mira costa

It’s 6 a.m. at Loyola High. Students are supposed to be asleep unless they’re on the swim team doing early morning laps at the pool. So why in the name of beach, surf and sunshine is the volleyball team practicing in the gym?

Welcome to February’s gym crunch time, when winter sports teams such as basketball are busy with playoffs and spring sports teams such as volleyball are gearing up for the start of their season.

“It’s pretty brutal,” said 6-foot-8 volleyball standout Blake Fahlbusch, who would prefer surfing in the morning and practicing volleyball in the afternoon.

Veteran coach Michael Boehle, sipping coffee, understands the routine is only temporary and does his best to get his players focused on their early morning routine.

The Cubs begin their season next week with the motivation that they have “unfinished business.”

Last year at one point they were the best team in Southern California, but there were too many distractions and too many obstacles to overcome. Players lost their home in the Palisades fire. Boehle found out he had prostate cancer. A well-known classmate, Braun Levi, was killed by a suspected drunken driver.

Boehle, feeling refreshed and excited after surgery removed the cancer, thinks the chemistry is better. Fahlbusch, a USC commit, is a candidate for best in the Southland because of his size and athleticism.

JP Wardy, a 6-4 Pepperdine commit, arrived from Newport Harbor to play his final year at Loyola, the school he was set to attend as a freshman until he moved to San Diego for family reasons.

It’s rise and shine for Loyola volleyball players during a 6 a.m. practice session.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

“It feels great to be back,” Wardy said. “I missed being at Loyola. I feel growing up, this was supposed to be the school I would go to.”

Loyola’s libero, Matt Kelly, is the brother of UCLA standout Sean Kelly. He’s committed to Loyola Chicago and considering how well his big brother serves, practicing against him has gotten Matt ready for anything. There’s also 6-6 Lucas Posell, a Princeton commit with a 4.7 grade-point average.

The usual title contenders should be the teams to watch with Loyola — Mira Costa, Redondo Union, Huntington Beach, Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor.

Mateo Fuerbringer of Mira Costa is a UCLA commit.

(Mira Costa)

There’s lots of top players, from juniors Teddy Mandelbaum and Mateo Fuerbringer of Mira Costa, both UCLA commits, to Taylor Boice of Redondo Union, a UC Irvine commit. Mira Costa has also added Jake Newman, a transfer from Mater Dei.

Boehle will be coaching in his 28th year, having won seven Southern Section championships. The Cubs have won every Mission League title since sharing the crown with Harvard-Westlake in 2007 and haven’t lost a league match since that season.

Loyola students cheer on the Loyola boys volleyball team during a match against Mira Costa on March 21, 2025.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

The annual Loyola-Mira Costa nonleague match that brings out fans en masse is set for March 20 at Mira Costa.

The Cubs open their season on Feb. 24 at home against Newport Harbor, so Wardy will be waving across the net to his former teammates.

As for his early impressions of his new team, Wardy said, “We’re good. I’m excited. Practices are competitive, which I really like because it helps us getting better.”

Tyran who?

Remember when people were wondering what might happen to the Sherman Oaks Notre Dame basketball team after All-American Tyran Stokes left for a new high school in Washington?

What’s happened is that the Knights (20-6) went into the weight room, got stronger to make up for losing Stokes’ rebounding prowess and are very much alive in the Southern Section Open Division playoffs after defeating La Mirada 76-60 on Wednesday night in their opening game of Pool D. Next up is St. John Bosco at home Tuesday night.

Players such as Zach White, Josiah Nance, Ilan Niklov and Zion Lanier are showing off their muscles. Even guard NaVorro Bowman, who scored 25 points, is using his strength to draw fouls and head to the free-throw line.

Andrew Castro scored 17 points for La Mirada, which had won 14 consecutive games.

Santa Margarita 81, Damien 71: The Eagles won their pool play opener at home. Kaiden Bailey finished with 21 points.

Sierra Canyon 71, Crespi 64: Jordan Mize scored 16 points, Brandon McCoy and Brannon Martinsen 15 and Maxi Adams 14 to power top-seeded Sierra Canyon to an Open Division win.

Redondo Union 74, Etiwanda 31: SJ Madison led the way with 20 points for Redondo Union.

Windward 77, Bishop Montgomery 61: Davey Harris finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and four assists for Windward.

JSerra 72, Pasadena 66: The Lions won in overtime. Jaden Bailes had 21 points.

Orange Lutheran 79, Arcadia 74: Josh King scored 22 points for Orange Lutheran.

Inglewood 102, Tesoro 70: Jason Crowe Jr. finished with 34 points for Inglewood.

St. Bernard 63, La Habra 51: Chris Rupert led St. Bernard with 14 points.

Saugus 65, Culver City 64: Braydon Harmon came through with 44 points and 14 rebounds for Saugus. The Centurions came back from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Brentwood 61, Long Beach Poly 55: AJ Okoh delivered a 31-point performance for the Eagles, who will face Fairmont Prep on the road Friday. Fairmont Prep eiminated Crossroads.

