school

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

AMIT 69, MSAR 45

El Camino Real 68, Monroe 24

Foshay 82, Larchmont Charter 71

LA Hamilton 84, Bell 32

LA Roosevelt 61, Wilmington Banning 46

LA Wilson 81, View Park 75

Harbor Teacher 53, Rise Kohyang 25

MSCP 82, New West Charter 41

Roybal 68, Santee 54

San Pedro 59, Los Angeles 42

Sun Valley Magnet 56, Lake Balboa College 44

Sylmar 72, Canoga Park 59

Triumph Charter 65, Lincoln 59

USC Hybrid 49, Brio College Prep 24

SOUTHERN SECTION

ACE 54, Lucerne Valley 35

Adelanto 57, Carter 52

Alta Loma 64, Workman 17

Arrowhead Christian 70, Canyon Springs 32

Ayala 49, Glendora 46

Beaumont 76, San Jacinto 36

Brentwood 69, Concord De La Salle 49

California 79, Ocean View 55

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 58, Norwalk 43

Chaffey 58, Miller 22

Chaparral 63, Paloma Valley 45

Corona 70, Buena Park 39

Crespi 77, Rancho Cucamonga 57

Diamond Bar 64, Bonita 62

Don Lugo 56, Covina 44

Dos Pueblos 62, Arroyo Grande 51

Downey 58< Bellflower 35

El Modena 58, Orange 26

Elsinore 82, Temecula Valley 69

Estancia 80, Compton Early College 20

Fairmont Prep 52, Oak Hills 47

Fillmore 64, Nordhoff 32

Foothill Tech 67, Carpinteria 50

Fountain Valley 77, Costa Mesa 43

Godinez 47, Garden Grove Pacifica 39

Great Oak 68, Bishop Amat 63

Kaiser 45, Jurupa Valley 26

Laguna Blanca 59, Downey Calvary Chapel 21

La Habra 47, La Serna 45

Lakeview Leadership 54, Victor Valley Christian 35

Linfield Christian 62, Woodcrest Christian 55

Maricopa 67, Cuyama Valley 15

Millikan 115, Calvary Baptist 56

Montclair 73, Bell Gardens 64

Norte Vista 99, Riverside North 45

Oak Park 48, Simi Valley 46

Oaks Christian 70, Shadow Ridge 55

Orange Lutheran 91, Brea Olinda 39

Oxford Academy 76, Westminster La Quinta 57

Palm Springs 77, Yucaipa 55

Patriot 36, Rim of the World 27

Pioneer 58, Magnolia 34

Portola 60, Troy 54

Rialto 68, Serrano 35

Riverside Notre Dame 74, Bloomington 52

Riverside Prep 67, Hesperia Christian 26

Rubidoux 55, Edgewood 54

Santa Fe 42, Cerritos Valley Christian 41

Santa Ynez 69, Channel Islands 39

Segerstrom 51, Saddleback 34

South Pasadena 85, Hillcrest Christian 39

St. Monica 59, Camarillo 51

Tehachapi 63, Lancaster 58

Temescal Canyon 57, Lakeside 56

University Prep 65, AAE 56

Valley Christian Academy 66, Santa Clarita Christian 62

Village Christian 90, Liberty 48

Yorba Linda 60, Whittier Christian 54

YULA 71, Faith Baptist 56

INTERSECTIONAL

Bishop Montgomery 72, Fresno Bullard 46

Clovis North 69, Maranatha 46

Corona Santiago, Vancouver (Canada) St. George’s 44

Fairfax 65, Oakwood 51

Highland (Colo.) Lone Peak 58, Eastvale Roosevelt 41

JSerra 88, South Jordan (Utah) Bingham 60

Kipp Atlanta Collegiate (Ga.) 68, Narbonne 39

Knight 70, Henderson (Nev.) Basic 47

Las Vegas (Nev.) Desert Oasis 59, Dominguez 48

Las Vegas (Nev.) Faith Lutheran 71, St. Paul 57

Marina 64, Montgomery (Ala) Trinity Presbyterian 61

Mater Dei 87, Coeur D’Alene (Idaho) 61

Palisades 61, Miami Mater Lakes Academy 58

Redondo Union 65, Aurora (Colo.) Rangeview 60

San Gabriel Academy 82, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Canarsie 58

Santa Margarita 59, Basha (Ariz.) 58

Saugus 78, Arleta 56

Schurr 74, Aurora (Colo.) Vista PEAK Prep 72

St. Genevieve 49, Sun Valley Poly 38

The Villages Charter (Fla.) 65, St. John Bosco 59

Warren 83, Las Vegas Rancho 58

Washington Prep 85, Silverado 32

West Torrance 81, Las Vegas Cimarron-Memorial 76

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Crenshaw 76, Fremont 17

New West Charter 48, MSCP 14

Sun Valley Magnet 37, Lake Balboa College 13

USC Hybrid 19, Brio College Prep 16

Westchester 53, Washington Prep 49

SOUTHERN SECTION

Beckman 51, Summit 42

Burbank Providence 39, Mayfield 22

Canyon Springs 59, Magnolia 12

Cerritos Valley Christian 56, Oxford Academy 32

Citrus Valley 59, Orange Vista 43

El Rancho 56, Rosemead 32

Fullerton 48, Workman 19

Gabrielino 42, Temple City 33

Godinez 57, Tesoro 39

Harvard-Westlake 44, Bishop Montgomery 23

JSerra 66, Dos Pueblos 57

La Salle 50, Holy Martyrs Armenian 25

Oak Park 100, Simi Valley 13

Palmdale 37, Palmdale Academy Charter 14

Santa Monica 37, Notre Dame Academy 21

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 52, Spring Valley 17

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 70, Marina 19

Sonora 70, Huntington Beach 57

Springville (UT) 58, Campbell Hall 53

University Prep 63, AAE 25

Victor Valley Christian 48, Lakeview Leadership 8

Western Christian 59, Garden Grove 21

Woodbridge 54, Samueli Academy 30

INTERSECTIONAL

Granada Hills Kennedy 61, San Fernando 26

King/Drew 101, Dorsey 12

North Hollywood 55, Calabasas 49

Venice 51, Culver City 46

The Visalia Unified School District’s public board meeting in March was a festive and upbeat affair with a performance by a student chamber music group and a commendation for a high school cheer squad.

When the seven-member board went into closed session, the agenda was decidedly grimmer: Six former students were suing the district over sexual abuse they said they suffered decades earlier at the hands of a kindergarten teacher.

Out of public view, the board unanimously approved a $3-million settlement with provisions intended to keep the community in the dark forever.

Under the terms of the agreement, the women, their lawyers and families were prohibited from disclosing any aspect of the deal, including the amount they were paid.

“The Parties agree that they will respond to any inquiries they may receive from any third parties regarding the lawsuit by stating only that ‘the matter has been resolved’ without any further elaboration, discussion or disclosure,” the settlement instructed.

It was Visalia’s fifth secret settlement in the last three years, one of a flurry that districts are quietly approving statewide.

A Times investigation found that California’s public schools, faced with a historic surge of sex abuse lawsuits, are increasingly using nondisclosure agreements and other tactics that celebrities and big corporations rely upon to protect their reputation.

At least 25 districts have resolved suits or other claims in ways that hinder taxpayers from learning about the allegations, the cost of settling them or both, The Times found. These hidden settlements total more than $53 million. Legal experts say that these settlements may be in violation of state law, and that some should be investigated by the state attorney general.

While shielding the names and identifying details of sex abuse victims is widely accepted, courts have repeatedly said the public has a right to know allegations leveled against government employees and the money spent to compensate accusers.

Lawmakers in California have also largely banned the use of confidentiality provisions for settlements involving sexual assault and harassment, on the belief that transparency helps victims heal and leads to public accountability.

“There’s very significant problems with government agencies acting like private companies and requesting or insisting on these kinds of nondisclosure or non-disparagement clauses in settlement agreements,” said David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, based in San Rafael. “Because at the end of the day, the government works for the people and the people have a very compelling interest in knowing about claims and allegations of misconduct.”

California’s school districts are now grappling with a deluge of sex abuse cases resulting from a 2019 law that changed the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse and created a new window — from 2020 to 2022 — in which anyone could file a lawsuit for past alleged abuse.

The Times identified more than 1,000 lawsuits against school districts filed since 2020, with more than 750 filed due to the new law. Some lawsuits allege abuse as far back as the 1950s. Most cases are still making their way through the courts, but more than 330 have settled for roughly $700 million, with $435 million paid out for claims related to the new law. The state projects that local education agencies will ultimately pay out between $2 billion and $3 billion once cases work through the court system. Much of this is taking place outside the public eye.

In Visalia, confidentiality clauses negotiated by district lawyers acknowledged the public’s right to obtain the information — and then attempted to make sure they never would. Four agreements specifically barred former students receiving secret payouts from “directly or indirectly” encouraging others to file a request under the state Public Records Act — the method The Times used to review copies of agreements referenced in this story.

A spokesperson for Visalia Unified declined an interview request, and the school district did not answer written questions.

Anaheim Union High School District paid three men, who said they had been abused by a junior high teacher, $3.3 million in 2023.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Several districts attempted to prevent allegations from becoming public by paying off accusers before they filed lawsuits that would have detailed the claims of sex abuse for anyone to see.

Anaheim Union High School District paid a trio of men who said they had been abused by a junior high teacher $3.3 million in 2023 after their attorney sent the district a draft of a lawsuit he said he was prepared to file in Superior Court.

The terms of the payout two years ago required that the men and their lawyers “not seek publicity relating to the facts and circumstances giving rise” to their claims, and indeed, the settlements have not been previously reported.

John Bautista, a spokesperson for Anaheim Union, said in a statement that the district and its insurer settled the draft lawsuits after going through discovery in a related case and “did not want to incur additional expenses of filing a lawsuit.”

“Nothing in the agreement would prevent the claimant/plaintiff from speaking with the press concerning the facts of the case if the press contacted [them],” Bautista said.

At least one district paid an accuser before anything was put in writing, records show. Victor Elementary School District in the High Desert negotiated a $350,000 settlement with one former student after his lawyer relayed abuse allegations in a phone call. Asked by The Times for a document describing the claimed misconduct, a district official said no such records existed.

Some districts suggest the confidentiality restrictions are needed to avoid a “snowball effect” of further litigation.

San Diego Unified, hit by more than a dozen lawsuits over alleged sex abuse since 2020, has settled four for a total of $2.44 million, each with a confidentiality clause that, at a minimum, prevents the accuser or her lawyer from disclosing the settlement amount. One of the settlements blocks the accuser from discussing the matter with anyone except her lawyer or financial advisor or in response to a subpoena.

San Diego officials acknowledged that confidentiality is ultimately limited — the documents can be disclosed via public records requests — but the district proceeded with pursuing restrictions on the accusers and their representatives.

“The purpose is to keep plaintiffs’ lawyers from using these settlements as marketing tools,” said James Canning, a spokesman for San Diego Unified.

Former state Sen. Connie Leyva, seen here while in the Legislature in 2019, said she was taken aback by school districts using confidentiality provisions. “That sounds illegal,” Leyva said.

(Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

Efforts to curb the use of secret settlements gained momentum in the 1980s, with growing public awareness of how confidentiality agreements had kept the public in the dark about environmental or health hazards, such as asbestos.

In 2016, California prohibited settlement agreements that block the disclosure of factual information about sexual abuse or any sex offense that could be prosecuted as a felony.

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, lawmakers in 2018 passed the STAND Act, which prohibits nondisclosure agreements in sexual harassment, discrimination and other sexual assault cases that don’t rise to felony prosecution. Three years later, the Silenced No More Act widened the prohibition on nondisclosure agreements to include any harassment case. The law still gives victims the option to protect their identity.

The lead sponsor of both bills, former state Sen. Connie Leyva, said she was taken aback by school districts using confidentiality provisions.

“That sounds illegal,” said Leyva, now the executive director of public radio and TV station KVCR. “We did not speak specifically about children or about schools, but it shouldn’t be happening.” She added, “Our bill was meant to apply to everyone everywhere.”

Several settlement agreements obtained by The Times included caveats by stating they were “confidential to the extent allowed by law,” or contained similar carve-outs. Experts said such provisos still have the effect of muzzling a victim’s speech and hindering public accountability.

“While it’s possible that these work-arounds don’t violate the letter of the STAND Act, they certainly violate its spirit,” said Nora Freeman Engstrom, a professor at Stanford Law School, who co-authored a study on the effect of the STAND Act in L.A. courts.

Southern Kern Unified School District agreed to pay $600,000 to a former student who alleged sex abuse and included an acknowledgment of the STAND Act in the agreement. Still, the settlement bars the former student, Corey Neufer, from “actively” publicizing the deal.

Reached by phone, Neufer said that although he deliberately chose to sue under his own name, rather than as John Doe, he was told that the confidentiality provision was standard and necessary for the final settlement.

“That was one of the stipulations — that I don’t speak about it or give any details,” said Neufer, who indicated the confidentiality was far broader than the text of his settlement suggests. “My lawyer instructed me to not talk about the case.”

The STAND Act allows for plaintiffs or claimants to put language in a settlement agreement that shields their identity and disclosure of any facts that could lead to their identity. However, if a public official or government agency — such as a school district — is part of the settlement, that language cannot be included.

Of the dozens of settlements reviewed by The Times, two specifically noted that the accuser wanted confidentiality to shield their identity.

Several had restrictions that appeared to exceed the STAND Act, such as a 2024 settlement for $787,500 paid by Ceres Unified to a custodian who said she was sexually harassed by a colleague. The signed agreement states that the settlement, its terms and any belief that the district or its employees engaged in unlawful behavior were all confidential. If asked, the custodian could only say, “The matter has been resolved.”

David Viss, an assistant superintendent at Ceres Unified, said in an email that the agreement complied with the law: “We believe the settlement agreement is consistent with the STAND Act.”

The overwhelming majority of sex abuse cases filed against school districts reach a settlement. For districts, a settlement can be more cost-effective than mounting a legal defense through a jury trial, and unlike a panel of jurors, a settlement provides a level of fiscal certainty. At times, the decision to settle is driven less by school board members than an insurance company or liability coverage provider.

John Manly, whose law firm specializes in childhood sex abuse, said school districts and their insurance providers frequently ask for confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses when negotiating a payout.

Lawyer John Manly, seen at his law offices in Irvine in 2023, has represented sex abuse survivors for more than 20 years. He says that confidentiality agreements “benefit one person, which is the perpetrator, and those who enable them.”

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“We get these requests all the time, and we decline,” Manly said. “Confidentiality agreements benefit one person, which is the perpetrator, and those who enable them.”

At Los Angeles Unified School District, scores of people accused former San Fernando High School wrestling coach Terry Gillard of abuse. In 2022, LAUSD agreed to pay 23 accusers a total of $52 million to settle molestation and abuse claims — a settlement negotiated by Manly’s law firm.

