Chadwick’s team-mates from her 2025 season for IDEC were France’s Mathys Jaubert and Spain’s Daniel Juncadella, and both have been selected to race in next year’s hypercar alongside two more experienced drivers, Andre Lotterer and Pipo Derani.
Next year Genesis are set to compete with several car manufacturers attracted back to sports cars for its flexible design rules and as a cheaper alternative to Formula 1.
Although there are two further seats yet to be filled for the two-car WEC entry for 2026 it appears Chadwick was considered too inexperienced, despite being an FIA ‘silver-rated’ driver – the same as Jaubert.
However, Genesis are said to highly rate Chadwick and are pleased with her progress as part of the Genesis driver stable.
Chadwick, who tested a Jaguar Formula E car last month, has taken on several development driver roles at teams such as Williams in Formula 1 in recent years – positions often limited to driving older cars for marketing purposes and driving simulation work.
But a reserve role is one of the biggest signals yet that a major manufacturer is backing female racing talent on merit.
Very few female drivers have competed in the top level of motorsport’s most popular disciplines in recent years – most recently Switzerland’s Simona de Silvestro competed in 10 Formula E races in 2016.
Various female drivers have taken on races in America’s IndyCar series on an ad hoc basis, with little success.
Britain’s Amanda Stretton was the last female competitor in the top level to compete at Le Mans, in a one-off uncompetitive LMP1 entry in 2008.
The highest-placed finish for a female driver at Le Mans is fourth, for France’s Odette Siko in 1932.
The last woman to compete in a Formula 1 race was Lella Lombardi at the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix.
Shortly before Monday afternoon’s City Section Division I quarterfinal football game between host Eagle Rock and Dorsey was set to begin in the pouring rain, referee Patrick Riley ruled the middle of the grass field unsafe.
City Section Commissioner Vicky Lagos was in attendance and acted quickly to get the contest, scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., moved to an alternate site, which turned out to be Contreras Learning Complex — seven and a half miles away in downtown Los Angeles. When all was said and done, Dorsey moved on to the semifinals after a dominant 26-0 shutout.
“When the referees ruled the field unplayable we immediately called Sotomayor and Contreras because they have turf fields and are the closest in proximity to Eagle Rock,” Lagos said. “We had to arrange busing and we’re thankful to the officials — it was the same crew that was going to do the game Friday. If we couldn’t find a facility [today] then we would’ve had to play the game tomorrow.”
The game was supposed to be played Friday night along with the full slate of City Section contests, but it was postponed until Monday afternoon after a transformer problem left the school without power.
Dorsey wide receiver Stafon Johnson runs with the ball during a City Section Division I playoff win over Eagle Rock on Monday night.
(Craig Weston)
“We were told at 3:45 that we weren’t going to be able to play,” said Dorsey coach Stafon Johnson, a Dorsey alum who played at USC from 2006-09. My main concern at that point was whichever team wins would have a short turnaround for the next game.”
When the game finally kicked off at 6:45 p.m. the rain was still pouring. Eleventh-seeded Dorsey controlled the tempo from the start, marching 65 yards in five plays on its first possession, which ended on a five-yard run by Mahkai McCluster.
Nathan Schiebler fumbled on the second play of Eagle Rock’s first possession and defensive lineman Draysean Mixson recovered for Dorsey at the Eagles’ 47. Jamell Edmond capped the Dons’ ensuing drive with an 11-yard sweep and Deuce Johnson caught the two-point conversion pass to make it 14-0 late in the first quarter.
“We were ready to get down and dirty in the mud,” Dorsey quarterback Elijah McDaniel said after rushing for 120 yards and engineering all four of his team’s scoring drives. “We wanted to play [at Eagle Rock]. We wanted to play Friday even but the longer we had to wait the more time it gave us to prepare.”
Liam Pasten, one of the best passers in the City, completed only three of seven attempts for 22 yards in the first half and finished seven for 24 for 53 yards. Even as the rain subsided in the second half, the third-seeded Eagles (8-4) could not get their offense on track.
“I had 100% attendance at practice Saturday in the rain,” Johnson said. “This is the first time all year we’ve been fully loaded. This is Jamell’s first game back and he made a significant impact. That team averages over 40 points a game and we give them full credit. We just wanted to play … we didn’t care where it was.”
Edmond finished with 87 yards in 10 carries.
De Anthony Young-Jones scored on a two-yard run to increase the lead to 20-0 late in the third quarter and Jaziel Hernandez-Cruz closed the scoring with a one-yard run with 3:48 left in the fourth quarter. The 11th-seeded Dons (7-5) will be on the road again in the semifinals against No. 2 South Gate, a game that has been pushed back to Saturday.
Eagle Rock players did not get a chance to play one last time at Don Mengel Field. In February, construction is scheduled to begin on the school’s new synthetic turf field, eight-lane rubber track and scoreboard.
For a time, she said, she was able to “get on with it” but matters reached breaking point during Wales’ pool match against Canada at the 2025 World Cup.
“All I could think about was ‘when is the pain going to stop?’,” said Crabb.
“I was in so much pain that every now and then I was like ‘oh yeah, I’m playing rugby’.
“The way I try to explain it is if you’re in an ice bath all you can think about is that you’re in an ice bath and how cold you are – that’s how I felt with the pain.
“It was really difficult to be in the moment and concentrate on what the next play is, what am I doing in this lineout and trying to be fully present.”
When sophomore guard Phoenix Smith came off the bench on Monday night in Crespi’s season opener against Cleveland, two things were clear: His big hair and his 5-foot-7 frame, the smallest on the court.
He played junior varsity last season, and let’s just say Celts coach Derek Fisher is going to have fun working with him. Smith was three for three on three-pointers and finished with 16 points in Crespi’s 81-44 win over Cleveland.
He put together a nine-point surge between the end of the first quarter and the start of the second quarter. Leaving him open this season will not be a good strategy. Another JV player from last season, Cayman Martin, led Crespi in scoring with 17 points. Carter Barnes had 14 points and Isaiah Barnes 13 points.
Crespi has a big game coming up Saturday at Pauley Pavilion against Mater Dei.
St. Bernard 81, Claremont 56: Brandon Granger led St. Bernard with a 30-point performance.
South Pasadena 77, Franklin 43: Nick Rios scored 22 points and Rob Khollesi added 21 points for South Pasadena.
Carson 59, South East 37: The Colts are 2-0 under new coach Corey Kitani. Blake McCall had 16 points and nine rebounds.
Mira Costa 85, Torrance 70: Logan Dugdale finished with 18 points and Paxx Bell had 17 points and 12 rebounds in a first-round game at the Ocean View tournament.
