When Lindsay Gottlieb put together a nonconference schedule she believed to be the hardest in the country, USC’s coach knew it would be an uphill climb. But that was the point. She wanted her team to be tested nightly, to play on “the biggest stages.”
“It’s not a schedule designed to win every nonconference game by an average of 40 points,” Gottlieb said earlier this month.
But after losing twice through a five-game gauntlet to start the season, a blowout nonconference win was precisely what the doctor ordered for USC.
“It was a really tough loss the other night,” Gottlieb said. “No doubt about that, for all of us. But the only thing you can do is utilize those lessons that are painful to get better.”
It was a particularly big night for freshman Jazzy Davidson, who bounced back from an eight-turnover performance in South Bend to tally her first collegiate double-double. Davidson nearly crossed that threshold before halftime Tuesday, and she finished the game with 20 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists and two blocks.
The 16 boards, Davidson said, was the most she could remember having in a single game.
“She has a will to go get that thing,” Gottlieb said.
Davidson and Londynn Jones were once again USC’s most reliable options on offense. Jones, who was held scoreless in the loss to Notre Dame, poured in a season-high 20 points. Together, they made16 of 23 from the field, while the rest of the team shot a combined 17 of 40.
USC also got a critical contribution from sophomore big Vivian Iwuchukwu, whose work inside gave the Trojans their most consistent frontcourt threat of the season on Tuesday. After playing strictly a reserve role a year ago, Iwuchukwu scored 11 points on five-of-six shooting in a performance Gottlieb said was indicative of her progress so far this season.
But it was USC’s defense that really overwhelmed Tennessee Tech. The Trojans were especially suffocating underneath, blocking 15 shots — their most since 1984, when they tallied a program-record 18.
“What was impressive about this is our length that we can put in a number of different places,” Gottlieb said. “Laura [Williams] had a couple. Kai [Milton] had a couple. But you also had Jazzy and [Kennedy Smith].”
USC’s length was so difficult for Tennessee Tech to deal with that it managed just nine total buckets inside the arc.
“There was an emphasis for us just being the hardest-working team tonight,” Davidson said. “I think our defense really showed that.”
USC held Tennessee Tech scoreless for the first five minutes of the game, then the first six minutes of the second quarter. Midway through the second, Davidson had more total points than the Golden Eagles had as a team.
It didn’t get any easier for Tennessee Tech from there, as the Trojans rolled to a resounding victory, bouncing back as best as they could have hoped.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ play-off hopes are hanging by a thread after losing 31-28 at the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
The Cowboys have traditionally hosted games on the American holiday since 1966 and ‘America’s Team’ produced a superb performance to overcome the Chiefs despite Patrick Mahomes throwing four touchdown passes as he returned to his native Texas.
Mahomes has led the Chiefs to five of the past six Super Bowls, winning three, but they now have a 6-6 record and are in danger of missing out on the play-offs for the first time since the 2014 season.
The Cowboys came from behind to lead 17-14 at half-time, but a tense finish began with the Chiefs taking a 21-20 lead at the start of the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Dak Prescott then held his nerve as Dallas scored 11 points on their next two possessions to keep them clear, despite a late Chiefs reply.
After a stirring 21-point comeback against the Eagles – who denied the Chiefs a three-peat in February – the win over Kansas City is a third in a row for Dallas, to improve to 6-5-1 and keep alive their own hopes of sneaking into the post-season.
With five games left, Dallas are second to the Eagles (8-3) in the NFC East while the Chiefs trail both the Denver Broncos (9-2) and Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) in the AFC West.
The Chiefs finally broke through last week, but Dallas looks like the more complete team right now: healthier, faster on defense, and leaning into a locker room identity. Kansas City will land some shots, but the Cowboys rally at home in their traditional Thanksgiving game.
“It feels almost like a loss,” Tavernier conceded. “Being a Rangers player, you have to win every single game. That’s what we have to do from now to the end of this competition.
“It’s definitely not over, but we have to build from this.”
Djiga contrived to head the ball into Martinez’s path under no pressure to gift Braga a point, the defender appearing to lose the flight of the ball in swirling conditions.
