showdown

There’s been speculation for years when club sports, travel ball and showcases might make education-based high school sports obsolete or irrelevant.

The showdown is finally happening.

Ganesha High’s baseball team qualified to play in the Southern Section Division 2 championship game on Saturday against Loyola in Rancho Cucamonga, but the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported that several players and possibly their head coach, Jared Sandler, might not show up if they participate in a baseball camp in Mississippi.

Bring it on. No more playing around. Let everyone know the expectations of being part of the California Interscholastic Federation. When you agree to play in the playoffs, you can’t just decide to leave without notice. Teams and players have dreamed of playing in a championship game. Then one team wants to make a mockery of the final, Ganesha, by using backups.

The YULA and Shalhavet baseball teams were banned from participating in this year’s Southern Section playoffs and placed on probation for pulling out in the middle of the 2025 playoffs to participate in a Jewish baseball tournament in Ohio.

The Southern Section has many options on how to proceed if Ganesha goes through with its decision to violate its commitment to the playoffs, from a postseason ban to removing the school from CIF membership.

In Northern California when a tennis team decided to send its JV team for the regional playoffs, sanctions were imposed. The same penalties might be applied by the Southern Section if it happens in the section championship game.

Ron Nocetti, the executive director of the CIF, said Friday, “We were made aware of this and any decision the Southern Section makes in this matter we support.”

Let’s have this showdown. Let’s see if the Pomona Unified School District, which pays thousands of dollars to support its schools’ athletic program, is going to act and stop this nonsense. Ganesha previously was in the news because many of its players live outside the district and participate through online classes, making the baseball team as close to a travel-ball team as you can get.

As of late Friday afternoon, a Ganesha representative said that most of the players and coach were expected to participate in the championship game.

Ronald Gonzales-Lawrence, director, governmental relations for the Pomona Unified School District, released the following statement:

“At this time, circumstances surrounding Saturday’s CIF Southern Section championship game have been resolved, and Ganesha High School will participate in the championship game as scheduled.

“Questions regarding CIF bylaws, eligibility requirements, championship scheduling decisions are best directed to the CIF Southern Section.

“We are aware of questions regarding travel-related expenses associated with this matter. The district is providing transportation and support for student participation in the CIF Southern Section championship game consistent with its normal practices for student activities and athletic competition. The district is not funding flights, hotel accommodations, or any other expenses associated with the separate out-of-state event.

“The district remains committed to supporting our student-athletes and ensuring compliance with all applicable CIF, district, and school requirements.”

EASTENDERS star Jacqueline Jossa confronted estranged husband Dan Osborne over his holiday romance with a stunning Brazilian bikini model.

The 33-year-old actress challenged ex-Towie star Dan, 34, about his relationship with fitness influencer Etila Santiago after he arrived back from his US trip with a pal last week.

The Sun on Sunday can reveal that Dan has grown close to the model, 33, after bonding with her over fitness and their mutual support of Arsenal — and has vowed to see her again soon.

But Jacqueline, who plays Lauren Branning on the BBC1 soap, was alerted to the rendezvous after she and her pals noticed Dan and Etila posting matching sunset and poolside photos on social media.

It comes after Jacqueline and Dan, who have two daughters, Ella, 11, and Mia, seven, split in March after 13 years together. Dan is living in a separate home.

A source said: “Dan started chatting to Etila on Instagram before his trip to Miami as he saw they both had a passion for fitness.

“They met up a few times during his trip and really hit it off, spending a lot of time together hanging out and chatting. He fell in love with the city and is hoping to go out and visit Etila again.

“However, Jac’s mates notified her about Dan’s movements having suspected who he was with online. So when he was back in the UK, she asked him about it.

“It’s obviously very sensitive as they are co-parenting, but Dan is a single man now. Jac is upset as she still feels there’s a chance her and Dan could rekindle their marriage.”

Etila, who used to compete in bikini bodybuilding competitions, recently broke her engagement with bodybuilder fiance Tyler Manion.

After his trip to Miami, fitness enthusiast Dan shared several photos of himself topless on Instagram.

He wrote in the caption: “Happiness is found in 3 things: Letting go of what was. Enjoying what is. And having faith in what will be.”

Jac and Dan met at an awards ceremony in 2013 and tied the knot at a Cheshire manor house in 2017.

Dan also has an 11-year-old son with his ex, Megan Tomlin.

After Mia’s birth in 2018, Jacqueline posted: “I couldn’t ask for a better family, filled with strong women! My girls are my absolute world and I can’t actually get over how lucky I am.”

But her marriage has been rocked by cheating allegations against Dan.

The former Celebrity Big Brother star was suspected of having a fling with Love Islander Gabby Allen in April 2018, after they were seen cosying up on a yacht in Marbella.

A month later, it was reported that a then-pregnant Jacqueline had confronted a mystery girl over allegedly having sex with Dan just months after their wedding.

Dan was accused in September 2018 of having a threesome with Celebrity Big Brother model Chloe Ayling and US reality TV star Natalie Nunn, which he denied.

Six months later, he was snapped kissing Love Island star Alexandra Cane.

Later in 2019, Jacqueline threatened to leave I’m A Celebrity after campmate Myles Stephenson told her he believed Dan had cheated on her with his ex, Gabby.

She told producers she did not want to continue without talking to Dan and she was allowed to leave temporarily to send him a voicemail and receive one back.

She then walked out on Dan in 2020 after she confronted him over a flirty message to Gabby, who apparently did not respond.

Dan confessed to having made “mistakes”.

He said: “I’ve done things I shouldn’t have done.”

Dan and Jacqueline’s representatives were asked to comment.

LeBron James scored 28 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets to set up a Western Conference semi-final play-off against reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder.

James also added seven rebounds and eight assists to help the Lakers to a 98-78 victory, which secured a 4-2 series win against the Rockets.

The Lakers had led the series 3-0 and finally closed out the best-of-seven contest in convincing style away at Houston, whose top scorer was Amen Thompson with 18 points.

“A lot of our guys, quite frankly, have not been in this position, have not been in a close-out situation, especially on the road, so it was important for me to go out and set the tone,” said 41-year-old James.

Lakers coach JJ Redick was full of admiration for the performance of James, who is the first player to take part in 23 consecutive NBA seasons and is also the league’s record points scorer.

“To me, he’s had the greatest career of any NBA player,” said Redick. “You can argue all you want; I don’t care to postulate on who’s the greatest of all time.

“He’s one of, if not the greatest of all time, and for him to do it again and answer the bell again, it’s baffling in some ways.”

The Lakers face a tough task against the Thunder, who finished top of the Western Conference and secured a 4-0 series win against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA play-offs.

The first game of their best-of-seven series is in Oklahoma on Tuesday.