Wiseburn Da Vinci 73, Oak Park 56: Aidan Ebrahimi had 15 points for Wiseburn Da Vinci.
Santa Margarita 89, Temecula Valley 38: Drew Anderson had 30 points and 11 rebounds and Kaiden Bailey added 26 points for the Eagles.
Canyon Country Canyon 65, Antelope Valley 28: Alex Lazo made nine threes and finished with 27 points for the Cowboys.
Servite 100, United Christian Academy 18: Tariq Johnson had 22 points for the Friars.
West Torrance 64, Venice 55: Ben Heinemann finished with 15 points for West Torrance.
Valencia 47, Heritage Christian 44: Ali Eldein led Valencia with 18 points.
In a side that was already missing key players such as the Charles brothers, Shea and Pierce, and the suspended Daniel Ballard, youth got the opportunity to shine in the final qualifier, which was a dead rubber after Friday’s defeat by Slovakia.
Given they were at risk of suspension, Trai Hume and Justin Devenny were given the evening off, and the talismanic Conor Bradley was withdrawn at half-time.
Jamie Donley will get the headlines after his first international goal, but there was a strong first start for Jamie McDonnell, while Ruairi McConville was again commanding in defence and teenager Patrick Kelly made his senior debut.
“We obviously had to make a lot of changes to the team. If you look at the players we used tonight, five of the players are under 21, so I think that’s really positive for us,” O’Neill said.
“Luxembourg are a good team. The results in this campaign are probably a little bit harsh on them, and their performances have been good.
“They’ve not been beaten easily in any of the games, so we take a lot from the fact that we beat them 3–1 away and 1–0 at home. A clean sheet was a positive, and a lot of good performances as well.”
PHILADELPHIA — Tyrese Maxey scored 39 points, Paul George had nine points and seven rebounds in his season debut, and the Philadelphia 76ers rallied for a 110-108 victory over the short-handed Clippers on Monday night.
Quentin Grimes added 19 points and Andre Drummond had 14 points and 18 rebounds while filling in for Joel Embiid.
James Harden scored 28 points for the Clippers, who have lost eight of nine. Harden became the 11th player to eclipse 28,000 career points with a first-quarter layup.
Embiid (right knee injury management) sat out for the third straight game and eighth of 13 this season.
The Clippers controlled the first 3½ quarters and led 91-81 with 8:44 left on Ivica Zubac’s 10-footer. But Philadelphia used a 14-3 run over the next 2:49, capped by Maxey’s layup, to go in front 95-94. It was close from that point.
Drummond made two free throws to put the 76ers ahead 110-106 with 1:08 left. Kobe Sanders made a pair of free throws with 13.8 seconds left to pull the Clippers within two before officials whistled Kris Dunn for a foul on Maxey. But that was overturned to a steal by Dunn after a challenge by the Clippers, giving L.A. a chance to tie or win.
Harden misfired on two three-point attempts in the final seconds.
In addition to Embiid, the 76ers were missing Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee sprain) and Adem Bona (right ankle sprain).
George sat out the first 12 games while recovering from offseason left knee surgery. The nine-time All-Star played 21 minutes.
Up next for Clippers: At Orlando on Thursday night.
Equal access to sport and exercise could help tackle an estimated £20bn shortfall in the public finances, according to Sport England.
Before next week’s Budget, the funding agency says new research highlights “the critical role” physical activity plays in supporting public finances and economic growth.
But it also warns inactivity is costing a “staggering” £20bn a year and has called for more investment in sport.
It claims that is the amount in healthcare savings, productivity gains and improved wellbeing that could be unlocked if the least active groups in society – such as those with disabilities, on lower incomes and black people – were supported.
Earlier this year, Sport England found 67% of the adult population were meeting the chief medical officers’ recommended guidelines, external for weekly physical activity – a record high. But it warned more needed to be done to tackle inequalities.
At the time, the government said tackling inactivity was “at the heart of our preventative health agenda”.
Sport England also says its research found grassroots sport and exercise boost the economy by £36bn every year through employment opportunities, volunteering, facilities and equipment.
And it calculates that for every £1 invested in the sector, £4.38 is generated for people and the public purse, via savings to the NHS, chronic illness prevention, improved workforce productivity, and enhanced health and happiness.
In addition, £14bn in tax revenue is generated by grassroots sport and exercise every year: a return of approximately six to seven times the public investment in sport and exercise.
“It’s shocking that inequalities in activity levels cost the public purse nearly £20bn every year,” said the chair of Sport England, Chris Boardman.
“Inactivity is quietly draining our economy, health system and our communities – but we can change that.
“Excitingly, the solution is right in front of us: movement. With a return on investment of more than four to one, billions can be saved in healthcare, our workforce will be more productive and quality of life improved for millions.”
Earlier this month, the chancellor Rachel Reeves warned she would make “necessary choices” in the Budget after the “world has thrown more challenges our way”, and did not rule out a U-turn on Labour’s general election manifesto pledge not to hike income tax, VAT or National Insurance.
In June, leaders across the sport and physical activity sector jointly wrote to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, warning that if they were not prioritised in government spending plans it would “risk the decline or closure of more facilities and clubs”.
The letter was signed by organisations including the Youth Sport Trust, the Sport and Recreation Alliance, gym and leisure-centre body Ukactive and the Sport for Development Coalition.
LeBron James said his lungs felt like those of a “newborn baby” and his voice was “already gone” after his first Lakers practice Monday as he moved a step closer toward making his season debut after being sidelined by sciatica.
The Lakers listed James as questionable for Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena, and he sounded as if he was close to playing in his NBA-record 23rd season.
“We got a long time,” said James as he wiped sweat from his face while speaking to reporters. “I mean, we’ve been taking literally one minute, one hour, one step at a time throughout this whole process. So, see how I feel this afternoon, see how I feel tonight. When I wake up in the morning. … We’ll probably have [a] shootaround [Tuesday]. So, just gotta see how the body responds over the next 24 hours-plus.”
LeBron James on how he’s feeling: “My lungs feel like a newborn baby.”
Says he’s trying to get his conditioning back up and his voice is already shot from yelling at practice, but he was happy to be back. pic.twitter.com/rl6WMAuYmw
James, who will turn 41 next month, was asked how long it took him to become pain-free.
