If you run cross-country or play soccer at Cathedral High, you‘d better be extra polite and respectful around the head coaches. They also happen to be the school president and principal, respectively.
Martin Farfan and Arturo Lopez continue to hold dual roles, which probably makes Cathedral the only school in the state with such an arrangement.
Despite all the time and responsibilities required to coach and help run Cathedral, they seem to make it work. This past week, while school was closed for the holidays, both held practices Monday. Farfan took his usual jog around the neighborhood after practice and ended up on the field while Lopez held a soccer practice.
Both believe in the importance of academics and the lessons learned in sports to help prepare students for the future.
Their players, however, know with the school’s two big wigs also wearing coaching hats, they always need to be on their best behavior.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
Edvardsen, who said he went into the Stuttgart dressing room after the game to apologise to Germany international Stiller, has been fined 500 euros (£432) by Go Ahead Eagles, who will donate the money to their social services fund.
“I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for my behaviour,” said 29-year-old Edvardsen, who has one cap for Sweden.
“Things were said and done between us that have no place on a football pitch. I’m a role model and I have to act accordingly.”
Go Ahead Eagles general manager Jan Willem van Dop said: “As a club, we are completely dissatisfied with Victor’s behavior and distance ourselves from it.
“It’s good that he apologised afterwards, but it remains a stain on the evening.”
German side Stuttgart secured a 4-0 win away at Go Ahead Eagles in the Netherlands.
In any given year there are more than 500,000 American boys playing on almost 20,000 high school basketball teams, and fewer than 2% of them will make it to March Madness. Only 60 young men get drafted by an NBA team each summer, and in the most recent draft a third of those spots went to international players.
The numbers suggest the funnel from the Amateur Athletic Union into the NBA is one of the narrowest in all of sports. And we used to talk about the game with the reverence that exclusivity implies. The numbers are how we decide who is an All Star or a Hall of Famer. The numbers are how we determine — or debate — the greatest.
Gambling and cheating scandals are not the only threats to sports. Because of the economic gravity of fantasy sports leagues and legal gambling, the numbers most of us hear about these days have more to do with bettors making money than with players making shots.
Bill James — the godfather of baseball analytics, who coined the phrase sabermetric in the late 1970s — did not revolutionize the way the sports industry looked at data so we could have more prop bets. The first fantasy baseball league was not started in a New York restaurant back in 1980 to beat Las Vegas. The numbers were initially about the love of the game. But ever since sports media personalities decided to embrace faux debates for ratings — at the expense of pure fandom — disingenuous hot takes have set programming agendas, and the numbers that used to tell us something about players are cynically used to win vacuous arguments. And after states began to legalize sports betting, athletes went from being the focus to being props for parlays.
That’s not to say gambling wasn’t there before. In fact, while James and others were revolutionizing the way fans — and front offices — evaluated players, the Boston College point-shaving scandal was unfolding in the shadows. The current gambling scandal surrounding Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, who this week pleaded not guilty to charges alleging a role in a poker-fixing scheme, is not unprecedented. It’s just recent.
What’s new is how we talk about the numbers.
The whole idea of fantasy sports leagues was to enable fans to be their own general managers — not to make money, but because we cared about the game so much. At the risk of sounding more pious than I am: When every game, every half, every quarter and even every shot is attached to gambling odds, good old-fashioned storytelling gets choked out. Instead of learning about players and using numbers to describe them, we hear numbers the way private equity firms see a target’s holdings.
Nothing personal, just the data.
The whole point about loving sports used to be that it was personal. Our favorite players weren’t just about outcomes. They were 1 out of 500,000 guys who made it. Each had a backstory, and the way they got there was a big part of the connection we felt with them.
This is why the Billups saga hits the NBA community emotionally. Drafted in 1997, the Colorado native played for four teams in his first five years before becoming an All Star and a Finals MVP. His numbers aren’t what defined him — even though those numbers were good enough to get him into the Hall of Fame. It was the resilience and character he demonstrated while trying to make it that fans admired. In his early-career struggles, we were reminded that making it in the NBA is hard and that everyone in the league beat the odds. It’s something we all know … but when broadcasters come out of commercial breaks showing the betting lines before the score, it’s easy to forget.
Thanksgiving is a big sports weekend and thus gambling weekend. Go ahead, eat irresponsibly … it’s the other vice that worries me.
Speaking prior to the news of Wood’s injury, former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie said he was “concerned about the robustness” of England’s attack.
“Do they have enough work in the bank to be fit and strong enough to bowl consistently high pace across the course of a whole match and then back it up in subsequent matches?” Gillespie told Stumped on BBC World Service.
“That is the big question mark for me.”
Wood’s absence would be keenly felt by England in the day-night conditions at the Gabba – a ground where they have not won since 1986.
England have a poor record in floodlit Tests, having won only two of their previous seven, including three defeats in Australia.
Australia have won 13 of their 14 day-night matches and, in Mitchell Starc, have the best pink-ball bowler in the world.