A year later, LAUSD agreed to pay three other women who alleged abuse by Gillard a total of $7.5 million.

Although those represented by Manly’s team did not have a confidentiality or non-disparagement agreement in their settlement, LAUSD sought an extensive confidentiality agreement for the payout to the three other women, curtailing discussion of the settlement and underlying abuse claims.

That settlement barred their lawyer from making any sort of statement — or encouraging others to make a statement — about the compensation deal, and barred comments that could “defame, disparage or in any way criticize” LAUSD, its employees and leaders.

Only the women, their lawyer, “immediate family” and “tax professional” could know about the settlement, according to the agreement.

“If asked about the status of this dispute, plaintiffs counsel may only state, ‘they have voluntarily and fully resolved their claims against the Los Angeles Unified School District,’ or words to that effect,” declares the settlement agreement.

The lawyer for the women, Anthony DeMarco, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Manly said the State Bar of California should investigate lawyers on both sides who agree to language that they know conflicts with state law. And he called on Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to investigate school districts that continue to lock victims into such restrictive agreements.

“It’s wrong. It’s bad for the community and it’s bad for the victim. The lawyers that do it — defense and plaintiff — should be ashamed of themselves.”

L.A. Unified, which has added confidentiality provisions in at least seven settlements since 2020, defended its practices as a way to amicably resolve litigation, according to a statement from a spokesperson.

“These settlement agreements keep the settlement details, such as the amount, confidential. They do not prohibit the disclosure of the facts behind the claims,” the LAUSD spokesperson said.

Some legal experts want Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to investigate school districts that continue to lock victims into restrictive nondisclosure agreements.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

While several districts use secrecy provisions in settlement agreements to hide the details of sex abuse cases, others, like Visalia Unified, also are able to keep payouts quiet by approving them in closed session at regular school board meetings.

In 2021, the president of the board of Wasco Union High School District received a letter from a lawyer based in Iowa who represented a former Wasco student. The lawyer said his client had been sexually abused nearly a decade earlier by her former coach and teacher, and accused her then-principal, Kevin Tallon, among others, of not taking appropriate steps when confronted with evidence of abuse.

Tallon, now Wasco’s superintendent, was named as a defendant in the draft lawsuit, and the lawyer included a copy. He gave the district 14 business days to respond.

“If I do not hear back from you, I will proceed with the lawsuit,” wrote the lawyer, Thomas Burke.

The letter touched off a negotiation that culminated at the Wasco school board’s final meeting of 2021. The meeting’s agenda for the closed session was circumspect: “Conference with Legal Counsel — Settlement Agreement.” But behind closed doors, the board voted 5 to 0 to approve a settlement, according to meeting minutes, ensuring that there would probably never be a public airing of the allegations against the teacher or superintendent. The meeting minutes reflect only that a settlement was approved — not the amount or nature of the abuse accusations. The district paid $475,000 in the settlement, a sum that The Times obtained via records request.

Tallon, the superintendent who was named in the draft lawsuit, declined an interview but provided written responses to questions. He said the district and its staff “fulfilled its duties diligently and with integrity,” and said the settlement was approved in a way that adhered to the Brown Act, the state’s open meeting law.

“The settlement was not intended to conceal allegations; it was meant to responsibly limit risk and bring closure to a sensitive situation,” Tallon said in the statement.

Legal experts agreed that Wasco’s school board complied with the Brown Act — thereby exposing that law’s limits and potential loopholes. Since the threat of litigation did not result in a filed case or formal claim, the board could treat it as “anticipated litigation” and discuss it in closed session, away from the public. And since settlement offers — like any contract negotiation — are not final until agreed upon, they too can be approved in closed session, away from the public.

Loy, the legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, said the Brown Act could be amended to proactively require public agencies to ultimately disclose the details and amounts of settlements. School districts, he added, could also opt to be more open, without being compelled to by state lawmakers.

“Agencies owe a duty to the public to be more proactive and more transparent, even than the bare minimum letter of the law might allow them to get away with,” Loy said.

The lack of transparency also coincides with a crisis in local news, which has resulted in far less coverage of city halls, courthouses and school boards from the Imperial Valley to the shores of Eureka.

At one time, newspapers big and small had reporters at school board meetings who probably would have noticed settlements on the agenda and submitted records requests to reveal them.

With local media absent, agencies have quietly approved settlements in closed session, with no watchdog to suss out the underlying facts.

“Diligent people or reporters know to do that: Please give me copies of every settlement approved this week or this month,” said Loy, the First Amendment Coalition’s legal director. “But that requires an extra step.”

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
THURSDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS
CITY SECTION
AHSA 53, Neuwirth Leadership 35
Alliance Levine 43, Alliance Bloomfield 32
Bernstein 74, Arleta 46
Bravo 62, LA Marshall 61
Downtown 80, Animo Bunche 21
LA Hamilton 64, LA University 55
LA Wilson 77, Franklin 61
Manual Arts 48, Diego Rivera 47
Panorama 76, Reseda 23
San Fernando 69, Canoga Park 57
Sylmar 74, Van Nuys 58
Torres 68, Umiversity Prep Value 53
West Adams 66, Santee 53
Westchester 52, Venice 47
WISH Academy 74, Gertz-Ressler 25
USC-MAE 39, Annenberg 34

SOUTHERN SECTION
AAE 68, NSLA 30
Animo Leadership 76, Compton Early College 36
Banning 73, Twentynine Palms 66
Bishop Diego 82, Orcutt Academy 37
Burbank 67, Muir 47
Burbank Burroughs 61, Hoover 56
Calvary Baptist 70, Crossroads Christian 25
Carter 56, Kaiser 54
Cerritos Valley Christian 70, Paramount 64
Chaminade 75, Santa Monica 57
Citrus Hill 67, Paloma Valley 55
Desert Christian Academy 38, San Jacinto Leadership 34
El Dorado 92, Placentia Valencia 84
Elsinore 82, West Valley 35
Esperanza 59, Yorba Linda 47
Flintridge Prep 83, Rio Hondo Prep 60
Fullerton 52, Sunny Hills 45
Gahr 74, Cerritos 46
Gardena Serra 77, Firebaugh 65
Garden Grove 47, Oxford Academy 44
Garden Grove Pacifica 49, Western 28
Indian Springs 62, Beaumont 42
Jurupa Hills 88, Grand Terrace 40
Legacy Christian Academy 77, Norco 38
Long Beach Cabrillo 72, Compton 63
Los Altos 80, Hacienda Heights Wilson 61
Mayfair 74, Long Beach Jordan 72
Millikan 73, Long Beach Wilson 62
Palmdale Aerospace Academy 84, Lancaster Baptist 35
Palm Springs 71, La Quinta 22
Quartz Hill 77, Palmdale 62
Redlands East Valley 89, Indio 36
Rubidoux 61, Nogales 31
Santa Barbara 59, San Marcos 50
Segerstrom 60, Westminster La Quinta 53
Shadow Hills 47, Xavier Prep 19
Silverado 54, Hesperia 47
South Hills 61, Keppel 48
St. Monica Academy 66, Mesrobian 42
Tahquitz 67, San Jacinto 41
Temecula Prep 68, San Jacinto Valley Academy 31
Thousand Oaks 54, Oxnard 34
United Christian Academy 46, Anza Hamilton 42
Upland 58, Western Christian 33
Vasquez 79, Santa Clarita Christian 37
Webb 59, Bassett 32

INTERSECTIONAL
Austin (TX) Prep Academy 70, SoCal Academy 69
Beverly Hills 55, Rancho Dominguez 42
Brentwood 60, Punahou (HI) 58
Clovis East 53, King/Drew 42
Crenshaw 52, Capistrano Valley 51
Harvard-Westlake 84, Lexington Catholic (KY) 37
Heritage Christian 71, ANTHS (AZ) 21
Palos Verdes 63, San Pedro 61

GIRLS
CITY SECTION
Animo Bunche 31, Downtown Magnets 5
Diego Rivera 40, Manual Arts 22
Eagle Rock 49, Lincoln 27
Fulton 21, East Valley 14
Gertz-Ressler 46, WISH Academy 17
LA Wilson 39, Franklin 26
Northridge Academy 65, Vaughn 16
Palisades 69, LACES 45
Panorama 42, Reseda 36
San Pedro 79, Legacy 6
Santee 46, West Adams 32
Smidt Tech 33, Animo De La Hoya 10
Torres 38, University Prep Value 19
USC-MAE 48, Annenberg 31
Westchester 59, Venice 48

SOUTHERN SECTION
AAE 56, NSLA 14
Apple Valley 61, Granite Hills 19
Bolsa Grande 31, Garden Grove 29
Burbank Providence 39, Le Lycée 15
California Military Institute 50, Nuview Bridge 25
Chaffey 36, Tustin 31
Coachella Valley 61, Desert Mirage 6
Compton 59, Long Beach Cabrillo 11
Crescenta Valley 64, Glendale 39
Flintridge Prep 54, Keppel 36
Godinez 47, Corona del Mar 45
Hacienda Heights Wilson 61, Los Altos 56
Holy Martyrs Armenian 61, Milken 44
Indian Springs 55, Bloomington 15
Laguna Blanca 24, Santa Clara 17
La Habra 51, Irvine 43
Long Beach Jordan 67, Irvine University 14
Long Beach Wilson 38, Millikan 19
Norwalk 49, Western 25
Oxnard Pacifica 47, Foothill Tech 45
Pioneer 49, Maranatha 42
Redlands 38, Indio 19
Riverside King 50, Warren 35
Riverside Notre Dame 28, Colton 19
Sage Hill 57, Marlborough 35
Santa Margarita 62, Xavier College Prep 53
Savanna 44, La Palma Kennedy 39
Segerstrom 51, Cerritos Valley Christian 45
Shadow Hills 57, Xavier Prep 39
South El Monte 57, Pomona Catholic 4
Southlands Christian 50, Legacy College Prep 11
South Torrance 43, Queen Creek (AZ) Casteel 40
Twentynine Palms 24, Banning 10
West Covina 71, Edgewood 21
Woodbridge 42, Westminster La Quinta 26

INTERSECTIONAL
Bartlett (TN) 59, Mater Dei 56
Clovis 66, Moreno Valley 45
Lakewood St. Joseph 66, Gilbert (AZ) Highland 30
Long Island Lutheran (NY) 61, Fairmont Prep
Rolling Hills Prep 62, Denver (CO) Mullen 28
St. Anthony 62, Chandler Hamilton (AZ) 49
Villa Park 72, Scottsdale (AZ) Notre Dame Prep 56
Waddell (AZ) Canyon View 42, Lynwood 31

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS
CITY SECTION
AMIT 59, Sun Valley Magnet 38
Bernstein 71, Contreras 26
Crenshaw 55, King/Drew 39
Fulton 50, Vaughn 48
Hollywood 104, Belmont 10
LA Hamilton 71, Downtown Magnets 69
MSAR 67, Valor Academy 56
MSCP 84, Larchmont Charter 25
Northridge Academy 59, VAAS 12
Orthopaedic 69, Animo Bunche 34
RFK Community 73, Jefferson 70
Royal 54, Mendez 52
View Park 55, Bell 48
Wilmington Banning 62, Elizabeth 26

SOUTHERN SECTION
Arroyo 54, South El Monte 50
Chadwick 91, Paramount 63
Damien 66, Aquinas 41
Downey 57, Workman 22
Edgewood 52, West Covina 43
Flintridge Prep 80, ISLA 15
Gabrielino 91, Mountain View 46
Garden Grove 58, Irvine University 56
Hemet 56, Valley View 55
Highland 68, Lancaster 34
Hillcrest 57, Orange Vista 56
Indian Springs 64, Citrus Valley 55
Laguna Beach 70, Costa Mesa 46
Lakeside 54, Canyon Springs 50
La Palma 69, Westminster 18
Maricopa 47, Laton 17
Moreno Valley 52, Arlington 42
North Torrance 75, Bellflower 30
Pasadena Marshal 75, El Monte 51
Peninsula 65, Redondo Union 63
Perris 63, Riverside North 62
Pilgrim 71, Westmark 39
Public Safety Academy 51, River Springs Charter 44
Quartz Hill 76, Antelope Valley 44
Redondo Union 76, Peninsula 18
Riverside King 61, Chaparral 55
Riverside Poly 54, Liberty 43
Samueli Academy 49, Bolsa Grande 48
San Fernando Academy 71, Summit View 19
Segerstrom 66, Loara 38
Sierra Vista 62, Covina 58
Temple City 51, El Rancho 46
Thousand Oaks 65, Shalhevet 38
Torrance 76, El Segundo 37
Vista del Lago 57, Heritage 51

INTERSECTIONAL
Dorsey 60, Lawndale 55
Grace 68, Panorama 34
LA Roosevelt 42, Alhambra 39
San Gabriel 50, Maywood CES 23
Westchester 48, Compton Centennial 36

GIRLS
CITY SECTION
AMIT 25, Sun Valley Magnet 20
Bernstein 56, Contreras 13
Cleveland 64, North Hollywood 24
Hollywood 63, Belmont 13
King/Drew 60, Crenshaw 12
Larchmont Charter 36, MSCP 33
MSAR 42, Valor Academy 29
Orthopaedic 28, Animo Bunche 5
Rancho Dominguez 31, Elizabeth 20
South East 51, Lakeview Charter 23
Washington 65, Fremont 10

SOUTHERN SECTION
Agoura 65, Simi Valley 38
Buena Park 78, Westminster 29
Citrus Valley 43, Indio 24
Covina 56, Garey 25
CSDR 71, Victor Valley 33
El Modena 37, Edison 29
Flintridge Prep 85, Westridge 9
Gabrielino 81, Mountain View 4
Hemet 51, Valley View 24
Jurupa Valley 29, Indian Springs 20
Knight 81, Littlerock 8
Lancaster 60, Highland 40
Laton 29, Maricopa 8
Liberty 59, Citrus Hill 28
Los Altos 59, Anaheim 42
Los Amigos 39, Saddleback 19
Mira Costa 54, West Torrance 50
Newbury Park 53, Oxnard Pacifica 34
Oxnard 50, Santa Paula 42
Quartz Hill 57, Antelope Valley 18
Rancho Verde 46, Perris 19
Ramona 56, Gahr 29
Rancho Christian 100, Heritage 41
Riverside North 47, Vista del Lago 34
Riverside King 63, Xaxier Prep 38
Riverside Poly 73, Paloma Valley 38
River Springs Charter 35, Public Safety Academy 15
San Gabriel 46, Edgewood 26
San Gabriel Academy 63, Compton Centennial 62
Savanna 52, Costa Mesa 38
South El Monte 24, Arroyo 21
Thousand Oaks 69, Shalhevet 39
Torrance 74, El Segundo 36
Upland 44, Rosemead 27
Woodbridge 48, Century 6
Yorba Linda 64, Placentia Valencia 44

