12, Irvine University 3

Lakewood 21, Compton 0

Lancaster 14, Knight 2

La Serna 13, Whittier 4

Liberty 4, Heritage 0

Loara 9, Savanna 1

Long Beach Wilson 11, Long Beach Jordan 0

Los Alamitos 7, Huntington Beach 4

Los Osos 5, Rancho Cucamonga 1

Lucerne Valley 11, ACE 0

Mayfair 13, Paramount 1

Miller 5, Loma Linda Academy 3

Mira Costa 10, West Torrance 3

Mission Viejo 4, El Toro 0

Monrovia 4, South Pasadena 1

Moreno Valley 11, Paloma Valley 3

Newbury Park 17, Calabasas 5

Newport Harbor 6, Fountain Valley 0

North Torrance 8, Peninsula 5

Northview 8, West Covina 1

Oaks Christian 11, Agoura 3

Oakwood 3, Santa Monica 2

Orange 15, Anaheim 0

Orange County Pacifica Christian 9, Western Christian 2

Oxnard 10, Ventura 0

Oxnard Pacifica 2, San Marcos 0

Oxford Academy 6, Whitney 2

Palmdale 16, Littlerock 6

Pasadena Marshall 7, Mountain View 5

Placentia Valencia 5, Westminster 2

Pomona 15, Bassett 10

Quartz Hill 26, Eastside 7

Ramona 10, Rubidoux 9

Rancho Alamitos 9, Saddleback 0

Rancho Christian 14, Citrus Hill 1

Rancho Verde 6, Vista del Lago 1

Redondo Union 22, El Segundo 7

Ridgecrest Burroughs 13, Serrano 5

Riverside Prep 16, Excelsior Charter 4

Royal 3, Simi Valley 0

San Bernardino 10, Pacific 8

Santa Ana 9, Godinez 0

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 6, Buena Park 2

Santa Barbara 4, Buena 1

Santa Clarita Christian 12, Valley Torah 0

Santa Fe 6, California 3

Santa Margarita 10, Orange Lutheran 9

Schurr 5, Montebello 4

Sierra Vista 11, Azusa 1

Southlands Christian 6, Avalon 3

St. Genevieve 7, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 3

St. John Bosco 10, Servite 0

St. Monica Academy 12, Cate 6

Sultana 14, Apple Valley 1

Temecula Prep 19, San Jacinto Leadership 0

Temecula Valley 10, Murrieta Valley 7

Torrance 6, Palos Verdes 1

Troy 10, Sunny Hills 9

Tustin 5, La Palma Kennedy 0

University Prep 14, Big Bear 3

Upland 9, Damien 5

Valencia 3, Canyon Country Canyon 0

Valley View 14, Orange Vista 9

Village Christian 4, Whittier Christian 3

Westlake 14, Thousand Oaks 4

Woodbridge 14, Portola 1

Yucca valley 8, Twentynine Palms 6

INTERSECTIONAL

Campbell Hall 12, Van Nuys 2

SOFTBALL

SOUTHERN SECTION

ACE 17, Lucerne Valley 3

Anaheim 22, Loara 4

Anza Hamilton 21, Sherman Indian 4

Apple Valley 25, Ridgecrest Burroughs 1

Azusa 11, Nogales 6

Cathedral City 17, Desert Mirage 1

Cerritos 11, Pioneer 0

Charter Oak 18, West Covina 0

CIMSA 10, Silver Valley 2

Colton 11, Miller 1

Corona 7, Corona Santiago 2

Costa Mesa 8, Tustin 5

Covina 13, Hacienda Heights Wilson 2

Downey 11, Lynwood 0

Duarte 5, Baldwin Park 1

Edgewood 10, Workman 9

El Monte 15, Rosemead 0

Fullerton 18, Garden Grove 0

Glendora 10, Diamond Bar 0

Hawthorne 17, Animo Leadership 0

Hemet 11, Canyon Springs 4

Hesperia Christian 24, Desert Christian 0

Hillcrest 2, Paloma Valley 1

JSerra 2, Mater Dei 0

Katella 21, Ocean View 4

Lakeside 8, Vista del Lago 4

La Palma Kennedy 11, Placentia Valencia 0

Liberty 11, Orange Vista 5

Los Amigos 12, Santa Ana Valley 0

Magnolia 14, Saddleback 4

Mountain View 22, Pasadena Marshall 7

Norco 11, Riverside King 1

North Torrance 6, El Segundo 2

Northview 12, Rowland 1

Oak Hills 15, Serrano 4

Oak Park 10, Buena 9

Orange lutheran 8, Santa Margarita 0

Oxnard Pacifica 5, San Marcos 4

Rancho Christian 17, Perris 4

Rancho Verde 17, Moreno Valley 1

Rio Mesa 4, Dos Pueblos 1

Riverside North 5, Arlington 0

Riverside Poly 10, Valley View 3

Samueli Academy 21, Vista Meridian 6

San Bernardino 22, Pacific 2

San Marino 24, Balir 1

Santa Ana 8, Laguna Hills 3

Sierra Vista 7, Garey 6

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 15, Long Beach Cabrillo 3

Sultana 17, Hesperia 10

Temecula Prep 16, San Jacinto Leadership 1

Temple City 4, Monrovia 3

University Prep 15, AAE 8

Ventura 8, Oxnard 3