The pink ball does not behave differently to its red counterpart, but can be harder to see under lights.
Part of Starc’s success in pink-ball matches is the number of deliveries he bowls over 87mph and Wood, England’s fastest option, took nine wickets when he last played a day-night Test against Australia in Hobart in 2022.
Speaking on the For The Love of Cricket podcast, former England seamer Stuart Broad said: “There’s something about the pink ball, you just can’t pick it up quite as well. You get no clues as well, so the seam is black against the pink background, whereas with a red ball and white seam you might see Mitchell Starc’s in-swinger coming back into the stumps or scrambling around.
“It’s just the lights are reflecting off the pink ball so it’s almost like a big planet coming flying towards you.
“It means you’re just judging it from the movement off the surface or reading off the movement of the ball, but at such pace it’s quite difficult to do.”
Junior cornerback Ayden Celis recovered a fumble at San Fernando’s 22-yard line with 1:27 remaining and the second-seeded Tigers held on to beat No. 1-seeded Cleveland 21-14 at Birmingham High.
It was the ninth City title for San Fernando (11-3) and its first since 2017.
Melvin Pineda plowed into the end zone on fourth and goal from the one-yard line to end San Fernando’s first drive and, after teammate Brandan Marshall recovered a fumble at the Tigers’ 46, Pineda capped the ensuing possession with another one-yard touchdown, his sixth of the playoffs, to make it 14-0.
Cleveland marched to San Fernando’s eight-yard line late in the second quarter but a 25-yard field-goal attempt by Samael Cerritos hit the left upright.
Oluwafemi Okeola intercepted an overthrown pass at the San Fernando 46 early in the third quarter and nine plays later quarterback Domenik Fuentes scored on a three-yard keeper to pull the top-seeded Cavaliers within eight.
Three runs by Brandon Maldonado gained 37 yards to set up Fuentes’ one-yard plunge and a two-point conversion run by Joseph Hurtado that tied the score, 14-14, with 9:33 left.
San Fernando responded with a 75-yard drive, regaining the lead on a two-yard run by Andrew Newchurch, his 16th touchdown of the season, and a clutch extra point by Isaac Ortega with 4:36 remaining in the game.
“It was probably my last [high school] football game and we got the win,” Newchurch said. “The play was overload left and it was wide open. We’re proud to add to the school legacy — we hadn’t won City in a long time.”
The Tigers lost to eventual-champion Chatsworth in the first round of the Division II playoffs last season.
Spurs have scored seven goals in six home league games this season, while only Burnley have had fewer shots on target than their 18.
Frank’s midfield selections have come under fire for being too defensive. Remarkably, Spurs have made four throughballs this season. Leaders Arsenal have made 43.
“When you look at the make-up of their team, the midfield isn’t particularly creative,” Murphy told BBC Sport.
“It feels like none of their frontline are playing with any confidence. They look a bit lightweight in the front area of the pitch.
“Away from home, that doesn’t matter as much, because they can be more pragmatic – look for the set-plays, play on the counter and be hard to beat – and they don’t have the expectation of the 60,000 home supporters to go after teams and really try to win games.
“That makes a difference to players. Away from home, you can kind of do it at your own pace and it is OK for you to be without the ball.
“The games we’ve seen Tottenham do well in away from home have actually been comfortable at times for them – their win at Everton was a good example of that.
“But that lack of cohesion and rhythm in the front three, where things have changed so much – and even that little tweak in midfield where sometimes it’s a 10, sometimes it’s three midfielders – it all looks a little bit higgledy-piggledy.
“It means Spurs can look a bit too safe at home, with no-one playing with any belief or confidence to get on the ball.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half and the Memphis Grizzlies rallied for a 112-107 win over the Clippers in the last game of NBA Cup play for both teams on Friday night.
The Grizzlies, who outscored the Clippers by eight in the fourth quarter to get their fourth win in five games, went 3-1 in West Group B but failed to secure a wild card into the knockout round because the Phoenix Suns had a better point differential.
Vincent Williams Jr. scored 16 points and Santi Aldama added 13 off the bench for the Grizzlies, who have a three-game road winning streak after dropping their previous five away from home. Zach Edey had 21 rebounds and five points.
Kawhi Leonard had 39 points in 29 minutes for the Clippers, who have lost six straight at home, with their last victory at Intuit Dome coming on Oct. 31. James Harden added 23 points.
Memphis struggled to get its offense going in the first half, relying on long-distance shooting from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to provide some pop. They found a groove in the third quarter, rallying from a 16-point deficit to get within 81-78 to close the period, and it carried through as Cedric Coward gave the Grizzlies their first lead early in the fourth.
The Clippers started off strong by making hit three three-pointers to open the game and going six of nine from long range in the first quarter, but they finished 12 of 38 (31.6%) from deep.
The Arab world’s biggest football competition kicks off on Monday, as 16 teams from across the region face off in Qatar.
Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament, which occurs every four years:
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What are the key dates?
