It’s business as usual for President Trump’s deportation offensive despite the Republican wipeout in the midterm elections.
In Los Angeles, masked immigration officers in body armor blocked a hospital emergency room driveway in a heavily Latino neighborhood early Saturday. In central Alabama, twin 19-year-old brothers from Venezuela were arrested while driving back to college a day after the election.
Advocates reported arrests from California to Michigan to Massachusetts. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not released numbers.
After Democrats trounced the GOP and won control of the next Congress, Trump said his immigration crackdown may have been “too tough” and suggested it was time to sit down with the rival party.
“I’d love to do something on immigration,” he said in an interview with CBS “60 Minutes” recorded Friday.
Hours later, he named Stephen Miller, the architect of his hard-line immigration agenda, as his new chief of staff. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, meanwhile, said his orders had not changed.
“Deportations will continue,” Mullin wrote in an online post the day after the election, warning that ICE takes no days off and that “this includes on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Election Day.”
María Bilbao, a campaign coordinator for the American Friends Service Committee in Miami, said she has received at least one call a day from someone detained in South Florida since the election.
“Everything remains exactly the same. The arrests have not ceased at all,” Bilbao said.
Florida Highway Patrol officers and ICE agents have detained people in their cars, as well as places including supermarkets, pharmacies and gas stations. Immigrants under supervision have also been arrested when they showed up at ICE’s Miami office for their appointments.
Officers assembled outside a Los Angeles hospital
Erick Gasca, 31, got home Friday night after an evening playing board games with friends. He lives near Adventist Health White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles.
An “unprecedented” number of vehicles with tinted windows and no license plates were parked near the hospital’s emergency room entrance, he said.
“I thought they were going to raid the hospital or something,” he recalled.
The Department of Homeland Security declined to explain the officers’ presence there, though Bill Essayli, the top Justice Department prosecutor in Los Angeles, said they were bringing a detainee for medical treatment. Essayli said two people were arrested for assaulting federal agents.
“ICE does not target hospitals, schools, or churches,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
The agents’ presence attracted some 30 residents and passersby. Footage shot by Gasca’s cousin, Michelle Rivera, shows protesters shouting and officers pinning someone down.
The hospital said it wasn’t involved.
“White Memorial does not participate in immigration enforcement,” hospital president Daniel Fontoura said in a statement, adding it would not let such activities “compromise our commitment to patient care and safety.”
A couple is arrested at the Phoenix airport
A married couple from Orlando, Fla., was arrested Saturday at the airport in Phoenix while traveling to a funeral.
Gustavo Romanello and Agustin Baccega, both from Argentina, have work permits while they seek asylum after entering the United States about six years ago, according to Jonathan Batchelor, a family friend.
Batchelor was on the phone with them at the time. A mutual friend died Friday and the couple was visiting for the funeral Saturday. As the couple left the airport, two casually dressed officers asked if one was Agustin Baccega. Batchelor heard the officer say, “Asylum seekers are not in the United States legally.”
Batchelor said he could hear Romanello walking alongside his husband during the arrest and asking the officers how to collect his things. Batchelor said they then asked what his name was, “and then the guard said, ‘Oh, do you have another set of handcuffs? This is another one.’”
The voices grew distant, and the call then ended.
Both men remain in detention centers. They worked as acrobats in Florida and had no criminal record, Batchelor said.
“This is just taking good people who have been following the rules out of their lives and out of the lives of those who rely upon them and care about them,” Batchelor said.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the arrests.
Twin brothers seized while driving back to college
The brothers were headed back to college after visiting their parents when they were stopped in a small city in central Alabama.
Luis and Carlos Orta-Santoro, 19-year-olds born in Venezuela and living in the U.S. for four years, are soccer players at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Ala.
Relatives say they have pending asylum applications, valid work permits, and no criminal records. Both are now in an immigration detention facility.
“Our family is devastated,” said their aunt, Carolina Orta.
Homeland Security said that while they had entered the country legally, they had “overstayed in defiance of our laws,” and their case would be heard by an immigration judge. It said pending asylum applications do not confer legal status in the U.S.
The school said in a statement, “Both young men are valued members of the Wallace State community, and our thoughts are with them during this difficult time. We sincerely hope for a positive resolution to their situation.”
A Haitian boy is taken into custody, drawing protests in San Diego
An 8-year-old Haitian boy had been living with his uncle in San Diego since his father was deported last year. The uncle, who is not a legal guardian, took him to an ICE office when the boy was summoned Nov. 4 and taken into custody.
That left the boy “without the support of their family, community and their school,” according to a letter to top administration officials from San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Fabi Bagula and school board members.
“Children should not lose access to education simply because of circumstances unfolding around them,” they wrote.
ICE has defended its actions.
Johny Oxeda, pastor of the Fairmount Haitian Community Church, which helped get legal representation for the boy, said he’ll ultimately benefit by going through legal channels.