Western Christian 20, Southlands Christian 4

West Torrance 6, South Torrance 3

INTERSECTIONAL

CSDR 16, Maryland School for the Deaf 15

CSDR 11, Texas School for the Deaf 7

Kings coach D.J. Smith gave his team the day off Friday, but he sent his players home with a message: if they don’t show up for work Sunday, they’ll have the rest of the spring and summer off, too.

Players don’t like to call any game a “must-win” because of the pressure it brings, but there’s no other way to look at Sunday’s game for the Kings. After losing the first three games of their best-of-seven playoff series with the Colorado Avalanche, the Kings are one loss away from being eliminating in the first round for a fifth consecutive season.

“Must-win game,” agreed defenseman Drew Doughty, who hasn’t played on a winning team in a playoff series since the Kings last won the Stanley Cup in 2014. “Everyone’s going to give everything and we’ve got to win that one. And then hopefully go back to Denver.”

The most recent loss came Thursday when the Avs scored two fluky goals on pucks that bounced in off the skates of Kings players and put another one into an empty net in a 4-2 victory that pushed the Kings to the brink of elimination once again.

“You don’t like the result,” Smith said. “And it’s tough to swallow.”

For Colorado, the best team in the NHL during the regular season, it hasn’t been the most stylish of postseasons. But after a pair of hard-fought 2-1 wins at home, the Avs have a chance to sweep a playoff series for the first time since 2022, when they won their last Stanley Cup.

“All the games have been tight. We’re right there,” forward Quinton Byfield said. “Each guy, including myself, we just have to give a little bit more.

“We’re doing the right things, we just have to dig in a little bit more.”

It’s hard to say how. The Kings’ power play has been good, scoring a goal in each of the three games, and their penalty kill even better, shutting out the top-scoring team in the NHL on nine tries with a man advantage.

The Kings have been physical and fast and goaltender Anton Forsberg has been brilliant in his first career playoff series, making 90 saves in the three games. Yet none of that has paid off with a win.

“Sometimes you play real well for stretches and you don’t get the results. And then you’ll win a game you don’t deserve to win,” Smith said. “Maybe we didn’t stay with it long enough.”

“Those games are over with,” a frustrated Byfield added. “You can’t look back at those games. It’s just on to the next one, that’s our focus.”

Doughty said the Kings need to wear down the Avalanche, something they clearly couldn’t do in the two games played in Denver’s mile-high altitude. They might have a better chance Sunday at sea level.

“I don’t think we’re creating enough Grade A chances,” he said. “They’re statistically one of the best teams in the neutral zone. So for us to beat them, we’ve got to wear them down in the D zone, make them tired and score goals that way. We haven’t done that enough.”

Every team has its kryptonite and the for the Kings that appears to be the first round of the playoffs. Over the past dozen seasons, the team has gone 9-27 in the postseason, taking a series to a seventh game just once in six tries. Along the way they’ve changed general mangers twice, changed head coaches five times and even changed their opponents, facing the Avs this year after losing four straight series to the Edmonton Oilers.

None of that has changed the results.

Smith, in fact, is an interim coach, having taken over for Jim Hiller with 23 games left in the regular season. He figures to be coaching for his future Sunday since a playoff sweep won’t look good at his resume.

“There’s no quit in there,” Smith said of the Kings’ locker room. “We’ll get reset with practice [Saturday] and I think you’re going to see our best effort.