The FIFA Arab Cup 2025 will begin on Monday, with Tunisia facing Syria in the tournament opener.
The final will be played on December 18, marking the conclusion of the 32-match tournament.
Group stage: December 1 to 9
Quarterfinals: December 11 and 12
Semifinals: December 15
Third-place playoff: December 18
Final: December 18
Where is the tournament being held?
Qatar is staging the Arab Cup for the third time; it hosted the 1998 and 2021 tournaments. It is also the second successive FIFA tournament hosted by the Gulf nation after the recently concluded FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Six venues have been chosen to host the regional showpiece, each of which was used during the FIFA World Cup three years ago.
As was the case during Qatar 2022, Al Bayt Stadium, in the northern city of Al Khor, will host the tournament opener, while the magnificent Lusail Stadium will host the final.
The 2025 Arab Cup will be the second edition under FIFA’s jurisdiction, with editions before 2021 organised by the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA).
Here are the host cities and stadiums:
⚽ Lusail City: Lusail Stadium (capacity: 88,966) ⚽ Al Rayyan: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium (capacity: 45,032) ⚽ Al Khor: Al Bayt Stadium (capacity: 68,895) ⚽ Doha: Stadium 974 (capacity: 44,089) ⚽ Education City: Education City Stadium (capacity: 44,667) ⚽ Doha: Khalifa International Stadium (capacity: 45,857)
The iconic Lusail Stadium in Qatar, which hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, will stage the Arab Cup final on December 18 [Robert Cianflone/Getty Images]
How many teams are taking part?
Sixteen nations, drawn from both the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), will play in the tournament.
Hosts Qatar and defending champions Algeria, along with the seven highest-ranked nations at the time of the draw in May, all qualified automatically.
The remaining seven slots were filled through a series of single-leg qualification matches held in Qatar this week.
The participating nations have been divided into four groups, as follows:
⚽ Group A: Tunisia, Syria, Qatar, Palestine
⚽ Group B: Morocco, Comoros, Saudi Arabia, Oman
⚽ Group C: Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, United Arab Emirates
⚽ Group D: Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, Bahrain
How did Palestine qualify for Arab Cup?
Palestine edged Libya 4-3 on penalties on Tuesday to secure their place in the Arab Cup, bringing joy to Palestinians in the wake of Israel’s war on Gaza.
The playoff in Doha ended 0-0 after 90 minutes before Palestine held their nerve in the shootout to reach the 16-team tournament.
“This was the toughest playoff match,” coach Ihab Abu Jazar told Al Kass TV. “Libya are strong. Our circumstances and absences made it harder, but we are proud. Football is one of the few things that can bring happiness to Palestinians.
“We are different from other teams. They play to compete, but we play for two goals: to send messages through football and to develop Palestinian football. Our team has become a big name in Asia and was close to reaching the World Cup playoff.
“We play for more than trophies – we play to send a message and bring joy to our people,” he added.
Libya defender (#5) Ahmed Saleh and Palestinian forward (#11) Oday Dabbagh fight for the ball during the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 playoff at Al Gharafa Stadium in Al Rayyan, on November 25, 2025 [Mahmud Hams/AFP]
What is the prize money for the Arab Cup?
The 2025 edition will have a record prize money of more than $36.5m, joining the ranks of the world’s major international football tournaments.
The last competition, in 2021, had a reported prize purse of $25.5m.
What is the tournament format?
The top two teams in each group will qualify for the knockout stage, which features the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final. There is also a third-place playoff between the two losing semifinalists.
In the knockout stages, if a match is level at the end of normal playing time, it will go to 30 minutes of extra time and, if required, penalties.
Who are the previous champions?
Iraq are the most successful team in the Arab Cup with four titles. Saudi Arabia are the second-most successful nation with two titles, while Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Algeria have all won once each.
Algeria are the defending champions, having beaten Tunisia 2-0 in extra time at the 2021 final.
Historically, nations from the Asian Football Confederation (six titles) have won more than the Confederation of African Football teams (four titles).
Algeria goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi holds up the winner’s trophy after receiving it from Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, second from right, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the end of the 2021 Arab Cup final in Doha [File: Darko Bandic/AP]
Why is the Arab Cup important?
Featuring some of the strongest teams, the Arab Cup will give fans a taste of what to expect from Arab nations at next year’s FIFA World Cup.
Seven Arab Cup participants – Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Algeria – will also compete at the FIFA World Cup 2026, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“The tournament plays an important role in showcasing Arab and Islamic culture to the world,” Algeria striker Baghdad Bounedjah said. “It’s a celebration of our identity and an opportunity to showcase our shared passion for the beautiful game on such a global scale.”
With the revamped World Cup set to feature an expanded 48-team pool, the Arab Cup could be a proving ground for teams aiming to make a deep run on football’s biggest stage.
Who are the favourites to win?
Based on their recent performance in the 2026 World Cup qualification phase, as many as five teams could be considered frontrunners for the title.