Activists, though, were furious.
“This is not child protection,” said Guerline Jozef of Haitian Bridge Alliance, adding, “this is state-inflicted trauma.”
Gonzalez and Sullivan write for the Associated Press. AP reporters Gisela Salomon in Miami and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
And the direct route between Brighton and London Victoria will be diverted via Horsham and Littlehampton – with a longer journey time.
Replacement buses available during the railway line closure include:
Passengers are being urged to plan ahead for travel between February 13 and 21Source: EPA
Between Three Bridges and Brighton, calling at all stations
Between Three Bridges and Lewes, via Haywards Heath and Cooksbridge
Between Three Bridges and Haywards Heath
Between Haywards Heath and Plumpton
Between Lewes and East Grinstead, on weekdays only
Travellers heading between Brighton and Hove and Gatwick or London are being encouraged to use the trains still, rather than the replacement buses.
Works being carried out include replacing the rails at Plumpton and Preston Park and renewing the track, switches and crossings at Keymer Junction near Wivelsfield.
Balcombe Tunnel will also undergo structural work and the Clayton Tunnel will get new rails.
Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s Sussex route director, said: “We know closing the railway is an inconvenience, but the extended closure over February half-term 2027 allows us to deliver a huge volume of work at once, avoiding repeated disruption across multiple weekends or during the busy summer season.”
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CIF SOCAL REGIONALS TUESDAY’S RESULTS First Round
DIVISION I #1 Harvard-Westlake d. #16 Francis Parker, 25-17, 25-19, 25-19 #8 San Juan Hills d. #9 Newport Harbor, 25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 25-19 #5 Murrieta Valley d. #12 Corona Centennial, 25-20, 20-25, 23-25, 27-25, 15-12 #4 Redondo Union d. #13 Corona del Mar, 25-23, 25-17, 21-25, 25-23 #14 Coronado d. #3 Long Beach Poly, 19-25, 25-19, 25-27, 25-22, 15-11 #11 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame d. #6 Frontier, 15-25, 25-17, 25-18, 21-25, 15-13 #7 San Luis Obispo d. #10 Orange Lutheran, 21-25, 21-25, 25-15, 25-22, 15-12 #15 Bishop’s d. #2 Marymount, 25-18, 25-19, 23-25, 22-25, 15-13
DIVISION II #16 Mission College Prep d. #1 Bakersfield Centennial, 20-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-21, 15-11 #8 Bakersfield Liberty d. #9 Cerritos Valley Christian, 25-20, 25-22, 25-23 #5 Santa Fe Christian d. #12 Arroyo Grande, 25-18, 20-25, 25-17, 26-28, 17-15 #13 Vista Murrieta d. #4 La Jolla Country Day, 25-17, 12-25, 25-18, 25-30 #14 Glendora d. #3 San Dieguito Academy, 19-20, 27-25, 25-14, 20-25, 19-17 #6 Newbury Park d. #11 Mission Vista, 25-17, 25-21, 25-22 #10 Westview d. #7 Crescenta Valley, 25-23, 25-15, 25-23 #2 North County San Marcos d. #15 Portola, 25-13, 25-18, 25-23
DIVISION III #1 Santa Barbara d. #16 Villa Park, 25-20, 25-16, 22-25, 25-15 #9 Steele Canyon d. #8 Venice, 25-15, 25-22, 14-25, 23-25, 15-5 #5 Woodland Hills Taft d. #12 Oceanside, 21-25, 25-20, 21-25, 25-23, 15-11 #4 Helix d. #13 Palisades, 25-22, 25-17, 19-25, 25-23 #3 Sage Creek d. #14 La Serna, 25-11, 25-21, 25-23 #6 Cleveland d. #11 El Toro, 19-25, 25-12, 28-26, 25-19 #10 Westridge d. #7 Atascadero, 27-25, 25-20, 25-19, 22-25, 15-13 #2 Point Loma d. #15 Winchester Liberty, 25-16, 22-25, 26-24, 25-21
DIVISION IV #1 El Camino Real, bye #8 Placentia Valencia d. #9 Sherman Oaks CES, 25-21, 25-19, 25-21 #5 Chatsworth d. #12 Tri-City Christian, 26-24, 25-14, 25-15 #4 Granada Hills d. #13 Tustin, 28-26, 23-25, 16-25, 25-14, 15-11 #3 Castaic d. #14 San Pedro, 25-19, 25-22, 25-20 #11 Fullerton d. #5 Eagle Rock, 3-1 #7 Capistrano Valley d. #10 Granada Hills Kennedy, 25-10, 25-16, 20-25, 25-19 #2 Lakewood d. #15 Northview, 26-24, 25-22, 25-14
DIVISION V #1 Rio Mesa, bye #8 San Diego Hoover d. #9 Narbonne, 27-25, 25-11, 25-23 #5 Bakersfield North d. #12 San Fernando Arroyo, 3-0 #4 Strathmore d. #13 El Monte Arroyo, 25-15, 25-10, 25-13 #3 Desert Christian Academy d. #14 Tarbut V’ Torah, 25-11, 25-17, 25-15 #6 Maywood CES d. #11 Orange, 3-0 #7 Rancho Mirage d. #10 Huntington Park, 25-15, 25-22, 25-11 #2 San Gabriel Academy d. #15 La Quinta, 25-22, 25-21, 14-25, 25-19
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE First Round
OPEN DIVISION #8 Los Alamitos at #1 Mater Dei #5 Mira Costa at #4 San Diego Cathedral #6 Santa Margarita at #3 Torrey Pines #7 Oaks Christian at #2 Sierra Canyon
Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions I-V) Nov. 12 at higher seeds; Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 14 at higher seeds; Finals (all divisions) Nov. 17 at higher seeds; State Finals Nov. 20 at Santiago College.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. Remember when Kobe Bryant said, “I’m a girl dad” in 2018? If only he could see how far everyone has come. JSerra’s unbeaten flag football team, led by sophomore Tessa Russell and many others, is an example. Let’s explain.
