Prep

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. I’m back from a two-week vacation in Japan. Did you miss me? There are two weeks to go before the MLB amateur draft July 11-14. Let’s take a look where things stand for local players.

Draft prospects

Major-league baseball’s amateur draft is set to begin July 11. The Chicago White Sox have the first pick and are expected to select UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky.

There’s a strong contingent of college and high school players from Southern California who could be taken in the first three rounds.

Former Orange Lutheran outfielder Derek Curiel from LSU and former Villa Park outfielder Gavin Grahovac from Texas A&M are both tracking as first-round draft picks. UCLA third baseman Roman Miller from Servite and first baseman Mulivai Levu from Ocean View are considered top hitters and helped the Bruins be the No. 1 team in the regular season. Let’s see how they are selected.

UCLA pitcher Logan Reddemann from Quartz Hill should be a first-round pick. Harvard-Westlake grad Will Gasparino is another Bruin likely in the top three rounds.

USC pitcher Mason Edwards from Palisades established himself as a first-round prospect.

It’s also a good year for high school graduates. Jared Grindlinger, a pitcher and outfielder from Huntington Beach, is 17 and a certain first-round draft pick after reclassifying to be taken next month. Other potential high picks include outfielder Blake Bowen from JSerra, pitcher Logan Schmidt from Ganesha and the Corona duo of shortstop Trey Ebel and outfielder Anthony Murphy.

Few players helped themselves more with an outstanding senior season than St. John Bosco pitcher Julian Garcia and Harvard-Westlake shortstop James Tronstein. Tronstein, The Times’ player of the year, is committed to Vanderbilt.

Since MLB has made a proposal to no longer make high school baseball players eligible to be drafted starting in 2028, more players similar to Grindlinger could be expected to reclassify next year if such a proposal were to be enacted. But the players’ union must agree and there would be legal challenges.

New NCAA rule

The NCAA approved new age-based eligibility rules, giving athletes five years to complete their college eligibility. The clock begins upon initial full-time enrollment in college or at the beginning of the academic year after their 19th birthday, whichever occurs earlier. Here’s the report.

It’s a big deal that will affect high school recruits. Already some recent graduates are being told by schools they no longer have room on their rosters for them.

Here’s a look at what parents need to know.

Julian Savery of Crescenta Valley missed his junior year because of a torn ACL. He switched positions, from running back to quarterback, and the Falcons are thrilled.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

The seven-on-seven passing competition continues. Crescenta Valley has an unlikely new starting quarterback in Julian Savery, who was a running back before suffering a torn ACL and missing the 2025 season. He has returned as a quarterback, and the Falcons are happy. Here’s the report along with other summer notes.

In one of the biggest offseason transfers yet, running back AJ McBean, a Stanford commit, has left Mira Costa for Gardena Serra. Here’s a look. Here’s the transfer tracker. …

Top Jewish athletes

Call it the passing of the high jump torch. Former Olympic high jump Dwight Stones presents JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame the high school player of the year award from the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame .

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

The Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame held its latest induction ceremony Sunday. The boys and girls high school athletes of the year were high jumper JJ Harel from Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and basketball player Shira Abramson from YULA.

Harvard-Westlake basketball coach David Rebibo was inducted into the coaching category. Here’s the complete list of inductees.

Notes . . .

Julian Garcia of St. John Bosco was named Division 1 p;layer of the year in baseball. Here’s the All-CIF team….

Liliana Escobar of JSerra was named Division 1 player of the year in softball. Here’s the All-CIF team.…

Dorian Clark is the new boys basketball coach at St. Bonaventure….

Standout junior basketball player Tatianna Griffin from Ontario Christian has transferred to Mater Dei, breaking up one of the most successful girls basketball duos the last two seasons. Griffin and Kaleena Smith helped Ontario Christian rise to the top in Southern California girls basketball….

Iggy Porchia is the new football coach at Venice, replacing his mentor, Angelo Gasca, who died earlier this year. He’s a former Venice player and served as an assistant coach. Gasca encourged him to become a teacher and coach. He played at UNLV….

Receiver Jay Williams of Long Beach Millikan has committed to Kansas….

Defensive back Wesley Ace of Gardena Serra has committed to San Jose State….

Defensive back Jaden Walk-Green of Corona Centennial has committed to Washington….

Offensive lineman Kota Seshimo of Irvine has committed to Fresno State….

Offensive lineman Tyson Seidman of Sierra Canyon has committed to San Diego State….

Offensive lineman Lucas Rhoa of Orange Lutheran has committed to Texas….

Standout Royal pitcher Dustin Dunwoody has committed to USC….

Corona Centennial’s basketball team is looking to be an Open Division title contender. The Huskies picked up 6-foot-4 sophomore guard transfer Juleeyan Williams from Monterey Trail in Elk Grove….

Dominic Loehle, a senior guard at Heritage Christian, has transferred to Loyola….

Charlie Adams, who started at guard for St. Bonaventure as a freshman, then Cleveland as a sophomore, has transferred to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame….

Brentwood, Crespi and Palisades were among the local schools winning basketball championship in the Section 7 tournament in Arizona….

Chavez in San Fernando has changed its named to Arroyo High….

Former St. Bonaventure football coach Joe Goyeneche is the new head coach at Walnut….

Thomas Silverman is the new basketball coach at Sierra Vista….

Quarterback Chris Fields III of Carson, the reigning City Section player of the year, has committed to Georgetown…

Quarterback Ryan Rakowski of Palos Verdes has committed to Nevada….

Receiver Blake Wong of Norco has committed to Brigham Young….

Offensive lineman Micah Butler of Hamilton has committed to Sacramento State….

Offensive lineman Amaziah Siale of Mission Viejo has committed to LSU….

Defensive back Jaxson Rex of San Clemente has committed to Brigham Young….

Sophomore receiver Austin Miller of Bellflower has committed to Ohio State….

Offensive lineman Lex Mailangi of Mater Dei has committed to Oregon….

Receiver Jack Junker from Mission Viejo has committed to San Jose State….

Two former Crespi pitchers are on the move. Diego Velasquez has left USC for LSU. Standout Hawaii pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno has entered the transfer portal. He’s also draft eligible…

All-City closer Aidan Martinez of City Section Open Division champion Birmingham has committed to UC San Diego. He came back from Tommy John surgery to throw 92 mph….

Standout guard Lauren Wolfe from Villa Park has transferred to Orange Lutheran….

Junior girls’ soccer player Kendra Hansen of Mater Dei has committed to Stanford….

Ella Bott, star girls’ soccer player from the Santa Margarita class of 2028, has committed to Stanford….

The No. 1 kicker in Southern California, Westlake’s Gabriel Goroyan, has committed to Stanford….

Receiver Mason Maddox of St. Francis has committed to Princeton….

Keith McGill is the new football coach at Whittier Christian…

Nick Heinle will be the interim football coach at Esperanza….

Pitcher Shane Wendler of Servite has committed to USC….

The nation’s top volleyball player from the class of 2027, Mateo Fuerbringer of Mira Costa, has been selected for the U21 national team….

Vista Murrieta has hired Murrieta Valley offensive coordinator Alex Rosenblum to coach its offensive line. He’s a head coach in waiting. He’s a Calabasas grad who once coached at Sierra Canyon….

Mater Dei has hired Brett Luch to be the boys water polo coach….

Madison Gillinger of Edison has committed to UCLA for beach volleyball….

Jaslene Massey of Aliso Niguel has been named the Gatorade state girls player of the year in track and field for her record-breaking performances in the shot put and discus. Maximo Zavaleta of King is the boys state player of the year for his distance running….

Max Gamboa is the new boys volleyball coach at Corona del Mar. He has been the school’s girls volleyball coach….

From the archives: Hal Harkness

Former City Section commissioner and long-time track expert Hal Harkness turns 88 in September. He’s been a state rules interpreter in track and field and helped with the Arcadia Invitational and many others.