“I wouldn’t take it that far,” James said. “Like I said, if you ever had it, you go about it and you wake up one day and you hope that when you step down from the bed that you don’t feel it. You go to bed at night, and you hope that when you’re in the bed that you don’t feel it. So I’ve been doing pretty good with it as of late. There’s a lot of exercises and a lot of mobility things and a lot of things you can do to help it. So I’m just keeping a positive mindset.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick said it was like having a new player in practice with James on the court.
James agreed, saying, “Definitely feels new, for sure.”
The Lakers have four days off after Tuesday’s game against Utah — including three practice days — before playing the Jazz in Salt Lake City on Sunday.
“One day back, barking out calls and assignments and stuff, getting my voice working again,” said James about his first day at practice. “Be a lot of tea and rest tonight.”
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer (42,184 points), admitted he had to mentally adjust to missing the start of a season for the first time in his career.
“It sucks. It definitely sucks,” James said. “Never in my life since I started playing the game of basketball have I ever not started the season — in my life. It’s been a mind test, but I’m built for it and it’s been putting in the work, both mentally and physically trying to get myself ready to rejoin the team.
“It’s just been kind of the same revolving door. Just repetition, repetition, repetition; rehabbing, rehabbing, rehabbing. Just trying to get back where I can feel like myself again. It’s great to be out here today.”
James said this wasn’t the first time in his career that he had sciatica.
“I had it two years ago,” he said. “You had it, then you know what the hell it’s about. If you ain’t never had it and people are making jokes about it, I pray you never get it. It’s not fun.”
James practiced with the Lakers’ G League team, the South Bay Lakers, twice last week, getting in some five-on-five work.
“It was great,” James said. “I got cleared to play some five-on-five for the first time since … hurting my MCL versus Minnesota. And that was the blessing.”
The Lakers have gone 10-4 without James. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have led the way as one of the most potent two-way tandems in the early part of the NBA season.
Doncic leads the NBA in scoring (34.4 points per game) and Reaves is ninth (28.3). Doncic is fifth in assists (8.9) and Reaves is seventh (8.2).
James, who is 50 games away from breaking Robert Parish’s all-time record of most games played in NBA history (1,611), knows he’ll have to adjust things when he returns.
“I have to work my way back into it,” James said. “The guys have been going on road trips, shootarounds, flights. So it’s kind of like a kid going to a new school again. Got to learn the guys and everything. So they got some great chemistry. Feeling my way back in and do it organically. It shouldn’t be hard. But it’s definitely a feel-out process.”
Etc.
Redick said all 14 players practiced for the first time this season and that Rui Hachimura (left call soreness) and Marcus Smart (viral illness) will be available to play against the Jazz after sitting out against Milwaukee on Saturday.
Watch: New priority scheduling system being created for Fifa game visas, says Trump
President Donald Trump has announced US embassies will give visa appointment priority to travellers with tickets to the 2026 World Cup.
The Fifa Prioritised Appointment Scheduling System (Pass) will “allow World Cup ticket-holders with long wait times to opt with Fifa for a prioritised interview,” Trump said at the White House on Monday.
Ticket-holders for the tournament – set for next June and July in the US, Canada and Mexico – will not be automatically granted a tourist visa, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
But foreign nationals with tickets to World Cup football matches could get an interview at an embassy or consulate within six to eight weeks of applying, Rubio said.
“Your ticket is not a visa; it doesn’t guarantee admission to the US,” Rubio said, also at the White House on Monday.
“We’re going to do the same vetting as anybody else would get. The only difference here is we’re moving them up in the queue.”
The 2026 men’s World Cup will be co-hosted across North America, with Mexico and Canada, with most matches played in the United States.
Speaking in the Oval Office with Trump and Rubio, Fifa President Gianni Infantino said up to 10 million visitors could come to the US to watch World Cup matches.
“With this Fifa Pass, we can make sure that those who buy a ticket, that are legitimate football fans or soccer fans, they can come and attend the World Cup in the best conditions, starting from getting their visa,” he said.
Some countries whose national teams have already qualified for next year’s tournament currently have long wait times for visa appointments.
In Colombia, travellers applying for US visas are currently waiting around 11 months for an interview appointment, according to data published by the US State Department, the agency which processes visa applications.
The average wait time in Mexico City is nine and half months, while non-Canadian citizen residents of Toronto can expect a wait of 14 months for appointments.
If those wait times hold, the World Cup will have already been played and the golden trophy already awarded by the time fans from some countries have their visas approved or denied.
Monday’s announcement was lauded by US Travel Association, a tourism industry trade group. “The expedited process for Fifa ticket-holders adds needed efficiency without sacrificing security,” its CEO Geoff Freeman said in a statement.
“This is the kind of practical action that strengthens security, increases capacity and cuts wait times, putting the U.S. on stronger footing to welcome millions of visitors next year.”
It is unclear if the new appointment rules will cover ticket-holders from countries whose citizens are mostly or entirely banned from travelling to the US. In June, Trump signed an executive order banning nationals from 12 countries from entering the US, citing an effort to manage security threats
Iran, whose football team has qualified for the World Cup, is among the countries affected by the ban. The June executive order exempts athletes and coaching staff travelling for the World Cup and 2028 Olympics, though its fans could still face a ban.
The BBC has contacted the US State Department for comment.
Not all travellers coming to the US next year will need a visa. Most citizens of countries under the US waiver programme can ordinarily travel visa-free for up to 90 days. That scheme covers much of Europe, including the UK, along with Japan, Australia and others.
At the two most recent World Cups, in Russia and Qatar, a ticket to a game generated a fan ID that could be used like a visa to enter the host country.
Nahshon Wright had just made a huge play for the Chicago Bears, and in spectacular fashion.
The fifth-year cornerback leapt high in full sprint with his hand stretched over his head to intercept a pass by Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the end zone to preserve a 10-3 Bears lead late in the second quarter.
No wild celebration followed. Instead, Wright jogged to the back of the end zone and took a knee in memory of Oakland football legend John Beam, the former football coach at Laney College who died Friday after being shot on campus a day earlier.
“He was watching over me,” Wright, who played for Beam at Laney in 2018, said after the Bears’ 19-17 victory on Sunday . “It’s crazy. He called me the night before he passed and he told me that every game he watched, I just seemed to get a pick. So I just know he was behind me today.”
Just before noon Thursday, the Oakland Police Department responded to reports of gunshots at Laney and found Beam suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to an area hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. At approximately 10 a.m. the next day, Beam was pronounced dead.
Oakland police arrested 27-year-old Oakland resident Cedric Irving Jr. as a suspect in the case early Friday morning at the San Leandro BART station. Irving is a former football player at Skyline High School where Beam once coached, but police said he did not play under Beam.