Up there is Tunisia, who gathered the most points (28 from a possible 30) among all CAF nations during the World Cup qualifiers, winning nine of the 10 matches to finish top of their group.
Fellow North African neighbours Algeria and Morocco are strong contenders after both qualified for the World Cup by finishing top of their groups. Record seven-time African champions Egypt are also among the favourites.
Jordan, who qualified for the World Cup for the first time, are an underdog pick to win it all.
Who are the top players to watch?
Jordan’s Ali Olwan, the third-highest scorer in the AFC World Cup qualifying with nine goals, will be one to watch in the tournament. Joining him on the list of forwards expected to pose a serious threat is Iraq’s Aymen Hussein, who was tied for fourth-highest goals, with eight.
Fans should also keep an eye on Tunisia’s reliable goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen, who kept six clean sheets as his side went unbeaten without conceding in all 10 of their qualifying fixtures.
Forward Akram Afif, whose name has become synonymous with Qatar’s footballing success in the past decade, is a key player for the host nation, while Saudi Arabia captain Salem Al-Dawsari has been in decent form of late, sitting joint-fourth in the Saudi Pro League’s top assist men.
Qatar’s Akram Afif was named in the team of the tournament at the last edition of the Arab Cup in 2021 [Ibraheem Al Omari/Reuters]
Where to buy tickets and watch the tournament?
Tickets for the FIFA Arab Cup went on sale on the official ticketing platform at the end of September. Fans can buy tickets for individual matches across three pricing categories, starting at $7.
The tournament also had an option of team-specific packs, which offered three group games of each nation, starting at about $20. However, those are now unavailable.
Tickets for the final, starting at $14, have sold out.
In the Middle East and North Africa, you can watch the entire tournament from December 1 through December 18, exclusively in Arabic and only on beIN SPORTS PPV.
This is the official match ball, by Adidas, which will be used during the tournament [Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto via Getty Images]
England had given themselves an outstanding opportunity after four sessions of the first Test. At 65-1 in their second innings, the visitors had a lead of 105 runs.
But England lost their last nine wickets for 99 runs, including a calamitous spell of 3-0 when all of Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Joe Root were dismissed driving at the ball.
The collapse has led to more questions of England’s attacking style. Though Stokes pointed to the aggression of Australia’s Travis Head, who made the second-fastest century in Ashes history to lead the home side to victory, the England skipper accepted his team could have been “a lot better”.
“The important thing we need to do as a team and individuals is learn from it,” said Stokes. “We have identified those moments and spoken about them as a group.
“In terms of execution, could we have been better at executing what we want to do? Definitely.
“Sometimes when you go out there and make a decision, it doesn’t always pay off, or work the way you want it to. That’s the key for the rest of this tour, staying true to the beliefs of how we play our cricket, but also we do know we could have been a lot better in certain ways.”
England had won only one of their 17 previous Tests when Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum took over the in 2022.
The upturn in results and breathtaking style of cricket rebuilt a connection with supporters, a connection that has been tested in the past week. Many of those travelling to Perth spent vast sums of money, only to see England beaten in the first two-day Ashes Test for 104 years.
“We know that there’ll be a lot of disappointed fans after that first defeat,” said Stokes. But it’s a five-game series, we’ve got four games to go.
“We’ve lost the first one – we’re absolutely desperate to come home with that goal from before we started the series, which is to win the Ashes, and doing absolutely everything within our powers and using our time best to allow us to go out there and try and achieve that goal.”
The USC Trojans won their second straight game, beating the Pepperdine Waves 82–52 at Galen Center on Friday.
Both teams had a slow scoring momentum in the first quarter with multiple missed shots, but the No. 18 Trojans (5–2) used aggressive defense to secure an 11-point lead.
“Our defensive point of attack was really good,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “I think Kennedy [Smith] is really elite as a disrupter and I thought everyone else fed off of her, and so it helped us to kind of change the tempo of the game when it was a little tight there in the first quarter. I thought we did a pretty good job defending the three-point line as a team. … I thought we pushed the ball well and because of that we shot it well.”
Gottlieb said the team focused on executing its game plan.
“We wanted to hold them under 30% from three. We did that,” she said. “We wanted to turn them over a bunch. We did that. And I thought we shared the ball great — 27 assists on 31 baskets is exceptional and I’m happy with a good team effort. We’re still in a place where we want to keep getting better, but you want to be able to build on one step forward and make it two or three in a row.”
Trojans guard Jazzy Davidson opened the second quarter with a three-pointer, followed by a layup from Kara Dunn and another from Vivian Iwuchukwu, plus a foul and free throw, helping USC open a 29-10 lead.
“Having that on the floor — people that can shoot, people that can post up … opens up the floor for all of us,” Dunn said. “So people are out on me and Deezy on the three-point line. That’s how Viv was able to attack and take advantage of that because they can’t really help off, and so I think us having versatile team members and having multiple ways of attack is really good for us.”