Loyola 72, Los Alamitos 64: Deuce Newt had 24 points for the Cubs.

Eastside 65, Redlands East Valley 61: Christian Duran led Eastside with 18 points.

Rolling Hills Prep 50, St. Monica 47: Kawika Suter had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Rolling Hills Prep.

Oakwood 72, San Bernardino 69: Dylan Williams had 19 points and 14 rebounds and Bryce Fletcher added 18 points for Oakwood.

Rancho Christian 78, St. Francis 59: With 7-4 center Cherif Millogo not playing, St. Francis was beaten in its playoff opener. Luke Paulus had 17 points.

Long Beach Millikan 79, Thousand Oaks 34: Freshman guard Quali Giran had 21 points.

Murrieta Mesa 71, Viewpoint 58: Murrieta Mesa advances in the Division 3 playoffs.

MIra Costa 57, Oaks Christian 56: Paxx Bell scored 15 points for Mira Costa.

Fairfax 66, Birmingham 58: Chris Stokes scored 22 points to help the Lions upset No. 3-seeded Birmingham in the City Section Open Division playoffs. Fairfax will face Cleveland, a 57-52 winner over Narbonne, in the semifinals on Feb. 21. Charlie Adams scored 23 points for Cleveland.

Palisades 72, El Camino Real 45: Top-seeded Palisades received 23 points from EJ Popoola and will face San Pedro in an Open Division semifinals on Feb. 21 at L.A. Southwest College.

San Pedro 51, Washington Prep 47: The Pirates won on the road to reach the Open Division semifinals. AJ Bobich made four free throws in the final 30 seconds and finished with 10 points. Chris Morgan led the way with 15 points and Ricky Alonso had 12.

Sun Valley Poly 44, Westchester 36: The Parrots eliminated defending City Open Division champion Westchester in a Division I opener. Kevin Lara scored 15 points for Poly.

Carson 68, LACES 53: Mekhi Williams had 28 points and Blake McCall 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Colts in a City Division II game.

Crenshaw 69, Grant 58: Lauran Coleman had 20 points for the Cougars in a Division I opener.

Eagle Rock 53, University 51: Skylar Melton scored 27 points for University in the Division II loss.

Super Bow LX is set for Sunday in Santa Clara, and don’t be surprised if someone who played high school football in the Southland on the Seattle Seahawks or New England Patriots makes a big play or even becomes the game MVP.

In fact, if you want to make a hunch bet in Las Vegas, former Narbonne linebacker Uchenna Nwosu of the Seahawks might be someone to consider. He’s the only athlete from the City Section competing, and two former Super Bowl MVPs were John Elway from Granada Hills and Malcolm Smith from Taft.

Nwosu has quite a story. He never started at Narbonne until his senior year. He was a junior varsity player focused on basketball.

His football coach, Manuel Douglas, remembers a meeting with Nwosu, who wanted to give up the sport.

“Coach, I’m not going to make it in football,” Nwosu told him.

“What are you an idiot?” Douglas said. “You’re 6-2 and too small for basketball.”

Douglas said, “He always had the grades. He just had to wait his turn. He had a moment he was going to quit and I wasn’t going to let him.”

Nwosu started 14 games his senior year in 2013, became the captain at USC and was a second-round draft pick of the Chargers.

“Perseverance,” is the word Douglas used to describe how Nwosu finds himself starting in the Super Bowl.

“He’s had to work from the beginning,” Douglas said. “People have their moments when they falter, but he never gave up.”

Among the other Southland high school graduates:

In 2017, USC quarterback Sam Darnold visits his former teammates at San Clemente High.

(Los Angeles Times)

Sam Darnold, quarterback, San Clemente: The hero of the Seahawks’ offense and the first former USC quarterback to play in a Super Bowl has been a legend in San Clemente for years.

Said San Clemente coach Jaime Ortiz: “Sam has continued to be the same Sam he was in high school. He is the leader of the locker room where he sets the example and makes everyone around him better. He is a man of few words and lets his actions do the talking. He is the ultra competitor and when he steps onto the field or basketball court, he was there to win.”

Former St. Monica receiver Kyle Williams now plays for the Patriots.

(St. Monica Yearbook)

Kyle Williams, receiver, St. Monica: The Patriots took a chance on a 5-foot-10 receiver, making him a third-round pick from Washington State.

Said St. Monica coach Thomas Barnes: “He is living and walking proof that a kid from St. Monica Prep can make it all the way to the big time. You don’t have to go to one of the big name schools, go to St. Monica and become the big name.”

Former St. John Bosco running back George Holani in 2023 for Boise State. He plays for the Seahawks.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

George Holani, running back, St. John Bosco: A backup running back for the Seahawks who’s filled in for the injured Zach Charbonnet, Holani twice ran for more than 1,000 yards at St. John Bosco before starring at Boise State.

Said coach Jason Negro: “I’m not surprised one bit in George’s journey from Bosco to the Super Bowl. He took the lessons he learned here and the ones that were instilled in him by his family and continued to climb the professional sports ladder.

