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After five seasons as football coach at Orange Lutheran, Rod Sherman is leaving. The school announced Monday that “effective today, Rod Sherman has concluded his tenure as head football coach.”

Last week, there was speculation of Sherman’s future after a social media post indicated he was out as coach. In response to a text, Sherman said he was still head coach.

Sherman, who also helped his wife, Kristen, coach flag football at Orange Lutheran, went 3-9 last season, including two forfeit losses. During the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, the Lancers upset No. 1-seeded St. John Bosco.

His team won a Southern Section Division 2 championship in 2021 and went 33-29 overall in five seasons. It was his second stint at Orange Lutheran. He had been an assistant coach and athletic director starting in the 1990s when Jim Kunau was head coach, then left to be a head coach in Colorado. The school indicated it will launch a search for Sherman’s replacement.

His wife is still listed as Orange Lutheran’s flag football coach but that is expected to change, too.

The team’s general manager, Kyla Laulhere, and offensive line coach Chris Ward will run the program until a new head coach is finalized. Ward, a graduate of Mater Dei and UCLA, has no interest in being head coach. Offensive coordinator Austin Pettis, an Orange Lutheran graduate, could be a top candidate.

Coaching in the Trinity League has become similar to a college or NFL team. The expectations are so high that not winning at a top level can result in a coaching change within three to five years. JSerra also made a change this past season. Santa Margarita had a first-year coach this past year, alumnus Carson Palmer, who won a Division 1 and state title.

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 11.

Rk. School (Rec.); Comment; ranking last week

1. SIERRA CANYON (21-1): Hosts Loyola on Tuesday; 1

2. REDONDO UNION (24-3): Plays at Mira Costa on Tuesday; 2

3. SANTA MARGARITA (24-3): No. 2 seed in Trinity League tournament; 4

4. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (18-6): Hosts Crespi on Tuesday in Mission League semifinal; 5

5. ST. JOHN BOSCO (19-6): Top seed in Trinity League tournament; 3

6. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (22-5): Wolverines have lost three of their last four games; 5

7. LA MIRADA (21-6): Matadores can enter playoffs with a 14-game win streak; 7

8. DAMIEN (26-4): Hosts Etiwanda for Baseline League title on Tuesday; 8

9. CORONA DEL MAR (26-1): At Newport Harbor on Monday; 9

10. CORONA CENTENNIAL (24-5): Playing in Big VIII League championship game; 10

11. ETIWANDA (25-2): Rematch with Damien on Tuesday; 11

12. CRESPI (19-10): Wins over Loyola, Harvard-Westlake give Celts playoff spot; 13

13. VILLAGE CHRISTIAN (21-6): Needs win over Maranatha for Olympic League title; 11

14. INGLEWOOD (24-5): Jason Crowe Jr. is averaging 44.1 points; 14

15. CREAN LUTHERAN (21-7): Crestview League champion; 15

16. JSERRA (17-11): Big win over Mater Dei thanks to Jaden Bailes; 17

17. LOS ALAMITOS (18-9): Tyler Lopez having all-league season; 18

18. BRENTWOOD (24-3): Big wins over Crossroads, Windward, Campbell Hall; 24

19. LOYOLA (15-14): Win over St. Francis put Cubs in playoffs; 25

20. ST. FRANCIS (21-8): Two losses to Loyola put Golden Knights on the bubble; 20

21. ORANGE LUTHERAN (18-8): Win over St. John Bosco changes everything; NR

22. ELSINORE (26-0): Unbeaten regular season within reach; 22

23. ROLLING HILLS PREP (21-6): Set for Division 1 playoffs; 23

24. MIRA COSTA (23-4): Can Mustangs put up a fight vs. Redondo Union?; 21

25. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY (17-8): Faces Pacifica Christian on Monday; 16

Ever since Hunter Greene stepped foot on campus at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High as a 14-year-old freshman, everyone has predicted stardom in baseball. But one day, it will be remembered how much he has done to help inspire and encourage the next generation of students to follow their dreams.

Greene, the No. 2 draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2017, has become a member of the team’s starting rotation while continuing to serve as a role model for others.

On Saturday, he returned to Notre Dame to present two scholarship awards from his foundation given annually to a boy and girl who demonstrates character and commitment to their community. It’s the seventh and eighth scholarships since he began the annual presentation four years ago.

Donors list for the Hunter Greene Scholarship Fund at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Even in high school, Greene was seen as someone who could be a leader in helping others. He embraced that role and has continued as a professional baseball player, whether it’s at his former school or helping youth around the country.

Notre Dame held an alumni baseball game, where former major leaguers Brendan Ryan and Brett Hayes were among the participants.