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The rise of a phenom
Standout JSerra receiver Tessa Russell.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
In 2018, when Hall of Fame basketball player Kobe Bryant said, “I’m a girl dad,” it helped ignite a movement that continues today. Female athletes are gaining attention aided by dads who were great athletes themselves.
Tessa Russell, the daughter of former NFL safety Brian Russell, is on a journey in flag football that could take her to unprecedented success in a high school sport that is only four years old as an official sport in the Southern Section.
LIONS POSTGAME: Sophomore Kate Meier threw for 262 yards and four touchdowns, including three to fellow sophomore Tessa Russell (who had 12 catches for 153 yards), to help spark the JSerra Girls Flag Football team to a 40-14 win over the Newport Harbor Sailors in the CIF-SS Open Division Championship Game at Huntington Beach High School.
Meier and Russell gave insight to their electric connection two plays into the game, the source of the special chemistry between them, and cherishing the moment of completing a magical undefeated season with another CIF-SS championship.
“I’d say nobody,” JSerra coach Brian Ong said. “I think it’s her dedication. When you are dedicated to something and practice it over and over and you constantly challenge yourself, it appears to look easy.”
Russell has spent countless hours catching passes under the watchful eyes of her father. She started playing flag football with boys in a youth league at 8, about the time of Bryant’s comment.
“I definitely heard a lot about how much Kobe Bryant put into women’s sports and how much he tried to make it something we could do as we got older,” Tessa said. “And I’m really grateful he was able to make it bigger for us and make it at a bigger stage.
“I think it was really important, because looking where we are today, I think it’s been such a big improvement from then to now. Flag football is on a big stage, too, and hopefully it will keep growing as the Olympics come here.”
She also had 10 interceptions for a 28-0 JSerra team that ended its season Saturday with another Southern Section championship and a 56-game winning streak. The Lions defeated Newport Harbor 40-14.
Imagine what she might look like over two more years of high school flag football. She’s hoping she can inspire others to join the sport and help teach lessons to younger girls.
“It’s definitely cool to see the sport grow,” she said.
Damir Peraza (50) starts the Sun Valley Poly victory celebration after 20-0 Division I playoff win over Marshall.
(Craig Weston / For The Times)
The opening week of playoff action had only three No. 1 seeds out of 14 divisions go down to defeat in the Southern Section and none in the four City Section divisions. In other words, most of the favorites won, which should lead to great quarterfinal games Friday.
One of the major City upsets was No. 12-seeded Sun Valley Poly defeating No. 5 Marshall 20-0 behind King Exusdus’ 174 yards rushing. Here’s the report.
The City Open Division playoffs begin, with No. 1 Carson a huge favorite. The best opening matchup could be No. 3 Cleveland hosting No. 6 Crenshaw in a rematch of a nonleague game won by Cleveland.
The Southern Section Division 1 playoffs begin, with Mater Dei playing Corona Centennial at Santa Ana Stadium in another rematch that the Monarchs won earlier this season.
The most drama of the week occurred at Chaparral, where the death of 16-year-old linebacker Connor Rioson Wednesday tested coaches, players, friends and family members. They were in mourning and trying to figure out how to honor Rios. Chaparral decided to play its Division 2 playoff game against Orange and advanced.
Quarterback Ryan Rakowski runs for a first down during Palos Verdes’ 38-20 playoff win over Gardena Serra on Nov. 6, 2026.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
One of the best Division 2 games on Friday is another rematch matching Bay League rivals Palos Verdes and Inglewood. Palos Verdes opened with a win over Gardena Serra. Here’s the report. Inglewood advanced by eliminating unbeaten Huntington Beach.