With John Souttar and Derek Cornelius injured, Djigi was paired with Emmanuel Fernandez, with the former ultimately costing Rangers a vital win.
“I’ve got no complaint with Nasser, everyone makes a mistake, but we ultimately should have that game tied up before that even happens,” Tavernier added.
“We have to be more patient, probing around their final third instead of trying to shoot maybe when it’s not on. I’ve spoken about it before, about being clinical in both boxes, and we’ve got to do that.
“If we keep it clean sheet, we win. That’s our aim as a team, to keep clean sheets. We should have had that in our pocket with the 10 men that we were playing against.”
For as long as most of us can remember, the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions have played games on Thanksgiving Day. But why?
Let’s start with the Lions. They have played every Thanksgiving since 1934, with the exception of 1939-44, despite the fact they haven’t been a good team most of those years. The Lions played their first season in Detroit in 1934 (before that, they were the Portsmouth Spartans). They struggled their first year in Detroit, as most sports fans there loved baseball’s Detroit Tigers and didn’t come out in droves to watch the Lions. So Lions owner George A. Richards had an idea: Why not play on Thanksgiving?
Richards also owned radio station WJR, which was one of the biggest stations in the country at that time. Richards had a lot of clout in the broadcasting world, and convinced NBC to air the game nationwide. The NFL champion Chicago Bears came to town, and the Lions sold out the 26,000-seat University of Detroit field for the first time. Richards kept the tradition going the next two years, and the NFL kept scheduling them on Thanksgiving when they resumed playing on that date after World War II ended. Richards sold the team in 1940 and died in 1951, but the tradition he started continues today when the Lions play the Green Bay Packers.
The Cowboys first played on Thanksgiving in 1966. They came into the league in 1960 and, as hard as it is to believe now, struggled to draw fans because they were pretty bad those first few years. General manager Tex Schramm basically begged the NFL to schedule them for a Thanksgiving game in 1966, thinking it might get them a popularity boost in Dallas and also nationwide since the game would be televised.
It worked. A Dallas-record 80,259 tickets were sold as the Cowboys defeated the Cleveland Browns 26-14. Some Cowboys fans point to that game as the beginning of Dallas becoming “America’s team.” They have missed playing on Thanksgiving only in 1975 and 1977, when NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle opted for the St. Louis Cardinals instead.
The games with the Cardinals proved to be losers in the ratings, so Rozelle asked the Cowboys if they would play again in 1978.
“It was a dud in St. Louis,” Schramm told the Chicago Tribune in 1998. “Pete asked if we’d take it back. I said only if we get it permanently. It’s something you have to build as a tradition. He said, ‘It’s yours forever.’ ”
Dallas takes on the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday.
Robin van Persie says his decision to hand son Shaqueel a senior debut in Feyenoord’s Europa League defeat by Celtic was made “as a coach” and not out of sentiment.
The 19-year-old forward spent two seasons at Manchester City’s academy, before following in his father’s footsteps with a move to Feyenoord in 2017 and signing a first professional contract with the Dutch club in 2022.
Fast forward to 2025 and Shaqueel was named in Feyenoord’s first-team squad for the first time in Sunday’s Eredivisie defeat by NEC Nijmegen.
“I made that call as a coach, not as a dad because we needed a goal,” said former Arsenal and Manchester United forward Robin afterwards.
“Shaqueel is a player who can score a goal from all angles. That was the reason I brought him on.
“From a father’s point of view, when your son makes his debut that is always a special moment. But I wasn’t that busy with enjoying that moment, I was doing my work like Shaqueel was.”
The London-born teenager didn’t have chance to make an impact and had just one shot in Celtic’s box.
He came on with the score at 2-1, with Martin O’Neill’s side scoring their third a minute after his introduction.
“The way I see Shaqueel is as one of the players,” added Robin. “This is what we both agreed to a couple of years ago when we already worked together. Shaqueel was handling that really well, I am too in my opinion.
“Later on when we are home of course we will have a nice moment, when we are proud of each other. I am proud of Shaqueel because, like every player who makes his debut, there is a whole process going on before he made his debut. He worked hard, deserved it and, for him, is a special moment.”
Van Persie is not the first manager to give his son a debut as BBC Sport picks out some of the others, plus other father-son duos to have featured in the same team.