Former Laney Collegefootball coach John Beam holds the trophy after the Eagles won the California Community College Athletic Assn. championship in 2018.
(Peralta Community College District via Associated Press)
Irving and Beam knew each other but were not close, acting Oakland Police Chief James Beere said Friday at a news conference. Beere added that Irving isn’t a student at Laney but “was on campus for a specific reason” on Thursday.
“This was a very targeted incident,” Beere said.
On Monday, Irving was charged with murder and 10 other felonies related to Beam’s death. Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said during an afternoon news conference that Irving faces 50 years to life in prison if convicted.
Irving is scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday, Jones Dickson said.
Beam coached football in Oakland for more than 40 years. He came to Laney as running backs coach in 2004, was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2005 and was head coach from 2012-2024. Upon retirement from coaching, Beam continued to serve as Laney’s athletic director, a post he had held since 2006.
For many of his players and members of the community, Beam was much more than a coach, as seen by viewers of Season 5 of the Netflix documentary series “Last Chance U,” which focused on Beam and the Eagles during the 2019 football season.
“Filming with him at Laney College gave us a firsthand look at his passion, his integrity, and his unwavering commitment to the young men he coached — and to the city of Oakland,” the show’s creator, Greg Whiteley, wrote Friday on X.
Wright told reporters that Beam was “someone I could confide in, someone that I love dearly.” He added that the coach filled a huge void for him and his brother — New Orleans Saints cornerback Rejzohn Wright, who played at Laney in 2018 and 2019 — after the death of their father in 2017.
“Beam stepped in, stepped in as a father figure, a father role,” Nahshon Wright said. “He did a lot for me and my brother, my family. He’s been there. He’s been there every step of the way, and it won’t stop. I gained an angel, for sure.”
In a scene from “Last Chance U,” Laney coach John Beam talks to player Rejzohn Wright.
(Netflix)
Rejzohn Wright reposted a video clip of his brother’s interception and its aftermath on X and wrote: “Long live Coach beam forever with us!”
In an Oct. 19 Instagram post, Beam wrote that he was “in Chicago to watch the brothers battle” as the Bears hosted the Saints. The pride and love Beam felt toward his former players was more than evident in the photos he posted and the words he wrote.
“The Wright Way — always believe and keep grinding, never give up and believe the path will open up,” Beam wrote.
Britain’s Fabio Wardley is expected to be elevated to WBO heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk decided to relinquish his title.
It comes after Ukrainian fighter Usyk informed the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) he would not proceed with a mandatory title defence against Wardley.
The WBO said Usyk had “elected to relinquish his title after thoughtful consideration”.
Usyk still holds the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles, having beaten Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion.
He first became the four-belt undisputed champion in May 2024 by beating Tyson Fury, before giving up the IBF title five weeks later and deciding not to fight the mandatory challenger.
WBO president Gustavo Olivieri called Usyk “a champion of champions” in a statement.
“The WBO extends its profound respect, admiration and gratitude to Oleksandr Usyk, an undefeated, two-division WBO undisputed world champion,” Olivieri said.
“His career stands as one of the most extraordinary and historic of the modern boxing era.”
The WBO added that its doors “will always remain open to Usyk and his team”.
McVay said the Rams were awaiting results from an MRI exam and a consultation with team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache before deciding how long Lake might be out, whether he will be placed on injured reserve or if it is a season-ending injury that would require surgery.
“Not great for our captain and leader,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters. “Bummed out for him.”
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Gary Klein breaks down what went right for the Rams in a 21-19 victory over the Seattle Seahawks at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
Lake, a team captain, has been something of an Ironman the last few seasons. He played every defensive snap in 2024 before starters were rested for the season finale. He played every snap this season before he was injured on Sunday in the 21-19 victory that improved the Rams’ record to 8-2, extended their winning streak to five games and put the Rams in sole possession of first place in the NFC West.
Josh Wallace replaced Lake at the nickel spot on Sunday.
Safety Kamren Kinchens, who intercepted two passes against the Seahawks, got increased snaps in Lake’s absence. Cornerback Cobie Durant can also play inside and Roger McCreary also is a candidate to play in that spot when the Rams play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
Safety Kam Curl is an experienced veteran. But replacing Lake’s leadership is a tall order.
“You don’t replace a Quentin Lake,” McVay said. “He’s so valuable for so many reasons with what he can do, with who he is as a human, with the way that he elevates and leads. … We’ll have to figure out what is the next best thing for us to be able to do.
“I think it would be insincere to think that you’re going to ask somebody to do the things that he’s capable of. It’s what makes him so special. But I do have a lot of confidence in the other guys.”
Bellingham has scored 41 goals in 111 appearances for Real Madrid since joining two years ago, playing a key role in a side which has won La Liga and the Uefa Champions League.
He flourished under the leadership of Carlo Ancelotti, renowned for his ability to handle the personalities in Los Blancos’ squad, but like his team-mates has found things more difficult under new manager Xabi Alonso this season.
“He has a great reputation in Madrid,” said Jesus Bengoechea, a writer for Real Madrid fan media outlet La Galerna.
“The fans love him, not only for his technical quality but his commitment to the team. He comes across as somebody who is really dedicated to the shirt and what it represents.
“He plays a very influential role in the dressing room – he is one of the players who has stepped up after players like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Karim Benzema left. It surprises a lot of people that he is not more acclaimed in England.
“Lately there have been some rumours about him being not so disciplined in some ways, certain things about the level of intense work Alonso is asking the players to do. But we haven’t seen that on the pitch and I find it hard to believe.
“Alonso is like Tuchel, both quite cold characters and very tactical. I think it is a matter of personalities that don’t gel.”
New York Jets cornerback Kris Boyd remains in critical but stable condition a day after being shot in the abdomen in midtown Manhattan.
The New York Police Department has released surveillance images of a suspect wanted in connection with the shooting, which took place at approximately 2:06 a.m. Sunday in front of 156 West 38 St. in the Midtown South precinct.
“The sought individual is described as male, medium complexion,” the NYPD said in a statement emailed to The Times. “He was last seen wearing a black cap, black sweatshirt, black pants, multi-colored sneakers, and carrying a black bookbag.”
According to the NYPD, the suspect fled on foot traveling eastbound on West 38 St. Emergency medical services responded to the incident, the police said, and transported a 29-year-old male victim to NYC Health and Hospitals/Bellevue in critical but stable condition.
The office of New York Mayor Eric Adams was one of the first to identify Boyd as the victim.
“I am praying for New York Jets player Kris Boyd and his loved ones,” Adams wrote Sunday on social media. “Although we’ve gotten shootings to historic lows in our city, we must continue to work to end gun violence. Too many young lives have been tragically altered and cut short by this epidemic.”