Only one player gets to play quarterback, which leads to the backups looking for more playing time at other schools. It happens every year, and the schools that end up starting sophomores or taking in transfers can really see an exodus of backups.
St. John Bosco and Mater Dei have successful programs, and it’s been tough to keep their backups from leaving.
Among the former Mater Dei quarterbacks who left are Trevor Scott (Long Beach Poly), Furian Inferrera (Mission Hills), Reagan Toki (Orange Lutheran) and Ayden Edwards (Tustin).
Former St. John Bosco quarterbacks include Seth Solorio (San Pedro), Brodie Scheinberg (Newbury Park) and Gharam Lunzer (Valley Christian).
If you take a look who’s starting on the freshman and JV teams, it’s tough to keep them waiting their turn on varsity.
San Juan Hills has two former San Clemente quarterbacks in Eiler King and Preston Getz.
Two former Sierra Canyon quarterbacks, Kris Carranza and Delvin Young, are starting at Agoura and Birmingham, respectively.
Chaparral’s Dane Weber was a roadblock, so Alexander Doucette (Etiwanda), Trent Lux (Great Oak) and Julian Gallardo (Winchester Liberty) are at other schools.
Two former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame quarterbacks, Cooper Berry and Donovan Shirley, have been starting at Cathedral and Salesian, respectively. Two former Chaminade quarterbacks, Cameron Pooley and Tahj Skinner, are at Mater Dei and Notre Dame.
It’s one of the toughest challenges for coaches convincing backups to stick around because they are one injury away from playing, but few are willing to stick out, which is why one solution is to play multiple quarterbacks.
The ringer at Cleveland
Shiloh Wickliffe was a late edition to Cleveland’s unbeaten football team.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Cleveland is 10-0 and seeded No. 3 in the City Section Open Division playoffs. And let’s just say Shiloh Wickliffe deciding to come out for the football team in the middle of the season was great timing.
Calll him Cleveland’s ringer. He was a second baseman for the baseball team but had played football his freshman year at Sierra Canyon. His arrival has been big for the Cavaliers. Here’s the report.
Girls volleyball
Mater Dei players celebrate after beating Sierra Canyon in four sets to win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship on Nov. 7, 2026.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
It was No. 1 vs. No. 2 to decide the Southern Section Division 1 girls’ volleyball championship, and Mater Dei prevailed over Sierra Canyon in four games.
Making its fourth finals appearance in five seasons, Taft defeated West Valley League rival Cleveland in five thrilling sets at Birmingham High to claim the City Section Open Division championship — its seventh City title under coach Arman Mercado since he took over the program in 2000.
Harbor Teacher sophomore Layla Phillips watches her tee shot soar down the fairway at the CIF City Section Championships at Balboa Golf Course in Encino on Nov. 5, 2026.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Sophomore Layla Phillips of Harbor Teacher defended her City Section individual golf championship last week. Granada Hills won the team title.
In the semifinals, Newport Harbor defeated Oaks Christian 13-8. JSerra defeated Harvard-Westlake 11.
The finals will be at Mt. SAC.
Notes . . .
Cherif Millogo of St. Francis has committed to Kentucky.
(Craig Weston)
Cherif Millogo, a 7-foot-5 senior at St. Francis, has committed to Kentucky….
Addison Archer, the state girls’ basketball freshman player of the year last season by CalHiSports.com when she played for Rancho Christian, will be eligible at Mater Dei as a sit-out period transfer student. Mater Dei has also been waiting to see if Ontario Christian transfer Tatianna Griffin becomes eligible. She has been “under review” for weeks in the Southern Section transfer portal. Griffin is one of the top juniors in the state…
Girls basketball standout Charis Rainey of Windward has committed to USC…
Junior pitcher Steven Genovese III of Valencia has committed to UC Santa Barbara….
This morning, Pasadena High informed me that my time as head football coach has come to an end. Thank you to our players, families, coaching staff, and the Pasadena and Altadena communities for your support. My full statement is below. https://t.co/0WNB98dB5K
Ron Jones, who guided Pasadena to a Southern Section football title in 2024, has been dismissed as head coach after the team was forced to discontinue this season because of lack of players….
Ken Holsenbeck has resigned as football coach at Canyon Country Canyon after five years as head coach….
Mario Morales has stepped down as football coach at Lakewood….
Coley Candaele is stepping down as football coach at Vista Murrieta after his second stint as head coach. He’s been at Vista Murrieta for 32 years, 17 in football. Alex Rosenblum, who joined the staff this year from Murrieta Valley, is expected to be a candidate to be promoted….
Lance Neal has retired as football coach at Century….
Jarid Allchin has resigned as football coach at Santa Ana….
Frank Sanchez, who was head baseball coach at Hart, an assistant coach for USC’s 1995 national championship team and head coach at Pepperdine, died on Nov. 4. He was 73….
Loyola High, the all-boys school near downtown Los Angeles, has added a 13th sport to its program: wrestling….
