southern section division

It’s the third season of girls’ flag football in California, with athletes and teams getting better and better, which raises expectations for the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals on Saturday. Unbeaten JSerra plays at Dos Pueblos and defending champion Orange Lutheran hosts Huntington Beach.

Dos Pueblos (24-2) faces the most difficult task, trying to defeat a 26-0 JSerra team that owns two wins over No. 2-seeded Orange Lutheran. The good news for Dos Pueblos is that it has already proven it can compete against the best, having taken Orange Lutheran to overtime early in the season before losing.

“We definitely get to say we’ve faced the top,” Dos Pueblos coach Doug Caines said. “They have some crazy athletic girls.”

Dos Pueblos will have to avoid turnovers, relying on quarterback Kacey Hurley to stay away from interceptions. She has 4,603 yards passing and 84 touchdowns. Brooklyn Hendricks is the team’s standout receiver.

The other semifinal matchup involving Orange County teams will determine if Orange Lutheran can repeat as champion behind quarterback Makena Cook. Huntington Beach is 25-1. The Oilers’ only loss was to Newport Harbor. Roxie Shaia has made an impact at quarterback and on defense.

The winners advance to next weekend’s final at Fred Kelly Stadium next to El Modena High.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

The high school football season begins this weekend with Week 0 games. Let’s examine storylines and questions to be answered:

What will it take for a team other than Mater Dei or St. John Bosco to reach the Southern Section Division 1 final?

The answer is luck, because it’s not happening. Every season since 2016, the Monarchs or Braves have won the Southern Section Division 1 title and have met in the finals every season except for 2021, when Servite, led by its two future first-round draft picks, Mason Graham and Teteroia McMillan, beat St. John Bosco in the semifinals. Those two schools have offensive and defensive lines too big, too strong and with too much depth for others to take down in the transfer era. They face off at the end of the regular season on Halloween, then will likely play again four weeks later for the section title.

What will life be like in the City Section after the collapse of Narbonne for rules violations?

It’s back to beating Birmingham if you want to win the City Section Open Division title. The Patriots had their 48-game City winning streak end with a loss to Narbonne but that was turned into a forfeit victory, so the streak is at 49. It’s a wide-open City race. Look for Carson, San Pedro and Palisades to join the Patriots for the right to win a missing trophy (yes, put up a reward to find it).

What’s the strongest position in the Southland this season?

It’s the defensive line. There are so many elite linemen and ends capable of making an impact this season, and beyond that quarterbacks better be warned to wear extra equipment to cushion the blows about to be inflicted. From Mater Dei’s Tomuhini Topui to Gardena Serra’s Khary Wilder, from Sierra Canyon’s Richard Wesley to St. John Bosco’s Dutch Horisk, expect lots of sacks and forced fumbles.

Which teams will be surprise success stories?

A new campus and new football stadium has Compton excited and ready for a big turnaround after going 3-7 last season. Former L.A. Jordan coach Derek Benton has taken over at Fremont, so perhaps the Pathfinders can move up. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has received some big-time transfers, putting the Knights in position to be competitive with Sierra Canyon and Gardena Serra in the Mission League. Agoura quarterback Gavin Gray is back from a knee injury, so the Chargers are ready to roll. Servite has a group of track athletes to be unleashed in football, and speed can be a game-changer. Cathedral is poised to be a title contender as quarterback Jaden Jefferson receives help on the offensive line. Burbank was impressive in seven-on-seven competitions and will try to prove its linemen can help out.

Which teams must find replacements for big-time players from last season?

Newbury Park needs someone to become the No. 1 receiver for quarterback Brady Smigiel after the graduation of Shane Rosenthal. Mater Dei will be trying out a trio of running backs to take on the role previously held by Jordon Davison, who is now at Oregon. Sierra Canyon’s bid to be a Division 1 contender will come down to play at quarterback (senior Chase Everett, junior Demarco Hernandez and senior Laird Finkel are competing for the starting job). Mission Viejo must find someone to duplicate Jaden Williams’ 23 sacks. JSerra is turning to untested quarterback Koa Smith-Mayall to replace Ryan Hopkins, who left for Mater Dei.