They came on electric bikes, skateboards, walked or were dropped off by car early Thanksgiving morning at Cleveland High in Reseda.
It’s championship week in high school football, and practicing on Thursday means teams are still alive and one win away from trophy time.
“Turkey day,” starting lineman Adam Garbisch shouted as he joined teammates for stretching.
In coach Mario Guzman’s football office, his wife, Elizabeth, volunteered to be the breakfast cook and worker. On Wednesday, Guzman purchased 15 dozen eggs, 25 pounds of pancake mix, 15 pounds of bacon.
“It comes out of my huge stipend at the end of the season,” Guzman said.
Elizabeth Guzman, wife of Cleveland football coach Mario Guzman, cracks one of 180 eggs Thursday morning to serve to players on Thanksgiving morning.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
His wife had already basted the family turkey the night before and now she was cracking 180 eggs with a smile and wearing plastic gloves. When she finished, she decided to take a brief break. “I need coffee first,” she said.
Cleveland is set to play San Fernando for the City Section Division II championship on Friday at 6 p.m. at Birmingham.
The wife of Cleveland football coach Mario Guzman, Elizabeth, is cracking 15 dozen eggs for Thanksgiving practice. City DII finalists. Cooking for 60 players. 25 pounds pancake mix. A new tradition at Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/4QAKZ0pjal
You can tell the Cavaliers have created the culture of a championship team because players were running onto the field when they were late with no coaches around to tell them to hustle.
Across the Southland, similar scenes were happening in the Southern Section and City Section as teams prepare for their championship games on Friday and Saturday.
Elizabeth, who teaches pre-kindergarten children, was thrilled to be volunteering on Thanksgiving for her husband’s team.
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than here,” she said.
After breakfast following practice, she was set to rush home and put the family turkey in the oven.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
Despite Liverpool’s poor run of form, sources have told BBC Sport that Slot’s position is not under imminent threat.
He has credit in the bank following his Premier League title-winning debut season, while there has been reflection at Anfield that it was a difficult summer of the club with Diogo Jota’s death and the £400m investment attempting to regenerate the squad.
Sporting director Hughes and chief executive Michael Edwards were key in Slot’s appointment, and the Dutchman retains their backing.
Liverpool do not make snap decisions and afforded Brendan Rodgers more than three seasons as manager despite finishing outside the top four twice.
There is, however, internal concern about Mohamed Salah’s performances, with a noticeable drop off in his form.
He is their key forward player but Liverpool’s best attacking performance in the past 12 games came in a 5-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt – a game Salah did not start.
The Egyptian has scored seven goals in 25 games since his new contract was announced in April, which would be viewed as a good return for some, but the 33-yar-old is judged by standards he has set during his eight years at the club.
Looking ahead to January, Liverpool are interested in reviving their move for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi after missing out on the final day of the summer transfer window.
Guehi, who is available for a free transfer in July but has multiple options in England and across Europe, is able to discuss the terms of his next contract with clubs from outside of England in just four weeks’ time.
Fuzzy Zoeller, a two-time major champion and one of golf’s most gregarious characters whose career was tainted by a racially insensitive joke about Tiger Woods, has died, according to a longtime colleague. He was 74.
A cause of death was not immediately available. Brian Naugle, the tournament director of the Insperity Invitational in Houston, said Zoeller’s daughter called him Thursday with the news.
Zoeller was the last player to win the Masters on his first attempt, a three-man playoff in 1979. He famously waved a white towel at Winged Foot in 1984 when he thought Greg Norman had beat him, only to defeat Norman in an 18-hole playoff the next day.
But it was the 1997 Masters that changed his popularity.
Woods was on his way to a watershed moment in golf with the most dominant victory in Augusta National history. Zoeller had finished his round and had a drink in hand under the oak tree by the clubhouse when he was stopped by CNN and asked for his thoughts on the 21-year-old Woods on his way to the most dominant win ever at Augusta National.
“That little boy is driving well and he’s putting well. He’s doing everything it takes to win. So, you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year. Got it?” Zoeller said.
He smiled and snapped his fingers, and as he was walking away he turned and said, “Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve.”
That moment haunted him the rest of his career.