“George is one of the most humble and hard-working individuals I’ve ever encountered in my career. He’s built on loyalty and culture, which is why he took the path from Bosco to Boise State.

“He trusted the process and understood he needed to be rooted in who he was to get to his ultimate destination, which is playing in the biggest game in the world.”

Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins (27) attempts to evade a tackle by Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai (48) in 2024.

(Greg M. Cooper / Associated Press)

Jahlani Tavai, linebacker, Mira Costa: Just looking at the family history of the Tavai family in the South Bay means there will be plenty of people cheering for him and the Patriots. There are six brothers, all of whom played football.

Said coach Don Morrow: “Jahlani deserves a lot of credit. He was a great athlete coming out of Mira Costa but wasn’t the biggest guy. He was tall and lanky. He really changed his body at Hawaii and got really strong and moved to linebacker.”

Mission Viejo wide receiver Brenden Schooler looks for room to run against Norco in 2015.

(Los Angeles Times)

Brenden Schooler, safety, Mission Viejo: The Patriots once had one of the most famous special teams player in Matthew Slater from Servite. Now Schooler is getting noticed after being signed as a free agent in 2022. He made the Pro Bowl in 2024.

Said defensive coordinator Brett Paton: “Brenden was alway the guy who did extra, first in and last out. Made everyone around him a winner, held his teammates to a higher standard, really good leader. And always came up with the big play when we needed it. In the CIF championship game versus Vista Murrieta, he had the game-changing pick at safety.”

If you want to watch top pitching in high school baseball this season, stop by a Bay League game. During Thursday’s media day at Mira Costa, three outstanding senior pitchers look physically and emotionally prepared to show how good they are.

Garrett Jacobs from Mira Costa, a UCLA commit, Robby Zimmerman from Redondo Union, a UCLA commit, and Kai Van Scoyoc, a USC commit, are coming off good junior seasons. Add junior Jonah Cohen, a UCLA commit at Palos Verdes, and you have to feel sympathy for Bay League hitters this season.

Jacobs was the best of all last season, going 11-1. He had 103 strikeouts and 13 walks in 70 innings. Zimmerman, a 6-foot-6 left-hander, is the best pro prospect because of his size and potential. Van Scoyoc and Cohen will be a formidable one-two duo for Palos Verdes. They all know and like each other, so it should be fun for fans and players when they face off.

Zimmerman is a cousin of Redondo Union girls’ volleyball standout Abby Zimmerman. Most of the Zimmermans are volleyball players except for Robby and brother Danny, who used to play baseball at Michigan. Yet invite him to the beach and he’ll be happy to join in the family fun using his size to his advantage.

Torrance and West Torrance also figure to be competitive in the Bay League. Torrance returns its top pitcher in junior Aiden Anaya, who’s playing soccer right now. Joey Kim is expected to be a key pitcher for West Torrance.

Mira Costa players have the advantage of walking around or going to the store and running into a Dodger or pro player in Manhattan Beach. The school is holding its alumni game on Saturday and honoring five grads who have played in the major leagues in Kyle Karros, Chase Meidroth, Petey Halpin, Joe Moeller and Jim Pena.

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

It’s time to see which Mission League basketball teams are ready for some March Madness in February.

The tournament is set to begin Thursday after Tuesday’s final results clarified seedings.

The final game of the night was Crespi pulling out a 65-61 win over Loyola when Isaiah Barnes scored while falling down with 15 seconds left for the game-clinching basket. Despite the loss, Loyola claimed fourth place in the seedings while finishing in a three-way tie for fourth with Crespi and St. Francis.

The Cubs, though, are 14-14 and will need a win Saturday against the winner of Thursday’s Bishop Alemany (No. 8) vs. St. Francis (No. 5) game to keep alive their Southern Section playoff hopes. You need a .500 or better record to be considered for an at-large berth.

The other Thursday game has No. 7 Chaminade at No. 6 Crespi. That winner will play at Harvard-Westlake on Saturday.

Crespi was led by 6-foot-9 Rodney Mukendi, who scored 17 points. Deuce Newt had 15 points for Loyola.

Harvard-Westlake 90, St. Francis 56: Joe Sterling got back his shooting touch, making seven threes and finishing with 27 points. Amir Jones added 17 points for Harvard-Westlake. St. Francis did not play center Cherif Millogo.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 81, Bishop Alemany 48: The Knights claimed second place in the Mission League and an automatic spot for the Southern Section playoffs. Zach White had 26 points and 10 rebounds. Notre Dame played without NaVorro Bowman.

Sierra Canyon 79, Chaminade 28: Brandon McCoy had 18 points and Maxi Adams added 17 points for the Mission League regular-season champions.

Crean Lutheran 76, La Habra 67: The Saints took over first place in the Crestview League.

Mira Costa 53, Peninsula 41: Logan Dugdale has 17 points and 10 rebounds for Mira Costa (23-4).