After concerns from schools whether baseball and football fields would be reseeded, a Los Angeles Unified School District spokeswoman said, “The District is committed to providing safe, well-maintained athletic facilities for students, families, and the community. Reseeding of LAUSD baseball and football fields is underway. At some campuses, the work began about a month later than planned. The District’s Maintenance and Operations teams maintain the fields and carry out the reseeding.”
From the archives: Steven Perez
Former Banning safety Steven Perez in 2024 when he was a 16-year-old senior the first month of the season.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Former Wilmington Banning football standout Steven Perez has become a star in his freshman season at Wyoming.
After redshirting last season, Perez ranks second on the team in solo tackles with 28 and 54 overall playing linebacker. He’s grown to 6 feet 1, 231 pounds.
What a catch by Soph Steven Perez of Banning. https://t.co/QjKmwIMrgd
At Banning, he could play any position, including quarterback. He was All-City and expected to keep getting better because of his work ethic and the fact he played the first month of his senior year at the age of 16.
Corona Centennial’s JD McKinley (Cal), Boogie Williams (Wyoming), Keawe Browne (Boise State), Dominick Catalano (Pomona-Pitzer) all starting as true freshmen. Pick the right school, not the biggest.
HUGE mark today at the Pioneer League Finals, where Palos Verdes senior Lucas Nulman smashed the course record on the very difficult PV Course in 15:34.5. The previous record (Jonah Diaz, 15:43.1) came in 2011! The 📸 from today by the legendary Bill Leung! https://t.co/Gmn47TgKxy
In this week’s episode of ‘Friday Night Live,’ @latsondheimer + @RandyRosenbloom talk to Garfield All-City running back Ceasar Reyes, who has rushed for nearly 2,500 yards amid a standout season. https://t.co/kOmLLYheUD
Click bait in 2026 continues to rise because people are desperate for attention and desperate to get money off it. I would never continue past my 50 years covering high school sports if that was my job but others need to get paid so I understand. Yes, you have to pay for a subscription to LA Times but it is not click bait. It is trying to present facts and make a difference in the lives of this community.
We met him as a 6-year-old.
Now 10 years later, Jaden Soong has been named to the US national junior team for a second time. This honor comes just months after winning the Junior PGA championship.
#golf #abc7eyewitness #scga #PGA https://t.co/2qftuCrTk9
After attending USC Sports Business seminar, some interesting things to report: Those creating content are much in demand by ESPN and others and it doesn’t matter what platform you’re using. Many agents are no longer lawyers. They’re daily recruiters, so maybe hire a lawyer to look over a contract. There’s a shifting landscape in college sports. Big schools that once welcomed documentaries on their teams no longer want it. Look for the little school and find a good story to tell.
Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.
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Note:City Section Finals Thursday, Nov. 12 at Palisades (Division I at 5 p.m., Open Division at 7 p..m.);Southern Section Finals (all divisions) Saturday, Nov. 14 at Mt. San Antonio College.
Golden Valley 9, Buckley 9 (Golden Valley wins on games)
Esperanza 11, Bishop Montgomery 7
Long Beach Wilson 14, Cerritos Valley Christian 4
Laguna Blanca 13, Burbank Burroughs 5
La Salle 14, Chaparral 4
Simi Valley 10, Village Christian 8
Thacher 11, San Marcos 7
Santa Barbara 15, La Canada 3
DIVISION 6
Montclair 10, Century 8
Segerstrom 12, Western 6
Carpinteria 9, Brea Olinda 9 (Carpinteria wins on games)
Katella 11, Glendale 7
St. Margaret’s 13, Ridgecrest Burroughs 5
Maranatha 14, Westminster 4
Orange County Pacifica Christian 10, Lakewood St. Joseph 8
Downey 10, Gahr 8
DIVISION 7
Redlands East Valley 11, Garden Grove Santiago 7
Royal 12, El Modena 6
Castaic 12, Alhambra 6
Mayfair 13, Corona 5
Canoga Park AGBU 18, Temescal Canyon 0
Cajon 9, Summit 9 (Cajon wins on games)
Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 12, Tahquitz 6
Milken 14, Azusa 4
DIVISION 8
Granite Hills 11, YULA 7
Carter 10, Pasadena 8
Santa Paula 11, Riverside Notre Dame 7
Foothill Tech 12, de Toledo 6
Lakeside 10, Palm Springs 8
Grand Terrace at Rio Mesa
Canyon Springs 10, Grand Terrace 8
Nordhoff 10, Costa Mesa 8
Rosemead 12, Magnolia 6
Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions 2-8) Nov. 9 at higher seeds; Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 11 at higher seeds; Finals (Divisions 1-4) Nov. 13 at University of Redlands. Finals (Divisions 5-8) Nov. 13 at The Claremont Club.
A look at the top performers from high school football games across the Southland this week.