The Jets, who had a bye in this week’s NFL schedule, said Sunday in a statement: “We are aware of the situation involving Kris Boyd and will have no further comment at this time.”
Boyd was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the 2019 draft and has also played for the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. Known primarily as a special teams player, Boyd signed a one-year, $1.6 million deal with the Jets this past offseason but was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list on Aug. 18 with a shoulder injury.
On Sunday, Jets linebacker Jermaine Johnson and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips offered prayers for their teammate on social media.
“Everybody please send prayers to my brother and teammate Kris Boyd and his family!!!” Johnson wrote. “Lord please hold your healing hand over Kris and guide him back to health and safety. Lord I ask that you please just get him through this safely.”
Phillips wrote: “Father God, we come to you right now, asking for your healing power over KB. You are a God of miracles. Lord, place your mighty hand on him as he fights lord God. Guide every doctor, nurse, and surgeon who touches him lord. Give his family strength! Kris is a fighter and we’re all here for him.”
Bellamy has recognised it. Wilson started all six games of the Nations League campaign that will guarantee Wales a play-off place, regardless of tonight’s result. His three goals in three matches not done since Bale in 2016.
This campaign, though, has been stop-start. A broken foot seeing him miss the opening two matches, two subsequent yellow cards ruling him out of Saturday’s narrow 1-0 win in Vaduz.
“It’s been frustrating; those first games came a little too soon for me,” said Wilson, who returned with two goals in Wales’ June games against Liechtenstein and Belgium. “The suspension stopped the momentum a little bit.”
It will be interesting whether the armband takes out any of Wilson’s bite that is not too dissimilar to the fire once displayed by his manager on the pitch.
While there have been acts of petulance – his red card as Wales crashed out of Euro 2020 against Denmark springs to mind – there is an edge to his game that is part of the attraction, part of the reason for success.
“Harry uses his body in that way and if you get too tight to him, you foul him,” Bellamy has said previously, likening him to Carlos Tevez and Luis Suarez. “His smartness and how he is able to press, his intensity and what he is able to do, really tells me how good a player he is.”
Wales will hope Wilson shows it again against North Macedonia. From the start, of course.
Every college football team with a coaching vacancy wants the next Curt Cignetti. Maybe UCLA can land him.
He’s from the same school that Cignetti took to unprecedented heights before making Indiana a national power, and he’s doing similarly special things.
His name is Bob Chesney, and he was publicly identified by former Bruins coach Rick Neuheisel over the weekend as someone whom UCLA is targeting in a search that appears to be picking up considerable momentum.
If that’s true — and there’s no reason to believe it isn’t, based on Neuheisel’s connections and similar things heard by The Times from others close to the coaching search — then the Bruins might be among the Chesney suitors on the cusp of the coup of the coaching carousel.
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Chesney has a profile similar to Cignetti’s. He won big at the Division III, Division II and Football Championship Series levels before taking over at James Madison prior to last season. All he’s done with the Dukes is guide them to a 9-4 record and Boca Raton Bowl victory in Year 1 before putting them on the fringes of College Football Playoff contention with a 9-1 start in Year 2.
He’s relatively young at 48 and has a dynamic presence. Go watch his introductory news conference at James Madison. Some descriptors that come to mind are driven, compassionate, gracious, humorous and principled.
“Transparency and communication are two very important things that every program needs to have,” Chesney said that day, providing a mantra that all organizations should embrace.
Chesney has the kind of personality that could land recruits, galvanize a fan base and drive donations at UCLA, even as someone who has spent his entire life on the East Coast.
Anyone who thinks that is an automatic disqualifier for the UCLA job doesn’t know history. Ever heard the name Red Sanders?
He was a North Carolina native who came to UCLA from Vanderbilt, going on to such massive success in Westwood that the Bruins still give out the Red Sanders Award to their most valuable player each year.
Chesney has to want to come to UCLA, of course, while also being pursued by others as his profile continues to rise, seemingly by the day. All it takes is one phone call from somebody else for even the best plans to get derailed. The surplus of coaching vacancies at Power Four schools and associated moves will make any pursuit a game of dominoes.
UCLA hasn’t hired a sitting head coach since Pepper Rodgers took the job before the 1971 season, leaving Kansas.
The last three times the Bruins made that move, it paid off handsomely. Rodgers went 19-12-1 over three seasons before departing for Georgia Tech, his alma mater. Tommy Prothro (previously at Oregon State) went 41-18-3 over six seasons before landing a job with the Rams. After leaving Vanderbilt, Sanders went 66-19-1 at UCLA, winning a share of the Bruins’ only national championship in 1954, before dying of a heart attack before the 1958 season.
If UCLA intends to go that route, other candidates that the search committee would be smart to consider include San Diego State’s Sean Lewis, Tulane’s Jon Sumrall and South Florida’s Alex Golesh. Washington’s Jedd Fisch would be another attractive candidate if there was mutual interest, though Fisch’s reported $10-million buyout that doesn’t drop to $6 million until January — long after the Bruins want to have their coach in place — may be prohibitive.
Luke Duncan throws a pass against Ohio State in the second half.
(Jay LaPrete / Associated Press)
With UCLA missing its starting quarterback against the nation’s top-ranked team, a 48-10 loss to Ohio State was entirely predictable.
Quarterbacks: B. Given the circumstances, Luke Duncan filled in admirably for Nico Iamaleava, showing plenty of potential once he was able to sling the ball in the second half.
Running backs: C-. It could have been worse considering the Buckeyes knew the Bruins would rely heavily on the run. Jaivian Thomas, Jalen Berger, Anthony Woods and Anthony Frias II combined for 55 yards and averaged 2.75 yards per carry.
Wide receivers/tight ends: B. Rico Flores II and Kwazi Gilmer each made a big catch, but Gilmer was called for unsportsmanlike conduct at a time his team was losing 27-0.
Offensive line: B+. These guys didn’t give up a sack even with veteran guard Garrett DiGiorgio sidelined by a back injury and right tackle Reuben Unije leaving the game because of another injury.
Defensive line: C+. There’s little shame in getting outclassed by one of the nation’s top offensive lines.
Linebackers: B. Jalen Woods recorded the team’s first sack since the Michigan State game more than a month ago.
Defensive backs: C. Didn’t make much of an impression outside of Cole Martin getting hurdled on a touchdown run.
Special teams: D. Mateen Bhaghani did his thing, making another field goal, but giving up a 100-yard kickoff return was unacceptable.