Which coaches will be under the microscope?

Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer takes over at Santa Margarita, having put together a top staff that includes last season’s interim coach, Steve Fifita. No one has a bigger task ahead than Narbonne first-year coach Doug Bledsoe, whose team is ineligible for the postseason and saw an exodus of players. Former NFL defensive back Troy Hill is a first-year coach at St. Bonaventure with no head coaching experience. Rick Clausen takes over at Westlake, which went 0-10 last season. Former Crespi coach Dameon Porter gets a second chance at Harvard-Westlake, which forfeited a game in 2023 because of a lack of players.

Which freshmen could have an impact?

Quarterback Thaddeus Breaux, Hamilton; quarterback Ezrah Brown, Orange Lutheran; quarterback Ford Green, Westlake; quarterback Marcus Washington Jr., Cajon; linebacker Ethan Harrington, Sierra Canyon; tight end Austin Miller, Bellflower; quarterback CJ Woods, Harvard-Westlake; quarterback Evan McCalister, Valencia; safety Tyrin Jefferson, Cathedral; receiver Mason Fowler, Corona Centennial.

What are games you don’t want to miss?

Mission Viejo vs. Santa Margarita at Trabuco Hills, Friday; Mater Dei at Corona Centennial, Sept. 12; Mater Dei at Bishop Gorman, Sept. 19; Gardena Serra at Sierra Canyon, Oct. 3; St. John Bosco vs. Orange Lutheran, Oct. 10; San Clemente at Mission Viejo, Oct. 17; Roosevelt vs. Garfield, Oct. 24; Carson at San Pedro, Oct. 30; Mater Dei at St. John Bosco, Oct. 31.

Which schools have new stadiums to visit?

Garfield, Roosevelt and Hamilton have new stadiums in the City Section. Long Beach Jordan, Hawthorne, Crescenta Valley and El Rancho open new stadiums in the Southern Section.

Years from now, when Seth Hernandez is pitching in the major leagues and pro baseball commentators are debating just how good he might become, those who saw him throw during his two years of high school baseball at Corona High will gladly offer their fondest memories.

The statistics are impressive enough: In 53 1/3 innings this season, he struck out 105, gave up 19 hits and three earned runs for an ERA of 0.39. The most impressive statistic was walking only seven batters while using a 99-mph fastball. It showed his pinpoint control and how much he had improved over his junior season, when he walked 15 in 56 innings.

“That was his goal,” coach Andy Wise said. “What are we going to do to get better?”

His pitching mechanics became more consistent, generating the kind of power and accuracy to cause people to repeatedly use the word “special” in describing him on the mound. There also was the time he hit two three-run homers in the Panthers’ Southern Section Division 1 playoff victory over Los Osos.

Seth Hernandez of Corona.

(Nick Koza)

He wasn’t perfect, though, losing 2-0 to St. John Bosco in the Division 1 semifinals, finishing his high school career with an 18-1 pitching record for two seasons. He didn’t mope. He didn’t make excuses afterward. He knew there would be more challenges ahead.

“I’m still a kid,” he said.

For a season of excellence, Hernandez has been named The Times’ baseball player of the year for the second consecutive season. He’s expected to be a high pick in next month’s amateur draft. He also was named the Gatorade national player of the year.

One of his strengths for years has been his ability to perform while being watched by scouts, fans and opponents. He’s comfortable in his environment, used to the attention and is particularly ready to begin his pro career and keep on a path toward pitching in the big leagues.

With Southern California having produced first-round draft picks such as Paul Skenes (El Toro), Gerrit Cole (Orange Lutheran), Trevor Bauer (Hart), Max Fried (Harvard-Westlake) and Jack Flaherty (Harvard-Westlake) in recent years, it’s pretty clear that Hernandez’s resume fits in well and offers confidence in his abilities.

He’s also glad he decided to play high school baseball after being home-schooled.