Trusting in teammates and knowing they will make the right plays helped Iwuchukwu in her execution on the court.
“Kennedy had seven assists and other people had five and were really good on getting the ball to all of us,” Iwuchukwu said. “Trusting that my teammates were gonna give me the ball, knowing that there’s not going to be someone that’s going to take it from behind me.”
Pepperdine (4–2) tried to cut into USC’s early lead but struggled to overcome 11 first-half turnovers. The Waves gained most of their first-half points from USC fouls.
USC closed the half leading 47–26.
Early in the third quarter, both teams traded baskets, with Iwuchukwu scoring first on a layup for USC, and Pepperdine’s Eli Guiney responding with one of her own. USC led 62–39 heading into the fourth.
Down the stretch, USC continued to extend the lead with a series of three-pointers, and Laura Williams scored the final points of the game.
Davidson finished with 18 points, five assists, four rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Dunn added 19 points and three rebounds. Smith contributed nine points, seven assists, three steals and three rebounds, while Iwuchukwu scored nine points.
Guiney finished with 12 points, six assists and three rebounds. Meghan Fiso scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds.
Heading into their next matchup Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Saint Mary’s (5-3) at Galen Center, the Trojans will continue to focus on communicating as a team and stopping runs early.
“We want to keep people off the offensive glass and it’s just something we know we have to do to win at a high level,” Gottlieb said. “And I just think we wanna continue to grow together as a team, communicate more and go on runs when we’re winning and be able to stop runs when [opponents] have something going.
”… I think everyone wants to do it — like, we’ve got a great group — it’s just really finding how do we take the next step to the next level.”
Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson is wanted by Manchester City, Napoli ask about Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo, Sunderland and Newcastle battle for Lazio’s Matteo Guendouzi.
Manchester City are ready to make Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, 23, one of their top transfer targets in 2026 and prefer him to fellow England midfielder Adam Wharton, 21, of Crystal Palace. (Mail), external
Sunderland are ready to battle Newcastle for Lazio’s French midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, 26. (Teamtalk), external
Napoli have lodged another enquiry with Manchester United over the availability of 20-year-old England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. (Football Italia), external
Atletico Madrid have joined the race to sign Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi, 25. (Marca – in Spanish), external
Real Madrid have ended their interest in Liverpool’s France centre-back Ibrahima Konate, 26, who is out of contract at the end of the season. (Athletic – subscription required), external
Liverpool remain committed to hanging on to Konate but only if the terms of a new deal are in line with the club’s wage structure. (Sky Sports), external
Crystal Palace and France striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, 28, is a target for AC Milan as well as several other clubs in Italy and the Premier League. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Newcastle’s England full-back Tino Livramento, 23, is wanted by Manchester City, who could face competition to sign him from Manchester United and Arsenal.(Caught Offside, external)
Colombia and Fortaleza CEIF midfielder Cristian Orozco, 17, will arrive in the UK to sign a deal with Manchester United in the coming days. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Nottingham Forest are monitoring Derby County goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom with the 27-year-old Sweden international yet to agree a new contract with the Rams. (Sky Sports), external
Friday was just another day at the office for Darnell Miller.
Santee’s senior running back arrived on time, rushed for 190 yards and three touchdowns, and clocked out early as the Falcons soared past Hawkins 35-6 to win the City Section Division III championship at Birmingham High.
Watching from the sideline, as he does almost every game, was Darnell’s 10-year-old brother, Frederick, a fifth-grader at Twenty-Eighth Street Elementary who Darnell picks up from school and brings to practice every day.
“What I love most about this sport is all the friends I’ve made. … I’m a shy person, but it’s made me more vocal, taught me discipline and to take care of my responsibilities,” said Miller, who likes football best despite also playing guard on the basketball team in the winter and running for the track team in the spring. “I just do what I do. This is my last year, so I want to finish strong.”
Darnell Miller and his 10-year-old brother, Frederick, pose with the City championship trophy and plaque after Santee’s victory in Division III.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Miller began the day averaging 15.1 yards per carry, having rushed for 3,103 yards and 37 touchdowns, and wasted no time adding to those totals against the second-seeded Hawks (10-3). He ended Santee’s first drive with an 11-yard touchdown run, added a five-yarder in the second quarter and a nine-yarder in the third quarter to make it 35-0. Quarterback Daynian Alvarado scored the Falcons’ other two touchdowns on runs of one and 13 yards.
“Darnell is a very hard working, humble young man and everything you want a captain to be,” said Santee coach John Petty, who guided the Falcons to their only other City title in 2018. “He’s the first person in the locker room and the last to leave.”
The win wrapped up a dominant run for the No. 1-seeded Falcons (10-4), who defeated their four playoff opponents by an average margin of 29 points.
The Hawks averted the shutout midway through the fourth quarter when Justin Cortez capped a 10-play, 55-yard drive with a five-yard scoring run.