Greene did not play, but what he continues to do off the field is admired and much appreciated.

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

Mike Erush is the soccer coach at Cal State Los Angeles. He’s also the coach for Harvard-Westlake, which won its third Mission League title in four years Friday by defeating Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 1-0 on an early goal from sophomore Truman Kim.

The Wolverines (16-1-3, 8-0-1) have received strong play from the Chen brothers, JT, a sophomore, and Ollie, a freshman.

“They have some good chemistry,” said goalkeeper Jackson Friedman, one of the best in the Southland.

The Chens take turns passing the ball to each other and pressuring opponents. Landon Marks leads the team in goals.

Cathedral 2, Bishop Amat 1: The Phantoms (14-2-2, 6-0-1) won the Del Rey League championship. Adrian Rivera and Christopher Guzman each scored goals.

Oak Park 2, Moorpark 1: Ryder Cash and Carson Casella (penalty kick) scored goals for the Eagles.

El Camino Real 2, Chatsworth 0: The Royals are closing in on the No. 1 seed for the City Section Open Division playoffs with a 7-0-1 mark in the West Valley League. Caleb Haynes and Josh Serrano scored goals.

Girls’ soccer

El Camino Real 1, Chatsworth 0: Jacky Alvarado had the goal for the Royals, who face defending City champion Granada Hills on Wednesday.

Boys’ basketball

Oak Park 61, Moorpark 49: It’s another Coastal Canyon League title for coach Aaron Shaw. Beau Prophete finished with 23 points. Oak Park is 7-0 in league.

St. John Bosco 73, Servite 65: The Braves (19-6) claimed the No. 1 seed for next week’s Trinity League tournament. Christian Collins scored 23 points and Gavin Dean-Moss had 13 points.

JSerra 67, Mater Dei 66: The Lions earned the No. 3 seed for the Trinity League tournament.

Santa Margarita 102, Orange Lutheran 81: Kaiden Bailey scored 31 points and Drew Anderson 30 for the Eagles, which have the No. 2 seed for the Trinity League tournament.

Oaks Christian 64, Newbury Park 28: Brady Sullivan and Andrew Logan each scored 13 points for Oaks Christian.

Thousand Oaks 62, Calabasas 50: The Lancers won the Marmonte League game.

San Pedro 54, Carson 45: Bryce Jackson had 18 points for 20-6 San Pedro.

Palisades 75, Fairfax 47: Jack Levey made eight threes to score 24 points for the Dolphins.

Birmingham 68, Chatsworth 47: X’zavion McKay had 19 points and Tekeio Phillips added 18 points for Birmingham.

Los Alamitos 74, Newport Harbor 60: Tyler Lopez led the way with 18 points.

Brentwood 56, Campball Hall 49: The Eagles (24-3) rallied in the fourth quarter to win the Gold Coast League game.

Heritage Christian 72, Valley Christian 34: Freshman Ty Lazenby had 20 points to set up a showdown Saturday in a rivalry game at Village Christian.

Redondo Union 101, Palos Verdes 67: Chace Holley had 21 points and SJ Madison and Devin Wright each had 18 points as Redondo Union moved closer to the Bay League title.

Girls’ basketball

Sierra Canyon 66, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 27: Jerzy Robinson finished with 20 points for Sierra Canyon (23-2).

Oak Park 89, Moorpark 20: The Eagles (17-6, 6-0) continued their march to a Southern Section Open Division playoff spot. Karisma Lewis scored 19 points and Diana Sorrondo had 18 points.

Windward 67, Crossroads 40: Charis Rainey had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Windward.

St. Margaret’s 53, Rosary 49: Freshman Jayden Witten had a 35-point performance for St. Margaret’s.

Oaks Christian 56, Newbury Park 48: Presley Kushner scored 32 points for Oaks Christian.

No. 5 UCLA women’s gymnastics (6-2, 2-0) hosted Washington (2-4, 1-1) at Pauley Pavilion on Friday night for a prime-time Big Ten matchup. The Bruins continued to demonstrate just how hungry they are for a national championship by flexing their deep roster in 198.150-195.825 win over the Huskies.

Jordan Chiles earned another perfect score on her floor routine, capping off a night that would give her another all-around individual title.

UCLA established its dominance from the beginning. During their rotation on the vault, they finished with a total score of 49.425. Tiana Sumanasekera set the tone with a 9.875 performance.

Madisyn Anyimi followed it by earning a 9.900, her best score on the event as a Bruin. Katelyn Rosen and Riley Jenkins both earned 9.850 marks. Anchoring the vault was Chiles who closed with a 9.950.

The Huskies posted a score of 49.325 on the uneven bars.