“At the end of the day, I have brothers for life and I’ll never forget the memories I spent with them,” he said of his high school days.

On the day he turned 17, Jack Champlin gave himself his own best birthday present, one he got to share with his teammates.

The junior right-hander needed 27 pitches to retire all seven batters he faced to wrap up St. John Bosch’s 4-0 shutout of San Diego Patrick Henry in the Southern California Regional Division I championship game.

“I’m going to dinner with my family and my girlfriend,” he said when asked what he would do to celebrate. “I’m not sure where yet, but there are a lot of good places around here and we’ll make a decision.”

Champlin pitched in all seven playoff games for the Braves, picking up two wins and five saves, giving up no runs allowed in 11 2/3 innings.

“I don’t really feel the pressure … as a closer you need to have confidence in your stuff and I’m just happy to be put in that position,” said Champlin, who fielded a grounder back to the mound and underhanded a toss to first base for the final out of the season. “We knew our starter [Brayden Krakowski] had pitched earlier in the week and only had 14 outs remaining, so the gameplan was for me to come in after that or before if necessary. As it turned out I was able to finish each playoff game with the ball in my hand every single time.”

Krakowksi allowed three hits and got all the support he needed in the first inning, as James Clark led off the bottom half with a triple and scored on a single by Noah Everly. Miles Clark added a two-out RBI single. In the next inning St. John Bosco doubled its lead when James Clark hit an RBI double and later scored on an infield single by Jaden Jackson.

St. John Bosco closer Jack Champlin struck out three of the seven batters he faced to earn the save Saturday afternoon against Patrick Henry.

St. John Bosco beat eighth-seeded San Diego St. Augustine 2-1 in the first round and No. 5 Villa Park 7-4 in the semifinals in a rematch of the Braves’ 4-3 nine-inning triumph in the Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals.

Patrick Henry had lost 3-0 to Granite Hills in the San Diego Section Open Division final but after back-to-back victories over two of the best Southern Section teams in Santa Margarita and Crespi, the Patriots (23-11-2) came to Bellflower confident they could upset the No. 1-ranked team in California.

It did not happen. Instead, the Braves notched their 19th consecutive win, 30th in 34 games and capped an historic campaign, which included a 3-2 walk-off victory over Santa Margarita to capture the program’s first Southern Section crown May 30 after losing to Beckman 2-1 in eight innings in the Division 3 title game last season.

“We’ve proven ourselves,” Champlin said in the midst of a celebration on the same field where he and his returning teammates rallied to defeat Bakersfield Christian 5-4 and claim the Division III regional championship last June.

Champlin took the hill with one out in the top of the seventh inning in last year’s regional final, got the final two outs, and was credited with the win when the Braves scored the game-ending run on a balk in the bottom of the inning.

Saturday’s achievement was even sweeter because it was accomplished at the highest level and was a testament to second-year coach Andy Rojo, who held the first-place plaque high and declared “We won the West!” as his players surrounded him.

“It’ll take a lot for any team to match what we’ve done winning by three titles in one year — the Trinity League championship, the Southern Section Division 1 championship and the regional Division I championship,” said Rojo, who got his squad to the top of the mountain despite losing 12 players to graduation — including pitcher Anthony Cosme (Cal Poly Pomona), center fielder Julian Villasenor (Washington State) and first baseman Zach Woodson (Pepperdine). “Tomorrow will be two months since we lost a game (the Braves last suffered defeat on April 8 against Santa Margarita). I couldn’t be more proud.”

Marina won the Southern Section Division 3 softball championship with an 8-1 win over Westlake in Irvine on Friday.

Aviana Valbuena had three hits and four RBIs. Sister Mia Valbuena struck out 13 with one walk.

Marina improved to 19-13.

Los Alamitos won the Division 2 championship with a 3-0 win over JSerra that took 10 innings. Cienna Kowaleski hit a two-run home run in the 10th to end a great pitching duel.

JSerra’s Liliana Escobar struck out 16. Los Alamitos’ Jaliane Brooks threw all 10 innings, striking out five.