Zoeller apologized. Woods was traveling and it took two weeks for him to comment as the controversy festered. Zoeller later said he received death threats for years.
Writing for Golf Digest in 2008, he said it was “the worst thing I’ve gone through in my entire life.”
“If people wanted me to feel the same hurt I projected on others, I’m here to tell you they got their way,” Zoeller wrote. “I’ve cried many times. I’ve apologized countless times for words said in jest that just aren’t a reflection of who I am. I have hundreds of friends, including people of color, who will attest to that.
“Still, I’ve come to terms with the fact that this incident will never, ever go away.”
It marred a career filled with two famous major titles, eight other PGA Tour titles and a Senior PGA Championship among his two PGA Tour Champions titles.
More than winning was how he went about it. Zoeller played fast and still had an easygoing way , often whistling between shots.
He made his Masters debut in 1979 and got into a three-way playoff when Ed Sneed bogeyed the last three holes. Zoeller defeated Sneed and Tom Watson with a birdie on the second playoff hole, flinging his putter high in the air.
“I’ve never been to heaven, and thinking back on my life, I probably won’t get a chance to go,” Zoeller once said. “I guess winning the Masters is as close as I’m going to get.”
Zoeller was locked in a duel with Norman at Winged Foot in the 1984, playing in the group behind and watching Norman make putt after putt. So when he saw Norman make a 40-footer on the 18th, he assumed it was for birdie and began waving a white towel in a moment of sportsmanship.
Only later did he realize it was for par, and Zoeller made par to force a playoff. Zoeller beat him by eight shots in the 18-hole playoff (67-75). Zoeller’s lone regret was giving the towel to a kid after he finished in regulation.
“If you happen to see a grungy white towel hanging around, get it for me, will you?” he once said.
He was born Frank Urban Zoeller Jr. in New Albany, Ind. Zoeller said his father was known only as “Fuzzy” and he was given the same name. He played at a junior college in Florida before joining the powerful Houston team before turning pro.
His wife, Diane, died in 2021. Zoeller has three children, including daughter Gretchen, with whom he used to play in the PNC Championship. Zoeller was awarded the Bob Jones Award by the USGA in 1985, the organization’s highest honor given for distinguished sportsmanship.
Armagh will face Tyrone in the preliminary round of the 2026 Ulster Championship, while holders Donegal are potential semi-final opponents.
Kieran McGeeney’s side, who have lost three Ulster finals in a row, will have to battle past Tyrone in a tantalising provincial opener.
The sides played out a thrilling semi-final in last year’s Ulster Championship as Armagh ran out one-point winners.
Armagh last won the Anglo Celt Cup in 2008 while Tyrone last triumphed in 2021.
The winner of that tie will face Fermanagh in the quarter-finals, while Donegal or Down will then await in the last four.
Jim McGuinness’ Donegal have defeated Armagh in the past two finals and are aiming to become the first province to win the Ulster final three times in a row since the Orchard County 20 years ago.
On the top half of the draw, Derry will be heavy favourites against Antrim in their quarter-final and will face the winner of Monaghan and Cavan, who were paired together in an intriguing derby, in the last four.
Dates for the fixtures will be announced by the GAA in due course.
Ulster Championship
Preliminary round: Armagh v Tyrone.
Quarter-finals: Derry v Antrim,Monaghan v Cavan, Donegal vDown,Fermanagh v Armagh/Tyrone.
In each case, Riley has opted to keep with the known quantity. But as his fourth regular season at USC comes to a close Saturday against UCLA, the coach could face a more complicated conundrum at the position this offseason.
Run it back with Jayden Maiava, who statistically has been one of the more accomplished passers in college football this season? Or turn the page to electric five-star freshman Husan Longstreet, who might not be willing to wait much longer for his shot as USC’s starting quarterback?
It’s a question that has confounded many college football coaches during the transfer portal era, as the notion of a top quarterback prospect patiently waiting his turn to be named a starter has become increasingly rare. Of the top dozen quarterbacks in the class of 2024, six have already transferred. From 2023, it’s seven of the top 12. From 2022, it’s eight. And of those who do stay, only a handful were still waiting to start as sophomores.