RUSHING
• CJ Dickerson, La Habra: Rushed for 203 yards in win over Etiwanda.
• Grady Long, La Serna: Rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns, passed for 136 yards in win over Valencia.
• King Exusdus, Sun Valley Poly: Rushed for 174 yards and one touchdown in win over Marshall.
• Marlon Watson, Inglewood: Rushed for 197 yards and two touchdowns in win over Huntington Beach.
• Ayden Bias, Bishop Amat: Rushed for 289 yards and three touchdowns in loss to Oxnard Pacifica.
• Joseph Lara, Bonita: Rushed for 224 yards and two touchdowns in loss to Great Oak.
• Dominik Hardy, Calabasas: Rushed for 276 yards in win over Glendora.
• Raphael Graham, Cathedral: Rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns in win over Cypress.
• Raphael Graham, Cathedral: Rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns in win over Cypress.
PASSING
• Lincoln Jahn, Inglewood: Passed for 255 yards and four touchdowns in win over Huntington Beach.
• Magnus Merriman, Viewpoint: Passed for 220 yards and two touchdowns in win over Hemet.
• Kale Murphy, Downey: Passed for 258 yards and three touchdowns in win over Newbury Park.
• Brady Edmunds, Huntington Beach: Passed for 379 yards and three touchdowns in loss to Inglewood.
• Ryan Rakowski, Palos Verdes: Completed 11 of 14 passes for 248 yards and one touchdown, rushed for 85 yards and one touchdown in win over Gardena Serra.
• Bradley Cassier, St. Monica: Completed 24 of 30 passes for 409 yards and three touchdowns in win over Los Altos.
• Taylor Lee, Oxnard Pacifica: Passed for 346 yards and five touchdowns in win over Bishop Amat.
• Bryce Johnson, South East: Passed for 302 yards and one touchdown in win over Fremont.
• Thaddeus Breaux, Hamilton: Passed for 308 yards and six touchdowns in win over South Gate.
• Dutch Burbidge, Charter Oak: Passed for 228 yards and three touchdowns in win over Vista del Lago.
• Trent Lux, Great Oak: Passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns in win over Bonita.
RECEIVING
• Jack Norman, Dana Hills: Had five receptions for 181 yards in win over Westlake.
• Alijah Royster, Oxnard Pacifica: Caught four passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns vs. Bishop Amat.
• Zion Anderson, Long Beach Poly: Made five catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns in win over Norco.
DEFENSE
• Ceasar Reyes, Garfield: Had two interceptions, including a pick six, and rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns in win over Taft.
• Blake Shingleton, Quartz Hill: Recorded two sacks in win over Hart.
• Hudson Manning, Chaminade: Had four sacks in win over Corona del Mar.
• Weston Reis, Palos Verdes: Returned interception 25 yards for a touchdown in win over Gardena Serra.
• Elijah Williams, Chaminade: Made game-winning pick-six interception in win over Corona del Mar.
• Abel Carreles, South East: Had four sacks in win over Fremont.
• Gianni Haynes, Cathedral: Returned interception 80 yards for touchdown in win over Cypress.
• Sammy Timu, Long Beach Poly: Had two sacks in win over Norco.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Kaden Nesen, Oaks Christian: Made 38-yard field goal at end of regulation to send game into OT in loss to Temecula Valley.
• Mateo Akerman, Corona del Mar: Made 44-yard field goal in loss to Chaminade.
• Mateo Akerman, San Juan Hills: Made field goals of 35 and 38 yards in win over Tustin, making him 10 of 11 on attempts this season.
• Landon Perkins, Long Beach Poly: Returned punt for touchdown in win over Norco.
As the clock ticks down for the Senate to pass the so-called Sunshine Protection Act to mandate year-round daylight saving time in most of the United States, President Trump on Wednesday said he planned to “keep fighting” for the change.
“Too bad the Senate has not yet approved the Sunshine Protection Act or, the I Don’t Want to Change My Clocks Anymore Act,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Daylight saving time ended on Sunday, Nov. 1, meaning clocks in most of the United States fell back one hour at 2 a.m. Daylight saving time will begin again on March 14, 2027, unless the bill passes both chambers and is signed by Trump before then.
In his post, Trump lamented that it was dark by 5:31 p.m. “Just a few days ago it was so nice and sunny at this same time,” he said.
“I didn’t want to make a big deal out of this prior to the Election because I didn’t want to have certain Senators lose their Race, in a landslide, but it is too bad they can’t get it done,” Trump said.
Trump continued: “We have far bigger priorities, but I will keep fighting for this!”
Although permanent daylight saving time would mean brighter winter evenings, it would also mean darker winter mornings.
If the legislation were to pass, Los Angeles would see its latest sunrise of the year at 8 a.m. Sacramento would see sunrise as late as 8:24 a.m., and San Francisco as late as 8:25 a.m.