In Division 6, Irvine University defeated Rio Hondo Prep 4-1. In Division 7, Rancho Mirage defeated Culver City 7-3.

Many Southland sprinters will bring their own heat to the CIF State track and field championships at Buchanan High in Clovis where 100-plus temperatures are forecast for Friday and Saturday.

The absence of last spring’s 100- and 200-meter dash winner Brandon Arrington, whose leg injury in a league meet May 9 forced him to miss the San Diego Section finals and denies him an opportunity to defend his state titles, opens lanes for the fastest athletes in the City and Southern Sections to take advantage. A junior from Mt. Miguel, Arrington broke the San Diego County record (20.35) in the 200 at Arcadia in April and one week later set a section record (10.21) in the 100 at Mt. SAC.

The favorite in the 100 is Concord De La Salle junior Jaden Jefferson, who enters with the best qualifying time (10.30, three-hundredths of a second better than Arrington’s winning time last year), but challenging him will be Antrell Harris of Birmingham (who clocked 10.92 to win the City title May 22), back-to-back Masters Meet winner Demare Dezeurn of Bishop Alemany (10.35), RJ Sermons of Rancho Cucamonga (10.47) and Servite’s trio of Benjamin Harris (10.44), Robert Gardner (10.59) and Jorden Wells (10.63).

Senior Antrell Harris, center, of Birmingham was first in the 100 and 200 meters at the City Section finals May 22 in Lake Balboa.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

In the 200, Masters champion Sermons (20.97) will be in the first heat along with Temecula Valley’s Jack Stadlman (21.24), Dezeurn (21.04) has the fastest qualifying time in the second heat, Servite’s Jace Wells (21.05) and Newbury Park’s Jaden Griffin (21.36) are in the third heat, and joining Jefferson (21.11) in the last heat are Santa Margarita’s Leo Francis (21.14) and Harris (21.66).

Sermons, who announced the day before the Masters Meet that he will skip his senior year of high school to play football at USC, clocked a career-best 20.88 at the Baseline League finals and will try to beat Arrington’s winning time of 20.55 last year.

Servite freshman Jaelen Hunter (46.91) heads a talented group in the 400, which includes Stadlman (47.91), City champion Justin Hart from Granada Hills (47.45) and City runner-up Nathan Santacruz of Venice (47.48). Servite’s 4×100 relay was first at the Masters in 40.40 followed by Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (40.77), which will be in the same heat Friday as JSerra (41.44) and City champion Granada Hills (41.78), and Murrieta Valley (41.55) will be in Heat 4 with Birmingham (41.80).

Servite also has one of the faster foursomes in the 4×400 as the Friars figure to challenge for the team title, won last year by Long Beach Poly, which won the Masters race Saturday in 3:10.83. The loaded field also features Cathedral (3:12.20), Mira Costa (3:18.73), Long Beach Wilson (3:14.93), Culver City (3:14.80) and Granada Hills (3:24.15).

For the girls, Redondo Union’s Journey Cole and Chaparral’s Keelan Wright are in separate heats, but should they advance they would go head-to-head in the finals in a rematch of last week’s epic 100-meter showdown (Cole prevailed by five-hundredths of a second in 11.36). However, not to be underestimated are Malia Rainey (11.57) and Marley Scoggins (11.60) from Calabasas (11.57) and Carson’s Christina Gray, who ran 12.05 to win the City title.

Wright (23.21) is the leading qualifier in the 200. Other contenders are Rosary’s Justine Wilson (23.38), Scoggins (23.59) and Gray (24.62).

Long Beach Poly carried the baton around the oval in 45.94 at Masters to avenge its loss to Oaks Christian at last year’s state 4×100 final, and the two schools could match up again Saturday alongside City winner Carson (46.84), which was third in Clovis last year. Long Beach Wilson, the state team champion in 2024, has the top qualifying time (3:43.71) in the 4×400 relay.