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
TUESDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS
CITY SECTION
Downtown Magnets 103, Aspire Ollin 12
Sotomayor 67, Maywood CES 28
Stern 35, Rise Kohyang 33
Triumph Charter 68, LA Wilson 51
University Prep Value 66, Animo Venice 52
WISH Academy 79, Alliance Ted Tajima 16

SOUTHERN SECTION
AGBU 63, Newbury Park 51
Arcadia 82, Glendale 34
Baldwin Park 57, Pomona 23
Banning 90, Bethel Christian 26
Big Bear 89, University Prep 45
Calvary Baptist 58, Diamond Bar 57
Chino Hills 78, CSDR 31
Citrus Hill 76, San Gorgonio 30
Corona 58, Granite Hills 17
Crescenta Valley 73, Burbank Burroughs 43
Desert Chapel 69, Weaver 34
Desert Christian Academy 56, Nuview Bridge 19
Eastvale Roosevelt 53, Hesperia 52
Eisenhower 67, Bloomington 52
El Rancho 55, Sierra Vista 52
Elsinore 72, Tahquitz 36
Estancia 68, Lynwood 30
Entrepreneur 72, Crossroads Christian 41
Harvard-Westlake 86, Punahou 42
Hesperia Christian 59, AAE 39
La Palma Kennedy 41, Norwalk 34
Loara 67, Katella 41
Long Beach Cabrillo 74, Lakewood 55
Long Beach Wilson 75, Compton 64
NSLA 52, Cornerstone Christian 33
Oxford Academy 66, CAMS 42
Public Safety 54, Grove School 41
Rancho Alamitos 58, Century 28
Redlands 52, Sultana 51
Rio Hondo Prep 68, United Christian Academy 24
Riverside Notre Dame 55, Kaiser 50
San Bernardino 94, Norco 80
Shadow Hills 60, Yucaipa 52
Summit Leadership Academy 71, PAL Academy 9
Temecula Prep 77, San Jacinto Leadership Academy 43
Temescal Canyon 68, West Valley 52
Tesoro 57, Aliso Niguel 53
Valley Christian Academy 57, San Luis Obispo Classical 27
Viewpoint 74, Firebaugh 39
Villa Park 60, Brea Olinda 49
Webb 64, Santa Ana Valley 36
Western 61, El Modena 34
Westminster La Quinta 53, Santa Ana 39
YULA 61, San Diego Jewish Academy 26

INTERSECTIONAL
Brawley 66, Indio 46
Cathedral 60, Bravo 49
Los Alamitos 73, Torrey Pines 53
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 53, Huntington Park 30
St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 65, LA Marshall 59
USC Hybrid 63, Legacy College Prep 13

GIRLS
CITY SECTION
Aspire Ollin 57, Downtown Magnets 12
Lakeview Charter 70, Valor Academy 10
Stern 34, Rise Kohyang 6
Washington 34, Crenshaw 33

SOUTHERN SECTION
Bolsa Grande 21, Capistrano Valley 26
Buena 62, Santa Barbara 20
California Military Institute 29, Santa Rosa Academy 12
Carter 65, Sultana 39
Cate 43, Laguna Blanca 29
Coastal Christian 45, Santa Maria 32
Colton 41, Arroyo Valley 26
Crescenta Valley 55, Burbank Burroughs 47
CSDR 45, Norte Vista 21
Desert Christian Academy 89, Nuview Bridge 23
El Dorado 63, Placentia Valencia 20
El Rancho 40, Diamond Ranch 33
Elsinore 34, Tahquitz 20
Foothill Tech 37, Thacher 22
Garden Grove 46, Orange 32
Grove School 30, Public Safety 14
Harvard-Westlake 48, Campbell Hall 37
Hesperia Christian 51, AAE 21
Hillcrest 53, La Sierra 8
Kaiser 52, Pomona 0
Laguna Beach 52, Dana Hills 33
Long Beach Wilson 70, Compton 32
Lucerne Valley 44, Lakeview Leadership Academy 7
Marlborough 65, Alemany 43
Mayfair 34, Chadwick 32
Monrovia 36, Mayfield 20
North Torrance 59, Palos Verdes 57
Oak Hills 58, Beaumont 32
OCCA 31, Liberty Christian 16
Oxford Academy 50, Western 34
Oxnard 46, San Marcos 30
Redlands 61, Jurupa Hills 39
Rialto 86, Apple Valley 27
Ridgecrest Burroughs 68, Barstow 38
Santa Ana Valley 64, Glenn 6
Shadow Hills 55, Palm Springs 14
Silver Valley 45, Riverside Prep 22
Temecula Prep 45, San Jacinto Leadership Academy 43
Temescal Canyon 85, West Valley 17
University Prep 47, Big Bear 31
Viewpoint 60, Agoura 45
Vistamar 33, Wildwood 14
YULA 51, Milken 50

INTERSECTIONAL
Birmingham 55, Heritage Christian 44
Desert Mirage 46, Borrego Springs 19
SEED: LA 44, Animo Leadership 7
Sun Valley Poly 65, Westridge 9
USC Hybrid 45, Legacy College Prep 4
Whittier 52, Garfield 46

MONDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

AMIT 43, Valley Oaks CES 25

Arleta 70, Monroe 59

Bell 52, South East 34

Bravo 83, View Park 82

CALS Early College 36, Magnolia Science Academy 20

Contreras 86, Belmont 15

Downtown Magnets 65, Lincoln 61

East College Prep 51, Brio College Prep 38

East Valley 46, Van Nuys 31

Fulton 63, Lakeview Charter 20

Garfield 48, South Gate 34

Granada Hills Kennedy 68, Reseda 23

LA Roosevelt 60, Legacy 47

Locke 59, Animo Watts 56

Orthopaedic 69, Annenberg 44

RFK Community 58, Mendez 49

Sun Valley Poly73, North Hollywood 58

Triumph Charter 69, LA Marshall 59

Vaughn 73, Panorama 58

SOUTHERN SECTION

ACE 82, PAL Academy 54

Alta Loma 48, Diamond Ranch 41

Anaheim 70, Magnolia 27

Arroyo 71, El Monte 28

Bell Gardens 68, Glenn 39

Bonita 60, San Dimas 56

Chaparral 76, California 71

Colton 83, Desert Hot Springs 67

Costa Mesa 75, Savanna 68

Crossroads Christian 39, Grove School 28

Desert Christian 67, Lancaster Baptist 54

Eastside 71, Quartz Hill 64

El Rancho 66, Duarte 30

Elsinore 58, Great Oak 55

Gabrielino 51, Rosemead 46

Highland 53, Antelope Valley 34

Hillcrest 68, Indian Springs 61

Knight 86, Lancaster 32

Lakeside 54, Patriot 42

Liberty 67, Beaumont 64

Magnolia Science Academy 55, Legacy College Prep 31

Malibu 69, Nordhoff 34

Mary Star of the Sea 64, Chadwick 60

Mesa Grande Academy 85, RSCSM 30

Mesrobian 47, New Covenant Academy 44

Montclair 84, Rim of the World 45

Moreno Valley 53, Vista del Lago 44

Ontario 68, La Sierra 27

Orange 59, Pasadena Marshall 37

Paloma Valley 56, San Jacinto 48

Pasadena 80, Burbank 53

Placentia Valencia 60, Santa Ana 32

Perris 81, Heritage 45

Redlands 46, Banning 41

Rialto 65, Norco 64

Riverside King 57, Riverside Poly 55

Santa Maria 86, Valley Christian Academy 69

Serrano 48, Arroyo Valley 37

Sherman Indian 59, California Lutheran 53

Summit 73, Yucaipa 56

Thousand Oaks 72, Simi Valley 40

Valley Torah 100, St. Monica Academy 68

Valley View 75, Jurupa Valley 45

Vasquez 98, PACS 40

Viewpoint 60, Hillcrest Christian 37

Westlake 51, Oak Park 37

Whitney 69, Godinez 63

Woodbridge 69, El Toro 48

INTERSECTIONAL

Compton 74, Crenshaw 53

Gahr 76, Rancho Dominguez 52

Marquez 65, Whittier 30

New Roads 47, Animo Venice 28

San Gabriel 66, Sotomayor 39

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Animo Robinson 37, Smidt Tech 33

Animo Watts 55, Locke 29

Brio College Prep 24, East College Prep 20

Contreras 42, Belmont 4

Crenshaw 41, Torres 16

Granada Hills Kennedy 67, Reseda 15

Grant 64, Chavez 3

Hollywood 44, Roybal 12

Northridge Academy 58, East Valley 9

Orthopaedic 25, Annenberg 14

RFK Community 27, Mendez 18

Sherman Oaks CES 75, Fulton 7

South East 35, Bell 27

Verdugo Hills 56, Eagle Rock 31

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aliso Niguel 60, Edison 23

Arroyo 34, El Monte 25

Arroyo Valley 42, San Gorgonio 29

Baldwin Park 60, La Puente 15

Bonita 48, San Dimas 39

Burbank 64, Pasadena 40

Carter 77, Adelanto 54

Chino 58, Ayala 38

Citrus Valley 54, Liberty 52

Coachella Valley 45, Palo Verde Valley 36

Covina 49, Sierra Vista 40

Desert Christian 46, Lancaster Baptist 27

Don Lugo 53, Bloomington 16

Eastside 56, Quartz Hill 24

El Modena 40, Irvine University 15

El Segundo 60, Montebello 18

Flintridge Sacred Heart 50, Muir 43

Fontana 50, Patriot 42

Foothill Tech 35, Santa Barbara 23

Gabrielino 40, Rosemead 27

Garden Grove 53, Garden Grove Pacifica 17

Glenn 36, Firebaugh 11

Heritage 56, Corona 38

Highland 60, Antelope Valley 26

Hillcrest 61, Valley View 37

Irvine 36, Tustin 34

Jurupa Valley 47, Norco 19

Laguna Beach 42, Savanna 39

Lancaster 55, Knight 22

Loma Linda Academy 42, Desert Chapel 13

Los Altos 60, Mayfair 23

Los Amigos 43, Artesia 25

Mesa Grande Academy 80, River Springs Charter 10

Monrovia 39, Ramona Convent 31

Newbury Park 55, Santa Paula 26

Nordhoff 54, Cate 31

Paramount 58, Lakewood 40

Redlands 35, Banning 19

Royal 47, Channel Islands 39

San Jacinto Valley Academy 34, Santa Rosa Academy 26

Santa Maria 61, Valley Christian Academy 37

Schurr 45, California 37

Segerstrom 49, Long Beach Wilson 46

Silver Valley 55, Sultana 30

Southlands Christian 49, Bassett 10

Temple City 35, San Gabriel 27

Twentynine Palms 55, Cathedral City 13

Vasquez 45, Palmdale Academy Charter 6

Vista Murrieta 40, Beaumont 37

Western Christian 64, Workman 14

West Torrance 74, Torrance 36

Whittier Christian 68, NOVA Academy 13

Wiseburn-Da Vinci 66, South Torrance 60

Woodbridge 66, Katella 37

Yucaipa 51, Summit 46

YULA 64, ISLA 26

INTERSECTIONAL

Compton Centennial 43, Rancho Dominguez 16

Dominguez 50, LA Jordan 8

LACES 62, Inglewood 35

Warner 40, Anza Hamilton 33

Westchester 53, Leuzinger 52

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. The high school football season has ended. That means it’s time for quarterbacks and others to transfer and lots of coach resignations and firings. Let’s examine the yearly ritual.

Change is coming

Welcome to December, when high school football programs start undergoing changes, with players and coaches deciding to come and go. JSerra, St. Francis, Bishop Alemany, Oaks Christian and Bishop Montgomery are private schools that pretty much got rid of their head coaches and have openings. Long Beach Poly, the most well-known public school in California, is advertising for a new coach after firing its coach following a season in which games were forfeited because of multiple ineligible players.

The question these days is what do principals/school presidents want from their football program besides winning and how do they want the coaches to execute that vision without breaking CIF rules?

Everyone knows recruiting is illegal as far as offering inducements to attend a school. There are no athletic scholarships allowed (wink, wink it’s called financial aid), Boosters and schools can’t set up NIL deals for players. Schools and boosters aren’t allowed to provide housing or jobs for parents as part of a deal for the child to attend.

In fact, many of these scenarios have been happening in the hope of chasing championships.

Whether it’s a public or private school, the people in charge must decide how high their ambitions are and how close to passing the gray line will they permit. People are starting to get caught. More than 40 students this season were declared ineligible by the Southern Section for providing false information on transfer paperwork. The players and their parents didn’t come out looking good and schools were equally at fault for failing to do their due diligence.

It’s OK for athletic directors to say no on transfers that look suspicious, but who’s really going to say no to a top quarterback? There’s nothing wrong with switching schools as long as rules are followed. Taking shortcuts with fake addresses and having assistants scout and make contact through parents, players or social media doesn’t pass muster.

So all the schools changing coaches and trying to rebuild or avoid rebuilding through the transfer portal, beware. The tricks of the trade are being exposed. AI is helping uncover cheaters. Maybe administrators should start offering a vision to focus on building a program from within and developing your own players.

Anyway, prepare for transferring to commence. It’s has become a rite of passage in high school sports, just like the college transfer portal.

State championships

Trent Mosley of Santa Margarita holds the CIF state championship Open Division trophy after beating De La Salle.

(Craig Weston)

Santa Margarita was unbeatable in the postseason, so much that first-year coach Carson Palmer said he wished his team could keep playing after the Eagles’ 47-13 win over De La Salle in the CIF state championship Open Division final. Here’s the report.

It was a tough weekend for Southern Section teams not named Santa Margarita. Oxnard Pacifica lost to Fresno Central East 42-28 in the 1-A final. Here’s the report.

Rio Hondo Prep’s dream of a 16-0 season ended with a 35-10 loss to Sonora in the 2-A final. Here’s the report.

Barstow was the only other Southern Section team to win a state title.

Here’s the complete results.

Boys basketball

Rancho Verde players get excited during tournament game against Etiwanda.

(Nick Koza)

Lots of teams are headed to Las Vegas this week for the Tarkanian Classic while others are taking trips to Hawaii.

Continuing to make a move is unbeaten Etiwanda, which won the North Orange County tournament championship, beating Heritage Christian in the final. The real event was Etiwanda and coach Danny Ryan facing Rancho Verde and coach Braydon Bortolamedi in the semifinals. Both trained under former Etiwanda coach Dave Kleckner, so their teams were using identical warm-up routines and focusing on Kleckner’s philosophy, defense first. Etiwanda won 63-57.

Mater Dei picked up the 1,300th win in the career of coach Gary McKnight.