UCLA added to their lead on the uneven bars. Ciena Alipio was close to perfect with a routine that earned her a 9.950. Keeping up with her teammate, Sydney Barros followed with a 9.925.

Sumanasekera and Sullivan, both freshmen, scored 9.825 and 9.875, respectively. Chiles earned a 9.975, which brought up the team’s total to 98.975.

Washington earned a 48.925 on vault, falling behind UCLA by .750.

UCLA extended their lead on the balance beam, with Rosen and Barros opening the third rotation with 9.850 scores. Jordis Eichman took it up a notch with a 9.875 on her only event of the night.

Chiles earned a 9.950, extending her all-around lead. Alipio added another 9.950, maintaining a Bruins lead of 148.450-147.525 going into the final event.

During their anchor event, UCLA continued to shine with a 9.925 floor routine by Rosen. Both Alipio and Sumanasekera added to the lead with a 9.900 and a 9.925, respectively. Sullivan earned her best mark on the floor with a 9.950.

Chiles saved the best for last, earning a perfect score on her performance bringing the rotation total to 49.700. Chiles had perfect scores on floor and vault against Michigan State on Sunday.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Lauren Betts overcame early foul trouble to score 23 points and pull down nine rebounds, leading No. 2 UCLA to an 80-67 win Wednesday night over Illinois.

Betts, the Bruins’ 6-foot-7 AP All-American center, picked up her second and third fouls — the latter on a technical foul — with 1:29 left in the first quarter.

She sat out the rest of the first quarter and the second quarter, returned to the court after halftime, and ended up playing nearly 24 minutes. She had just six points at halftime.

Angela Dugalic scored 12 points for UCLA (20-1, 10-0 Big Ten), which won its 14th straight. Gabriela Jaquez had 11, and Kiki Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Sienna Betts — Lauren’s sister — each added 10.

Cearah Parchment had a career-high 26 points and seven rebounds for Illinois (15-6, 5-5) before fouling out with 36 seconds left. She was 10 of 13 from the field.

Destiny Jackson had 15 points and six assists, Maddie Webber scored 12 points and Berry Wallace had 11 for the Illini.

Illinois, which played without injured Gretchen Dolan, has lost five of seven after an 11-game winning streak.

UCLA led 45-31 at halftime. Illinois cut the lead to five points twice in the third quarter, but didn’t get any closer.

The Bruins won despite making just one three-pointer, going one of 10 from distance. They had 48 points in the paint to Illinois’ 24 and also doubled the Illini in bench points, 24-12.

UCLA hasn’t lost since it fell 76-65 to No. 4 Texas on Nov. 26 in Las Vegas.

In the 10 games before facing Illinois, the Bruins beat their opponents by an average of nearly 40 points and scored an average of more than 91 points a game.

Junior Kaleena Smith of Ontario Christian has upped her scoring average this season. She’s No. 2 in the state with an average of 32.8 points a game. Virtually any college team in the country would welcome her with open arms.

There’s others making an impact in the scoring department this season, according to stats posted on MaxPreps.com.

Aryanna Reyes of Whittier Pioneer is at 30.1 points for 14 games.

Leqi Zhen of L.A. Lincoln is averaging 28.9 points in 10 games.

Rancho Christian freshman Addison Archer is averaging 27.0 points in 22 games.

Darby Dunn of Canyon Country Canyon has had some big scoring nights and is at 26.2 points over 25 games. Tatyana Aubry of Leuzinger is averaging 24.8 points over 25 games.

Ventura’s Kailee Staniland is averaging 23.3 points. Savannah Myles of Westchester is at 22.2 points through 19 games.

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

As far as first impressions go, new UCLA football coach Bob Chesney has been hitting the ball out of the park, according to high school coaches who have been receiving visits since Chesney started focusing on introducing himself to local coaches when the college transfer portal closed on Jan. 16.

“He’s a high-energy guy who has a clear vision,” St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro said. “He’s going to bring some excitement back. I was highly impressed. If he’s going to execute what his plan is, he’s going to have immediate success.”

There are so many Chesney sightings at high schools around Southern California, you have to wonder if he’s also scouting for a new house, but that’s probably left to his wife. On his visit to St. John Bosco, his driver was former St. John Bosco assistant Marshawn Friloux, a holdover in the Bruins’ recruiting department from the previous staff.

Bellflower coach Keith Miller, whose son, Austin, is one of the top tight ends from the class of 2029, got a school visit from Chesney, who also met Miller’s wife. Austin was offered a scholarship on Saturday after an unofficial visit to Westwood.