He served as City Section commissioner from 1986 to 1993 and once was cross-country coach at UCLA.

Here’s a story from 1986 on him becoming City Section commissioner.

Here’s a story from 1993 regarding his retirement.

Recommendations

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on Harvard-Westlake tennis player Chase Klugo promoting expanded coverage of hearing aids.

From MyBurbank.com, a story on the firing of longtime baseball coach Bob Hart at Burbank.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story explaining the changes in high school soccer through the eyes of former El Rancho High star Cristian Roldan, perhaps the last high school player to make the World Cup team.

From 12sportsconsulting.com, a story on how the 105-man roster limit in college football is changing the preferred walk-on path.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. It’s awards time for baseball and softball as school ends and summer workouts begin.

And the winner is . . .

Shortstop James Tronstein went four for four on Tuesday in Harvard-Westlake’s 8-0 win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

(Craig Weston)

When the high school baseball season began, James Tronstein of Harvard-Westlake was focused and eager to show what he learned after not being selected for the U18 national baseball team in the fall. He proceeded to bat .531 with 52 hits and 10 home runs. Here’s his story as The Times’ player of the year.

St. John Boscoo pitcher Julian Garcia (right) celebrates with shortstop James Clark after throwing a one-hit shutout to beat Norco 2-0 in the Division 1 final.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

The baseball all-star team is loaded with major league prospects and future top college players. Here’s a look at Southern California’s best this season.

The Birmingham co-coaching duo of Gus Rico (left) and Matt Mowry guided the Patriots to league and City titles for the first time in Mowry’s 20 seasons of coaching.

(Birmingham HS)

This season, Birmingham coach Matt Mowry added co-coach duties to pitching coach Gus Rico. The two guided the Patriots to their first West Valley League title in 20 years, followed by a sixth City Open Division title. Here’s a look at why they are the coaches of the year.

St. John Bosco is No. 1 in The Times’ final top 25 rankings. Here’s a look.

Liliana Escobar is The Times’ softball player of the year.

(Dylan Stewart)

Liliana Escobar was the pitcher to watch all season, and she helped JSerra win their first Southern Section Division 1 softball championship. She is The Times’ player of the year. Here’s a look at what she accomplished.

Softball coach Katie Stith of JSerra is The Times’ coach of the year for 2026.

(JSerra)

When it comes to future college softball players, The Times’ all-star team is filled to capacity. Here’s a look at the All-Star team.

The coach of the year is JSerra’s Katie Stith. Here’s a look how she built the Lions into a champion.

Here are the final rankings for The Times produced by CalHiSports.com.

Regional champs

Jared Grindlinger, center, stands with his older brothers Trent, left, and Bradley after Huntington Beach’s 5-3 win over San Diego Cathedral in the Southern California Regional Division I final on June 6, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

It’s the end of an era at Huntington Beach, where three Grindlingers made an impact on and off the baseball diamond and the final one, Jared, saved the best for last, delivering a two-run home run and getting the final out so the Oilers could win the Southern California Division I regional title over Cathedral Catholic 5-3. Here’s the report.

The example Jared set, ignoring that he’s going to be a first-round draft pick next month and deciding to play with his best friends to the very last game, will be long remembered by Oiler faithful.

Another Sunset League team, Newport Harbor, won the Division II regional title with UC Santa Barbara-bound Gavin Guy leading the way on the mound.

Then there was Glendora rallying to win the Division III championship over Kaiser. North Torrance won Division IV with Sei Nagashima going four for four in the final.

Verdugo Hills appeared headed to the Division V final with a 5-1 lead over Roosevelt in the bottom of the sixth. That’s when a rundown play happened, and both benches emptied. Both schools were disqualified from playing in the final. Under CIF rules, players are not allowed to leave the bench. They faced a one-game suspension. Coast Academy in Oceanside was awarded the title.

In softball, San Bernardino won Division V over Arroyo Valley. Riverside Prep took Division II.

Steve Baik is back

Steve Baik coaching Chino Hills in 2015.

(Los Angeles Times)

Steve Baik, who guided Chino Hills to an unbeaten basketball season in 2015-16 when the Ball brothers were playing, is returning to high school basketball as the new head coach at Calabasas.

Here’s the report.

Quarterback Ford Green of Westlake.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Let the summer football action begin, and one player to watch is sophomore quarterback Ford Green of Westlake. Here’s a profile of a rising inquarterback who earned an Ohio State scholarship offer this spring.

There will be extensive passing tournaments in June and July. Saugus is hosting its annual tournament at Central Park on June 20 beginning at 4 p.m.. Simi Valley has its tournament on June 27. The Edison Battle at the Beach is July 11. Ocean View has its own tournament on that day. The Mission Viejo tournament is July 18.

Gardena Serra is hosting weekly seven-on-seven competitions on Wednesdays beginning June 17 with some great teams dropping by.

Chaminade won the Western tournament last weekend.

Nike has relaunched The Opening, which will be held June 24-26 in Oregon.

Basketball

The Section 7 boys and girls tournaments will be in Mesa, Ariz. The boys tournament is June 20-22 and the girls June 13-14.

The Boys Cal Live tournament is June 26-28 in Rocklin. The Girls Cal Live tournament is June 18-20 in Ladera.

The annual Fairfax tournament will be June 15-20 at Fairfax High.

Prep talk

The final week of the 2025-26 sports season offers a look at people making a difference.

City Section hurdles champion Jayden Rendon with his mother, Denise.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Here’s Carson hurdler Jayden Rendon leaving for USC as a hometown hero.

The Rams donated equipment and other football materials to LAUSD, which sent them to 69 high schools in the district.

(Angelo HS)

Here’s a look at the Rams donating football equipment to 69 Los Angeles Unified School District teams.

Here’s a look at the Clausen brothers creating youth flag football league for boys and girs.

Notes . . .

The Bonita and Murrieta Mesa softball teams are facing sanctions from the CIF after pulling out of the regional softball playoffs and having to forfeit their opening games. Each had the option of opting out but didn’t and are especially in trouble for not pulling out before seedings were made. Doubtful either will be invited to next year’s state playoffs when the first state championship in softball will be held…

David Armendariz is the new baseball coach at Sierra Canyon. He’s been an assistant the last three years and was a standout player at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and played briefly in MLB with Cleveland….

Warren Snyder is the new boys water polo coach at Agoura…

John Gabriel is the new girls lacrosse coach at St. Margaret’s….

James Tronstein of Harvard-Westlake has been named the Gatorade state player of the year in baseball….

Offensive lineman Amaziah Siale of Mission Viejo has committed to Cal….

Point guard Earl Bryson is leaving JSerra for Crean Lutheran, which returns two top guards….

Mater Dei’s basketball team has added two large transfers, 6-9 Ryan Doane from JSerra and 6-11 Ender Berg from Legacy Christian….

The Southern Section has decided not to move from its office in Los Alamitos and will remodel to handle its additional employees approved by membership….

Corona Santiago pitcher Striker Pence announced he has reclassified to become part of the class of 2027….

Justin Torres is out as baseball coach at West Covina….

Joe Wyatt, who coached El Camino Real and Sun Valley Poly to City Section basketball championships, has resigned at Poly to become head coach at rival North Hollywood….

Bob Hart, Burbank’s longtime baseball coach, is no longer head coach….

Girls point guard Madison McDonald from Westlake has committed to Arizona Western….

Sierra Canyon has hired Camarillo coach Michaeltore Smith to be its first flag football coach. He had great success coaching quarterbacks, and he’ll have the best this season in Orange Lutheran transfer Makena Cook….

The high school football transfer portal is about to gain more steam with school out and players switching before the fall semester. Here’s the list that keeps growing…

Nick Hernandez is the new baseball coach at Glendale….

Infielder Justin Lopez from Villa Park has committed to Cal State Fullerton.