“Now we’ve got to make a few changes and see if we can spark something.”

If that works, the Kings will be heading back to Denver. If it doesn’t, they’ll be heading home for another long summer.

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Bell 3, Garfield 1

Community Charter 15, Bert Corona 7

Diego Rivera 21, Los Angeles 11

Downtown Magnets 26, Central City Value 1

El Camino Real 5, Chatsworth 1

Franklin 8, Bravo 1

Fremont 7, King/Drew 1

Fulton 9, Chavez 8

LA Wilson 5, LA Marshall 3

Legacy 21, Huntington Park 0

Maywood CES 28, Maywood Academy 0

North Hollywood 5, Granada Hills Kennedy 3

Palisades 10, Westchester 0

Rancho Dominguez 6, Gardena 5

Santee 13, Angelou 5

Sotomayor d. Elizabeth, forfeit

Sylmar 10, Sun Valley Poly 0

Torres 3, Marquez 2

Triumph Charter 21, Valor Academy 1

Verdugo Hills 10, San Fernando 4

Wilmington Banning 17, Narbonne 3

WISH Academy 18, University Prep Value 3

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aliso Niguel 3, San Clemente 1

Alta Loma 2, South Hills 0

Ambassador 11, Animo Leadership 0

Bishop Montgomery 12, Bosco Tech 1

Bloomington 4, Carter 3

Burbank Providence 10, Buckley 0

Cajon 19, Redlands 0

Calabasas 7, Newbury Park 3

Citrus Valley 2, Beaumont 1

Crossroads 4, Brentwood 3

Desert Christian 13, St. Monica Academy 2

Elsinore 1, Tahquitz 0

Estancia 15, Garden Grove 1

Firebaugh 15, Dominguez 11

Fontana 10, Riverside Notre Dame 6

Grace 6, Thacher 1

Grand Terrace 3, Rialto 2

Great Oak 7, Murrieta Mesa 6

Heritage Christian 6, Cerritos Valley Christian 4

Indian Springs 18, Entrepreneur 2

Irvine 21, St. Margaret’s 4

Kaiser 12, Arroyo Valley 0

La Quinta 10, Xavier Prep 0

Lawndale 11, Lennox Academy 5

Los Altos 10, Colony 6

Mary Star of the Sea 18, Salesian 1

Mayfair 17, Segerstrom 7

Milken 12, YULA 7

Millikan 5, Long Beach Wilson 4

Muir 15, Glendale 0

New Roads 22, Vistamar 0

Oaks Christian 6, Agoura 5

Palm Desert 15, Palm Springs 2

Paraclete 20, St. Monica 1

Pasadena 4, Hoover 2

Pasadena Poly 6, Flintridge Prep 2

Quartz Hill 10, Vasquez 0

San Jacinto Valley Academy 12, Desert Christian Academy 0

Santa Rosa Academy 11, California Military 1

Sequoyah 24, Hillcrest Christian 14

Shadow Hills 4, Rancho Mirage 0

Shalhevet 11, Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 0

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 8, Sierra Canyon 5

Silverado 6, Barstow 1

South El Monte 3, Gabrielino 0

St. Bonaventure 10, Nordhoff 3

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 2, LA Jordan 1

Summit 4, Jurupa Hills 3

Temecula Valley 8, Murrieta Valley 3

Temescal Canyon 8, Cornerstone Christian 2

Tesoro 2, Dana Hills 1

Thousand Oaks 4, Westlake 3

United Christian Academy 11, Anza Hamilton 3

Valley Christian Academy 5, SLOCA 4

Victor Valley 8, Adelanto 5

Villa Park 4, La Serna 0

Vista Murrieta 7, Chaparral 5

West Valley 8, San Jacinto 7

Whittier Christian 5, Village Christian 0

Windward 7, Viewpoint 2

Yorba Linda 12, Esperanza 1

Yucaipa 7, Redlands East Valley 2

INTERSECTIONAL

Caruthers 5, Coastal Christian 2

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Alliance Levine 27, Esperanza College Prep 5