Jason Crowe Jr. of Inglewood gets emotional with his grandfather, Kenneth, and mother Irene, after setting career scoring record against Beverly Hills.

(Nick Koza)

Inglewood guard Jason Crowe Jr. set a state record for most points scored in a career. Here’s a report.

St. John Bosco won its own tournament championship behind MVP Christian Collins, who scored 30 points in a win over La Mirada. The Braves are 8-0.

Freshman Will Conroy of Village Christian scored 38 points in a win over Chatsworth.

Grant Shaw, the son of Oak Park coach Aaron Shaw, made a game-winning basket to beat Agoura. Here’s the report.

Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times.

Girls basketball

Jerzy Robinson, one of the top players in the state, made her season debut for Sierra Canyon last week after being sidelined with an injury.

Sage Hill, one of the top programs in the Southern Section, has replaced coach Kerwin Walters, sending shock waves through the coaching profession. It was first reported by the Orange County Register.

Running on the street

A car driven by a suspected driver under the influence slammed into and injured seven Anaheim High runners going out on a training session near campus last week.

It raised questions once again about high school athletes and others training on the streets of Southern California.

Here’s a look at one former athlete who was struck by a car when he was at Monroe High and how he views this latest incident.

Soccer

Loyola knocked off Cathedral in a battle of downtown Los Angeles boys soccer programs. Here’s the report.

Amber Ramirez had two goals as Cleveland defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 2-0 in a big girls soccer match.

Notes . . .

Vinnie Lopez is the new football coach at Anaheim Canyon. He has lots of head coaching experience, including at Garden Grove Pacifica. . . .

After eight years as football coach at Oaks Christian, Charlie Collins and the school have parted ways. It creates another private-school opening that includes JSerra, St. Francis, Bishop Alemany and Bishop Montgomery. . . .

Todd Butler has resigned after five seasons as football coach at West Torrance to become offensive coordinator at El Camino College. . . .

Michael Calahan has resigned after six seasons as football coach at Aliso Niguel. . . .

Arlin Slayton has resigned as football coach at Rosemead. . . .

Harvard-Westlake’s power-hitting Jake Kim has committed to UCLA. He’s from the class of 2027. . . .

Junior pitcher Aiden Rae of JSerra has committed to UCLA. . . .

La Salle girls basketball player Casey Higgins has committed to Cal State Los Angeles. . . .

The All-CIF girls volleyball teams were announced. Here’s the link. . . .

There will be an all-star football game on Saturday at Simi Valley High. Here’s the information.

Former Los Alamitos receiver Makai Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award as college football’s top receiver playing for USC.

From the archives: Jeff Kent

Former Dodger and Edison grad Jeff Kent was voted into the Hall of Fame by era committee.

(Stephen Dunn / Getty Images)

The newest member of baseball’s Hall of Fame is Jeff Kent, who graduated from Edison High in Huntington Beach in 1986, went to Cal, then played 17 years in the major leagues.

Here’s a story from 1986 in which Kent got dropped from Edison when he disagreed with a position change.

Here’s a story from 1992 when Kent addressed his Edison days.

Recommendations

From the Washington Post, a story on a 6-foot-11 high school basketball player who reclassified trying to speed up a potential NBA career.

From the Seattle Times, a story on a high school football player who led his team to a state championship but might have hurt his college chances by playing running back instead of linebacker in a selfless decision.

From the Washington Post, a story on how self promotion in high school sports has become part of the recruiting experience.

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.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

East Valley 49, Canoga Park 44

Orthopaedic 51, South East 31

San Fernando 84, Fulton 51

Vaughn 84, Chavez 52

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alemany 73, Los Osos 52

Aquinas 57, Sonora 44

Arcadia 73, Rancho Mirage 59

Banning 55, Rim of the World 32

Beverly Hills 57, Vista Murrieta 47

Bishop Amat 87, Brea Olinda 47

Buena 54, Foothill Tech 53

California 66, Yorba Linda 59

Capistrano Valley Christian 68, Jurupa Hills 42

Cathedral 62, Fontana 60

Channel Islands 41, Carpinteria 36

Claremont 60, Hacienda Heights Wilson 41

Colony 64, Quartz Hill 45

Corona Centennial 71, Mater Dei 57

Crean Lutheran 60, Crespi 57

Cypress 86, Norte Vista 66

Dana Hills 47, Marina 39

Desert Hot Springs 80, Santa Rosa Academy 53

Edison 66, Riverside King 48

El Modena 71, Avalon 34

Elsinore 82, San Bernardino 63

Esperanza 67, Lakewood 51

Eitwanda 59, Murrieta Mesa 52

Hesperia 62, Fairmont Prep 58

Holy Martyrs Armenian 58, Pasadena Poly 43

La Canada 47, Charter Oak 44

Loma Linda Academy 43, Escondido Adventist 29

Los Alamitos 57, Rolling Hills Prep 50

Los Amigos 61, Ocean View 37

Malibu 47, Shalhevet 43

Mira Costa 61, Camarillo 46

Montclair 73, Sierra Vista 72

Newport Harbor 64, Servite 63

North Torrance 57, Flintridge Prep 42

Ontario Christian 64, Glendora 61

Orange Lutheran 58, La Serna 53

Oxnard Pacifica 44, Agoura 33

Saddleback 74, El Toro 62

San Gabriel Academy 52, Windward 59

San Marcos 74, Righetti 33

Santa Margarita 82, Millikan 77

St. Bernard 76, Loyola 72

St. Francis 55, Maranatha 46

St. Genevieve 59, Schurr 56

St. John Bosco 62, La Mirada 51

Sunny Hills 37, Troy 35

Tesoro 51, Shadow Hills 38

Trabuco Hills 55, Placentia Valencia 45

West Torrance 68, Verbum Dei 50

Whittier 65, Montebello 63

Woodbridge 49, Beckman 47

INTERSECTIONAL

Alhambra 55, Sotomayor 26

Burroughs 47, Carson 45

Calabasas 79, Sylmar 43

Corona del Mar 59. Carlsbad 48

Crescenta Valley 69, Verdugo Hills 48

Damien 54, Millville (Utah) Ridgeline 38

El Camino Real 78, Newbury Park 59

Gabrielino 84, Fremont 57

Gahr 57, Marquez 51

LA Hamilton 73, Fillmore 64

Lawndale 76, Bernstein 72

Moorpark 80, Van Nuys 34

Rancho Christian 55, San Diego 48

Redondo Union 65, Frederick (Md.) 44

Sierra Canyon 82, Bishop O’Dowd 37

St. Bonaventure 71, Animo Robinson 20

Village Christian 98, Chatsworth 56

GIRLS

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aquinas 68, Ramona Convent 19

Arrowhead Christian 47, Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 49

Arroyo Grande 52, Westlake 48

Baldwin Park 46, Excelsior Charter 32

Bishop Diego 63, Santa Clara 6

Buena Park 53, Camarillo 46

Chino Hills 63, Temescal Canyon 20

Claremont 43, Walnut 33

Corona del Mar 49, Covina 17

Downey 36, Upland 35

El Modena 65, Avalon 24

El Segundo 36, Savanna 34

El Toro 50, Godinez 42

Fullerton 44, Oxford Academy 36

Gabrielino 35, West Covina 24

Garden Grove 63, Estancia 42

Harvard-Westlake 53, Santa Monica 27

Hesperia 71, Irvine University 12

Laguna Beach 45, Capistrano Valley 39

La Salle 61, Marlborough 42

La Serna 55, Tustin 28

Loma Linda Academy 58, Escondido Academy 50

Los Alamitos 66, Cypress 53

Los Altos 53, Rio Hondo Prep 34

Los Osos 79, Chino 59

Marina 49, Anaheim Canyon 42

Marymount 45, Faith Baptist 13

Mira Costa 46, Rosary Academy 42

Oxnard 58, Moorpark 15

Palos Verdes 72, Murrieta Mesa 31

Pilibos 40, Warren 35

Portola 54, Oak Hills 45

Redondo Union 68, Esperanza 50

Sage Hill 68, Santa Margarita 39

San Dimas 56, Calvary Baptist 43

Santa Ana Foothill 51, Huntington Beach 36

Segerstrom 54, Wiseburn Da VInci 35

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 61, Keppel 54

Silverado 48, Northview 41

South Hills 35, Rancho Verde 25

St. Bonaventure 53, Newbury Park 40

St. Genevieve 48, Agoura 41

Summit 62, San Bernardino 31

Thousand Oaks 52, Orcutt Academy 47

Torrance 65, Placentia Valencia 35

Troy 66, Rancho Cucamonga 49

Valencia 59, Palm Desert 30

Ventura 58, Chaminade 36

Villa Park 62, Santa Fe 31

Yorba Linda 41, Long Beach Jordan 35

Yucaipa 74, La Canada 47

INTERSECTIONAL

Bernstein 40, Beverly Hills 20

Clovis West 68, Rialto 40

Granada Hills 66, Canyon Country Canyon 58

King/Drew 66, Cresenta Valley 64

La Jolla Country Day 43, Windward 39

Las Vegas (Nev.) Democracy Prep Agassi Campus 66, Etiwanda 61

St. Margaret’s 56, Centennial (Colo.) Eaglecrest 54

West Torrance 65, Birmingham 51

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 4.

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

1. SIERRA CANYON (7-1): Face Crean Lutheran on Saturday; 1

2. SANTA MARGARITA (11-1): Headed to Las Vegas for Tarkanian Classic; 2

3. ST. JOHN BOSCO (8-0): Champions of their own tournament behind Christian Collins; 3

4. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (9-1): Next up is a trip to Hawaii; 4

5. REDONDO UNION (6-2): Went 1-1 on East Coast trip; 5

6. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY (1-3): Another team headed to Las Vegas; 6

7. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (6-2): Face Riviera Prep from Miami on Friday; 7

8. CREAN LUTHERAN (9-2): Hunter Caplan has been making major contributions; 8

9. CORONA CENTENNIAL (10-1): Isaiah Rogers is MVP of San Juan Hills tourney;11

10 VILLAGE CHRISTIAN (7-3): Freshman Will Conroy leading team in scoring; 9

11. ETIWANDA (13-0): North Orange County tournament champions; 15

12. CORONA DEL MAR (11-0): 11 straight wins to start season is impressive; 16

13. CRESPI (6-4): Waiting for cavalry to arrive on Dec. 26 ; 10

14. DAMIEN (12-2): Went 2-1 on trip to Idaho; 14

15. FAIRMONT PREP (6-4): Suffering close losses to good teams; 12

16. JSERRA (6-4): Jaden Bailes continues to lead Lions; 13

17. LA MIRADA (4-4): Strong schedule will pay off; 18

18. CHAMINADE (11-0): Close win over El Camino Real keeps Eagles unbeaten; 19

19. ARCADIA (7-1): Good win over Pasadena in Pacific League opener; 20

20. PASADENA (3-2): Bulldogs waiting for players to become eligible; 21

21. CROSSROADS (7-1): Winning without Evan Willis (flu); 22

22. EASTVALE ROOSEVELT (5-3): Face Hesperia on Tuesday 23

23. BRENTWOOD (10-0): Headed to Hawaii; 24

24. RANCHO VERDE (9-2): Semaj Carter has been on scoring run; NR

25. ROLLING HILLS PREP (10-1): Suffered first loss to Los Alamitos; 17

Some define time as linear, some see it as a block. Others refer to it as something spent, in the present, or the future. Meanwhile, others consider it to be supernatural or holy, or something to twist, tame or traverse.

As someone who has been sentenced to a lifetime behind bars, time is both abstract and defined. When you have so much time, it is all you have, yet, inside, you have almost no control over how to spend it.

Every day, I can hear it: tick, tick, tick. It’s torturous, like that dripping faucet in my cell.

So to quiet the sound, I study. I learn. I try to build something meaningful from the minutes.

At the time of my arrest in 2002, I was a 25-year-old entrepreneur who had started a successful business. I was enrolled in college, working towards my degree in Information Technology, when my world collapsed. Once in New Jersey State Prison (NJSP) in Trenton, I had a simple choice: either give up on all of my dreams, or fight for them alongside my efforts to prove my innocence. So, I decided to use my time to complete my education.

My father had brought our family to the United States from Pakistan so his two sons could have access to higher education. He passed away this past January, and it is because of him I keep studying, to fulfil the dream he carried across an ocean.

Yet on the inside, that dream has been hard to chase.

‘You guys aren’t going anywhere’

Prison life is an insidious thing. The environment is conducive to vice and illicit activities. Drugs and gambling are easy to find; doing something constructive, like education, well, that can be a monumental task.

The NJSP’s education department only offers GED-level (high-school level) education. Prisoners can also enrol in outside correspondence courses, also known as independent study. These include certifications, like in paralegal studies, costing about $750 to $1,000.

For-profit “correspondence schools” advertise mail-order college degrees, but most, costing anywhere from $500 to $1,000, are unaccredited – selling paper, not knowledge. Some men collect a bachelor’s, master’s, and even a doctorate in a single year. I could not bring myself to do that. For me, an accredited degree is something that cannot be dismissed, and would make me feel on par with those in the free world.

But the options for college degrees from reputable accredited universities can run into the thousands – a non-starter for most of those imprisoned. So I began with a prison paralegal training course taught by fellow prisoners helping others with their legal battles.

Later on, I watched a PBS documentary about the Bard Prison Initiative in New York, a real college programme, accredited and rigorous, for men and women in the state’s prisons. Inspired, I decided to write dozens of letters to reputable universities across the country, asking them to take me as a test case to do a degree. None replied.

Then I learned about NJ-STEP, a programme offering college courses to prisoners at East Jersey State Prison. But when I asked to enrol, the NJSP’s education supervisor replied that it was not offered at our prison. When I appealed to the administration, a security major told me, “Why should I bring the NJ-STEP here? You guys aren’t going anywhere.”

His words echoed, as if a sentence within a sentence.

The myth of higher education

Thomas Koskovich, 47, has spent nearly three decades in NJSP, where he is serving a life sentence.

When I asked him about the opportunities for higher education in the prison, he scoffed.

“What college programme?” he blurted.

“The only thing they let us do is something called independent study, and by the way, you pay for everything yourself. The prison doesn’t help you. They just proctor [meaning they provide someone to administer] the tests.”

Thomas works as a teacher’s aide, a prison job detail, in the Donald Bourne School, named after a policeman who was killed by a prison inmate in 1972. The teachers come from the outside, while aides like Thomas assist them and also tutor students requiring extra support. He helps men earn their GEDs while knowing there is no path offered beyond that to further higher education.

“I’ve seen guys stuck in GED classes for 15 years,” he said.

Prisoners get stuck for different reasons: classes get cancelled because of emergencies, or sometimes the men have little education to begin with and require years to learn to read and write. Students also get paid $70 a month to attend, so some consider it a job – particularly as prison jobs are scarce – and deliberately fail so they can stay at the school for longer.