From the archives: Nate Castellon

Nate Castellon, a former Calabasas shortstop, helped Cal Poly reach the Super Regionals. He entered this week as the team’s second-leading hitter with a .328 batting average, including 14 doubles.

The sophomore has been as consistent as he was at Calabasas, where he hit .500 his senior year. He was a freshman All-American for the Mustangs.

Here’s a story from 2023 when he hit a grand slam.

Recommendations

From The562.org, a story on Anthony Razo, the new Lakewood baseball coach who’s agreed to replace the legendary Spud O’Neil.

From Yahoo, a story on New Mexico nearing a final decision to allow one free transfer for high school athletes.

From Ouresquina.com, a story on former Cypress and current USC shortstop Abbrie Covarrubias and his Latino background.

From Texashsfootball, a story on a school district spending $6 million to cover a sports facility to help with hot weather.

Summer vacation

Prep Rally will be taking the next couple of weeks off. Everyone enjoy your break — if you get one. And if you don’t, please find a way for a day off or two to refresh, regroup and prepare for 2026-27.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.

At the state track and field championships, Jayden Rendon of Carson was in the lead of the 300 intermediate hurdles on Saturday when he struck the final hurdle and fell to the ground. So ended his opportunity to repeat as state champion.

Did he pout? Did he lose his composure? Did he blame something or someone?

Absolutely not.

“You live and learn,” he said. “It does no justice dwelling when I can do so much more.”

He’s headed to USC, and what a student athlete he will become. He was honored on Tuesday, receiving a $1,500 scholarship from the City Section for his academic and athletic commitment. He wrote an essay on how schools in the Southern Section were trying to convince him to leave Carson.

He said absolutely not.

“Growing up in the track world since I was 8 years old, I watched many of my friends and teammates make a decision to attend schools outside of their community,” he wrote. “Their reasoning was based around sports because they believed that the CIF Southern Section schools were more competitive and would give them more opportunities for success. When I was in middle school, my family moved to Long Beach from Carson, which made my home school Long Beach Poly. The majority of my youth team friends decided to attend LB Poly, and I was often questioned on why I chose to stay in Carson instead of following the crowd. My parents and I were told that I would never reach my full potential in the City Section.

“My decision to stay in Carson and compete for the City Section was not just about competition, but about connection. While preparing to compete in the multi-events at the Junior Olympics, when I was 10, I had to run the hurdles. Coach Jojo coached hurdles at Carson so my mom asked him if he would be willing to train me in the summer. I grew a bond with Coach Jojo and developed a love for the hurdles. Both my mother and grandmother went to Carson but it was Coach Jojo who showed me what it truly meant to be part of the Colt family. Besides my family, he was my biggest supporter, he believed in me and made me feel like I belonged to something bigger: a legacy. I didn’t care what anyone said, I knew that if I had Coach Jojo by my side and if I set my mind to it, I could be successful.

“I never would have believed that from the start of my freshman year, the sport that I love, would hit me with life: In January 2023, just a few months before my first high school track season began, I lost Coach Jojo to cancer. After being a pallbearer for my beloved Coach Jojo, I made a promise to him to finish what we started. The way I saw it, I had two choices, I could feel sorry for myself or I could push through the pain and stay focused on my goals of becoming a USC Trojan.”

Rendon fulfilled his promise to his coach and community.

“I wanted to stay in the City Section,” he said. “It was my roots. I wanted to be the hometown hero. I didn’t think I needed to move to be great.”

He was right again.

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

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. It was championship weekend for Southern Section baseball and softball. And there were some crazy moments and performances.

Greatness on display

It’s tough enough to win one Southern Section Division 1 baseball title going through the gauntlet of top teams. St. John Bosco did it back to back in a 2-0 win over Norco.

Julian Garcia turned in one of the best pitching performances in championship game history. He gave up a first-inning double to Codey Brown and that was the last hit by a good-hitting Norco team. He struck out 14 and walked none. Here’s the report from Cal State Fullerton.

Here’s a look where Garcia’s individual performance ranks in some past championship games.

Things got bizarre leading up to the Division 2 final when Ganesha was prepared to only send backups to the game because its head coach and players were committed to traveling to Mississippi for a camp.

The superintendent intervened and asked them to stay because Ganesha would have faced severe sanctions from the Southern Section. All the players showed up Saturday and the team beat Loyola 6-3. Here’s the report.

Mira Costa, which lost its top two pitchers to injuries before the season and early in league, rallied from a 6-1 deficit to beat Agoura 9-7 to win the Division 3 title. Quite an achievement for coach Andy Diver and his players.

Despite lots of teams opting out, the Southern California regional championships begin this week. St. John Bosco is playing to defend its regional title and was seeded No. 1 in Division I.

Here are the pairings.

Softball

JSerra High ace Liliana Escobar strides forward as she windmills a pitch against La Mirada in the Southern Section Division 1 championship game on Friday night.

(Nick Koza)

JSerra won its first Southern Section Division 1 championship in softball behind pitcher Liliana Escobar, who was the best all season. The Lions defeated La Mirada 3-2. She struck out 12. Here’s the report.

Whittier Christian went into rally mode to defeat Mater Dei 5-3 in the Division 2 final, getting two-run home runs in the seventh and eighth innings from Mia Camacho and Bella Perez.

Carson came away as City Section Open Division champions with a 12-1 win over defending champion Granada Hills. The Colts and Highlanders have met the last four years in the final, with Carson prevailing three times. Home runs by Anaiyah Popoalii and Ashannalee Titialii keyed the win.

Here are the regional playoff pairings that begin Tuesday.

Track

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame senior JJ Harel won his second consecutive state high jump championship.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

The state track and field championships in Clovis were very good for Southern California athletes.

Servite won the boys championships as its sprinters, led by 100 meters champion Benjamin Harris, put on a show.

JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame cleared 7-2 in the high jump to defend his state title.

Jaslene Massey of Aliso Niguel set a state record in the girls discus.

Here’s the report from Clovis.

Determined to succeed

Jonah Jeovany Vasquez of Cathedral has made it to the state track championships in the 1,600 in his first year running track.

(Vasquez family)

Things didn’t go as well as Cathedral’s Jonah Vasquez had hoped at the CIF track and field championships. He just missed qualifying for the finals in the 1,600.

But his story is just beginning in his first season running track.

Here’s a look at his story and where he intends to go.

Volleyball

Mateo Fuerbringer, center, celebrates with his Mira Costa teammates following a five-set win over Loyola on March 20, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

It was a season to remember for Mira Costa’s volleyball team, which won the state championship Saturday in Fresno.

The Southern Section Division 1 champions faced top teams all season and prevailed, with junior Mateo Fuerbringer stamping himself as the top player for his class in the nation.

End of an era

Tom Meusborn announced his retirement as head baseball coach at Chatsworth.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Tom Meusborn and Spud O’Neil, two high school baseball coaching giants, have retired from head coaching duties.

Meusborn coached for nearly 35 years at Chatsworth and Sierra Canyon. His eight City Section championships remains the most by any coach in City Section history.

“It’s time,” he said after four seasons at Sierra Canyon.

O’Neil, the head coach at Lakewood since 1984, lost in the Southern Section Division 6 playoffs and retires with 985 career victories.

Notes . . .

Former St. John Bosco and UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen has received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business….

Damien has begun a search for a new baseball coach. AJ LaMonda was head coach for five years….

Devin Davis is the new baseball coach at Castaic….

Ernest Baskerville is the new basketball coach at Pasadena….

Western quarterback Chance Thomas is transferring to Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, which opens the season hosting St. John Bosco in August….

Tight end Luke Karby of Mission Viejo has committed to Duke….

Kevin McCaffrey has been dismissed as baseball coach at Corona del Mar after eight seasons….

Kevin Nichols is the new football coach at Garden Grove…

Katey Thompson has stepped down as boys volleyball coach at Corona del Mar….

Standout junior pitcher Justin Kirchner (11-0) of Harvard-Westlake has committed to Vanderbilt. He was previously committed to Yale….