Coaching: C. Somewhat understandably, Tim Skipper & Co. unveiled a game plan so conservative that it might appear on the GOP ticket for midterm elections in 2026.
Olympic sport the week: Men’s water polo
Frederico Jucá Carsalade looks to pass against USC.
(UCLA)
They got it done.
In a rematch they badly wanted to win, the UCLA Bruins edged rival USC on Saturday to win the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation men’s water polo title.
With two goals in the final two minutes, including a go-ahead goal from Ryder Dodd with 1:09 left, the visiting Bruins rallied for an epic 14-13 victory over the Trojans, avenging a loss to their rivals from earlier in the season.
From left, Trey Doten, Max Matthews, Marcell Szécsi, Nick Tovani, and Wade Sherlock cheer against USC.
(UCLA)
Dodd finished with four goals for UCLA (22-1), which earned the top seeding in the MPSF tournament at Stanford’s Avery Aquatics Center. The Bruins will face either eighth-seeded Penn State Behrend or ninth-seeded Connecticut College on Friday afternoon in their opening game.
Opinion time
Which possible football coaching candidate excites you most?
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Players from the tiny but beautiful Caribbean island of Curacao are 90 minutes away from creating World Cup history.
If they avoid defeat away at Jamaica on Tuesday night (Wednesday 01:00 GMT), Curacao – guided by former Netherlands and Rangers boss Dick Advocaat – will qualify for the finals for the first time.
They would become the smallest nation ever to play at the World Cup. That record is held by Iceland, who reached the 2018 finals, but their country is far bigger than Curacao, which has a population of just over 150,000 (similar to Cambridge or Huddersfield) and a land area smaller than the Isle of Man.
“It’s crazy and would be one of the biggest things that will happen to Curacao,” said midfielder Juninho Bacuna, a former Huddersfield, Rangers and Birmingham player.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he added: “It’s incredible and amazing. Even a few years ago you would not even think about it, but now we are this close.
“We’re certain to just give our all to qualify for the World Cup. To be personally part of it and to make that dream come true would be incredible.”
Curacao, 37 miles off the Venezuela coast, only became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 2010, following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.
Ten years ago they were 150th in Fifa’s world rankings. Now they are 82nd.
The expanded 2026 World Cup format, which features 48 nations instead of 32, along with the fact hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States all qualify automatically, has given Curacao a much-improved chance.
And in nine qualifying matches, they have won seven. A 2-0 home win over Jamaica in October, followed by a 1-1 draw with Trinidad and Tobago and a 7-0 away thrashing of Bermuda on Friday, has them top of their group with one match to go.
In the final game, they are away at Jamaica, who are one point behind Curacao and will qualify themselves with a victory.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. It’s semifinals week in the high school football playoffs. This is the week players cry if they come up short and scream if they make it to the final. And it comes as the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs are on the verge of making history.
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The versatile Trent Mosley makes a run during Santa Margarita’s playoff win against Sierra Canyon.
(Craig Weston)
Carson Palmer held up well whenever he experienced rain in his 15 years as an NFL quarterback because of his big hands to help grasp the football. In his first experience last week as a high school head coach in the rain, he got one of his most memorable victories when Santa Margarita knocked off previously unbeaten Sierra Canyon on the road, 21-9, to advance to the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals. His quarterback, Trace Johnson, threw for two touchdowns. He played in Florida’s rain last season. Here’s the report.
Highlights from Santa Margarita’s win over unbeaten Sierra Canyon in the rain. Interception by Siua Holani. Trace Johnson TD pass to Ryan Clark. Trent Mosley punt return. pic.twitter.com/HY8oIVlMJb
It sets up one of the most unlikely semifinals, Santa Margarita playing Trinity League rival Orange Lutheran on Friday night at Orange Coast College. Orange Lutheran pulled off the biggest upset in California, if not the nation, with a 20-19 victory over top-seeded St. John Bosco. Orange Lutheran lost to St. John Bosco in the regular season 48-0.
The Lancers have Santa Margarita right where they want them. They lost to the Eagles 28-7 during the regular season. Coach Rod Sherman has his team believing. Quarterback Reagan Toki and defensive back King Rich Johnson came through with big plays against the Braves, who lost back-to-back games for the first time under coach Jason Negro. Santa Margarita remains the favorite with its outstanding defense and the versatile Trent Mosley.
The other semifinal is another rematch with Corona Centennial hosting Mater Dei. Centennial won a wild game in September 43-36 in which the Monarchs fell behind 28-0 and 33-7 at halftime, only to rally and take the lead before losing. Mater Dei had seven turnovers. The last time either Mater Dei or St. John Bosco did not win the Division 1 championship was 2015. Centennial won it, so history could be made if the Huskies eliminate Mater Dei.
The Division 2 semifinals are also outstanding. Los Alamitos is at Murrieta Valley in a game in which both teams love to run the football. Red-hot San Clemente plays at Leuzinger, which is riding high with the return of quarterback Russell Sekona and a tough defense.
Garfield running back Zastice Jauregui cuts off a block to pick up some of his 440 yards rushing against Palisades on Friday night.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Garfield ended Palisades’ magical unbeaten football season with 42-21 victory. The Dolphins have had issues all season on defense, and the Bulldogs made them pay. Zastice Jauregui rushed for 440 yards and five touchdowns. Here’s the report.
It sets up an Open Division semifinal between top-seeded Carson and a Garfield team that’s surging and used to playing in big games.
The other semifinal will have Birmingham, unbeaten in 55 games against City Section opponents, taking on the surprise team of the year, 9-1 Crenshaw, which upset San Pedro on the road 30-0. The Cougars’ long-time head coach, Robert Garrett, has not coached all season while being on administrative leave. Terrence Whitehead has been running things. The Cougars are a dangerous team motivated to win a title for Whitehead and Garrett.
Aaron Minter of Venice enjoys the mud in a 35-8 win over Franklin in a City Division I playoff game.
(Nick Koza)
In Division I, Venice is top-seeded but Marquez will be a formidable semifinal opponent. South Gate has advanced to the other semifinal but its opponent won’t be decided until Eagle Rock hosts Dorsey on Monday at 4 p.m. after a power failure on Friday forced the postponement.
In Division II, Fairfax is at Cleveland ant Marshall at San Fernando. Marshall overcame a 12-11 deficit to Chatsworth by returning an onside kick for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
In Division III, Contreras entered this season having never won a playoff game since the school opened in 2007. Contreras plays at top-seeded Santee and Wilson is at Hawkins.