Miller said Chesney was eloquent and transparent, telling his son, “I didn’t just watch your film, I studied it and what stood out to me are the multiple efforts you make, especially your ‘scoop and score’ vs. Oxnard. Multiple effort playmakers are special. All great players have that trait. That’s what I love about you.”

UCLA has also been making early scholarship offers far more than the days when Chip Kelly refused to join that trend. Things started to change under former coach DeShaun Foster and Chesney’s new recruiting philosophy appears to be to get UCLA involved among multiple prospects in all grades and be competitive in Southern California, where coaches from USC, Oregon, California, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Oregon State and Washington were among those making the rounds last week while making scholarship offers.

As an example of the challenge Chesney faces, USC coach Lincoln Riley brought in the No. 1 recruiting class this year and was visiting the No. 1 player for the class of 2027 in California, defensive back/running back Honor Fa’alave-Johnson from San Diego Cathedral Catholic.

“I think he’s got a vision and a belief to develop kids and not create this transactional culture in college football,” Orange Lutheran coach Rod Sherman said of Chesney. “I think you’d be a fool to sleep on UCLA the next few years. He’s super personal. What I sense from him is they have well thought out recruiting strategy and they’re not throwing spaghetti against the wall. He knows which kids can be successful in his culture and system and thrive and love UCLA.”

But NIL resources remain critical in this new era, and some players and parents will continue to place that priority over others. That will require Chesney to find those “diamonds in the rough” from his James Madison coaching days.

Negro said, “He’s going to fit to what is needed for the program. He’s not normally going to focus just on the stars. He’s done that at a lower level. He’s going to find some foundational players. It’s going to be hard at first. If people have expectations they’re going to pull an Indiana, that’s premature. But UCLA is closer than people think. This guy is very dynamic, hard-driven and understands L.A.”

Said Servite coach Chris Reinert: “He’s doing things the right way. He seems to be hitting the ground running. He spent an hour here.”

Chesney promised in his opening news conference in December that he wanted to build relationships with high school coaches, and Negro confirmed Chesney is inviting coaches to visit UCLA. That’s not unusual. Reinert said USC’s Riley did the same.

Chesney dropped by City Section school Hamilton, which has a top Class of 2029 quarterback in Thaddeus Breaux. Then Breaux was offered a scholarship. Hamilton coach Elijah Asante said, “Coach Chesney is a grinder and he’s going to find those hidden gems.”

Expect more Chesney sightings this week until the recruiting period closes at the end of this week.

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).

Shedeur Sanders made the Pro Bowl.

Let that sink in for a minute.

His father, Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, made eight Pro Bowls during his 14-year NFL career. But he wasn’t selected until his third season.

The younger Sanders just finished his rookie season … for the 5-12 Cleveland Browns.

The former Colorado quarterback was considered a potential high first-round pick going into the 2025 draft, but he slipped down to the fifth round, where he was selected by Cleveland at No. 144 overall.

Sanders began the season as a third-stringer but eventually became the Browns’ QB1. In eight games played, including seven as a starter, Sanders completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a passer rating of 68.1. He also rushed for one touchdown.

In other words, he wasn’t exactly an elite NFL quarterback.

Yet, Sanders is headed to the Bay Area to take part in the 2026 Pro Bowl Games on Feb. 3. He was named as the replacement for New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who is unable to participate because his team is playing the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8.

Sanders is the first Browns quarterback to make the Pro Bowl since Derek Anderson in 2008 and the first rookie quarterback to make it since Maye last year.

Sanders may be the most unexpected selection since then-Baltimore Ravens backup Tyler Huntley. Huntley made the cut after the 2022 season despite playing in only six games, starting in four, and throwing for 658 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.

How did this happen? Here’s what we know.

Pro Bowl selections are determined in equal parts by fan, player and coach voting. When the results were announced in late December, the three quarterbacks selected to represent the AFC were Maye, Buffalo’s Josh Allen and the Chargers’ Justin Herbert.

Sanders was not among the first four alternates at quarterback in the AFC.

Some of the AFC’s top quarterbacks — including Denver’s Bo Nix, Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Indianapolis’ Daniel Jones — suffered season-ending injuries.

Players are not required to take part in the Pro Bowl festivities. Several other AFC quarterbacks — possibly including Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, Houston’s C.J. Stroud, Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Tennessee rookie Cam Ward — may have turned down Pro Bowl invites for Sanders to have gotten the nod.

All that aside, not many people ever get to play quarterback in the NFL and even fewer can say they made the Pro Bowl. Sanders seems most appreciative of the honor.

“Thank you God. I’m beyond excited and extremely grateful for all the love and support from the coaches, players, and fans,” Sanders said in a statement released by the Browns. “This wouldn’t be possible without the support behind me. Still plenty of work to do.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.