Brad Willis is the new boys basketball coach at Villa Park. He had been coaching girls basketball at the school….

Standout quarterback Dane Weber of Chaparral has committed to Cal….

Tight end Luke Gazzaniga of Santa Margarita has committed to Kansas….

Defensive end Elyjah Staples from Marquez has committed to Cal….

Matteo Huarte of Mater Dei won the Southern Section individual title. He’s the grandson of Heisman Trophy winner and Mater Dei grad John Huarte….

Makena Cook, the top flag football quarterback for Orange Lutheran, is transferring to Sierra Canyon, which is starting a flag football program this fall….

Cole Kim of Sunny Hills won the Southern California Regional golf tournament last week and will be the player to beat at the state championships Wednesday at San Gabriel Country Club….

Pitcher Jake Brande of Rancho Christian has committed to Cal Poly….

Laura Browder has resigned as boys and girls volleyball coach at La Canada.

From the archives: Kaniya Bragg

UCLA shortstop Kaniya Bragg was a star at Garden Grove Pacifica.

(Nick Koza)

Kaniya Bragg, who was The Times’ softball player of the year in 2024, is living up to expectations and more for UCLA this season.

She entered this week as a key player for the Bruins in the College World Series with a .387 batting average and 18 home runs.

Here’s a story from 2024 outlining why she was the best high school player.

Recommendations

From Texas, a school district continues bureaucratic hurdles for media trying to cover high school sports.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on former Palisades pitcher Mason Edwards becoming an ace for USC.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on Zoe Thompson, an eighth-grader at Harvard-Westlake who might be the best soccer player in a famous family of soccer players.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.

Three Clausen brothers who were quarterbacks — Casey, Rick and Jimmy — have created a fall flag football league for boys and girls in an effort to help youth players learn the game. There also will be six Clausen children playing in the league.

Flag football continues to grow, with the Clausen brothers behind a fall league.

(Los Angeles Times)

Casey is a former head coach at Bishop Alemany. Rick is head coach at Westlake. And Jimmy is a former NFL quarterback.

Casey said the Rising Stars is a 7×7 league that will take place in the fall with focus on rising participation of girls playing. The breakdown of divisions for boys and girls ranges from third grade to eighth grade and will be played on Sundays beginning Aug. 16 at Agoura, Oak Park and Westlake.

Get ready for lots of Clausen cousins, brothers and sisters playing football in the coming years. The oldest is a sixth grader.

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

Pitcher Violet Ascencio struck out 13 to lead Venice High to a 7-2 win over Eagle Rock in the City Section Division I softball championship game on Saturday.

Abilgail Ascencio had two doubles and finished with three hits.

Players held up a photo of the late Angelo Gasca, Venice’s football coach who also helped coach softball.

Division II

Arleta 11, Marshall 0: Naomi Tachin struck out four, walked none and led Arleta to the Division II title. Adriana Vasquez went four for four and Brenda Aguilar hit two doubles and finished with three RBIs.

Division IV

Franklin 17, Huntington Park 5: The Panthers, seeded No. 14, used their bats to become Division IV champions. Kamila Sanchez had three hits and five RBIs, including two doubles and a triple.

Southern Section

Division 4

Oxnard 3, Mission Viejo 1: Rachel Godoy hit a dramatic three-run home run in the fifth inning to lead Oxnard. Destinee Herrera threw a complete game.

Division 5

Irvine Northwood 11, Grace Brethren 1: Freshman Olivia Chen threw a two-hitter for Northwood, which went from missing the playoffs last season to Division 5 champions.

Division 3

Riverside Prep 4, Great Oak 3: Lila Morris threw a complete game, and Riverside Prep took advantage of two errors in the fifth inning to win the Division 3 title. Graclyn Necochea struck out 10 for Great Oak.

Division 8

Arroyo Valley 8, San Bernardino 5: Jaylin Casillas contributed three hits and two RBIs for Arroyo Valley. Aylssa Arredondo had four RBIs for San Bernardino.

As someone who has been covering high school baseball championship games in Southern California for six decades, the pitching performance seen on Friday night by Julian Garcia of St. John Bosco moves into the top five, if not a share for No. 1.

Garcia struck out 14, walked none and surrendered only a first-inning double to Codey Brown in a 2-0 victory over Norco in the Southern Section Division 1 final at Cal State Fullerton. His fastball was reaching 95 mph. He was blowing fastballs past top hitters all night.

Probably the No. 1 pitching performance continues to be Bret Saberhagen of Cleveland in the 1981 City Section championship game at Dodger Stadium when he threw a no-hitter against Palisades.

Others that come to mind:

No pitcher has been as overpowering as Garcia was under the lights. And he needed to be near perfect to beat Norco pitcher Jordan Ayala, who also was outstanding.

What a memory to add to Southern California’s great pitching moments in championship games.

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

Week by week, freshman left-handed pitcher Sheriff Hall of Loyola High has gotten better and better. It sets up for an intriguing Southern Section Division 2 baseball final on Saturday when Hall goes against Ganesha at 5:30 p.m. at the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes’ diamond.

He’s expected to face unbeaten left-handed pitcher Logan Schmidt after the Pomona Unified School District indicated that issues about top Ganesha players participating in an out-of-state camp have been resolved.

Whatever happens, Hall is ready. Coach Keith Ramsey has been preparing him for this moment. Hall is 7-3 with a 2.53 ERA while pitching mostly in the tough Mission League.

If Hall ever needs someone to put together a highlight tape, he knows whom to ask. His father, Jason, is a screenwriter and director who also played a recurring character in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Let’s see if Hall can be his own slayer on Saturday.

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

The Southern Section will hold nine baseball championship games this weekend, led by the Division 1 final at 7 p.m. Friday at Cal State Fullerton between St. John Bosco and Norco.

Here’s a look at top matchups:

FRIDAY

Division 1: St. John Bosco vs. Norco at Cal State Fullerton, 7 p.m. Both schools will have their top pitchers ready to go, which means runs will be at a premium. Julian Garcia of St. John Bosco was in the dugout last season when the Braves won the title but couldn’t play as he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He’s come back with a flourish, going 8-1 with a 0.88 ERA. All the Braves’ key pitchers are available, including closers Jack Champlin and Brayden Krakowski. Norco will start Jordan Ayala, who shut out Orange Lutheran in the quarterfinals. It’s going to come down to defense and someone getting a clutch hit against very good pitching.

SATURDAY

Division 2: Ganesha vs. Loyola at Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, 5:30 p.m.: Likely first-round draft pick Logan Schmidt will be on the mound for Ganesha, offering a huge challenge for the Cubs. He’s also the team’s top hitter. Loyola has faced top pitching all season in the Mission League and will have rising freshman Sheriff Hall on the mound. The Cubs also have players who can hit home runs, such as Jack Murray and Luca Marucci.

Division 3: Mira Costa vs. Agoura at Cal State Fullerton, 4 p.m.. Both schools have prom in the evening, so watch for players rushing to cars after the game. Mira Costa has somehow made it to the final despite losing its No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers to injury. Others have stepped forward, and the hitting attack has been good in the playoffs. Austin Olness hit a two-run home run in a 12-0 semifinal win over St. Francis. Agoura, under first-year coach Adam Goldstein, is another overachiever. Senior Tyler Starling hits and pitches with the best, but it’s been underclassmen pushing the Chargers toward a title.

Division 4: Glendora vs. Laguna Beach at Cal State Fullerton, 7:30 p.m. Senior Tanner Grable leads Glendora with 36 hits and four home runs and also can pitch. Junior Dylan Yencho is having a big season for Laguna Beach, batting .455 with 50 hits and an 0.94 ERA as a closer.

Division 5: Kaiser vs. Culver City at Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, 11 a.m. Senior Tino Cuellar is Kaiser’s leadoff hitter with 34 hits. Culver City finished second to Santa Monica in the Ocean League and has a productive freshman in Matthew Riesenberg, who has 36 hits, a .431 batting average and 29 RBIs.