Bernstein 10, Mendez 6

Bravo 6, Eagle Rock 5

Carson 4, San Pedro 3

East College Prep 22, CALS Early College 14

Garfield 19, Bell 0

Harbor Teacher d. Dorsey, forfeit

Hollywood 22, Contreras 9

Jefferson 21, Santee 14

King/Drew 17, Locke 1

LACES 4, Westchester 3

LA Roosevelt 11. South East 9

LA University 17, Fairfax 4

Legacy 13, Huntington Park 0

Maywood CES d. Elizabeth, forfeit

Orthopaedic 23, Downtown Magnets 13

Panorama 18, East Valley 14

Rancho Dominguez 15, Gardena 0

SOCES 12, Northridge Academy 3

Triumph Charter 26, Valor Academy 1

USC-MAE 17, Central City Value 4

Venice 10, Palisades 0

West Adams 12, Angelou 4

Wilmington Banning 9, Narbonne 0

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alemany 18, Marymount 0

Aliso Niguel 9, Tesoro 8

Anaheim Canyon 4, Garden Grove Pacifica 1

Aquinas 13, Linfield Christian 6

Arcadia 13, Muir 6

Anza Hamilton 3, United Christian Academy 0

Beckman 9, Dana Hills 3

Big Bear 10, ACE 0

Bishop Amat 21, Bishop Montgomery 1

Bloomington 14, Fontana 10

Burbank 14, Glendale 0

Downey 13, Mayfair 4

Cajon 4, Beaumont 1

California 4, La Serna 3

Calvary Baptist 23, Crossroads Christian 0

Camarillo 4, Simi Valley 1

Carter 15, Eisenhower 0

Cerritos Valley Christian 11, Heritage Christian 1

Chaminade 7, Sierra Canyon 4

Chino 10, Don Lugo 0

Chino Hills 7, Upland 6

Claremont 7, Bonita 6

Crean Lutheran 10, Sunny Hills 9

Crescenta Valley 4, Burbank Burroughs 2

Crossroads 22, Archer 20

Desert Christian Academy 15, San Jacinto Valley Academy 3

Diamond Ranch 3, Chaffey 2

Edison 15, Corona del Mar 0

El Modena 6, La Habra 4

El Rancho 11, Whittier 5

Etiwanda 28, Los Osos 1

Firebaugh 11, Lynwood 6

Flintridge Sacred Heart 21, Immaculate Heart 0

Grace 17, Bishop Diego 0

Hart 12, Golden Valley 0

Highland 10, Antelope Valley 0

Hueneme 24, Nordhoff 11

Huntington Beach 5, Fountain Valley 0

Irvine 6, Irvine University 3

Jurupa Hills 19, Arroyo Valley 1

La Canada 13, South Pasadena 1

Lancaster 6, Knight 5

La Salle 15, Mary Star of the Sea 4

Lennox Academy 14, HMSA 8

Los Alamitos 15, Newport Harbor 1

Los Altos 10, San Dimas 2

Murrieta Valley 25, Chaparral 7

Newbury Park 18, Calabasas 0

Norwalk 22, Dominguez 0

Oaks Christian 14, Agoura 0

Ontario 11, Montclair 2

Ontario Christian 12, Woodcrest Christian 5

Palos Verdes 10, Redondo Union 0

Paraclete 13, St. Paul 2

Paramount 18, Bellflower 0

Pasadena Poly 7, Mayfield 0

Redlands East Valley 10, Redlands 4

Rialto 6, San Gorgonio 0

Rosary 13, Woodbridge 2

Quartz Hill 9, Eastside 0

Riverside Notre Dame 6, Rim of the World 1

San Clemente 8, Capistrano Valley 1

San Jacinto 15, West Valley 10

San Marino 14, Ramona Convent 2

Santa Ana Foothill 14, Esperanza 0

Santa Clarita Christian 14, Desert Christin 4

Santa Fe 6, Lakewood St. Joseph 5

Santa Paula 12, Fillmore 1

Saugus 9, West Ranch 5

Schurr 13, Alhambra 1

Silverado 11, Barstow 0

South Hills 2, Colony 0

St. Bonaventure 3, Santa Clara 0

St. Monica 14, St. Anthony 4

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 26, Gardena Serra 8

Summit 15, Kaiser 3

Thousand Oaks 6, Westlake 5

Trabuco Hills 5, El Toro 2

Twentynine Palms 7, Yucca Valley 6

Valencia 7, Castaic 5

Vasquez 20, Trinity Classical Academy 2

Ventura 17, Canyon Country Canyon 1

Victor Valley 14, Adelanto 5

Viewpoint 11, Windward 2

Warren 3, Gahr 2

Whittier Christian 15, Village Christian 5

Wiseburn-Da Vinci 9, Hawthorne 1

Yorba Linda 11, Sonora 1

Yucaipa 7, Citrus Valley 0

INTERSECTIONAL

Burbank Providence 6, San Fernando 5

Victor Christian Academy d. Bostonia Global, forfeit

The Colorado Avalanche rode swagger, poise and the league’s stingiest goaltender to the best record in the NHL this season. And nothing about that formula has changed in the postseason, with goals from Gabriel Landeskog, Cale Makar, Artturi Lehkonen and Brock Nelson giving Colorado a 4-2 win Thursday over the Kings and a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series.

The Kings, who have lost their last six first-round playoff series, need a victory at home Sunday to extend their season. Their goals in Game 3 came from Trevor Moore in the second period and Adrian Kempe on a third-period power play.