In the distance events, Corona Santiago boasts two title contenders — Braelyn Combe in the 1,600 and Rylee Blade in the 3,200. Combe was second to Ventura’s Sadie Englehardt last year and won the Masters four-lapper last week in 4:44.36 (more than two and a half seconds better than her winning time at the Southern Section Division 1 finals), second-best among all qualifiers behind Chiara Dailey (4:43.57) of La Jolla in San Diego.

Blade ran 9:58.46 two weeks ago to break a Southern Section record that had stood since 1996 and cruised to the Masters win in 10:11.38. The Florida State-bound senior was third at state last year in 10:06.26 and she set a meet standard of 15:20.3 at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in September.

USC-bound RJ Sermons of Rancho Cucamonga will try to double in the 100 and 200 meters at the CIF State Track & Field Championships.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Stanford signee Evan Noonan of Dana Hills, winner of the Southern Section and Masters races the past two weeks, will try to defend his 3,200 state title (he won in 8:43.12 as a junior).

Aliso Niguel’s Jaslene Massey and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s Aja Johnson have the first and second best throws in both shotput and discus. Massey swept the events at Masters (49-7.50 shotput; 165-06 discus). Johnson is the defending state discus champion and won the state shotput title in 2023.

In the boys high jump, Mission League rivals Matthew Browner from Chaminade and JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame both achieved 6-10 to finish first and second at Masters. Harel cleared that same height to take second at the state finals last year behind Birmingham’s Deshawn Banks.

Jack Champlin, a junior pitcher for St. John Bosco, surveyed the memorable scene Tuesday afternoon. There were fans standing everywhere — down the lines, around the outfield walls, in the press box. It was the top of the seventh inning, and No. 1 Corona had two runners aboard trying to rally in the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals.

“I love it,” he said. “There’s close to 1,000 people and it’s electric. I didn’t feel any pressure, didn’t feel nervous.”

He got a strikeout and fly ball to save St. John Bosco’s stunning 2-0 victory over Corona and unbeaten pitcher Seth Hernandez, who had never lost in two years of high school baseball.

“Tough day for people who don’t normally have tough days,” said Corona coach Andy Wise, who guided the Panthers to the Division 1 title last season and saw his team’s record drop to 28-3.

The Braves will play Trinity League rival Santa Margarita in Friday’s 7 p.m. Division 1 championship game at Cal State Fullerton.

Everything St. John Bosco needed to do to pull off victory happened. Left-hander Trevor Heishman gave up one hit in 6 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts. He struck out Corona’s hottest hitter, Anthony Murphy, three times.

The Braves refused to be intimidated by the 99-mph fastball of Hernandez, who came in with just four walks and 96 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings and an 18-0 record in high school baseball. He struck out nine, walked three and gave up a run in the second inning on consecutive singles by Champlin and Macade Maxwell. St. John Bosco scored another run in the fifth on a Hernandez balk.

“He’s just another player like us,” Champlin said of the Braves’ attitude toward Hernandez, one of the top pro prospects in the nation. “We weren’t scared. We came out with confidence we were going to win from the time we stepped on the field.

Second-year coach Andy Rojo has St. John Bosco in the Division 1 final.

(Nick Koza)

In two years as head coach, Andy Rojo has taken the Braves to the Division 3 final (last season) and now the Division 1 final on Friday.

His batters made Hernandez throw 92 pitches in five innings and hit the ball hard when they needed. “The key for us we wanted to put the ball in play,” he said.

St. John Bosco has never won a section baseball title after all the success the football and basketball teams have had. But this 26-4 team won the Trinity League championship for the first time since 2017 and has beaten Santa Margarita two of three times this season.

And they’ve got Champlin ready to be the closer again on Friday.

“I haven’t had a blown save,” he said with the confidence of a true closer.

Santa Margarita 12, Crespi 0: Ben Finnegan had three hits and four RBIs and Brennan Bauer gave up two hits in five scoreless innings to send the Eagles into the Division 1 championship game.

Mater Dei 5, Fountain Valley 4: A three-run sixth inning propelled the Monarchs to the comeback win in the Division 2 semifinals. Lawson Olmstead broke a 4-4 tie with an RBI single. Brandon Thomas picked up the save in the seventh and will pitch in the championship game.