Of the two dozen or so students, “the school averages maybe five to 10 graduates a year”, Thomas explained.

He earns about $1,500 a year, far less than the $20,000 he would need to afford an accredited correspondence degree. But he chooses to help others in the same school where he got his GED because, as he put it, “Most people in here aren’t career criminals. They just got caught in bad situations.”

He added, “If given half a chance, they’d choose a legal, meaningful life.”

Thomas sees education as key to self-betterment. It was a book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire, a Brazilian Marxist educator, given to him by an activist friend that showed him the power of education, he says.

Education equips us to “better handle stressful situations” and nurture creativity and “artistic expression”, he reflected. “But most importantly, we can develop skills that will allow us to earn a living legally and contribute to society in a positive way.”

The Department of Corrections may store bodies, but it does not nurture minds, though many will eventually be freed back into society after serving their terms, while others could win their freedom in court or through clemency.

And education can only help with transitioning into life on the outside. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, a research and advocacy nonprofit, limited access to education in prisons remains a major barrier to rehabilitation and reentry into society. Decades of studies support the idea that education in prison reduces recidivism – a RAND meta-analysis found a 43 percent lower likelihood of reoffending among inmates who pursued studies.

Kashif Hassan, 40, from Brooklyn in New York City, has been imprisoned for 15 years. Serving a life-plus-10-year sentence, he has earned multiple degrees, including two PhDs, one in business administration and one in criminal justice, through university distance education.

Unlike other prisoners, Kashif was fortunate in that his family could afford the tens of thousands in accredited college tuition fees.

“I have two sons,” he told me, “and I want to show them that no matter the circumstances, even here, you can keep learning.”

He laughed when I asked about support from the NJSP’s education department. “None,” he said. “They even cancelled the college correspondence roster [a list that allowed students enrolled in long-distance education to access the prison law library and school computers to type and print]. They say it’s for security, but really, it’s about control.”

Kashif has also been on the waiting list for a paralegal course for 10 years.

“Education is a powerful tool,” he said. “It helps you understand your rights, navigate the system, and articulate yourself better. Especially in here, it’s the difference between feeling powerless and feeling empowered.”

A door where there was a wall

In 2023, I learned of a glimmer of progress. The Thomas Edison State University (TESU) in Trenton – ranked among the state’s top 20 public institutions – launched a new programme enabling men in NJSP to pursue accredited college degrees.

In 2024, I began taking TESU courses for a liberal arts degree. My tuition is paid for by grants and scholarships. The programme runs independently from the NJSP’s education department, which only proctors exams. For those of us long shut out of higher learning, it felt revolutionary. As if a door opened where there had only been a wall. It has made me feel free and given me purpose.

For Michael Doce, 44, another student in the programme who is serving a 30-year sentence, the door is narrow but precious. “I want to stick it to the NJDOC, to say, ‘Look what I did all on my own.’”

Michael studied engineering at Rutgers University before he was imprisoned. Now he is earning a communications degree.

“My family buys used textbooks,” he said. These are mailed to the prison, but security checks mean they can take weeks to reach him.

“But the prison just banned used books,” he added. “Depending on how much new ones cost, I might not be able to continue.”

Al Jazeera requested clarification from the New Jersey Department of Corrections about the cancellation of the roster and the banning of used books, but did not receive a response.

Michael shrugged and gave a wry smile. “If too many guys signed up, they’d probably cancel the whole thing. I’m being funny, but not really.”

He maintains top grades and dreams of becoming a journalist. “A criminal conviction closes a lot of doors,” he told me. “I’m just trying to open new ones.”

‘Doing his own time’

There is a couplet from the 18th-century Urdu poet Mir Taqi Mir that goes:

Yaarān-e deyr o Ka‘bah, donon bulā rahe hain

Ab dekhen Mir, apnā jānā kidhar bane hai

My heart is torn between two calls – the world of love and the house of God.

Now it is a test to see which way my soul will turn.

Perhaps that captures the prisoner’s daily dilemma: between despair and determination; between giving up and growing. In the absence of rehabilitation, every man must choose his own path – “doing his own time,” as the popular prison phrase goes – towards light or darkness.

Men like Thomas, Kashif, Michael, and many others choose light. They choose education.

The Department of Corrections may store bodies, but it cannot own the will to grow. Education here is not charity. It is resistance. It is the one realm where we can still choose, and in choosing, we stay human and free.

Because in the end, freedom does not begin with release. It begins with the decision to grow. It begins with the mind.

And in this place, where time is both enemy and companion, every page turned, every lesson learned, is a way to quiet the endless ticking, a way to remind ourselves that even behind bars, time can still belong to us.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

This is the final story in a three-part series on how prisoners are taking on the US justice system through law, prison hustles and hard-won education.

Read more from the series:

How I’m fighting the US prison system from the inside

Tailors and corner stores: The hustles helping prisoners survive

Tariq MaQbool is a prisoner at New Jersey State Prison (NJSP), where he has been held since 2005. He is a contributor to various publications, including Al Jazeera English, where he has written about the trauma of solitary confinement (he has spent a total of more than two years in isolation) and what it means to be a Muslim prisoner inside a US prison.

Martin Robles is also a prisoner at NJSP. These illustrations were made using lead and coloured pencils. As he has limited art supplies, Robles used folded squares of toilet paper to blend the pigments into different shades and colours.

Morning light glints off the water as children in crisp uniforms, polished sandals, and neatly packed schoolbags paddle across the same waters where fights once broke out among young boys. They are heading to Part of Solution Nursery and Primary School, Makoko, in South West Nigeria, a free, floating school that is turning the tide against crime and violence in one of Lagos’s most marginalised communities.

For five years, Segun Opeyemi made this journey every morning.

But before school days and uniforms, mornings like this did not exist for him. Segun spent his days roaming the streets of Makoko, and he slept wherever night met him—beneath market stalls, beside rickety shacks, or along the water’s edge. Hunger dictated his choices, and survival came at a cost.

“When I was on the street, I indulged in all kinds of bad activities just to put food on my table and survive,” he recalled. 

By 2018, when Taiwo Shemede, the school’s headteacher, first met him, Segun was about ten years old and already hardened by life on the streets. Taiwo took him and enrolled him at the school. “Thank God for education,” Segun said.

‘Part of the Solution’

The story of the school that changed Segun’s life began eight years earlier.

In 2010, members of the Yacht Club of Nigeria, who often visited Makoko, asked the community’s chief, Emmanuel Shemede, what the area needed most. He told them it was “a school building”. The club raised funds and built Whanyinna Nursery and Primary School, the community’s first floating school, which was handed over to the community and run by the Shemede family. 

Soon, Whanyinna became overcrowded. The school’s success drew hundreds of children, and before long, there was no space to accommodate them. Determined not to turn any child away, Sunday Shemede, son of the community chief, and his siblings, including Taiwo, decided to act.

In 2015, they started another school.

“My brothers and I began with just 50 children in our father’s house,” Sunday recalled. “We went to 50 parents and asked each to give us one child we would teach for free.”

That humble beginning marked the birth of Part of Solution Nursery and Primary School, the second free school on the Makoko waterfront, according to Sunday.

As more parents saw how their children were learning to read and write, enrolment grew beyond 400 within months, outgrowing the small family space once again.

A few years later, the Shemedes met Cameron Mofid, an American tourist, who, moved by the lack of uniforms he saw during his visit, started a GoFundMe campaign through his non-profit, Humanity Effect, to raise $5000 for the school. Within a week, over 200 people had donated, contributing more than $100,000.

The funds built an additional wooden school on stilts and provided uniforms, school boats, and other essentials. Another soon followed. Today, the Shemede family runs three free schools across Makoko’s waterside — Whanyinna, Part of Solution 1, and Part of Solution 2 — the only completely free schools in the entire community. Together, they educate more than 750 pupils and operate an orphanage that shelters 31 children, all registered with the Lagos State Ministry of Education.

Segun has lived at the orphanage since he enrolled in the school.

“It was free education with the provision of books and uniforms,” he added. He graduated from the school in 2022 and is now enrolled at nearby Ade Comprehensive Government Junior Secondary School. “The homeless 10-year-old boy of yesterday is now in JSS2 with a dream to become a lawyer,” he told HumAngle.

Welcome to Makoko

Makoko sits on the Lagos Lagoon, just beside the Third Mainland Bridge. The fishing settlement was founded more than a century ago by migrants from the Egun ethnic group of neighbouring West African countries, including the Benin Republic and Togo. It is home to an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 people, though exact figures remain uncertain because the community is considered informal and largely absent from government records. 

For generations, life revolved around the waters, with men casting nets, women smoking fish, and children learning the trade as soon as they could paddle a canoe. 

Before the rise of community schools, Makoko’s youth often grew up without structure, falling into cycles of crime, violence, and hopelessness. But the efforts of the Shemede family and other humanitarian organisations are changing that through community schools where children can learn, dream, and stay safe. 

Building peace through education

Each morning, they paddle to class in small canoes, keeping their books dry in their bags. The atmosphere at the school is lively and disciplined. Pupils recite the alphabet in unison, clap to the rhythm, and eagerly raise their hands to answer questions.

For the founders, literacy was only part of the goal. Education, they believed, was a tool that could prevent the community’s younger generation from drifting into violence.

Before the schools were built, many children like Segun wandered the narrow alleys in canoes or idled at the waterfront. Petty thefts, street quarrels, and fights were part of daily life. Parents expected their children to fish or trade, but without guidance, many drifted into mischief. Teachers say this pattern is shifting.

“For me, keeping them in school keeps them off the streets and away from trouble,” said Juliet Okundere, who has taught at the school for four years. “When we started, most pupils couldn’t read, speak, or write English. Gradually, they began to read and write. That gives them confidence and purpose.”

Twelve-year-old Abutu Lazarus said the school has helped him dream bigger. “Now I can read and write well,” he said with a smile. “I want to be a pilot.”

Across Makoko, others are noticing it too.

“Until recently, young boys fought over little things, and it created bitterness,” recalled Segun Adekunle, a 50-year-old youth leader. “But the coming of education has reduced all that. Even the old ones now go to evening school. So, there’s no time to fight like before. At my age, I am learning how to read, and it gives me joy.”

Jacob Ikeki, an older resident who never had the chance to attend school, has witnessed a transformation in his own family. “When children are not going to school, they just play around and cause trouble,” he said, recalling how he once joined street fights as a child after long fishing trips. “I’m proud to see my son reading and writing perfectly. I know he will not repeat my mistakes.”

Another parent, Mary Rofik, whose son attends the school, said education has brought discipline to her home. “Since he started schooling, he has communicated well in English. When I call him, he responds with ‘Ma’ and calls his father ‘Sir.’ Before, you would see children as young as two or three stealing from their mothers’ pots and talking back to elders. Now, my son has respect, and I know education is shaping him.”

Teachers say fewer children skip class for mischief, traders no longer have to chase them from stalls, and elders notice that quarrels have given way to learning. 

Inside the classrooms

On low benches, children lean over their books as volunteer teachers guide them through lessons in English, maths, and basic science. The space hums with energy — the scrape of chalk, the shuffle of feet, the soft rise and fall of young voices eager to learn.

Among the teachers is Samuel Shemede, who grew up fishing but decided to go to school after seeing how education transformed his siblings. He has completed his secondary school education and is now a teacher at the Part of Solution School. 

Samuel teaches a kindergarten class. “I make learning fun,” Samuel said. “We sing, we play, and through that, they learn. Class time is not just lessons; it is a moment of joy. I want them to love school as much as I’ve learned to love it.”

Keeping the vision afloat 

Part of Solution School and its sister schools remain free, ensuring even the poorest families can send their children. Sunday says this has been key to maintaining high attendance and low street crime in the area.

Still, the school is not without challenges. Classrooms are overcrowded, stipends for the ten volunteer teachers, including Juliet and Samuel, are inconsistent, and learning materials are limited. There are only a few canoes to transport pupils, leaving some to paddle long distances themselves. 

Yet the resilience of the community keeps the project afloat. “What we need the most is increased support for our teachers, technological equipment and facilities, and enough canoes for the children,” said Sunday, who still fishes part-time to sustain the project.

But beyond these daily struggles lies a deeper worry — what happens after?

After primary school, many pupils face another barrier: there are no secondary schools within Makoko. Graduates must cross to Lagos Mainland to continue their studies, where most schools charge at least ₦42,000 per term, far beyond what many families can afford.

To prevent them from dropping out, the Shemede family has created a follow-up system.

“We register our graduating pupils at schools in Sabo, on the Mainland, and pay for their textbooks and supplies,” Sunday explained. “We also check on them every three weeks and stay in touch with their teachers.”

So far, more than 200 pupils have graduated from Part of Solution School.  

Still, he fears that without broader government support, their efforts may not be enough. “If our children can’t continue beyond primary school, we risk returning to the days of idleness and violence. Everything we’ve built could be undone,” he said. 

Despite being Nigeria’s economic hub, Lagos State has a rising number of out-of-school children. While the government has invested in the establishment of schools and the enrolment of students, gaps remain, especially in underserved communities like Makoko.

Grassroots efforts like Part of Solution School have shown how education can calm unrest and open new paths for children. But to secure that progress, they need systemic support — better funding, accessible secondary schools, and consistent policy attention.

Until then, the sight of children paddling to class each morning will remain both a symbol of Makoko’s hope and a reminder of how fragile that hope still is.

This story was produced under the HumAngle Foundation’s Advancing Peace and Security through Journalism project, supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

It’s safe to say Tyler, the Creator caused an “Earfquake” at Hawthorne High School on Friday afternoon.

The graduating class at the South Bay High School gathered in the school’s auditorium for what they thought was a spirit rally. Little did they know rapper Tyler, the Creator was waiting, ready to surprise them with words of inspiration and iPad Pros.

Surrounded by screaming teenagers and a sea of recording phones, the rapper was taken back to when he was a student at the school from 2005 to 2006. He shared memories of doodling on his pants, rap battling in the courtyard and skating down El Segundo Boulevard with dreams of being famous.

“Being from this city, man — it’s kind of like a weird place, because it’s not Inglewood and it’s not Manhattan Beach, it’s just its own little world. I always would tell myself, ‘One day I’m really going to make it out of this place and make something of myself,” said the rapper from the center stage.

The event was hosted by with Apple Music, who had named the 34-year-old rapper as its artist of the year. Prior to Tyler’s appearance, the streamer brought together local vendors like Crenshaw Juice Co. and Happy Ice, a photo booth and a DJ for the seniors to enjoy.

Tyler, the Creator speaking to students at South Bay High School on Friday afternoon.

(Apple Music)

After Tyler finished his speech, senior Kennesha Sylester was one of the first students to get her iPad. She said that she knew someone was coming to surprise the class, but she had heard a rumor that it would be YouTuber Mr. Beast.