Division 6: Brentwood vs. Covina at Cal State Fullerton, 1 p.m. The Eagles won’t have ace Jack Kaplan available after he threw a shutout in the semifinals, but there’s plenty of hot hitters, including junior Hudson Chase, who has 42 hits and seven home runs. Covina, which knocked out Lakewood and longtime coach Spud O’Neil in the semifinals, was second in the Valle Vista League to Charter Oak. Senior Lucas Thorpe has been providing key hits all season, including four in the semifinals.

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

The number of high school baseball and softball teams in Southern California not wanting to participate in the regional playoffs next week continues to grow. The question is: Next season, when there are state championships held in the two sports, will there be fewer opt outs?

“I would think so,” said Brian Seymour, associate executive director of the CIF.

The City Section Open Division baseball champion, Birmingham, and runner-up, El Camino Real, both passed on the regional playoffs. Three of the four Division 1 semifinalists — Norco, Harvard-Westlake and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame — also opted out. In Southern Section softball, the two Division 1 finalists, JSerra and La Mirada, are ending their seasons on Friday.

Travel ball begins in June, and that’s the big roadblock for softball, with many coaches and players participating. Next season, the state championships would be held the first weekend of June, the same dates as this year’s regional finals, so solving the softball dilemma remains uncertain.

“We’ve heard the comment from a number of different coaches [that] once we go to a state tournament, they were more inclined to make it work,” Seymour said. “Softball may take a little longer to come around. The power of representing your community and school is a little bit more than playing for your fifth travel team.”

But players invest thousands of dollars in club softball and coaches make good summer money in travel ball.

Seymour said multiple sites are under consideration in Southern California and Northern California to host the state championships.

He’s hopeful both will catch on like swimming did when the CIF first had state championships.

“We have everybody in swimming now, where the first year was hit and miss,” he said.

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

Cailee Spaeny looks at Charles Melton, her co-star on the Netflix limited series “Beef,” asking for help. “Wait a minute … how long were we attached?” Melton smiles and reaches for her hand. “We’ve been attached our whole lives.”

Have they? Given how they tease and finish each other’s sentences, it sure feels that way. Spaeny and Melton were cast as Ashley and Austin, a Gen-Z couple working at a Montecito country club, dreaming and scheming toward upward mobility, a good 18 months before filming began in early 2025. To cement their bond, Spaeny, who hails from Missouri, and Melton, an Army brat who considers Kansas home, decided to return to their Midwestern roots, round up their families and go to a Kansas City Chiefs football game just before Christmas.

At one point, Spaeny looked over to see her brother-in-law having a heart-to-heart with Melton’s dad. They were crying. After the game, they all went out for barbecue. Melton surprised his dad with a gift — a truck.

“That was very sweet and emotional,” Spaeny says of the day. “There’s a lot of filling in the blanks when your families are from the same part of the country. They’re down-to-earth, churchgoing families. It felt easy. We’re cut from the same cloth.”

When the Palisades and Eaton fires delayed the start of filming, Spaeny and Melton decamped to Solvang, rented an Airbnb with some friends and continued what Spaeny calls their “weird prep” for playing the series’ besotted couple. They cooked dinners together, played games and even watched “Riverdale,” the CW series that catapulted Melton to fame a decade ago.

“We also watched ‘Wicked’ too many times,” Spaeny, 27, says.

“You were singing a lot,” Melton, 35, tells her.

“I don’t think I sang once,” Spaeny counters.

“Oh she did,” Melton says. “She’s a singer. Sing for us.”

“Guys, what are we doing?” Spaeny says, burying her head in her hands.

Whatever it is, we’re not stopping. We have, as Melton notes much to Spaeny’s chagrin, “caught a vibe.”

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You two represent different generations …

Melton: What? Excuse me?

Charles, you’re a millennial. Cailee is Gen-Z.

Spaeny: Oh my God. You’re so Gen-Z coded.

Melton: I’m a zillennial.

Spaeny: Did you feel like there was an age gap between us?

Melton: I feel like we’re the same age. You know I’m an old soul. My exterior is just goofy. Cailee is wise beyond her years.

What’s the biggest difference between the two generations?

Melton: I think the generations are more alike than different. As a millennial and zillennial, I’ve done my share of weird self-diagnosing.

Spaeny: TikTok therapy for sure. Holding onto words that make us feel more seen through the internet. The comment “I just read the headline. I need to start reading the articles.” It’s sad but it’s true. And I think everyone does it.

1

2

1. Charles Melton. 2. Cailee Spaeny. (Erik Carter / For The Times)

Do you relate to your characters’ Gen-Z resentment that previous generations screwed them over? “Everyone grabbed the bag before we could.”

Spaeny: There was a time when having a house by your 30s was guaranteed. Now, you’re having to choose whether you want to have children or stay afloat in your career. We’re all riddled with this feeling of the life we feel we deserve …

Melton: And what will make us happy. Ashley gets the promotion. But the social climb is never enough. It’s “if you do this thing, you’ll get the this thing.”

Spaeny: It’s the constant chase.

You’ve both defied the odds and enjoyed successful careers as actors. Can you be content and sit with that?

Spaeny: We try. But it also feels like it’s set up in a way where you can’t sit. You have to look for the next thing because if you wait, people will get bored with you. You’ll book a job and hopefully it pays well and then you might not work again for two years. It’s easy to be in a place of desperation. Actors are also naturally people-pleasers. So, unfortunately, I think it was too easy for us to relate to our characters.

Melton: Maybe part of your question, which led to your beautiful answer, is: Where’s acceptance? I’m a father now. Sometimes, I’m super tired, but the best thing is I get to read to my kid. Looking at life through a place of abundance … but that can be a tough thing to do.

Spaeny: It’s not just the entertainment industry. I go back home and I’m with my sister, who is an amazing mother and soccer mom. And you can feel that itch inside of people back home too. Have I done enough for my children? Do I need to go to more soccer tournaments? Am I going to church enough?

Melton: It’s everywhere. And under the umbrella of class and healthcare and how expensive everything is, it’s tough. The bill we had just to have a baby was so ridiculous.

Spaeny: Oh yeah. My favorite line in “Beef” was, “Do you know the 16-piece meal at KFC is $52.99 now?” That sums it up.

(Erik Carter / For The Times)

I looked that up. It’s true, though you can get the 16-piece chicken-only meal for about $37.

Melton: But you can’t just eat the chicken. You have to have the sides and biscuits, right?

How about Austin’s line: “All we need is each other … and the beach.”

Melton: That’s what I love about Austin, this optimism but considered to be naivete. Really, at the end of the day, I’ll look at my partner and I’ll look at my daughter and be like, “This is absolutely all I need.”

Spaeny: [Sighs] I would love to get to that point.

Melton: But then to put food on the table, you’re required to do things that take you away from the things that you say are all you need.

Spaeny: The great thing about this show is that it’s zeroing in on everyday impossibilities of life, the things that should be so simple, but drive us all up the wall.

You both talk about Midwest sensibility. Do your roots help ground you?

Spaeny: I just got back from home last night, and I always feel a layer gets peeled off when I’m there. With work, I’m always on edge and trying to hold onto this thing that could be taken away from me any day. When I go back home, I feel like it can really be that simple. But it doesn’t last. That’s the problem. The itch comes back.

There’s nothing wrong with a little ambition.

Spaeny: I’m finding ambition more and more unattractive these days. Maybe that’s me just getting older and wanting more outside of the job.

Melton: We’ve talked about this. If we’re always going from one thing to the next, how can I bring the humanity and soul of my life into my work? If I had my way, I’d take three to six months off between jobs just to live and put my feet on the grass. Cailee and I connect in many ways. I love your determination and drive and passion for the work. Some people want to act like they don’t care, but I think it’s cool to care.