The debate over timekeeping has pitted some golf course owners — who argue that later sunsets are good for business as it gives people more daylight to play golf after work — against doctors, who say the darker mornings and brighter evenings of permanent daylight saving time weaken the circadian clock for many people.
Trump owns golf courses across the United States, including in New Jersey, North Carolina, Washington, D.C., and on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
At times, the debate has turned ugly. In October, Trump appeared to share the cellphone number of a vocal critic of the legislation, Sen. Tom Cotton telling his supporters to contact the Arkansas Republican.
Cotton has long argued that the late sunrises in the winter would mean students would need to walk to school in the dark and risk being struck by drivers — as was the case in 1974 when the U.S. briefly adopted year-round daylight saving time to combat an energy crisis.
Arizona resident Jay Pea, a former software engineer and the founder of the nonprofit Save Standard Time, also wants to put an end to the twice-annual clock adjustments.
But he’s not a fan of permanent daylight saving time, which he said would particularly burden outdoor workers, such as construction crews, farmers and groundskeepers, who would probably have to start their days in the dark.
“It makes you get up one hour earlier. It makes you start work in school one hour earlier,” Pea told The Times on Thursday. “Nobody’s calling up his congressman and saying, ‘Hey, can you make me go to work an hour earlier? Can you make me set my alarm an hour earlier?’ But that’s what DST [daylight saving time] does.”
Pea favors year-round standard time. It keeps clocks aligned with the sun, he said. He supports an alternative proposal, the Sunshine for Our Kids Act, which was introduced in July by Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.).
The proposal would make standard time the default year-round but give states the ability to opt out. That legislation remains stalled in the House, according to Pea.
Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed reporting.
Film student Angela Henderson was collecting her thoughts, resting on the patio of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts on a recent sunny afternoon while listening to music on her headphones as she stared into the sky. Henderson was taking a short break after applying for dozens of Hollywood jobs.
The 22-year-old cinema and media studies student graduates in December, and she’s admittedly “a little freaked out” by what awaits her.
“What if one day, I am one of those people that ends up losing a job?” Henderson said.
She isn’t wrong to wonder.
Partly fueled by media consolidation, waves of layoffs have swept across the industry, bringing job cuts to Netflix, Walt Disney and Warner Bros., recently acquired by Paramount-Skydance.
Productions keep leaving the state and artificial intelligence and vertical video are reshaping what gets made and who makes it.
Yet aspiring actors, screenwriters and directors, many of them film school students like Henderson, are still making the pilgrimage to Los Angeles. The Times spoke with some of these students about how they plan to navigate today’s Hollywood. Most are clear-eyed about the odds, and none of them are planning to quit.
“Some of us can see a lot of doom and gloom,” said Miranda Banks, a professor of film, television and media studies at Loyola Marymount University. “But this generation has their eye on the power of human creativity in a way that I’m not sure any of us in other generations have been so attuned to.”
She thinks many of her students have a good chance at making it if they are “savvy and strategic” about where the industry is headed.
“We’ve had a lot of unprecedented years, a lot of years with strange things that have impacted the industry and made things particularly challenging,” Banks added. “That has happened before. It will continue to happen.”
Gianna Jordano, a freshman film and television production major at Loyola Marymount University, is photographed on a film stage inside the Wil and Mary Jane Von der Ahe Communication Arts Building, which houses LMU’s School of Film and Television.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Gianna Jordano, Loyola Marymount University, 19
When Gianna Jordano first applied to film schools, she said she knew the industry was in a bit of a “slump stage.” With fewer movies being made, the impact of AI and an overall lack of jobs, the Huntington Beach native said she was nervous about pursuing a career in the film business.
But after seeing movies like “Primetime,” “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” in theaters this year, Jordano is more inspired than ever.
“My friends and I’ve all been watching all of these new movies, and we’re saying, ‘This is what we want to do. This is what I want to pursue in the future and be able to achieve,’” said the film and TV production major. “I feel less nervous now.”
After graduation, she plans to work her way up to directing — even if that means taking other jobs such as teaching and working in a restaurant to achieve her dream.
“The more open-minded you are, and the more willing you are to work, the easier it is to find a job, even if you’re maybe not always on the best set or doing the job that you want to do,” Jordano said.
Teddy Abularach, left, and Mitch Linebaugh, both 18, visit the Herbert E. Farmer Motion Picture Technology Collection at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Teddy Abularach and Mitch Linebaugh,USC, 18
Freshman screenwriting majors Teddy Abularach and Mitch Linebaugh had recently moved to L.A. from New York City and Des Moines, respectively, to pursue careers in screenwriting.
Despite shared concerns about landing jobs after graduation, both are determined to succeed in the business. .
“We’re just gonna have to work that much harder to get a job. I’m already preparing myself for a brutal postgrad life,” Abularach said. “I wouldn’t be happy if I were in another job. … Even if there’s a small chance for me to succeed and be able to pay the bills and do something that I love, it’s worth it.”