His job done, Miller got to sit out the entire fourth quarter after upping his touchdown count to 43 touchdowns this season (40 rushing, one receiving and two on kickoff returns). Despite impressive stats, Miller has received only one scholarship offer — from Pikeville, an NAIA program in Kentucky.
“My goal is to keep playing, wherever that is,” Miller said.
The Chicago Bears won 24-15 in Philadelphia to strengthen their position at the top of a competitive NFC North table.
Their running backs provided the foundation for success against the Eagles, with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai both rushing for more than 100 yards and each scoring a touchdown.
Caleb Williams found tight end Cole Kmet with a 28-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter to secure victory.
A win for Green Bay (8-3-1) over divisional rivals Detroit (7-5) on Thursday had tightened the gap to Chicago, but the Bears’ fifth consecutive victory improved their record to 9-3.
Chicago face the Packers in two of their next three fixtures, starting with a trip to Lambeau Field on Sunday, 7 December.
The Eagles, meanwhile, were subjected to boos by a section of their home supporters as they put in a disjointed performance to slip to a second successive defeat.
The reigning Super Bowl champions (8-4) lead the NFC East but the Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1) have closed in with victories over Philadelphia and the Kansas City Chiefs in their past two outings.
A lot of people return home for the Thanksgiving weekend. But for Corey Perry, Friday’s homecoming was more than a little bit awkward.
One of the most decorated players in Ducks’ history, Perry was greeted by a smattering of boos when he wore a Kings’ sweater into the Honda Center for the first time. Two hours later he left, carrying the sting of a Ducks’ victory that saw his old team rally from deficits three times before winning the first Freeway Faceoff of the season 5-4 in a shootout.
“Great comeback,” said winger Chris Kreider, whose second-period power-play goal got the Ducks started. “A good job of fighting back. It’s definitely a confident feeling.”
Leo Carlsson, who suffered through two dismal losing seasons during the long post-Perry rebuild in Anaheim, had two assists and the game-tying goal with 91 seconds left in regulation for the Ducks, who trailed 4-2 with less than 10 minutes to play.
The Kings’ Jacob Moverare blocks a pass from Duck Mason McTavish (23) to Beckett Sennecke (45) Friday at the Honda Center.
(Harry How/Getty Images)
“It’s a different team,” Carlsson said. “Hungry. Different mentality, too. So it’s been great so far season.”
Only Ryan Getzlaf has played more games for the Ducks then Perry, who left Anaheim in 2019 after 14 seasons, beginning an aimless tour of the NHL that saw him play for five teams before signing a free-agent contract with the Kings last summer.
The Ducks haven’t posted a winning record since he departed.
But after Friday’s victory they lead the division and are off to their best start in more than a decade. The Ducks are second in the Western Conference in wins (15), second in the NHL in goals (89), fourth in the conference in points (31) and were tied for fourth in points (31). For Carlsson, meanwhile, his 13th goal and 19th and 20th assists of the season Friday left 20, is tied for fourth in the league with 33 points.
The Ducks’ other scores Friday came from Olen Zellweger in the second period and Pavel Mintyukov in the third.
The Kings’ scores came Alex Laferriere, Kevin Fiala, Alex Turcotte and Joel Edmundson. With the point they earned by taking the game to overtime, the Kings headed back up the freeway Friday afternoon second in the Pacific Division, two points behind the Ducks.
The Kings’ Corey Perry looks on during the second period against the Ducks at the Honda Center on Thursday.
(Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images)
And, surprisingly, they have Perry to thank for that.
“He’s a massive piece for us right now,” center Philip Danault said. “He’s not the fastest guy on the ice but he’s so smart. He goes into the crease, he gets goals. He gets in the opponent’s head.
“He’s probably one of the big reasons we’re winning.”
Since leaving Anaheim, Perry has come off the visitors’ bench at the Honda Center several times. So Friday’s game wasn’t necessarily one he had circled on his calendar.
“It was home,” he said before the game. “I have nothing but tremendous things to say.”
After missing the start of the season following knee surgery, Perry was activated last month on the same day captain Anze Kopitar was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury. And he immediately took up the slack, scoring the first of his seven goals — good for second on the team — in his second game. He also has six assists, is fourth on the team with 13 points and is averaging more than 14 minutes of ice time just the second time since he left Anaheim.
“You know, it’s fun,” said Perry, who is nearly halfway to his point total of a season ago. “This is what we do for a living.”
Perry, 40, is the third-oldest player in the NHL. But with a Stanley Cup, an MVP award, a goal-scoring title and two Olympic gold medals in his trophy case, he has a resume few players can match. Yet the Ducks bought out the final two seasons and $8.625 million of his contract in 2019, part of a rebuild that has seen the franchise go through three coaches and three general managers without posting a winning record.
“Now it’s seven years later. I don’t know anybody on the team,” Perry said of the Ducks, who have the second-youngest roster in the Western Conference. “It’s turned over so much that it’s a new group.”
Ducks center Mason McTavish scores the winning goal during a shootout of against the Kings on Friday at the Honda Center.
