Prep talk: Officials appreciation week is important for high school sports
Rafael Bonilla has officiated NCAA soccer matches and MLS games. There he was on Wednesday night, selected to be the referee for the always intense…
Prep talk: New Garfield football coach Patrick Vargas has big plans
When Patrick Vargas was a 5-foot-4 starting quarterback for Garfield High in 2008, the Bulldogs stunned City Section power Birmingham 29-28 in their season opener.Now,…
Prep basketball roundup: Nikolas Khamenia ready for coming showdown
Mission League basketball has started with a series of lopsided games as Harvard-Westlake, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Sierra Canyon make it clear they have…
Prep Rally: Hopefully Birmingham and El Camino Real stay calm, on and off the soccer field
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. It’s the week of the City Section soccer Super Bowl. Rivals…
Prep basketball roundup: Anaheim Canyon ends Mira Costa’s 19-game winning streak
After 19 consecutive victories to start the high school basketball season, Mira Costa finally faced a team that proved to be better.Anaheim Canyon (16-4), led…
Prep talk: LaMelo Ball returns to town with the Hornets
When LaMelo Ball returns to Southern California, it’s always a homecoming of sorts for the former Chino Hills High standout, who has become one of…
Prep basketball roundup: Kaiden Bailey leads Santa Margarita past JSerra
Kaiden Bailey made a half-court shot at the end of the third quarter Friday night, capping a surge for Santa Margarita that resulted in a…
Prep talk: Cleveland is team to beat in City Section girls’ soccer
Cleveland’s girls’ soccer team has been to four consecutive City Section championship games, winning last season in overtime over El Camino Real.Now the Cavaliers (6-1-3)…
Prep Rally: The Intuit Dome is the place to be for high school basketball this week
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. There’s an exciting high school basketball event scheduled for Friday at…
Prep basketball roundup: Ontario Christian girls defeat Archbishop Mitty
Ontario Christian girls basketball avenged its only defeat Saturday, knocking off previously unbeaten San José Archbishop Mitty 61-44 at Carondelet High in Concord. Sophomore Kaleena…
Prep talk: Dwayne Polee gets treated like a legend in every gym
It was like running into Michael Jordan sitting in a gym. That’s how much respect Dwayne Polee commands when spotted in a Los Angeles gym.…
Prep talk: Dan Maye, Tom Dill showing longevity as baseball coaches
During a winter baseball game, Dan Maye of Royal and Tom Dill of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame started talking and reminiscing. They first met when…
Prep talk: Birmingham soccer receives boost from Carlos Esnal
Birmingham’s boys’ soccer team has stamped itself as perhaps the No. 1 team in Southern California after winning the Nike SoCal tournament championship with a…
Prep talk: Verbum Dei turns to Gary Parks to re-start football program
Gary Parks, a 1991 Verbum Dei graduate, knows the challenges ahead after accepting the job as head football coach at his alma mater.“Verbum Dei is…
Prep basketball: Mira Costa wins 16th straight to stay unbeaten
So far, so good for Mira Costa’s unbeaten basketball team. The Mustangs got their 16th consecutive victory Saturday with an 82-29 victory over Agoura to…
Prep basketball: La Mirada is building resume for Open Division playoffs
La Mirada’s seasonlong goal has been to make itself a Southern Section Open Division playoff team, and the Matadores (12-2) keep building their resume to…
Prep basketball roundup: Jason Crowe Jr. scores 55 for Inglewood
The matchup on Thursday in an opening game of the Classic at Damien drew lots of media and fan attention. It featured two high-scoring guards…
Prep Rally: It’s award season for high school football’s stars
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. It’s awards time in high school football. The Times’ all-star football…
Prep basketball: Eastvale Roosevelt wins Tarkanian Classic
Don’t doubt the Eastvale Roosevelt Mustangs this basketball season. Runner-up to Harvard-Westlake last season in the Southern Section Open Division final, the Mustangs return most…
Prep basketball: Sherman Oaks Notre Dame reaches Tarkanian Classic title game
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame is loving late-night basketball in Las Vegas. The unbeaten Knights (12-0) advanced to the Platinum Division championship game of the Tarkanian…