“To be honest, him revisiting the school that he attended shows he really cared for the school. Every time I look [at the iPad] I’m going to think about how I got it from Tyler, the Creator,” Sylvester said. “I admire him so much for how he expresses himself and really does whatever he wants.”

In light of Tyler’s hallmark year, he saw it fit to return to the halls where it all began and give back to the community that raised him. He attended both freshman and sophomore year at Hawthorne High School before founding the quirky hip-hop collective Odd Future. The group would be both Tyler’s introduction to the music industry and his ticket to global stardom.

Students at South Bay High School holding up iPads gifted to them by Tyler, the Creator.

(Apple Music)

Now nearly 20 years later, he’s one of rap’s biggest names. Within a year, he headlined music festivals including Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Osheaga, as well as his own festival Camp Flog Gnaw. He embarked on his biggest world tour yet for his eighth studio album, “Chromakopia.” While he was on the road, he simultaneously released his latest record, “Don’t Tap the Glass” over the summer, which yielded one of the biggest tracks of his career thus far, the funky earworm “Sugar on My Tongue.” Both of these projects have earned him five Grammy nominations.

Outside of music, he’s also established himself in the realm of fashion with both his streetwear brand, Golf Wang, and his luxury brand Le Fleur. This month, he’s also due to make his feature film debut in the upcoming “Marty Supreme.”

He left the senior class with one last piece of advice: “I know it sounds corny sometimes, but let me be the example. You could be whatever you want to be in this life. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Don’t let the version that you are today dictate the version that you plan on being. Rock this s—.”

Then he resumed pointing at members of the crowd, yelling, “You got an iPad,” referring to the forever viral clip of Oprah Winfrey giving out free cars.

BREAKINGBREAKING,

Multiple people have been reported injured in a shooting near the Ivy League campus in Providence, Rhode Island.

The mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, has confirmed that two people have been killed and eight more are critically injured after an active shooter was reported on the campus of Brown University.

Around 4:22pm local time (21:22 GMT) on Saturday, the Ivy League university issued an emergency update that there was a gunman near the Barus and Holley engineering lab.

“Lock doors, silence phones and stay stay hidden until further notice,” the university said in its update.

“Remember: RUN, if you are in the affected location, evacuate safely if you can; HIDE, if evacuation is not possible, take cover; FIGHT, as a last resort, take action to protect yourself.”

Later, at 5:27pm local time (22:27 GMT), the school reported that shots had been fired near Governor Street, approximately two blocks away.

The Providence Police Department announced a few minutes later, “Multiple shot in the area of Brown University.”

Earlier in the day, the university withdrew an announcement that indicated a suspect had been taken into custody. It clarified, “Police do not have a suspect in custody and continue to search for suspect(s).”

US President Donald Trump published a similar retraction on his online platform Truth Social, after erroneously posting around 5:44pm (22:44 GMT) that the suspect was in custody.

“I have been briefed on the shooting that took place at Brown University in Rhode Island,” Trump also wrote. “The FBI is on the scene.”

Law enforcement remains on site at the university. The incident is currently under investigation.

Saturday’s shooting is the second major incident of gun violence on a university campus this week.

Just four days ago, on December 9, Kentucky State University in the southern city of Frankfort also experienced gunfire on its campus, killing one student and leaving a second critically injured. The suspect in that case was identified as a Jacob Lee Bard, the parent of a student at the school.

The risk of gun violence has transformed the academic experience in the US, with many schools holding preparedness drills for active shooter situations.

The shooting comes as the academic semester winds down at Brown University. The last day of classes for the fall semester was on Thursday, and the school is in its final examination period until December 20.

The seventh oldest university in the US, Brown is considered part of the prestigious Ivy League, a cluster of private research colleagues in the Northeast. Its student body numbers at 11,005, according to its website.

This is a breaking news story. More details to come.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

AMIT 56, Lakeview Charter 16

Angelou 62, Jefferson 57

Annenberg 47, Aspire Ollin 20

Bernstein 91, Belmont 9

Bravo 65, Franklin 55

Canoga Park 62, Panorama 28

Contreras 49, Roybal 48

Crenshaw 50, LA Jordan 48

Diego Rivera 53, Santee 50

Downtown Magnets 61, Bell 46

Foshay 83, Stella 31

Fulton 62, Lake Balboa College 43

Hawkins 66, Harbor Teacher 61

Huntington Park 42, Garfield 31

LACES 54, LA Hamilton 49

Los Angeles 51, West Adams 44

LA Marshall 65, Eagle Rock 51

LA Roosevelt 60, South Gate 27

LA Wilson 66, Lincoln 61

MSCP 86, Middle College 49

Narbonne 72, Wilmington Banning 29

North Hollywood 70, Arleta 53

Orthopaedic 55, Central City Value 42

Port of Los Angeles 87, Dymally 40

RFK Community 77, Hollywood 54

San Pedro 74, Gardena 47

Sherman Oaks CES 100, Elizabeth 47

Sotomayor 78, CNDLC 40

South East 63, Legacy 60

Stern 72, Alliance Ouchi 40

Sun Valley Poly 86, Chavez 17

Sylmar 70, Granada Hills Kennedy 69

USC-MAE 54, Animo Bunche 14

Venice 60, Fairfax 50

Verdugo Hills 81, Monroe 50

View Park 59, Locke 29

Washington 83, Dorsey 42

Westchester 76, LA University 44

Wiseburn Da Vinci 70, Rancho Dominguez 67

WISH Academy 84, MSAR 32

SOUTHERN SECTION

Adelanto 60, Eisenhower 58

Alta Loma 64, Jurupa Valley 39

Apple Valley 66, Victor Valley 58

Arcadia 82, Burbank 52

Ayala 57, Northwood 45

Baldwin Park 53, El Monte 33

Big Bear 74, San Gorgonio 49

Brea Olinda 70, La Puente 23

California Lutheran 67, Hawthorne 39

CAMS 37, New Roads 23

Cantwell Sacred Heart 71, Bosco Tech 45

Cerritos 78, La Palma Kennedy 75

Chadwick 75, CSDR 49

Chaminade 76, Ventura 45

Charter Oak 70, San Dimas 66

Citrus Hill 75, Arroyo Valley 43

Citrus Valley 62, Indio 25

Claremont 67, Serra Vista 52

Coastal Christian 75, Cuyama Valley 15

Corona Centennial 88, Capistrano Valley Christian 42

Corona Santiago 73, Liberty 42

Crescenta Valley 75, Hoover 45

Crossroads 58, Santa Monica 53

Diamond Bar 54, La Sierra 24

Don Lugo 56, Kaiser 50

Dos Pueblos 54, Capistrano Valley 52

Eastside 44, Highland 36

Edgewood 51, Montebello 45

El Modena 67, Fullerton 58

El Segundo 65, Los Amigos 57

Elsinore 84, Hemet 63

El Toro 62, Portola 58

Estancia 71, Costa Mesa 55

Etiwanda 63, Rancho Verde 57

Fountain Valley 70, Temescal Canyon 41

Garden Grove Pacifica 52, Saddleback 28

Garden Grove Santiago 38, Century 22

Glendora 60, La Canada 55

Glenn 58, Southlands Christian 44

Grace 50, Laguna Blanca 44

Heritage Christian 45, Anaheim Canyon 42

Hesperia Christian 74, Cornerstone Christian 42

Hillcrest 54, Moreno Valley 47

Huntington Beach 74, Laguna Beach 52

Indian Springs 63, Redlands 50

Keppel 59, Gabrielino 47

Knight 60, Quartz Hill 40

Lakeside 70, Westminster 35

La Mirada 94, Rancho Cucamonga 61

Littlerock 46, Lancaster 30

Long Beach Poly 69, Hesperia 45

Long Beach Wilson 54, Long Beach Cabrillo 48

Maricopa 58, Alpaugh 20

Mater Dei 73, San Clemente 71

Mesrobian 61, Downey Calvary Chapel 28

Mission Viejo 58, Great Oak 51

Norte Vista 78, La Serna 61

Oak Hills 82, Norco 56

Ontario 46, Arroyo 45

Ontario Christian 78, Bishop Amat 69

Oxford Academy 61, Paramount 50

Palmdale 68, Antelope Valley 46

Palm Desert 67, Heritage 44

Pasadena 81, Burbank Burroughs 21

Pioneer 70, Santa Fe 58

Placentia Valencia 73, Marina 49

Redlands East Valley 62, Chaparral 61

Riverside King 81, Riverside North 43

Riverside Prep 53, Sultana 45

Rosemead 54, Bellflower 52

Rowland 59, Nogales 39

Rubidoux 68, Oxnard Pacifica 38

San Bernardino 99, Woodcrest Christian 76

San Jacinto 63, Santa Rosa Academy 44

Santa Ana Foothill 58, Tustin 44

Santa Clara 65, Cate 45

Santa Maria St. Joseph 60, Crespi 51

Santa Margarita 92, Village Christian 85

Servite 73, Western 43

Silver Valley 80, University Prep 51

St. Francis 68, La Salle 54

St. Margaret’s 91, Santa Ana 55

Summit Leadership 48, ACE 43

Thacher 67, Orcutt Academy 40

Valencia 80, Castaic 35

Valley View 63, Savanna 56

Vasquez 67, St. Monica Academy 35

Vista del Lago 60, Desert Hot Springs 41

Webb 58, Azusa 29

Whittier Christian 51, South Hills 32

Windward 66, Verbum Dei 43

Wiseburn Da Vinci 70, Rancho Dominguez 67

INTERSECTIONAL

Archbishop Riordan 89, Inglewood 84

Cupertino Homestead 67, Artesia 60

Desert Mirage 50, Borrego Springs 41

Francis Parker 66, Eastvale Roosevelt 59

Jurupa Hills 60, Oceanside El Camino 39

Layton (UT) Layton Christian Academy 43, JSerra 33

Loyola 64, Stockton St. Mary’s 46

Meridian (ID) Owyhee 53, Damen 47

Miami (FL) Riviera Prep 74, Crean Lutheran 71

Monrovia 84, Rise Kohyang 23

Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 78, Redmond (WA) 52

Potomac (MD) Bullis 70, Redondo Union 62

Torres 63, Garey 59

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Arleta 39, North Hollywood 17

Aspire Ollin 23, Annenberg 21

Bernstein 56, Belmont 12

Carson 70, Rancho Dominguez 11

Central City Value 36, Orthopaedic 8

Crenshaw 40, LA Jordan 15

Diego Rivera 42, Santee 39

Dominguez 46, Elizabeth 17

Eagle Rock 53, LA Marshall 27

Franklin 34, Bravo 25

Garfield 71, Huntington Park 24

Granada Hills Kennedy 70, Sylmar 22

Harbor Teacher 66, Hawkins 30

King/Drew 112, GALA 16

LA Hamilton 73, LACES 33

Lakeview Charter 41, AMIT 18

Lincoln 33, LA Wilson 21

MSCP 51, Middle College 19

Panorama 54, Canoga Park 16

Port of Los Angeles 33, Dymally 19

RFK Community 53, Hollywood 43

San Pedro 44, Gardena 43

Sotomayor 43, CNDLC 27

South Gate 40, LA Roosevelt 34

Stern 29, Alliance Ouchi 8

USC-MAE 39, Animo Bunche 14

Venice 99, Fairfax 35

Verdugo Hills 82, Monroe 4

Washington 65, Dorsey 7

West Adams 33, Los Angeles 22

WISH Academy 37, MSAR 18

SOUTHERN SECTION

Agoura 29, San Marino 26

Alemany 59, Crossroads 46

Aliso Niguel 62, Woodbridge 40

Apple Valley 42, Hillcrest 31

Arcadia 52, Burbank 44

Baldwin Park 39, Edgewood 32

Beaumont 49, San Jacinto 42

Bethel Christian 32, NSLA 14

Bishop Amat 55, Colony 44

Burbank Burroughs 60, Pasadena 20

Calvary Baptist 63, Southlands Christian 14

Canyon Country Canyon 79, Moorpark 22

Capistrano Valley Christian 26, Avalon 22

Carpinteria 55, Del Sol 41

Carter 52, Redlands East Valley 23

Cerritos Valley Christian 43, La Mirada 19

Chadwick 44, Westridge 4

Chino 69, Rio Hondo Prep 54

CIMSA 43, AAE 32

Citrus Valley 43, Kaiser 39

Compton 67, Inglewood 38

Compton Centennial 55, Compton Early College 2

Corona 46, Ayala 35

Crescenta Valley 66, Keppel 44

El Toro 57, Placentia Valencia 51

Esperanza 73, Los Alamitos 49

Fillmore 53, Nordhoff 23

Gahr 39, Patriot 32

Garey 40, Workman 37

Glendora 58, Canyon Springs 18

Hart 59, Golden Valley 25

Heritage 65, Great Oak 23

Holy Martyrs Armenian 72, ISLA 15

Huntington Beach 45, Laguna Beach 32

Jurupa Valley 35, La Habra 30

Lancaster Baptist 50, Immanuel Christian 11

La Quinta 41, Valley View 36

La Salle 49, Orange Lutheran 26

La Sierra 31, Perris 21

Laton 30, Coast Union 20

Long Beach Jordan 48, Lakewood 40

Long Beach Wilson 52, Long Beach Cabrillo 3

Marlborough 67, Cerritos 42

Marymount 44, Mayfield 16

Mary Star of the Sea 26, St. Paul 25

Murrieta Mesa 53, Tahquitz 22

Newport Harbor 56, Irvine 50

Norco 33, Miller 29

Ontario 40, Fontana 33

Orcutt Academy 66, Westlake 47

Palm Desert 59, Coachella Valley 37

Palm Springs 50, Desert Hot Springs 36

Portola 51, San Juan Hills 45

Ramona Convent 35, Excelsior Charter 34

Rancho Cucamonga 52, Sonora 39

Redlands 47, Indian Springs 40

Rialto 51, Rosary Academy 42

Royal 39, Santa Barbara 30

Samueli Academy 50, Glenn 27

San Bernardino 43, Covina 38

San Gabriel 27, Arroyo 25

San Jacinto Leadership Academy 41, California Military Institute 23

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 65, California Lutheran 24

Saugus 54, West Ranch 27

Silver Valley 51, University Prep 27

St. Genevieve 39, AGBU 17

St. Margaret’s 53, Marina 28

St. Monica 68, Vistamar 25

St. Monica Academy 34, Vasquez 20

Sunny Hills 33, Hesperia 25

Temescal Canyon 46, Eisenhower 26

Tesoro 50, Anaheim 38

Trabuco Hills 76, Ocean View 10

Twentynine Palms 48, Xavier Prep 42

Upland 52, Rancho Verde 25

Valencia 81, Castaic 19

Village Christian 58, Oaks Christian 56

Vista del Lago 56, Rubidoux 16

West Covina 35, Immaculate Heart 30

Western Christian 33, Charter Oak 19

Whitney 53, Savanna 49

Whittier Christian 61, California 23

Woodcrest Christian 50, Sherman Indian 29

Yorba Linda 57, Pilibos 34

Yucaipa 58, South Pasadena 55

INTERSECTIONAL

Clovis West 77, Mira Costa 52

Crean Lutheran 39, Waco (TX) Midway 33

Desert Mirage 32, Borrego Springs 12

Dominguez 46, Cudahy Elizabeth 17

Francis Parker 57, Windward 48

Granada Hills 60, Highland 55

Monrovia 52, Rise Kohyang 7

The true story behind the family drama “Rosemead” may not be the saddest tale ever brought to the screen. But boy, it’s up there.