(William Liang/AP)
And new coach Joel Quenneville, who has a history of coaching success with young players, has that new group playing with confidence.
“We’re never going to give up,” said Carlsson, one of six Ducks younger than 23. “That’s the mentality.”
Laferriere got the scoring started late in the first period, parking himself in front of the goal and banging the puck past Ducks’ goalie Ville Husso, who made two big saves in the shootout.
Kreider tied it seconds into a power play midway through the second period, then Fiala and Zellweger exchanged goals just 59 seconds apart to send the teams into the second intermission tied 2-2.
Turcotte’s first goal of the season on a tip-in put the Kings back in front early in the third period before Edmundson doubled the lead on a slap shot from outside the right faceoff circle. He was helped by Perry’s presence in front of the goal, screening Husso on the shot.
The Kings wouldn’t score again though, allowing the Ducks to force overtime on goals from Mintyukov and Carlsson, who game-tying score came after his team pulled Husso to get an extra attacker.
“It was fun,” McTavish said of his first Freeway Faceoff matinee, which drew a sellout crowd of 17,174. “It was loud. There was a lot of energy in the building. So it was a ton of fun, and obviously more fun to come away with both points.”
“It’s crazy to see where Samoa are from being close to beating us in 2023,” said Manu.
“It’s tough to see.
“My five brothers have played for Samoa, maybe they will say ‘go, get on the flight’!”
Tuilagi played 20 league matches in Bayonne’s run to the Top 14 play-off semi-finals last season, a run of fitness that he rarely matched during his time in England.
Although currently out of action with a hand injury, he believes a change of scenery has helped him avoid longer lay-offs.
“I think it’s the sun and the red wine, something like that,” he joked.
“Training’s intense [in England], over there maybe not as intense.
“It’s long – on Tuesday, our big day, we will still be up at 6-7km [of running in the session]
“But the contact is not as much as in England… just in general the lifestyle is different, the way the French live is very, very relaxed.”
Nico Iamalealva is probably going to have a chance to go down in cross-town rivalry lore.
Barring a setback, UCLA’s quarterback is expected to play against USC on Saturday afternoon when the teams meet at the Coliseum, according to one person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to discuss it publicly because of the sensitivity of health matters.
After being limited by neck spasms earlier in the week, Iamaleava was a full participant in practice on Thursday and Friday. If he continues to feel good in warm-ups, he’ll start the game for the Bruins (3-8 overall, 3-5 Big Ten) against the No. 17 Trojans (8-3, 6-2).
Iamaleava has sustained one injury after another in recent weeks. After missing the Bruins’ game against Ohio State because of a concussion, he returned to play against Washington the following week. Late in the game against the Huskies, Iamaleava absorbed a crunching hit and departed with neck spasms, forcing backup Luke Duncan to replace him.
Iamaleava has unquestionably become the Bruins’ top player since transferring from Tennessee, completing 63.5% of his passes for 1,728 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s also the team’s leading rusher with 641 yards and four touchdowns in 101 carries.
The Bruins are also expected to have tight end Hudson Habermehl back after he was cleared out of concussion protocol. But tight end Jack Pedersen (high ankle), wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. (calf) and running back Jaivian Thomas (unspecified injury) are considered doubtful.
Cornerback Rodrick Pleasant will not play after undergoing surgery this week to repair a shoulder injury.
With kicker Harrison Mevis solidifying their special teams, the Rams on Friday waived Joshua Karty.
Karty, a 2024 sixth-round draft pick, had several kicks blocked early in the season, including one that led to a last-second touchdown by the Philadelphia Eagles. He made 10 of 15 field-goal attempts and 23 of 26 extra-point attempts.
“It was just exclusively a numbers thing,” coach Sean McVay said. “It’s just hard to keep two kickers.”
McVay said that if Karty clears waivers, the Rams would like to sign him to the practice squad.
The Rams have of late been shuffling their roster, putting tight end Tyler Higbee, offensive lineman Rob Havenstein and safety Quentin Lake on injured reserve, bringing receiver Tutu Atwell and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon back from injured reserve, and signing players such as tight end Nick Vannett and cornerback Derion Kendrick.
Mevis has kicked the last three games. He made 40- and 52-yard field goals in last Sunday’s 34-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has made all six extra-point attempts.
The Rams also appear to be benefiting from experienced snapper Jake McQuaide, who replaced Alex Ward.
“I’m a lot happier as head coach when we’re kicking extra points, and not field goals,” McVay said of the place-kicking operation that includes holder Ethan Evans, “but I’ve been pleased.”
Imran Sherwani, who led Great Britain to hockey gold at the 1988 Olympics, has died at the age of 63.
He scored twice in the final as GB beat West Germany 3-1 in Seoul – his second goal prompting a famous reaction from BBC commentator Barry Davies, who said: “Where were the Germans? But frankly, who cares!”
Rich Beer, chief operating officer of Great Britain Hockey, said: “Imran Sherwani will forever be remembered as one of the true icons of England and Great Britain Hockey.
