palisades

The eighth edition of the Sunset Showdown lasted long after the sun went down — about fours hours and 10 minutes later — before host Palisades prevailed 56-50 over crosstown rival Brentwood in four overtimes. By the end, at 11:43 p.m., the coaches and fans were as exhausted as the players.

Robert Holohan passed for four touchdowns, LJ Stephens ran for three and Malachi Ross had a 38-yard touchdown reception and intercepted a pass in the end zone on fourth-and-goal to clinch the victory for Palisades after Brentwood moved to the Dolphins’ six-yard line. The game ended 17 minutes before midnight thanks in part to several long deliberations by the officiating crew.

Host Palisades (1-3) had a chance to win at the end of regulation but missed a 25-yard field goal with 30 seconds left and the teams headed to overtime with the score tied 31-31. Brentwood missed a chance to end it in the second overtime but had an extra point blocked. Each team scored quickly in the third overtime but the two-point conversion passes were incomplete (starting with the third overtime teams must go for two). Stephens’ five-yard scoring run gave the Dolphins a 56-50 lead but the two-point attempt failed.

Ben Mikail threw for four touchdowns — two to Kruz Jackson, who also scored on a 90-yard kickoff return — and JJ Lublin ran for two touchdowns for Brentwood (2-2). The series debuted in 2018 and is now tied at four wins apiece with five of the games being decided by a touchdown or less. Brentwood won in double overtime on the same field two years ago.

Los Angeles County launched a probe into Farmers Insurance Company’s handling of claims by policyholders impacted by last year’s devastating Eaton and Palisades wildfires, after a growing number of residents complained of delays, denials and underpayments.

In a letter sent to Farmers on Wednesday, the county’s lawyers said if the company is engaging in any unlawful or unfair business practices, it must immediately stop.

“Eaton Fire survivors did everything right—responsibly paying their premiums year after year—but when disaster hit, Farmers left them with a contaminated home and refused to pay for testing and cleanup,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, in a statement.

“My constituents shouldn’t have to walk back into homes with lead and asbestos because an insurance company won’t pay for the test that would prove it’s there,” she added.

Farmers disputed the county’s claims.

“As always, we operate in accordance with applicable laws and regulations,” the insurer said in a Thursday statement. “We do not believe the inquiry accurately characterizes our actions or practices and will cooperate through the appropriate process.”

“Serving our customers during difficult times is at the heart of what we do, which is why each claim is reviewed individually, taking into account the specific circumstances of the loss and the coverage provided under the policy,” the company said. “We remain focused on handling claims with care, consistency and attention to each customer’s unique situation.”

County officials said that at a recent meeting with Eaton fire survivors, those with Farmers policies said the insurer had been slow or resistant to pay for toxin testing by qualified industrial hygienists, forcing residents to pay for it themselves.

The testing revealed that many homes were contaminated with unsafe levels of lead, asbestos, chromium, and other toxic substances, the county said.

The residents also told the county that Farmers has refused to pay for adequate remediation of the contaminants and declined to cover ongoing living expenses.

“After paying millions of dollars in premiums, policyholders deserve the benefits and support they paid for,” said Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, whose district includes Pacific Palisades. “Families whose homes survived the Palisades and Eaton Fires but remain damaged or contaminated should not be forced to choose between returning to an unsafe home and financial devastation.”

The new investigation comes after the county filed a lawsuit against State Farm on Aug. 31 for its handling of Eaton and Palisades fire claims. The county claims State Farm engaged in illegal and deceptive business practices that kept victims from receiving what they were entitled to under their policies. State Farm denied the county’s claims.

Way back in the 1970s, the City Section ruled in top quarterbacks. In the city of Granada Hills alone, there were two future NFL quarterbacks competing: John Elway at Granada Hills and Tom Ramsey at Kennedy. Add another future NFL quarterback, Jay Schroeder, and the City Section could compare itself to anyone in the nation.

This season, City teams have been going to the air to take advantage of their experienced, athletic quarterbacks.

From Chris Fields III at Carson to super sophomore Thaddeus Breaux at Hamilton, these quarterbacks know what they are doing. Let’s look at others.

South East’s Bryce Johnson has 743 yards passing and five touchdowns in three games. Jered Smith of Verdugo Hills has 462 yards passing and six touchdowns in two games. Noa Tuvalu of Banning has thrown for 837 yards and seven touchdowns with only one interception.

Seth Solorio of San Pedro set a school record with seven touchdown passes last week against Westchester. Freshman Exavier Johnson of Birmingham came through with 171 yards passing and two touchdowns last week in a loss to Moorpark. Robert Holohan of Palisades has five touchdown throws. Danniel Flowers of Crenshaw has led his team to a 3-0 start with his versatility to run and pass.

Gerald Torres of King/Drew has 800 yards passing and seven touchdowns. Nathaniel Cadet of Marshall has passed for nine touchdowns.

It’s a good sign that teams are getting their offensive lines to provide enough protection to let quarterbacks shine.

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