“They’re best team in the league for a reason. But we’re right there,” forward Quinton Byfield said. “We’re a confident group.”

“One game at home. Must-win game,” defenseman Drew Doughty added. “Everyone’s going to give everything they’ve got. We’ve got to win that one, and then hopefully get to go back to Denver.”

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews celebrates a goal by defenseman Cale Makar on Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg during the second period of Game 3 Thursday at Crypto.com Arena.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The difference in the series has been Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood, who was nearly perfect again, making 24 saves to place the Kings 60 minutes away from the offseason.

Anton Forsberg, playing in the postseason for the first time, has been almost as good in goal for the Kings, though he was victimized by two fluke goals and an empty-netter.

“Both goalies in the series have been unbelievable,” Kings coach D.J. Smith said. “Give Wedgewood credit. This guy looks like he’s putting his name on the circuit as a big-time goalie.”

The Avalanche, who certainly haven’t needed many lucky breaks in this series, got one early in the first period when Landeskog spun and launched a wild wrister from the blue line that went well wide of the net, only to have the puck carom off the end boards and into the net off Forsberg’s right skate blade.

The goal was the second in as many games for the Colorado captain.

The Kings then got their own break six minutes into the second period when Alex Laferriere jumped Brett Kulak’s clearing pass in the neutral jump and fed Byfield, whose pass into the crease struck Moore’s leg and ricocheted past Wedgewood to tie the score.

Colorado defenseman Devon Toews reaches for the puck against Kings right wing Quinton Byfield in the first period.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Colorado needed less than seven minutes to get the lead back, with Makar getting the puck along the boards on the left wing, skating into space at the point, then zipping a wrist shot through heavy traffic and just under the crossbar.

The Avalanche then increased the advantage 7:39 in the final period after Kempe fanned a shot from the point. Lehkonen collected the loose puck and took it the length of the ice before deflecting a centering pass off Kempe’s skate and by Forsberg for a short-handed goal, his second score of the series.

That appeared to put the game away, but after the Kings pulled Forsberg for an extra attacker, Kempe halved the deficit on a tip-in with 4:02 to play. But then Nelson forced a turnover and scored into the empty net with 2:18 left.

The six goals combined matched the total number from the first two games in Colorado.

“We’ve got to keep doing a lot of the things that we are doing,” Doughty said. “Obviously, we got to clean up giving up some of these chances that we’re giving up.”

Kings goalie Anton Forsberg covers the puck as Colorado left wing Gabriel Landeskog battles for it in the second period.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Kings’ penalty kill, which ranked 30th in the 32-team league during the regular season, has been brilliant against the Avalanche, turning back all nine Colorado power plays. That, plus stellar play for Forsberg in goal, has frustrated the NHL’s top-scoring team.

But against Wedgewood, the Kings have mustered little offense, scoring just four goals in the series — three times on the power play and once off Moore’s leg.

“We’d like to get more than two goals. Against this team, I don’t think it’s enough,” Doughty said. “I don’t think we’re creating enough grade-A chances on Wedgewood. He has played well, so for us to beat them, we’ve got to wear them down in the D-zone, make them tired and score goals that way. And we haven’t done that enough.”

They’re guaranteed just one more chance to turn that around.

“There’s no quit in there,” Smith said of the Kings’ locker room. “And I think you’ll see our best game. To a man, we want to give them a real good outing and push this series back to Colorado.”