Top junior guard Kaleena Smith of Ontario Christian visited USC last week. UCLA is next. Don’t expect a commitment any time soon.
The state’s winningest coach, Kevin Kiernan, is back coaching at Troy. Here’s the report.
Westchester and Palisades look to be the top teams in City Section girls basketball.
Boys basketball
This week’s opening schedule includes the Mission League vs. Trinity League challenge on Saturday at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. The featured games include Harvard-Westlake vs. St. John Bosco at 8:30 p.m. and Santa Margarita vs. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at 7 p.m. Here’s the link for tickets.
Newport Harbor goalie Conner Clougherty helped lead his team to Southern Section championship.
(Don Leach/Staff Photographer)
Close to a perfection. That’s how to describe the season enjoyed by the Newport Harbor boys’ water polo team, which repeated as Southern Section Open Division champions with a 10-3 win over rival Corona del Mar. Newport Harbor is 30-1, has won four titles in the last five years and 16th championship overall.
Newport Harbor is seeded No. 1 for the Division I state regional water polo playoffs that begin Tuesday. Here are the pairings.
Loyola won the Division 1 championship over Mater Dei. Capistrano Valley, Bonita, Charter Oak and Fontana also won titles.
Cleveland won its third straight City Section championship. Here’s the report.
Cross country
It’s championship time in cross country. The City Section will hold its finals Thursday in Elysian Park. The Southern Section finals are Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College.
The Southern Section created a rain course for last weekend’s prelims at Mt. SAC. Here’s the link to results.
Maximo Zavaleta of King had the fastest Division 1 boys time at 14:21.3. Charlotte Hopkins led Division 1 girls in 16:56.5.
Interception machine
Jaden Walk-Green of Corona Centennial makes interception and returns it for touchdown against Mater Dei.
(Craig Weston)
There’s one defensive player who has thrust himself into the conversation for player of the year. Jaden Walk-Green, a junior at Corona Centennial, has made 10 interceptions, returning five for touchdowns.
The City Section flag football championships were postponed Saturday because of rain and have been rescheduled for Saturday. Eagle Rock plays Marshall in the Open Division final at 6 p.m. at Garfield. . . .
The Southern California girls volleyball regional finals are set for Tuesday. Here’s the schedule. Winners advances to the state championships Friday and Saturday at Santiago Canyon College. . . .
Price has dropped its boys basketball progam. It was a long-time small schools power, winning numerous championships during the era of Michael Lynch . . .
Standout forward Maximo Adams of Sierra Canyon has committed to North Carolina. . . .
Vince Gomez has resigned as girls basketball coach at Anaheim. . . .
Sierra Canyon standout girls basketball player Jerzy Robinson hasn’t practiced in more than a month because of an injury. She’s waiting for doctor’s clearance to resume practices. . . .
Mater Dei senior basketball standout Kaeli Wynn has committed to South Carolina. . . .
Alyson Fullbright is the new girls beach volleyball coach at St. Margaret’s. . . .
Softball standout Shea Gonzalez of Villa Park has committed to Washington. . . .
Santa Margarita won the Southern California regional girls’ golf title for the fourth straight season to advance to the state championships on Wednesday at Poppy Hills. . . .
Junior infielder Parker Leoff of Huntington Beach has committed to UCLA. . . .
Former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame basketball player Tyran Stokes has enrolled at Rainer Beach in Seattle. . . .
TJ Yonkers has resigned as football coach at West Ranch.
From the archives: Sam Darnold
In 2017, USC quarterback Sam Darnold visits his former teammates at San Clemente.
(Los Angeles Times)
Sam Darnold is a hero in his home town of San Clemente. He starred at San Clemente High, USC and now is having success in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks. He struggled Sunday in his homecoming to SoFi Stadium, with the Rams intercepting him four times.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on former Thousand Oaks linebacker Alex Singleton revealing he has cancer.
From the Washington Post, a story on a high school athlete who grew up on basketball but her ticket to college might be flag football.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on UCLA’s 16-year-old women’s soccer player.
Tweets you might have missed
A reminder from 2021. Nothing has changed yet. Trinity League has a hiring problem when it comes to high school football coaches https://t.co/de18zPph5e
Stats-wise, Troy is the No. 2 receiver all-time in the county. A pleasure to watch him play and follow the journey. Also… a tough kid! Returned quickly from a stress fracture in his foot last year. Best of luck in the future. https://t.co/5zV4yROV9X
Santa Margarita had done nothing on offense. Then Trace Johnson gets time and connects with Ryan Clark for a 33-yard TD with 18 seconds left in second quarter. Santa Margarita 7, Sierra Canyon 3. Halftime. pic.twitter.com/2yUnn5ZI4b
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A game-winning trick play from the Baltimore Ravens’ Mark Andrews and a stunning catch by the Los Angeles Chargers’ Keenan Allen top the best plays from week 11 in the NFL.
Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter. Hopefully, by the time you read this, you will have finally dried off. Or maybe it’s still pouring rain where you are. But whatever the weather, things are looking pretty sunny for Lincoln Riley and USC right now.
The Trojans are now just two wins away from a trip to the College Football Playoff. But the bigger statement Saturday, while rallying in the rain to beat a team like Iowa, wasn’t so much about this season, but rather the program’s trajectory after next week’s marquee matchup at No. 8 Oregon.
Riley said later that he sensed this shift at halftime, just as the team’s Playoff hopes were hanging by a thread. His Trojans were trailing Iowa, 21-10, once again having succumbed to the same slow start that plagued them the last two games. They’d been outplayed, outworked, outsmarted. The run defense was awful. The offense was stuck in the mud.
Fight on! Are you a true Trojans fan?
Still, as Riley looked out over the locker room, he saw something he hadn’t last season or the season before that.
“You could tell from the look in their eye,” Riley said. “I felt very strongly we were going to come back out and make a run.”
We saw it for ourselves in the second half. USC’s defense shut out Iowa from that point on. It was the third game in a row in which the Trojans allowed three points or fewer after half. The offense came roaring back, scoring 16 unanswered points. The comeback felt almost run-of-the-mill in the moment. As if falling behind was just a part of the plan all along.
That it came in the pouring rain, against a team whose style is so quintessentially Big Ten, made it particularly meaningful.
“If there ever was one, that was a culture win,” Riley said. “Our team’s resilience, their response at halftime … we just keep coming, we have all year.”
Think of how different that feels from this time last season, when it was a foregone conclusion that USC would fold in the fourth quarter. Now, instead, there’s a sense of swagger and confidence that hasn’t been there since before Caleb Williams hurt his hamstring in the 2022 Pac-12 championship game.