Timothée Chalamet does too, but he got flack for saying that out loud, that he “wanted to be one of the greats.”

Melton: I thought that was f— awesome. You want to be great? We all do.

Spaeny: It’s what every actor is thinking except they’re feigning …

Melton: We love Chalamet over here.

Spaeny: Maybe he didn’t say all the right things, but that speech, that’s why we’re in the building.

Melton: It’s very much the athlete’s mentality. Like Deion Sanders is one of the greatest of all time. “You look good, you feel good, you play good.”

It’s OK for an athlete to say that, but if an actor does, the world gives them grief.

Melton: That kind of sincerity is the default in Kansas and Missouri. You know, growing up as an athlete, I was pretty good. I ran the 100-meter dash in 10.9 seconds. Make sure you write that in. [Laughs] You have to have a vision. And the artists that speak on that vision, that’s awesome. Visualization is essential. I wouldn’t be here talking with one of my best friends and one of the greatest actresses ever …

Spaeny: What are you doing?!?

Melton: I’d rather give you flowers all day than talk about what I think. All that to say is that I wouldn’t be doing this if I did not have vision when I was in Kansas to leave with $500 in my pocket, 60 cans of chicken noodle soup and 60 cans of tuna. You have to dream.

Spaeny: A dollar and a dream!

I’ve got to ask. Sixty cans of chicken noodle soup on a road trip? Do you just pop the top and down it cold?

Spaeny: Great question.

Melton: I’d just take off the top and lay it in the sun for two or three hours and it’s good to go.

Spaeny: Please stop.

Melton: OK. I’d just dip my finger in it and because I’m so hot, it just boils.

Spaeny: You see what I’m saying? He’s such a dad.

(Erik Carter / For The Times)

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. The greatest day in high school baseball for City Section players is when you make it to the Open Division or Division I championship game and get to play on Dodger Stadium. Another memorable day happened on Saturday.

The Field of Dreams

Verdugo Hills players celebrate a 3-1 win over Taft in the City Section Division I final on Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

For Birmingham and Verdugo Hills, there was a celebration at Dodger Stadium after winning the City Open Division and Division I championships, respectively. But runner-ups Taft and El Camino Real got their moment of appreciation and memories, too.

It’s become clear to win the Open Division, the key requirement is having three pitchers. Birmingham’s two starters, Carlos Acuna and Nathan Soto, did their job. Acuna (11-0) had complete games in the first round and semifinals. Closer Aidan Martinez was waiting to be called upon and delivered at Dodger Stadium in support of Soto with four strikeouts in two innings.

Even with its pitching, Birmingham still needed someone to deliver a clutch hit in a 4-2 win. It was the improbable that happened. Masen Ruiz, who hadn’t come to the plate since May 7 while stuck on the bench, hit a three-run triple to break open the game after being put in as a defensive replacement. Here’s the report.

Verdugo Hills was the biggest surprise. The Dons entered the playoffs at 10-18 after finishing fourth in the Valley Mission League and defeated Taft 3-1. Anthony Velasquez threw a complete game, but the story was the Dons’ defense, from the infielders to the outfielders. Here’s the report.

Baseball

Lachlan Clark of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame will be on the mound against Norco. He threw a shutout the last time he faced the Cougars.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

The Southern Section Division 1 semifinals are set for Tuesday, and no one knows who’s going to make it to Cal State Fullerton. The games could go either way, with Harvard-Westlake at St. John Bosco and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Norco.

The last time Lachlan Clark faced Norco two weeks ago, he threw a shutout. He’s expected to face left-hander Landon Hovermale. It’s Notre Dame’’s first road game of the playoffs. Harvard-Westlake is also facing its first road game against the defending Division 1 champions.

Norco received a tremendous performance from Jordan Ayala in a 3-0 win over Orange Lutheran. He struck out 10 with no walks and also hit a home run. James Clark hit two home runs and Julian Garcia struck out 14 in St. John Bosco’s 5-2 win over La Mirada.

Here’s a report from Friday’s semifinals.

Newport Harbor and Laguna Beach are surging in the playoffs. Here’s a report.

Birmingham and El Camino Real have chosen to opt out of the state baseball playoffs. Pairings will be announced Sunday. It’s likely the final time that teams decide they don’t want to play in state playoffs because next season the first state championship games will take place, motivating schools to participate.

Softball

Liliana Escobar of JSerra threw a shutout in 1-0 win over Garden Grove Pacifica.

(Dylan Stewart)

The Southern Section Division 1 final in softball will take place probably Saturday with JSerra facing La Mirada at Bill Barber Park in Irvine.

The playoffs have been about the dominant performances of JSerra pitcher Liliana Escobar, who struck out 14 in eliminating defending champion Norco 2-0 last week.

The Southern Section will release final dates and times for its championships Monday.

In the City Section, Carson and Granada Hills could be headed for fourth straight final. First they each have to win their Wednesday semifinal games. Granada Hills hosts San Pedro and Carson hosts Birmingham. The championship game is expected to be Saturday in Long Beach.

Track

The moment Lawrence Kensinger of Venice broke a 53-year-old City Section record in the shotput with a mark of 65-11.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Things couldn’t have been more exciting at the City Section track and field finals when Lawrence Kensinger of Venice broke the second-longest held record in the shotput. It was set in 1973 and he obliterated it with a staggering mark of 65-11 putting him squarely in the competetion for a state title at the CIF state championships Friday and Saturday at Buchanan High School in Clovis.

Here’s a story on Kensinger’s massive accomplishment.

At the Southern Section Masters Meet, there were plenty of outstanding marks in the girls’ competition, and sprinter Benjamin Harris of Servite set himself up to win multiple state titles. Here’s a look at top qualifiers.

Volleyball

Mira Costa has proven itself to be the No. 1 boys volleyball team in the state and the Mustangs are one win away from a Division I title. They face Northern California champion Northgate on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Fresno City College.

They’ve already accomplished what few teams have done — beat rival Loyola in three matches this season. They won the Southern California regional title with a five-set win over the Cubs.

Golf

The Southern California Regional championships are set for Thursday.

Austin Downing of San Marcos won the individual championship.

Notes . . .

Richard Simms has resigned after 21 years as girls’ soccer coach at Harvard-Westlake. His teams won four CIF championships and 18 Mission League titles. He coached the Thompson sisters, Alyssa and Gisele. Another Thompson sister is arriving in the fall….

In tennis, Harvard-Westlake continued its success by winning the Southern California Regional championship….

Steve Kennedy has resigned as softball coach at Newbury Park….

Loyola track star Ejam Yohannes has committed to Stanford….

Ernest Baskerville has resigned after seven years as basketball coach at South Pasadena….

Hurdler Peyton Brown from Trabuco Hills has committed to Cal Poly….

Terrence Worthy is the new basketball coach at West Covina….

Orange Lutheran announced that the Orange Police Department is investigating “a serious allegation” made against a former staff member believed to have worked with the football program….

Sage Hill has promoted Jethro Julian to girls basketball coach after being the interim coach last season….

Dezi Delgado, who was all-Mission League as a sophomore baseball player at Sierra Canyon, said he is transferring to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame for his senior year….

From the archives: Trent Grindlinger

Former Huntington Beach catcher Trent Grindlinger.

(Nick Koza)

After a terrific high school career playing catcher for Huntington Beach, Trent Grindlinger has been equally impressive as a freshman for Tennessee.

He led the team going into last week’s SEC tournament action with a .357 batting average, eight home runs and 28 RBIs.

His younger brother, Jared, is expected to be a first-round pick in this summer’s amateur draft.

Here’s a story from 2024 on the Grindlinger family of baseball players.

Recommendations

From the Los Angeles Times, a look at former Gardena Serra receiver Marqise Lee going back to earn his degree at USC.