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava looks for an open receiver during a win over Michigan at the Coliseum on Oct. 11.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
It’s not clear yet if that’ll be the case with Longstreet. But this week, Riley made a clear plea for the young passer’s patience when asked about the challenge of convincing a top prospect to stick around in a reserve role.
“For any player, especially a quarterback, I don’t know if this would be the right time to leave this place,” Riley said. “This thing is getting pretty good. And I think a lot of people recognize that, both in what we have now and what we’re bringing in, where this thing is going.”
“Other than Jalen Hurts, we haven’t had any quarterback that’s come in and was the guy right away,” Riley said. “Every one of them, all the guys that did all the things, they all had that time. And if you ask them now, maybe then they wanted to be playing of course, the competitor in them. But if you ask them now, they’re all damn happy they had time and it made a big difference. Because when it became their time, they were ready.”
USC quarterback Husan Longstreet scores a touchdown against the Missouri State at the Coliseum on Aug. 30.
(Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Maiava, of course, has been more than just a mere caretaker. After all, he leads the Big Ten in passing yards per game this season (3,174), while also leading USC in rushing touchdowns (6). With Maiava and his cannon arm at the helm, USC’s offense has returned to its right place as one of college football’s most explosive outfits, producing 51 plays of 20-plus yards this season, fourth-most in the nation.
On paper, there’s no reason to think Riley would be eager to replace Maiava, who has rejuvenated both the read-option game and the downfield aspect of his offense since taking over for Miller Moss last season. But the conversation about USC’s future at the position was complicated by the second half of the season, during which Maiava stumbled against stiffer competition.
During the Trojans’ first six games, Maiava appeared to have taken a major step forward. He was completing 72% of his passes, up 12% from the previous year. He was averaging an eye-popping 11 yards per attempt, two yards better than Caleb Williams in his Heisman-winning season. Plus, after vowing to cut down on turnovers, Maiava had only thrown two interceptions over those six games, showcasing a much better grasp of the game and Riley’s offense.
“A very high percentage of our plays, he knows what to do and where to go with the ball,” Riley said. “He’s very comfortable with what we’re doing. Very focused, confident on his reads. That’s why he’s been so efficient all year.”
The strong start garnered serious NFL interest. Pro Football Focus just recently ranked Maiava as the No. 5 draft-eligible quarterback in the upcoming draft. But his second half of the season has begged some questions — not just about whether Maiava is ready to declare for the draft, but whether he’s the right quarterback for Riley to prioritize heading into next season.
Up against three of the nation’s top 11 defenses in pass yards allowed — Oregon, Iowa and Nebraska — Maiava keeps up the same consistency from the season’s first half. His completion rate, through his last five outings, sits just above 59% — lower than it was during his 2024 stint as USC’s starter. Maiava’s turnovers have also tripled during that stretch (6), while he’s averaging more than three yards fewer per attempt (7.64)
Riley said Tuesday that Maiava’s inconsistencies of late were due to the caliber of defenses he’s faced — and circumstances that forced USC’s offense to be aggressive downfield.
“We’ve continued to score points and win games and have one of the best offenses in the country, and he’s been a big part of that,” Riley said. “He’s still learning. He can play better. But he’s continuing to give us chances to win every week.”
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava gestures to teammates during a win over Iowa on Nov. 15.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
He’ll also have the chance in the coming weeks to consider if he wants to enter the NFL draft.
In the meantime, Longstreet will continue to watch dutifully as the No. 2 quarterback. He’s appeared in four games, completing 13 of 15 passes, on his way to a redshirt season. That time waiting, Riley said, has been essential.
“This has been such a valuable year for him — to serve as a backup quarterback, to learn, to just kind of be there to see all of these things transpire,” Riley said. “These are just things you can’t simulate. It gives you an opportunity to watch these different situations, how they happen, be able to go back, like, ‘What would you do? How would you handle it?’
“The hope is maybe you learn, ‘All right, I wasn’t the one playing, but when I am, I know exactly what I need to do or what I don’t need to do.’ It might be about on the field. It might be about leadership. It might be about a number of different things.”
USC quarterback Husan Longstreet is pushed out of bounds by Illinois’ Miles Scott at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 27 in Champaign, Ill.