Even that 2022 season, as magical as it may have been, was propped up by a Heisman winner at quarterback, one capable of willing his team to wins unlike anyone before him at USC. Riley has said on several occasions that that team, coming off a 4-8 campaign, overachieved relative to where the program actually stood.
Two frustrating seasons followed. There were times, during that stretch, where it seemed USC found something. But nothing felt quite as earned as Saturday’s breakthrough in the second half.
Eric Gentry was there for that first season under Riley. The senior linebacker has been an emotional leader ever since and a good barometer of where things stand in the locker room.
“It’s win or go home right now, and there’s no go home,” Gentry said after the game. “We’ve got to win. I think the whole team is understanding of what the culture is. Just fight to the last second, not feel like something bad is going to happen.
“Coach [Riley] said: ‘Don’t hope for [anything]. Make it happen.’”
Hope won’t be enough to win at Oregon, where it hasn’t won in 14 years. It will have to iron out its issues against the run to have any shot against the Ducks, who boast the best rushing attack in the Big Ten. It will need to start faster on both sides of the ball. And it will have to play up to its potential on the road against a very good team, which it hasn’t done … umm … ever during Riley’s tenure.
That’s not to say this can’t happen. (Which I may have suggested in this space three months ago.) If not for a game-winning field goal in the rain, Oregon would have lost to Iowa last week. But very few people will give USC a shot at Autzen, for reasons that are totally rational and understandable.
College football, though, is rarely ever rational or understandable. If USC is somehow able to upend Oregon, on the road, it would be the biggest win at the school not just since Riley started as coach, but well before that.
No matter what happens, we’ve seen enough this season to say that the team and the program are in a better place than they were a year ago. The question now is whether they’re ready to take that final step.
Makai Lemon
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
—Waymond Jordan was listed as “questionable” against Iowa. Could that hint at a return vs. Oregon? When Jordan underwent surgery last month, the hope was that his injury would only keep him out for four to six weeks. We’re basically at five-week mark right now, and by next weekend, will be near the end of that original timeline. Getting Jordan back was for this game was always a priority, and while King Miller has done great in his stead, Jordan was one of the best backs in America when he went down. His potential return would be huge news for USC’s offense. Some of this disparity is a factor of playing better defenses, but since Jordan departed the win over Michigan, USC’s offense has averaged just over six yards per play in its last four games, down from 8.3 yards in the previous six games with him.
—Give Makai Lemon the Biletnikoff already. How much more does anyone need to see to be convinced that Lemon is the best receiver in college football? Saturday was the third time in six weeks that Lemon has had 10 or more catches. And the afternoon started with Iowa double-teaming him. His leaping grab over the middle, as an Iowa defender knocked his legs out from under him, was truly something to behold. “He’s a fearless player,” Riley said. “Always has been.” But his game has gone to another level as a junior. I expect he’ll be a primary focus of Oregon’s secondary next week, which should open up opportunities for the rest of USC’s receiving corps.
Jazzy Davidson controls the ball against DeAvion Wilson of New Mexico State earlier this month.
(Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
—The USC women need time. Their schedule doesn’t exactly allow for it. Without JuJu Watkins, the Trojans are still trying to figure out their identity. They had no shot keeping up with No. 2 South Carolina on Saturday shooting 7% from deep. Jazzy Davidson is still getting the hang of things, just three games into her true freshman season, while USC’s frontcourt was pretty much non-existent against the Gamecocks. I agree with Lindsay Gottlieb that tests like this one, even when failed, help a team get better. But three of the Trojans’ next eight games come against top-25 teams, including a matchup with No. 1 Connecticut.
—Rodney Rice is better than advertised. When Eric Musselman put his roster together for Year 2 at USC, it wasn’t the plan for Rice to fully take on primary point guard duties. Freshman Alijah Arenas was presumed to be USC’s primary ballhandler. But his injury left Musselman with no choice but to trust Rice. And boy, has he delivered on that trust. Rice turned in a triple-double Friday in a win over Illinois State. But it’s his command of USC’s offense that was especially encouraging. He makes others better, which is going to be critical if the Trojans hope to be a tournament team this season.
—AD Jen Cohen laid out her perspective on non-conference scheduling in her State of Troy address. She never said the words “Notre Dame,” but the message might as well have been addressed to Irish athletic director Pete Bevacqua. Cohen wants to play the game in the first month of the season, as we’ve reported in this newsletter. In her letter to fans, she pointed out that no other Big Ten teams in the last two years have played a non-conference road game after Week 4. “Intentionally making our road to the CFP significantly more difficult than our Big Ten peers does not align with our goal to win championships,” Cohen wrote. That might make some fans bristle, but it’s the same sentiment that Riley has expressed for the last two years.
—Here’s what Cohen said on the Big Ten’s proposed private equity plans. In the same address, Cohen gave her first public comments on the private equity plan that USC and Michigan currently remain against. She didn’t reject the idea of a private equity deal outright, but noted that the school, in any deal, would need to consider USC’s “long-term value and flexibility” versus the benefit of a short-term payout. But the payout itself is part of the problem: USC is slated to get less than not just Michigan and Ohio State, but also Penn State. I still don’t see USC budging on its issue with that disparity, which could amount to something like a $10 million difference, per On3’s reporting. That’s led to some alarm bells about USC going independent. But there’s no reason to think we’re anywhere close to that. Let’s pump the brakes.
—You may have noticed that the Sams made another number change. Punter Sam Johnson and third-string quarterback Sam Huard were both listed as No. 0 this week, after both deceptively wore No. 80 a week ago. Watching USC line up for a punt this week, it dawned on me another brilliant layer to USC’s controversial fake punt ploy. From now on, every team the Trojans play will have to think to themselves, “Is that actually the punter?” Whether you thought USC’s ploy was bush league or not, Riley has only reaped benefits since. Though, maybe it’s no coincidence that Johnson’s first punt this week was a 24-yard shank. Karma? Perhaps.
Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba and Ariana Grande is Glinda in “Wicked: For Good.”
(Giles Keyte / Universal Pictures)
After waiting patiently for a year since the first installment, “Wicked: For Good” hits theaters this weekend, and I am counting down the days.
The first movie was tremendous, and the second has maybe the best song from the original musical (the name of which just happens to be in the title of the film). Early reviews suggest that Ariana Grande is given a lot more to do dramatically in this film, and I, for one, am here for it after her stellar performance the first time around.
With the early kickoff in Eugene, I may have no choice but to go see it that night — and thus, incur the wrath of my wife, who’s also waiting to see it, later.
Until next time …
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