Inspired by a shattering 2017 Times article by then-staff writer Frank Shyong (and now the first narrative feature film from LA Times Studios), “Rosemead” has long been a passion project for its star, Lucy Liu, also a producer. It’s not hard to see why.

This powerful account of humble, terminally ill Taiwanese American widow Irene Chao (based on real-life Rosemead resident Lai Hang), who takes the fate of her schizophrenic teen son into her own hands, offers the transformational role of a lifetime for Liu. Best known for stylish, commanding turns in the “Charlie’s Angels” and “Kill Bill” movies and in TV series such as “Ally McBeal” and “Elementary,” she’s a revelation here.

But the narrative also shines a crucial spotlight on L.A.’s Asian American community and its sometimes insular approach to handling emotional trauma, particularly mental illness. Shame over the condition’s perceived stigma, language barriers and a general fear of expressing oneself add to this cultural dilemma, one that hasn’t been widely explored on the big screen.

Liu is tender and heartbreaking as Irene, who runs the local print shop that her husband (Orion Lee, seen in flashbacks) left behind several years ago. She also helps out in the herbal pharmacy run by childhood best friend Kai-Li (Jennifer Lim). Given that Irene displays a troubling cough from the start, it’s no surprise where her health is heading.

Of more immediate worry to Irene, though, is her only child, Joe (an excellent Lawrence Shou), a high school senior diagnosed with schizophrenia after his beloved dad’s untimely death — and it’s gotten worse. This downturn has impacted his grades, competitive swimming status and overall focus; he obsessively doodles eerie clusters of spiders and draws a disturbing map of his school’s floor plan.

Joe maintains a supportive circle of friends, but they, like Irene and other observers, are ever more alarmed by his bouts of extreme behavior. The boy’s abrupt, inexplicable disappearances are increasingly commonplace, as is a destructive streak.

If that wasn’t enough, Joe has secretly stopped taking his meds. He’s also seemingly become fixated on guns and the endless string of school shootings that make the news.

His deeply concerned therapist, Dr. Hsu (James Chen), assures Irene, who has kept herself at arm’s length, “Most people with schizophrenia don’t engage in violence.” But it’s cold comfort to a mother whose days are numbered by a dire diagnosis. She’s convinced that when she is no longer there to monitor and protect her son, he will hurt himself and others.

Something must be done. The result is an act so unthinkable that, if it hadn’t happened in real life, Marilyn Fu’s otherwise sensitively constructed screenplay might seem beyond repair. But, as they say, truth is stranger than fiction and viewers won’t soon forget the film’s devastating conclusion.

Eric Lin, who has served as cinematographer on such disparate indie films as “The Exploding Girl,” “My Blind Brother” and “Hearts Beat Loud,” makes a worthy feature directing debut here, even if the picture tends to unfold a bit more prosaically than its singular story might demand. Yet when Lin attempts to break out using strobe effects to reflect Joe’s schizophrenic episodes, it comes off more jarring than immersive.

Still, with an able assist from cinematographer Lyle Vincent (“A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night”), Lin vividly captures the look and feel of life in and around Rosemead. This is a special achievement since only about a quarter of the movie was shot in L.A. The rest was filmed in Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island to take advantage of New York’s tax incentives. No matter: The final product, featuring an effective array of SoCal exteriors to tie things together, looks seamless.

Enough can’t be said about Liu’s astonishing, naturalistic turn. She’s a physical marvel here, making herself as small and inconspicuous — yet also as quietly resolute — as her complex character requires. Liu, who was raised in a Chinese-speaking New York household, proves a verbal wonder as well, impeccably toggling between Irene’s halting English and her fluent native Mandarin. Prizes may elude Liu this awards season, but she should be in the conversation.

Despite the film’s downbeat subject matter and its grim finale, watching “Rosemead” isn’t as wholly depressing as it may sound. Like many films and TV shows that have dealt with life’s most unimaginable trials, there are profound human and societal lessons to be gleaned. Moreover, at this moment in time, any truthful, heartfelt story about America’s immigrant experience deserves our attention. That the film contains one of the year’s finest performances may seal the deal for more serious viewers.

CIF STATE BOWL CHAMPIONSHIPS

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

At Saddleback College

DIVISION 1-AA

Folsom 42, San Diego Cathedral Catholic 28

DIVISION 2-AA

Stockton St. Mary’s 27, Bakersfield Christian 24

At Fullerton High

DIVISION 3-AA

San Francisco St. Ignatius College Prep 42, Ventura 35

DIVISION 6-AA

Valley Center 36, San Jose Lincoln 35

At Buena Park High

DIVISION 4-AA

Barstow 17, Sutter 7

DIVISION 5-AA

Oakland Bishop O’Dowd 37, El Cajon Christian 0

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

At Saddleback College

OPEN DIVISION

Santa Margarita (10-3) vs. Concord De la Salle (12-0), 8 p.m.

DIVISION 1-A

Oxnard Pacifica (15-0) vs. Fresno Central East (13-1), 3:30 p.m.

DIVISION 2-A

Rio Hondo Prep (15-0) vs. Sonora (14-0), 11:30 a.m.

At Fullerton High

DIVISION 3-A

Delano Kennedy (11-3) vs. Oakland McClymonds (10-2), 7 p.m.

DIVISION 6-A

San Diego Morse (10-4) vs. Winters (13-1), 3 p.m.

DIVISION 7-AA

Woodbridge (7-8) vs. Redding Christian (14-0), 11 a.m.

At Buena Park High

DIVISION 4-A

Beckman (12-3) vs. El Cerrito (12-2), 7 p.m.

DIVISION 5-A

Bishop Union (12-3) vs. Calaveras (11-2), 3 p.m.

DIVISION 7-A

South El Monte (11-4) vs. San Francisco Balboa (11-2), 11 a.m.

Etiwanda and Rancho Verde, coached by two disciples of defensive guru Dave Kleckner, went at it with the kind of defensive intensity that Kleckner would have appreciated in the semifinals of the North Orange County tournament at Sonora on Friday night.

After Etiwanda opened a 12-point halftime lead, Rancho Verde took a one-point lead at the end of the third quarter on a buzzer-beating three by Charles Knight.

Then Etiwanda regained its defensive intensity in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 63-57 victory. Etiwanda (12-0) will play Heritage Christian in Saturday’s championship game.

Igniting the Eagles’ fourth-quarter run was sophomore Devin Mitchell, who scored six of his 14 points in the period. Etiwanda got into trouble after a 35-23 halftime lead by committing five fouls in the opening four minutes of the second half. Semaj Carter made eight consecutive free throws for Rancho Verde (8-2) and finished with 19 points. Knight got hot in the second half, making four threes and finishing with 22 points.

Kleckner coached at Etiwanda for 28 years before he turned over the program to former assistant Daniel Ryan. Rancho Verde coach Braydon Bortolamedi was the junior varsity coach last season at Etiwanda. So it was like watching two teams using identical strategies.

Heritage Christian 45, Anaheim Canyon 42: Dominic Loehle made a basket with 25 seconds left to break a tie and lift Heritage Christian into the championship game of the North Orange County tournament. Loehle finished with 16 points.

Santa Margarita 92, Village Christian 85: The Eagles led by double digits in the fourth quarter before Village Christian made it close. Brayden Kyman scored 24 points and Drew Anderson 19. Freshman Will Conroy had 26 points for Village Christian.

Crespi 79, New York Eagle Academy 72: Cayman Martin finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds for Crespi at St. Joseph in Santa Maria.

St. Francis 68, La Salle 54: Cherif Millogo led St. Francis with 27 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks.

Meridian (Idaho) Owyhee 53, Damien 47: In Idaho, the Spartans put up a fight before falling. Eli Garner had 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Cypress 75, Orange Lutheran 66: Gavin Kroll finished with 25 points for Cypress.

Moorpark 70, Westlake 64: Logan Stotts had 25 points for Moorpark.

Venice 60, Fairfax 50: The Gondoliers picked up an important Western League win. A’Jonn Mitchell finished with 25 points for Venice.

San José Archbishop Mitty 89, Inglewood 84: Jason Crowe Jr. scored 23 points and Cayim White had 21 points for Inglewood.

St. Bernard 75, El Cajon Christian 53: Brandon Granger had 33 points and Chris Rupert scored 17 points for St. Bernard.

Loyola 64, Stockton St. Mary’s 46: Mattai Carter had 19 points for Loyola.

Potomac (Md.) Bullis 70, Redondo Union 62: At DeMatha, Redondo Union received 14 points from Chris Sanders in a defeat.

WINOOSKI, Vt. — A small school district in Vermont was hit with racist and threatening calls and messages after a Somali flag was put up a week ago in response to President Trump referring to Minnesota’s Somali community as “ garbage.”

The Winooski School District began to display the flag Dec. 5 to show solidarity with a student body that includes about 9% people of Somali descent.

“We invited our students and community to come together for a little moment of normalcy in a sea of racist rhetoric nationally,” said Winooski School District Supt. Wilmer Chavarria, himself a Nicaraguan immigrant. “We felt really good about it until the ugliness came knocking Monday morning.”

The Somali flag was flown alongside the Vermont state flag and beneath the United States flag at a building that includes K-12 classrooms and administrative offices. Somali students cheered and clapped, telling administrators the flag flying meant a great deal to them, he said.

What ensued was a deluge of phone calls, voicemails and social media posts aimed at district workers and students. Some school phone lines were shut down — along with the district website — as a way to shield staff from harassment. Chavarria said videos of the event did not also show the U.S. and Vermont flags were still up and spread through right-wing social media apps, leaving out the important context.

“Our staff members, our administrators and our community are overwhelmed right now, and they are being viciously attacked. The content of those attacks is extremely, extremely deplorable. I don’t know what other word to use,” Chavarria said Tuesday.

Mukhtar Abdullahi, an immigrant who serves as a multilingual liaison for families in the district who speak Somali and a related dialect, said, “no one, no human being, regardless of where they come from, is garbage.” Students have asked if their immigrant parents are safe, he said.

“Regardless of what happens, I know we have a strong community,” Abdullahi said. “And I’m very, very, very thankful to be part of it.”

The district is helping law enforcement investigate the continued threats, Chavarria said, and additional police officers have been stationed at school buildings as a precaution.

Winooski, a former mill town of about 8,000 people, is near Burlington, about 93 miles south of Montreal.

Somali refugees came to the area beginning in 2003 as part of a U.S. government approved resettlement plan, according to the Somali Bantu Community Assn. of Vermont.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson called the calls and messages the school received “the actions of individuals who have nothing to do with” Trump.

“Aliens who come to our country, complain about how much they hate America, fail to contribute to our economy, and refuse to assimilate into our society should not be here,” Jackson said in an email late Thursday. “And American schools should fly American flags.”

Federal authorities last week began an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota to focus on Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the U.S. Trump has claimed “they contribute nothing ” and said, “I don’t want them in our country.” The Minneapolis mayor has defended the newcomers, saying they have started businesses, created jobs and added to the city’s cultural fabric. Most are U.S. citizens and more than half of all Somali people in Minnesota were born in the U.S.

At the school district in Vermont, Chavarria said his position as superintendent gave him authority to fly the flag for up to a week without the school board’s explicit approval.

The school district also held an event with catered Somali food, and Chavarria plans to continue to find ways to celebrate its diversity.

“I felt sorrow for the students, the families, the little kids that are my responsibility to keep safe. And it’s my responsibility to make them feel like they belong and that this is their country and this is their school district. This is what we do,” he said.

Swinhart and Scolforo write for the Associated Press. Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Penn.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

AMIT 49, Central City Value 43

Animo Venice 45, New Designs Watts 44

Animo Watts 66, Animo Pat Brown 42

East College Prep 42, Rise Kohyang 39

LA University 73, Bravo 65

Panorama 48, Magnolia Science Academy 14

Stern 65, CNDLC 50

USC Hybrid 37, New Designs University Park 27

Verdugo Hills 39, Canoga Park 21

WISH Academy 64, Burton 14

SOUTHERN SECTION

AAE 68, Crossroads Christian 44

Alemany 79, Valor Academy 26

Alhambra 56, Paramount 54

Alpaugh 61, Coast Union 35

Alta Loma 44, Sierra Vista 34

Aquinas 55, Colony 45

Bell Gardens 50, South El Monte 48

Big Bear 77, Hesperia Christian 44

Bishop Amat 75, San Dimas 47

California Lutheran 65, Mesrobian 39

Capistrano Valley 71, Santa Barbara Providence 44

Carter 73, Riverside Notre Dame 52

Cate 57, Channel Islands 27

Chaffey 50, Rim of the World 19

Chino Hills 78, Chino 55

Claremont 79, Jurupa Valley 38

Coastal Christian 60, Valley Christian Academy 47

Colton 62, Bloomington 55

Corona 69, La Sierra 33

Dana Hills 42, Yorba Linda 40

Dominguez 54, St. Margaret’s 46

Eisenhower 58, Kaiser 43

Elsinore 75, Vista del Lago 38

Entrepreneur 59, NSLA 28

Environmental Charter 43, Compton Early College 24

Esperanza 57, Temescal Canyon 36

Fillmore 59, Castaic 55

Ganesha 47, Azusa 36

Garden Grove Santiago 61, NOVA Academy 24

Harvard-Westlake 68, Valencia 49

La Quinta 48, Twentynine Palms 27

Loma Linda Academy 56, River Springs 10

Long Beach Poly 57, Fairmont Prep 51

Los Altos 65, Irvine University 58

Marina 83, California 66

Monrovia 65, Riverside Prep 49

New Roads 55, EF Academy 41

Oakwood 57, YULA 47

Ontario 61, Arroyo Valley 42

Ontario Christian 92, Charter Oak 52

Oxford Academy 47, Sunny Hills 43

PACS 58, Lancaster Baptist 40

Palm Desert 54, Beaumont 49

Palm Valley 45, Noli Indian 36

Pasadena Poly 55, Keppel 54

Peninsula 46, Valley View 38

Pilgrim 37, TREE Academy 13

Pioneer 88, Hawthorne 34

Placentia Valencia 65, Ocean View 54

Redlands 66, Xavier Prep 23

Royal 99, Del Sol 71

San Bernardino 86, San Jacinto 63

San Marcos 62, Rio Mesa 29

San Marino 75, Schurr 58

Santa Clara 59, Nordhoff 35

Santa Fe 47, Bellflower 35

Shadow Hills 43, Upland 38

Sherman Indian 45, La Sierra Academy 25

St. John Bosco 84, Rancho Cucamonga 49

St. Monica Academy 64, Faith Baptist 63

Summit 55, Citrus Hill 45

Tahquitz 48, Paloma Valley 46

Tarbut V’ Torah 50, Magnolia Science Academy 40

Temecula Prep 63, SJDLCS 21

Thacher 59, Carpinteria 23

Walnut 83, Garey 23

Webb 93, Southwestern Academy 29

West Valley 54, Canyon Springs 51

Yucaipa 58, Norco 37

INTERSECTIONAL

Cathedral Catholic 63, Loyola 62

Crean Lutheran 53, Archbishop Riordan 40

Crespi 79, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Eagle Academy 72

El Camino Real 60, Simi Valley 52

Holy Martyrs Armenian 97, LA Fremont 43

JSerra 71, Millville (Utah) Ridgeline 46

Kern County Taft 50, Paraclete 48

LA Wilson 52, Salesian 43

Maricopa 51, Laton 5

Miami Riviera Prep 98, Inglewood 89

Palos Verdes 73, Rancho Dominguez 50

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Animo Watts 38, Animo Pat Brown 6