“His talent, leadership and humility inspired generations of players and fans alike.”
Sherwani represented GB and England a combined 94 times, and worked as director of hockey at a school in Staffordshire.
He came from a sporting family – his father played hockey for Pakistan and his great uncles played for Stoke City and Port Vale.
The nostalgia hit Ross Niederhaus in the grocery store as he stocked up for what might be his last Rose Bowl tailgate.
This has been nearly a lifelong tradition for the native of Linda Vista, starting in 2005 when he was 8 years old and UCLA romped over Oregon State. When he got his driver’s license in 2012, Niderhaus started throwing his own tailgates, bringing chicken-in-a-biscuit crackers because he couldn’t afford fancier fare.
He was back Saturday afternoon underneath a tent on the grass in Lot H, wearing his favorite No. 2 Eric McNeal jersey, possibly here for the last time as the Bruins contemplate whether they will remain at the place they have called home since 1982 or move to SoFi Stadium for the 2026 season.
“I wish we knew whether or not this was the last time,” Niederhaus said, “because if this was the last time for sure I could at least be saying my goodbyes to my favorite tradition. This is my favorite thing to do. My ashes are willed to be spread at the Rose Bowl.”
UCLA fan Ray Hoit sets up a tent while tailgating at the Rose Bowl before Saturday’s game against Washington.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
On the other side of the stadium, on the sprawling Brookside Golf Course, Nicholaus Iamaleava was prepping his pregame tailgate below four tents alongside his brother Matt, the siblings expecting about 60 family members to indulge in a potluck spread of burgers, hot dogs, wings, fries, hot links, sushi and fried rice.
Both brothers were hoping for more tailgates to come outside the century-old stadium. But just in case, they were preparing for the alternative.
“Today, we’re going to go in early,” said Nicholaus Iamaleava, the father of the UCLA starting quarterback by the same name. “Normally we go in right before kickoff but this time, we’re going to go in and soak it all in, man. It might be the last game, right, so we want to enjoy every bit of it and just hang out.”
Matt Iamaleava said he didn’t think moving to SoFi Stadium would solve the attendance issues plaguing the Bruins at their longtime home.
UCLA fan Nathan Nguyen sets up while tailgating outside the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
“There’s nothing like playing at the Rose Bowl,” Iamaleava said. “Hopefully, it works itself out.”
Added Nicholaus Iamaleava: “We’re praying on it. That would be great.”
Nearly 6½ hours before UCLA’s kickoff against Washington, Jamie Hickcox-Baker and Dee Fitzgerald-Cardello lugged a table across the pavement in Lot K, having already unfurled a couple of folding chairs. The UCLA graduates were awaiting the arrival of a massive ice sculpture that would hold margaritas for their group of 25 friends.
“I’m very sad because I live in Altadena and so this is in my backyard and I just hate to see it leave,” Fitzgerald-Cardello said. “It’s just such a tradition. I’m very saddened by it.”
Even though she’s been making the drive from Fresno to tailgate at the Rose Bowl since 1993, Hickcox-Baker was less wistful about a possible move to SoFi Stadium.
UCLA fan Leki Manu throws a football outside the Rose Bowl before Saturday’s game against Washington.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
“I kind of feel like we can talk tradition all we want,” Hickcox-Baker said, “but we left the Pac-12 and the Pac-12 is no longer, so if there’s no tradition in the Rose Bowl game anymore, think about how college football has evolved. I’ve been to a few games at SoFi, it’s a beautiful stadium. The last few years, because our team hasn’t been doing well, we’re stuck in that 100-degree temperature [at the Rose Bowl] and nobody’s coming to the games.”
Back in Lot H, the scene took on the feel of a state fair. The smell of burgers, brats and other grilled delicacies wafted through the air as children played football on the grass and a nearby patch of dirt. One kid kicked a football, commencing a mad scramble as a group of friends converged on the object of their delight.
“This is one of the reasons why people come now,” longtime fan John Anderson said, “is to be here with friends and be able to run around and throw a ball and stuff and if that can’t happen at SoFi, I think it will be a shame. So I don’t think they’re going to get the draw that they think they’re going to get — maybe a little bump for a couple of games and that’s it.”
UCLA fans tailgate before Saturday’s game at the Rose Bowl between UCLA and Washington.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Anderson said he missed one home UCLA football game over the last 16 years, and that was to attend a wedding. And if the Bruins move to SoFi?
“I’ll go to a game or two,” Anderson said. “It really depends on what the pricing looks like.”
Neiderhaus said he always would support the Bruins while conceding he might be in the minority.
“I’ll be there,” Niederhaus said, “but I know a lot of people that won’t — a lot of people I know who are season-ticket holders said they’re not coming back, which I think is a big issue that UCLA needs to be acknowledging throughout all of this. A lot of die-hards care about the Rose Bowl just as much as they care about Bruin football, so who knows” how attendance will go.