From Philadelphiabaseballreview, a story on a youth pitcher throwing 160 pitches.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on three-year JV player JJ Saffie of El Camino Real taking advantage of his opportunity to finally play varsity. He had two hits at Dodger Stadium.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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Pack up the car and get ready for temperatures in the upper 80s this coming weekend in Clovis and Fresno, where CIF state championships will be held in track and field and boys’ volleyball.

Buchanan High School is the site Friday and Saturday for the track championships, where City Section record-holder Lawrence Kensinger will try to win a state title in the shotput after his astonishing mark of 65-11 at the City finals broke a record established in 1973. Running events begin at 5 p.m. Friday to qualify for Saturday’s finals.

Servite sprinters will try to put on a show in the 4×100 relay, the 100, 200 and 400 races. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame high jumper JJ Harel will try to defend his state title. At the Southern Section finals, he cleared a career-best 7-1.

Fresno City College is the site for the volleyball championships on Saturday.

Tickets are available only through gofan.co.

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

Baseball players like to feel comfortable wearing their hats but also look good when taking them off. That’s where sophomore JV baseball player Noah Nolasco from Birmingham High comes into play.

He’s been cutting hair for players in the East Valley, from Birmingham to Poly to Sylmar to Bishop Alemany. He’s been busy because the playoffs are taking place, and players are apparently following the philosophy “look good, feel good, play good.”

One of his customers is Birmingham sophomore pitcher Carlos Acuna, who’s 11-0 and plays in Saturday’s City Section Open Division championship game against El Camino Real at Dodger Stadium.

Nolasco said a taper is the favorite haircut these days and there’s also players bleaching their hair blond for the playoffs. He normally charges $25.

Here’s his instagram page.

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

First-year baseball coach Dino Flores of Fremont High teaches health, and for the entire semester, he had a freshman from Venezuela, Roiber Colmenares, sitting in class.

One day, Colmenares asked Flores a strange question.

“Hey Mr. Flores,” he said in Spanish. “Do you know how I can join the baseball team?”

“Yes I do,” Flores said.

Colemenares told him playing baseball was all he did in Venezuela.

Then Flores had Colemenares show him how to field a ground ball with an imaginary ball in class.

“That’s when I knew we had something special,” Flores said. “Just his movement you could tell he’s a baseball player.”

With Colmenares leading the way, Fremont has advanced to face Hamilton in Friday’s 2:30 p.m. Division III final at Stengel Field. The Division II final will have South East playing Roosevelt at 5:30 p.m. at East Los Angeles College.

“He’s our best hitter and best pitcher,” Flores said of the 5-foot-8, 140-pound freshman.

Fremont used to be a baseball power, having won five upper-division City titles, the last in 1963. There also was a 3A title in 1992.

“The history is well documented,” Flores said.

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

Freshman pitcher Ainsley Jenkins is a big reason Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has advanced to the Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals in softball. In the Knights’ first two playoff victories over Anaheim Canyon and Oaks Christian, she has been called out of the bullpen to pitch exceptionally well in relief.

Next up is a quarterfinal showdown with No. 2-seeded Norco on Wednesday at Encino’s Franklin Fields.

If Jenkins needs any help with writing for school work, she has two parents with distinguished writing backgrounds. Her father, Lee, was a highly regarded reporter at Sports Illustrated before becoming an executive with the Clippers. Her mother, Elizabeth, is a magazine writer.

Notre Dame is expected to face Norco’s top one-two pitching duo of Coral Williams and Peyton May. Jenkins will be available if needed. Mom and Dad are also available to write up a pleasing ending if the Knights pull off the upset.

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

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. Jason Collins, who combined with his brother, Jarron, to bring San Fernando Valley high school basketball to an unprecedented level during their days at Harvard-Westlake in the 1990s, died at the age of 47 because of brain cancer. Here are some recollections.

Legacy of Collins twins

In 1997, Jarron (left) and Jason Colllins.

(Los Angeles Times)

I’ve written so many stories on the Collins twins, Jason and Jarron, that I seriously considered writing a book about the family after their days at Harvard-Westlake in the 1990s. Their mother always told me the secret to their success was “greens and genes.”

With great sadness, when word was released last week that Jason had passed from his brief fight with brain cancer at the age of 47, I needed time to accept the news. I knew it was coming but the outcome remains unacceptable. He and his family sought every possible consultation and treatment. Unfortunately, a cure for glioblastoma remains undiscovered.

Rather than dwell on the tragedy of an illness taking away someone so young, I intend to celebrate his courage and the family’s courage. When Sports Illustrated put him on its cover in 2013 and quoted him, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay,” the world of sports changed.

Except he and his brother had already changed high school basketball in Southern California forever. Their arrival at Harvard-Westlake as freshmen in 1994 put the Wolverines on the basketball map and eventually led to what the Wolverines are today — one of the best programs in California.

They were the twin towers who grew to 7-feet and 6-11. They won two state titles and had a combined record of 123-10. One of their teammates was backup center Jason Segel, who’d become one of the best comedy actors in the world and received attention for his dunks.

Here’s a story from their freshman season in 1994, turning around a team that had gone 5-20 before their arrival. In 1995, Jason was named to the All-Southern Section super team that included Schea Cotton and Paul Pierce, two legendary high school players. On that same team was Doug Gottlieb, who’d go on to a media and coaching career.

They played at Stanford and in the NBA. They were good people guided by parents who taught them to be respectful and help others. Because of their size, they could never hide from the spotlight or walk around a campus without being noticed. It was tremendous pressure on two teenagers, but they had each other to lean on.

The years went by, and incredibly, Jarron now has two high school age daughters and a seventh-grade son playing basketball at Harvard-Westlake. Jarron has been an NBA assistant but insisted on his family staying in Southern California.

It was a privilege to see them develop before anyone knew their name and watch them mature and make a difference in little ways and big ways. Jason is gone, but Jarron and his children will keep Jason’s memory alive with their own contributions.

Baseball

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, St. John Bosco, Harvard-Westlake and Orange Lutheran all earned spots in Friday’s Southern Section Division 1 baseball quarterfinals by going 2-0 in the new pool play tournament. The four other spots will be decided Tuesday in elimination games: Sierra Canyon at Cypress, Norco at Ayala, Corona at Corona Santiago and Huntington Beach at La Mirada.

Notre Dame plays winner of Corona-Corona Santiago. St. John Bosco plays winner of Huntington Beach-La Mirada. Harvard-Westlake faces winner of Sierra Canyon-Cypress. Orange Lutheran plays winner of Norco-Ayala.

Among the best individual performances in Division 1, James Tronstein went three for three with his 10th home run, drove in two runs and scored three runs in Harvard-Westlake’s win over Huntington Beach. Brady Murrietta of Orange Lutheran hit three home runs in a win over Corona. Jacob Madrid of Notre Dame hit his 12th home run in a win over top-seeded Norco. Here’s a report.

The City Section will hold an Open Division semifinal doubleheader Wednesday at Cal State Northridge, with El Camino Real playing Granada Hills at 2 p.m., followed by Birmingham taking on Carson at 5:30 p.m. The winners advance to play at Dodger Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. Here’s a report.

Two schools in the City Section, Jefferson and King/Drew, were forced to forfeit playoff victories when it was discovered pitchers exceeded the maximum allowed pitches in a game.

Softball

Kelsey Luderer is all smiles after a fourth-inning home run helped propel Sherman Oaks Notre Dame to a 6-3 win over Anaheim Canyon in a Division 1 playoff opener.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame entered the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs as a 91-1 longshot. At least coach Justin Siegel was having fun about a 91-1 longshot winning the 1913 Kentucky Derby, The Knights won twice last week over Anaheim Canyon and Oaks Christian to advance to a tough Wednesday quarterfinal matchup against defending champion and No. 2-seeded Norco.

The big surprise was La Habra beating top-seeded Murrieta Mesa 6-4. And how about Orange Lutheran defeating Chino Hills 17-14.

Here are Saturday’s scores.

Here are the City Section playoff pairings.