They aren’t blind to the challenges of being a screenwriter.
But Linebaugh said he worries that “everything is just going to become so uniform,” as the industry seems to lean too heavily on algorithms and audiences’ preferences.
“I don’t think people in this industry will let that happen — everyone from the writers to even the executives,” Linebaugh said. “I know the stereotype is that they like to keep their jobs, but I remain hopeful that they want to make good movies too.”
The two 18-year-olds moved to the city with every intention of staying, even as the industry’s local footprint hollows out.
Linebaugh said he’s going to give screenwriting his all, and if it doesn’t work out, he will consider graduate school or entertainment law.
Abularach said there’s no “plan B outside of entertainment.”
He’s already preparing for the life.
“I still can’t get the stereotype out of my head of the L.A. writer who does all the things in L.A., like taking pitch meetings, getting coffee and being in writers’ rooms,” added Abularach.
UCLA film student Tomas Carrasco, center, has makeup applied by UCLA student Song Diqiong, right, before performing in his short film, “D-Facer, Reality Break,” on the set inside Melnitz Hall on the UCLA campus. He wrote, produced, starred in and directed his short film.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Tomas Carrasco, UCLA, 25
In a hallway lined with movie posters in UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, Tomas Carrasco was in the middle of preparing to shoot his senior capstone film: a surreal horror comedy. The senior, who’s on the director’s track of UCLA’s film and television program, said he isn’t “afraid necessarily about where the industry’s heading because there’s always going to be space for artists.”
Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, Carrasco was always fascinated by moviemaking. His father worked as a soap opera editor and would sometimes bring him to set, where he learned to love the “feeling of being around people making stuff.”
He started his film education at Santa Monica College, where he took every film class offered. Now, he has his sights set on production design.
For all his artistic leanings, he said he’s well aware that movies are products that need to make money. Because of that, he sees more of the industry turning toward technology instead of taking art-centered risks.
“I see the mergers that are happening and all the AI stuff sucks. I don’t like it,” Carrasco said. “But I still have to come into class every day and do my homework. I’m thinking about where the industry is heading, but it takes up as much space as a movie idea.”
As he prepares for an uncertain future, Carrasco plans to keep working at his family’s Northridge cafe, Mate Conmigo, where he can pursue his creative ambitions while maintaining a stable job.
“I do want it as a career path, and I don’t want to be naive,” he said. “But you have to kind of be naive. You have to be delusional about wanting to have a career in the arts.”
USC film student Angela Henderson, 22, stands next to a photo of director Orson Welles at the Herbert E. Farmer Motion Picture Technology Collection at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Angela Henderson, USC, 22
For Henderson, part of the job-induced anxiety is simple math.
“Unfortunately, it’s so hard to be able to separate myself from it,” she said. “There are hundreds of people in film programs here who all want to have the same jobs and careers.”
Raised in Eagle Rock by two musician parents, Henderson always had the world of entertainment within reach. At 10, she took up acting and started doing theater and commercials. She began college at UC Berkeley, where she realized she didn’t want to be only in front of the camera, but also to study the medium from behind it. She transferred to USC with dreams of following filmmakers like Greta Gerwig, who got their start in writing and directing their own projects.
If it takes a while for Henderson to break into the industry, so be it. She said she’s open to any kind of job, including assistant work and food service.
But Henderson said her generation of filmmakers doesn’t feel discouraged, so much as eager to incite change. They’re largely tired, she said, of watching Hollywood “recycle the same material over and over again,” and want to bring new stories to the table.
“It does feel like we’re on the verge of something new. There’s a breakthrough that’s about to happen,” Henderson said. “With all the verticals happening, and the AI slop stuff happening on social media, there’s also like this huge renaissance in indie movies … there’s still this hope that there’s something new that’s going to come.”
A look at two of this week’s top high school football games in the Southland:
Friday
Gardena Serra (5-5) at Palos Verdes (9-1), 7 p.m. Somehow Serra upset Sherman Oaks Notre Dame last week, then won a coin flip to finish in third place in the Mission League. The reward is a rematch against a Palos Verdes team it lost to 17-14 in the season opener on Aug. 14. All eyes will be on AJ McBean, the star Serra running who played sparingly in league play because of a hamstring injury. Will he play? Serra will be doing everything possible to make sure the duo of Ryan Rakowski and Jalen Flowers stays quiet. The pick: Palos Verdes.
Sun Valley Poly (9-1) at Marshall (10-0), 2 p.m. Two league champions meet in a City Section Division 1 opener. Marshall quarterback Nathaniel Cadet left its win over Eagle Rock with a shoulder injury and will try to get back into the lineup. Poly won the East Valley League title, and coach Boo Williams is hoping his team’s speed advantage helps. The pick: Marshall.