East College Prep 44, Rise Kohyang 10

Northridge Academy 69, Sherman Oaks CES 21

Smidt Tech 51, Alliance Bloomfield 12

Torres 39, Jefferson 21

Vaughn 45, East Valley 12

Venice 62, Taft 14

SOUTHERN SECTION

AGBU 42, Hoover 16

Agoura 50, Marymount 43

Alemany 71, Milken 17

Alpaugh 47, Coast Union 36

Bolsa Grande 34, Westminster La Quinta 26

California Military Institute 56, NSLA 8

Camarillo 61, Oaks Christian 58

Chino Hills 63, Alta Loma 24

Claremont 82, Calvary Baptist 42

Compton 41, Firebaugh 4

Compton Early College 18, Animo leadership 12

CSDR 74, Riverside Poly 59

Desert Mirage 42, Calexico Mission 4

Downey 46, South Hills 38

El Modena 60, Orange 50

Foothill Tech 56, Santa Clara 18

Fountain Valley 63, Westminster 18

Garden Grove 48, La Mirada 44

Glendora 75, Katella 36

Golden Valley 45, Royal 35

Hesperia Christian 65, Big Bear 21

Jurupa Valley 40, Rim of the World 19

Knight 51, Quartz Hill 40

Laguna Beach 54, Loara 25

Lancaster 34, Littlerock 12

La Quinta 47, Twentynine Palms 46

Loma Linda Academy 39, River Springs 15

Long Beach Jordan 47, Warren 33

Los Osos 84, Los Altos 36

Lucerne Valley 53, Victor Valley Christian 16

Mayfair 38, Bell Gardens 8

Mira Costa 53, Los Alamitos 34

Moorpark 39, Thacher 36

Notre Dame Academy 48, YULA 43

Palm Springs 43, Indio 26

Paloma Valley 55, Patriot 23

San Marino 43, Mayfield 6

St. Mary’s Academy 53, Eagle Rock 48

St. Monica 47, Oakwood 35

St. Monica Academy 48, Faith Baptist 39

Temecula Prep 58, SJDLCS 13

Temple City 48, Hacienda Heights Wilson 37

Trabuco Hills 61, Fullerton 9

Trinity Classical Academy 56, Santa Monica 39

Tustin 39, Northwood 21

Valley View 39, Riverside North 32

Village Christian 41, Granada Hills 39

Villanova Prep 51, Cate 37

Villa Park 59, La Serna 35

West Covina 45, Temple City 38

Woodbridge 32, Ocean View 22

Yorba Linda 50, La Palma Kennedy 29

INTERSECTIONAL

Clovis West 77, Esperanza 53

Dominguez 54, Marquez 22

Gahr 40, Gardena 34

Laton 39, Maricopa 10

Newbury Park 51, El Camino Real 44

Village Christian 41, Granada Hills 39

When seven distance runners from Anaheim High waiting to cross a street near campus were struck by a car on Wednesday driven by a suspected drunk driver, it once again brought into focus the dangers coaches and athletes must deal with while training on the streets of Southern California.

For Hernan Herrera, the incident brought back memories to his senior year at Monroe High as a member of the cross-country team in 2009. He was struck by a car in North Hills that ran a red light. He said he was hospitalized for weeks with knee and pelvic injuries that required surgery and left him sidelined for months.

Herrera was 17. Now he’s the dean of students and wrestling coach at Monroe. He doesn’t see changing the practice routine used by most high schools running in the neighborhood to fulfill weekly requirements of 45 to 60 miles of training to prepare for competitions.

“Everyone understands accidents happen and there’s no one to blame other than the person behind the wheel,” Herrera said.

Yes, schools could transport students to quieter streets or hilly areas with running trails, but that would lead to additional costs and there are many schools far away from such areas.

Coaches have been assigning adults to supervise street workouts for years. Monroe coach Leo Hernandez said he got his position in 1999 because he could run with his athletes to keep watch over them.

Maybe there needs to be additional meetings and reminders for those running on sidewalks or crossing streets to be cautious and to reinforce following traffic rules while being on the lookout for distracted drivers.

Herrera said athletes must get in their workouts beyond running around the school track to be able to compete well in cross-country or distance races in track and field.

“I don’t think there’s anything to do to mitigate the situation,” he said.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS
BOYS
CITY SECTION
Arleta 61, Chavez 21
Bernstein 51, RFK Community 40
Bravo 70, Roosevelt 63
Canoga Park 68, Reseda 21
Carson 52, Wilmington Banning 44
Central City Value 51, Animo Bunche 46
Chatsworth 69, Sylmar 52
Contreras 51, Mendez 40
Diego Rivera 58, Iovine and Young Center 30
Downtown Magnets 96, Annenberg 20
Fairfax 65, LA University 26
Foshay 94, Horace Mann UCLA Community 49
Garfield 66, South East 33
Granada Hills Kennedy 52, Van Nuys 38
Hawkins 80, Port of Los Angeles 72
Huntington Park 51, South Gate 38
Jefferson 74, Santee 63
King/Drew 58, LA Jordan 52
LACES 38, Westchester 36
LA Hamilton 82, LA Wilson 65
Lincoln 56, Hollywood 40
Locke 60, Dymally 21
Los Angeles 70, Angelou 32
MSAR 39, Bert Corona Charter 38
MSCP 108, Stella 22
Orthopaedic 67, Aspire Ollin 18
Palisades 75, Venice 55
San Fernando 89, Panorama 38
Washington 86, Crenshaw 56
West Adams 58, Manual Arts 48

SOUTHERN SECTION
Ambassador 53, NOVA Academy 42
Anaheim Canyon 77, Norte Vista 63
Apple Valley 92, Barstow 87
Arcadia 58, Pasadena 53
Arroyo 58, El Rancho 51
Banning 61, Rubidoux 57
Bassett 56, EF Academy 30
Capistrano Valley 59, Laguna Beach 47
Chino Hills 68, Corona Santiago 62
Coachella Valley 59, Cathedral City 38
Corona Centennial 79, Calvary Chapel 30
Corona del Mar 64, Great Oak 43
CSDR 59, La Sierra Academy 28
Edgewood 53, Santa Ana Valley 23
Elsinore 65, Murrieta Valley 60
Estancia 64, Nogales 25
Etiwanda 58, Cypress 42
Foothill Tech 49, St. Bonaventure 46
Fountain Valley 65, Irvine University 47
Garden Grove 62, Magnolia 40
Glendora 70, Brea Olinda 65
Glenn 67, Eastside Christian 12
Grace 51, Villanova Prep 38
Heritage Christian 53, Aquinas 29
Holy Martyrs Armenian 60, Calvary Baptist 48
Knight 80, Palmdale 41
La Canada 67, La Puente 21
La Habra 59, Huntington Beach 50
La Palma Kennedy 38, Garden Grove Pacifica 36
Los Alamitos 89, Cerritos 54
Los Altos 83, Savanna 56
Marina 70, Ocean View 37
Mater Dei 90, Jurupa Hills 70
Mayfair 63, Warren 54
Millikan 61, Leuzinger 43
Mission Viejo 67, Sage Hill 60
Monrovia 67, Pomona 22
Montclair 62, Patriot 61
Oaks Christian 77, Simi Valley 32
Orange Vista 72, Heritage 61
Pacific Lutheran 65, Animo Leadership 51
PACS 60, Santa Clarita Christian 46
Paloma Valley 55, Moreno Valley 50
Pasadena Poly 59, Gabrielino 39
Peninsula 61, Temescal Canyon 53
Quartz Hill 73, Lancaster 53
Rancho Verde 83, Sonora 71
Redlands East Valley 81, Grand Terrace 41
Rialto 65, Granite Hills 23
Riverside King 79, Arlington 42
Rolling Hills Prep 79, CAMS 23
Samueli Academy 47, Century 42
San Gabriel 67, Pasadena Marshall 41
Santa Ana 48, Orange 35
Santa Barbara Providence 86, Oak Grove 34
Sierra Canyon 89, Rancho Christian 57
Silver Valley 68, Western Christian 57
Silverado 61, Ridgecrest Burroughs 24
South Hills 36, West Covina 35
St. John Bosco 62, Fairmont Prep 56
St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 83, Whittier 40
Valley View 65, Vista del Lago 64
Vasquez 76, St. Genevieve 68
Verbum Dei 64, Long Beach Wilson 58
Westlake 75, Buckley 62

INTERSECTIONAL
Alemany 66, Granada Hills 65
Duarte 69, CHAMPS 28
Garces Memorial 58, Paraclete 49
Legacy Christian Academy 66, Birmingham 47
Mira Mesa 60, Murrieta Mesa 48
Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 66, Seattle (WA) King’s 35
Rancho Mirage 65, Brawley 58
SEED: LA 85, Magnolia Science Academy 21

GIRLS
CITY SECTION
Animo Bunche 35, Central City Value 33
Annenberg 38, Downtown Magnets 4
Arleta 68, Chavez 6
Bell 50, Legacy 15
Carson 36, Wilmington Banning 33
Diego Rivera 47, Iovine and Young Center 3
Foshay 39, Horace Mann UCLA Community 25
Garfield 62, South East 31
Granada Hills Kennedy 72, Van Nuys 8
Hawkins 79, Port of Los Angeles 32
Huntington Park 57, South Gate 17
LA Fairfax 40, LA University 19
LA Wilson 64, Elizabeth 6
Locke 30, Dymally 10
Los Angeles 30, Angelou 28
Mendez 19, Contreras 16
MSCP 46, Stella 15
Palisades 60, Venice 56
Reseda 36, Canoga Park 18
RFK Community 44, Bernstein 32
San Fernando 54, Panorama 18
San Pedro 78, Rancho Dominguez 7
Verdugo Hills 47, North Hollywood 36
West Adams 51, Manual Arts 12
Westchester 84, LACES 34

SOUTHERN SECTION
Acaciawood 39, Liberty Christian 10
Alemany 74, YULA 34
Aliso Niguel 52, Capistrano Valley 29
Apple Valley 51, Barstow 21
Arcadia 59, Pasadena 29
Banning 33, Rubidoux 16
Carpinteria 54, Nordhoff 39
Carter 65, La Sierra 23
Citrus Valley 56, Perris 30
Colony 45, Fontana 42
Compton Centennial 41, San Gabriel Academy 36
CSDR 66, La Sierra Academy 8
Dana Hills 45, Northwood 40
Dominguez 56, La Puente 24
Fillmore 46, Channel Islands 34
Flintridge Sacred Heart 51, Burbank Providence 32
Garden Grove 33, Los Amigos 29
Glendora 67, Patriot 27
Heritage 74, Chaparral 37
Hesperia Christian 45, Arrowhead Christian 33
Indian Springs 47, Tahquitz 42
La Serna 57, La Habra 28
Long Beach Wilson 46, Whitney 42
Los Amigos 37, Santa Ana Valley 28
Milken 53, Notre Dame Academy 39
Montclair 33, Arroyo 19
Norwalk 66, Workman 24
Ontario Christian 98, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 25
Pasadena Poly 65, Westridge 9
Redlands 60, Arlington 29
Redondo Union 50, Harvard-Westlake 37
Rosamond 57, Desert 13
Rosary Academy 70, Wiseburn Da Vinci 39
St. Lucy’s 25, Bloomington 11
St. Margaret’s 52, El Toro 46
Sunny Hills 47, Paramount 40
Temecula Valley 42, Desert Christian Academy 35
Thousand Oaks 63, Canyon Country Canyon 43
Upland 39, Temescal Canyon 38
Vista Murrieta 48, Ayala 47
Walnut 52, Millikan 40
Yorba Linda 44, Northview 28

INTERSECTIONAL
Birmingham 52, La Canada 41
Centennial (CO) Eagle Crest
Gertz-Ressler 36, Beverly Hills 31

Troy Aikman said he’s “done with NIL” after writing a check to a UCLA football player who never thanked him and went on to leave for another school after one season.

There was a reason for that lack of gratitude, according to one person familiar with the Bruins’ football name, image and likeness operations from that time not authorized to discuss donor information publicly.

The player in question didn’t know who funded his NIL deal, only that it was coming from the team’s collective, Men of Westwood. It was standard practice for players not to know which donors or alumni contributed NIL funds that were distributed to the team.

Aikman, who did not identify the player in his remarks, did receive thanks from Men of Westwood leadership, coach Chip Kelly and athletic director Martin Jarmond, according to the person familiar with the situation.

Aikman, the former UCLA quarterback who led the Bruins to a victory in the 1989 Cotton Bowl before going on to a Pro Football Hall of Fame career with the Dallas Cowboys, voiced his frustrations about NIL on the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch.

“I gave money to a kid, I won’t mention who,” Aikman told Deitsch. “I’ve done it one time at UCLA, never met the young man. He was there a year, he left after the year. I wrote a sizable check, and he went to another school. I didn’t even get so much as a thank-you note. So, it’s one of those deals, to where I’m done with NIL. I want to see UCLA be successful, but I’m done with it.”

Aikman went on to say he believed that players should be able to leave one school for another amid coaching turnover but should have to otherwise stay with the program paying them.

“There’s got to be some leadership at the very top that kind of cleans all of this up,” Aikman said. “Starting with players that accept money. There’s got to be some accountability and responsibility on their behalf, to have to stick to a program.”