Track

Corona Santiago senior Braelyn Combe won her third straight 1600 meter title at the Southern Section finals on Saturday, May 16, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

From Braelyn Combe of Corona Santiago breaking records in the girls’ 1,600 to Servite’s outstanding 4×100 relay team, there were lots of top performances at the Southern Section track and field championship.

JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame set a school and Division 3 record by clearing 7-1 in the high jump. There were top performances in the boys 100, 400 and girls distance races.

Here’s a report on the finals.

The Masters Meet, which involves qualifying for next week’s state championships, will be held Saturday at Moorpark High.

The City Section championships will be held Thursday at Birmingham. There’s been a considerable drop in top talent this season, but hurdler Jayden Rendon of Carson is one to watch in the 110 and 300 hurdles.

Lacrosse

Loyola won its second consecutive Division 1 boys lacrosse championship with a 14-6 win over Santa Margarita.

Here’s the report. Mira Costa upset top-seeded Santa Margarita to win the girls title.

Going on without Dad

Sophomore outfielder JJ Rodriguez of Birmingham is back playing after the death of his father, Anthony, last month.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Sophomore JJ Rodriguez of Birmingham lost his father last month and turned to his baseball family for assistance after the death. Here’s a look at how coaches and teammates came to his support.

Volleyball

Mira Costa’s Mateo Fuerbringer spikes the ball over Loyola’s JP Wardy and Xander Tangri in the first set of the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs on May 15, 2026.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

From start to finish, Mira Costa showed it was the best boys volleyball team in the Southern Section, winning the Division 1 championship over rival Loyola on Friday. Here’s the report.

Chatsworth defeated West Valley League rival Granada Hills to win the City Section Open Division title. Here’s the report.

Tennis

Harvard-Westlake won the Southern Section Division 1 tennis title on Friday.

(Harvard-Westlake)

Harvard-Westlake ended the four-year reign of Irvine University as Division 1 tennis champions with a 10-8 victory in the final. Here’s the report.

The state playoffs begin this week. Here’s the schedule.

Pride in her son

Kaden Tennyson (right), a Riverside Notre Dame shotputter, with his mother, Janet, who has been battling cancer.

(Tennyson family)

The mother of shotputter Kaden Tennyson from Riverside Notre Dame is so proud of her son that she wrote a letter detailing her pride while she dealt with cancer.

Here’s the family story.

Notes…

Santa Margarita’s boys’ swimming team has won the state championship….

Defensive back Gavin Williams of Damien has committed to USC…

Junior Kylee Yeh of Mira Costa has committed to Hawaii for women’s basketball. Senior teammate Jada Martin has committed to UC Merced….

Standout center Braiden McKenna from Los Alamitos has committed to UC Davis for football….

Former Norwalk, San Diego State and NFL running back Rashaad Penny is the new football coach at Long Beach Jordan….

Vince Peralta has resigned as softball coach at La Habra….

Junior water polo standout Liv Taub of Laguna Beach has committed to UC Santa Barbara….

St. John Bosco won its own passing tournament championship over Edison and Bishop Amat won the Charter Oak tournament over Tustin. San Juan Hills won at Dana Hills.

From the archives: Easton Hawk

Easton Hawk during his sophomore season pitching for Granada Hills

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Easton Hawk, a former Granada Hills pitcher, has become one of the key pieces to the rise of UCLA’s top-ranked baseball team this season.

Hawk has 14 saves and a 1.62 ERA in his second season serving as a closer. He did some relief pitching at Granada Hills but was primarily a starter. His ability to throw strikes with good velocity has made him an effective pitcher when a save opportunity is at hand. He hasn’t given up any earned run in his last 22 innings.

Here’s a story from 2023 of Hawk getting into shape for Granada Hills.

Recommendations

From SI.com, a story on a high school football coach in Texas is under investigation for alleged misconduct.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on how the mother of AB Hernandez is ready for any protests this spring.

From the Boston Globe, a story remembering the life of former Harvard-Westlake star Jason Collins.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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Year 3 in charge of St. John Bosco High’s offense is about to begin for quarterback Koa Malau’ulu, who will be a junior this fall.

St. John Bosco is hosting an eight-team seven-on-seven passing tournament on Saturday starting at 9:30 a.m. It’s one of three big passing tournaments this weekend, with Dana Hills and Long Beach Millikan also hosting tournaments.

Malau’ulu won’t have All-American receiver Madden Williams (now at Texas A&M), but class of 2028 receiver DJ Tubbs showed last year he’s ready to take on a leading role. Corona Centennial is also competing, which will mark the debut of Cathedral transfer Jaden Jefferson at quarterback.

Dana Hills has a 16-team tournament that includes Oxnard Pacifica, Laguna Beach and Crean Lutheran. Each of those schools returns big-time quarterbacks. Pool-play games begin at 8 a.m.

Games at Long Beach Millikan begin at 9 a.m.

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

There are lots of coaches in the Southern Section Division 1 baseball playoffs glad to see that Villa Park is in the Division 2 playoffs because of the Spartans’ strong pitching.

Villa Park, the No. 1 seed in Division 2, has a terrific one-two starting duo in junior Logan Hoppie (10-1, 1.28 ERA) and senior Jack McGuire (6-2, 1.62 ERA).

McGuire is 6 feet 5 and has 82 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings. He had a 16-strikeout performance this season. Hoppie has a two-hit shutout of Crestview League champion Cypress on his resume.

Villa Park finished the regular season at 19-8-1 under veteran coach Burt Call and in second place in league. If the Spartans can get some hitting help, the pitchers will handle the rest. Villa Park opens the playoffs on Thursday at home against Elsinore.

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

On Mother’s Day, let’s salute two single mothers who became the No. 1 fans for their sports-playing sons and stayed by their side through good and bad times.

Sylmar pitcher Matthew Torres has tried to make it through life without a father after his parents’ separation when he was 12.

“He’s not been to any high school games,” Torres said.

Enter his mother, Roxanne, who has raised four boys and one girl by multitasking and embracing sports activities. She intervened to help Matthew make it through tough times.

“Her bringing me to church and getting to know God has made me the man I am today,” the 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior said.

Torres became the No. 1 pitcher in the Valley Mission League this season with an 8-0 record while also hitting .488. He helped Sylmar win the league title and become the No. 1 seed for the City Section Division I playoffs.

He has a secret plan scheduled for Sunday to salute his mother. Who doesn’t like surprises?

At Carson High, All-City quarterback Chris Fields has a mother, Shere Fletcher, who could play or coach football the way she has dived headfirst into learning the sport to be at the side of her son.

There were once tough times as a family. Fields said the family was “impoverished.” Mom worked multiple jobs while also studying but sacrificed everything to make sure her son and daughter could have a bright future. She became a paralegal and never misses a practice or game. She should be called “Coach Fletcher” but prefers mom.

“I’ve been through everything with my mom,” Fields said.

Her Mother’s Day gift since the 49ers are her favorite team is a vintage Jerry Rice jersey and a trip to Santa Anita.

There are plenty of moms who’ve spent countless hours driving, feeding and motivating their sports-playing sons and daughters through highs and lows.

Happy Mother’s Day to all.

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

Get ready for the best high school boys’ volleyball action in the nation on Saturday when four powers face off in the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals.

First up is Huntington Beach hosting No. 1-seeded Mira Costa at 1 p.m. Then it’s Loyola hosting Redondo Union at 5 p.m.

All are capable of beating each other.

Teams are finally healthy, so there could be two five-game matches.

Mira Costa remains the team to beat with a 31-2 record and having the No. 1 college recruit from the class of 2027, Mateo Fuerbringer. Redondo Union owns one of those losses. Loyola is healthier than it’s ever been and has a five-game win over Redondo Union and a five-game loss to Mira Costa. Huntington Beach has two three-game losses to Mira Costa.

The championship match will be next weekend at Cerritos College, followed by the Southern California regional and state championships.

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