West Ranch 8, Etiwanda 7: Ty Diaz had a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning, culminating in a three-run comeback victory in the Division 2 semifinals. Etiwanda took a 7-5 lead with two runs in the top of the eighth. Diaz finished with three hits and two RBIs.

San Dimas 4, Beckman 1: The Saints advance to the Division 3 championship game. They will face Glendora, a 7-5 winner over Temecula Valley.

Grant Leary of Crespi High has a future as a golfer _ and photographer.

After winning the Southern Section individual title last week with a 66, Leary went on to practice his other fun endeavor — photography. He was shooting photos for the school yearbook at Crespi’s Southern Section Division 1 baseball playoff game.

Asked to set up a photo of himself, he brought out an iron, put one of his unused tees in his mouth and posed with a smile.

Only a junior, Leary won the tournament at Temecula Creek Country Club. He went to the final hole tied. He faced a seven-foot putt for a par but wasn’t aware of its importance.

“I knew it was a very big putt,” he said. “I didn’t know if it was for a tie or the win.”

He didn’t celebrate after making it but later learned it gave him victory.

Golf was the last sport he started playing in eighth grade. His father is a golf instructor.

Next up is the regional state qualifier on Thursday at Los Serranos Golf Course.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

Nick Garcia, the throws coach at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, calls shotputter and discus thrower Aja Johnson “the dragon slayer.”

She’s only 5 feet 3 but slays taller girls competing in those events.

Last weekend, she won the Southern Section Division 3 shotput and discus titles. This weekend she will try to qualify for the state championships when competing at the Masters Meet at Moorpark High. She won the state discus title last year. She was state champion in the shotput in 2023.

Aja Johnson of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Under Garcia’s guidance, Johnson uses technique, athleticism, agility and explosiveness to excel in the two events. She has committed to Louisville. Notre Dame athletes have won every Division 3 shotput or discus title since 2021. …

The City Section Division I baseball semifinals will be held Wednesday at Stengel Field in Glendale with a trip to Dodger Stadium on Saturday at stake. Carson will play Taft at 3 p.m., followed by Banning taking on Verdugo Hills at 6 p.m.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

When you have perhaps the best golfer in Southern California on your team, it certainly helps in team competitions. Oaks Christian always turns to junior Max Emberson to set the standard, and he helped deliver a Southern Section Division 2 team championship on Monday at Bear Valley Country Club in Victorville. The Lions finished with a score of 371.

Emberson, who won last year’s state individual championship, shot 65. Sophomore Broxton Brock shot 68. Apple Valley, Corona del Mar and Great Oak tied for second at 376.

La Serna pulled off the day’s biggest surprise, winning the Division 1 title by a single stroke over powerhouse Santa Margarita at El Dorado Park Golf Course in Long Beach. Hill Wang of La Serna led the way with a 69. Junlin Pan of Orange Lutheran, a sophomore, had the low score at 68.

In Division 7, St. Bonaventure won the team title with a 414. Los Altos finished second. Eoin O’Neil shot a 72 for St. Bonaventure.

In Division 3, Xavier Prep won at 384. Newport Harbor was second. Troy Song of Chaparral shot 67 for the low score on the day.

In Division 6, Alta Loma edged Damien 411 to 412. Troy Borges of Chino shot 68.

It’s a Saturday filled with high school championships for lacrosse, volleyball and track and field.

The Southern Section Division 1 boys’ lacrosse final between Loyola and Mater Dei will take place at 7 p.m. at Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange.

The City Section Open Division boys’ volleyball final between Venice and El Camino Real is at 6 p.m. at Birmingham.

The Southern Section track and field finals begin at 11 a.m. with field events at Moorpark High.

There’s also the state swimming championships at Clovis West High. …

The City Section will hold a Tuesday semifinal doubleheader in baseball for the Open Division at Cal State Northridge, with El Camino Real playing Birmingham at 3 p.m. and Venice facing Sylmar at 6 p.m.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].