(Justin Casterline / Getty Images)
When Longstreet will get a chance to put that knowledge to use remains to be seen. But his teammates at USC have been impressed so far by what they’ve seen from the freshman.
“Husan is a machine, for real,” said freshman Tanook Hines. “He throwing that thing about 80 [yards], then turn around and run 4.3, 4.2.”
Others were even more encouraging of the quarterback they hope stays a part of USC’s plans.
“He’s destined for greatness,” guard Kaylon Miller said of Longstreet. “Every single time I see him out there, I tell him, keep doing your thing. You keep going on the route you are right now, you’re going to be great.”
Boss Arne Slot says Liverpool must “fight together” after Wednesday’s humiliating 4-1 defeat by PSV Eindhoven at Anfield was the Reds’ ninth loss in 12 games – their worst run in 71 years.
The performance needed no evaluation beyond the exclamation. Kurt Suzuki bounded out of the visiting clubhouse at Angel Stadium to catch up with his friend.
In 2009, in the first start of his first full major league season, the Angels’ pitcher threw six shutout innings against Suzuki and the Oakland Athletics. On Team USA, Suzuki had been his catcher.
Suzuki congratulated the pitcher, shared the exclamation and — because this is what friends do — gave him a hard time.
“I woke up the next morning to 10 text messages you don’t want to hear,” Suzuki said.
A drunk driver had blown through a red light and into a minivan full of friends. He killed three of them, including Adenhart. One survived: Jon Wilhite, who played baseball at Cal State Fullerton with Suzuki.
Sixteen years later, a forever bond endures between Wilhite and Suzuki. When the Angels introduced Suzuki as their new manager last month, Wilhite was in the audience.
Their friendship is compelling. Their story is poignant. We’ll get to it, but first Suzuki ribs Wilhite for wearing long pants on a sunny autumn day in Manhattan Beach. Suzuki is wearing shorts and flip-flops.
“We’re by the beach, dude,” Suzuki laughs.
Suzuki eggs on Wilhite: Tell the story about the white suit.
In 2004, Fullerton won the College World Series, with Suzuki as the All-America catcher and Wilhite as a redshirt catcher. In 2005, the Titans visited the White House.
“I didn’t own a suit,” Wilhite said. “I went to the Men’s Wearhouse in Hawthorne, just by myself, and this guy sold me on a white suit.”
New Angels manager Kurt Suzuki, left, and general manager Perry Minasian speak to reporters at Angel Stadium last month. Jon Wilhite was in the audience.
(Greg Beacham / Associated Press)
On the day of the White House visit, his teammates thought the white suit was a joke. Dear reader, it was not.
Wilhite stood in line with his teammates, waiting to meet President George W. Bush. As the president shook Wilhite’s hand, he took a look at the suit and deadpanned: “Bold move, son.”
Fullerton has won four College World Series championships, more than any other school besides USC, Louisiana State, Texas and Arizona State — elite by any standard, but frankly amazing given the Titans’ status as a financially challenged athletic program at a commuter school. The players believed in themselves, because they could not count on anyone else to believe in them.
“It was like a brotherhood,” Suzuki said.
That drunk driver very nearly killed Wilhite, too. You can get chills just by saying out loud the medical term for what happened to him: internal decapitation.
Wilhite was in the hospital for weeks, in rehabilitation for months. Suzuki, then in his second full major league season, raised more than $50,000 for Wilhite’s recovery fund by tapping veterans for baseball memorabilia that could be sold or auctioned.
“Luckily, with the money raised, I was able to take a year and get myself physically as good as I could be,” Wilhite said, “before I went back to work.”
That money was not the most valuable contribution Suzuki made toward Wilhite’s healing.
When Wilhite finished his rehabilitation program, Suzuki was back in Southern California, in the midst of offseason workouts.
Hey, he told Wilhite, come work out with me.
“This is a guy that’s a professional athlete getting ready for his next year,” Wilhite said, “and I was struggling to walk.
“I showed up every single day, and I got stronger. That’s when I really made strides. I wasn’t just a patient. I felt like an athlete again.”
Even in those worst of times, Suzuki was not above ribbing Wilhite. For both of them, it felt, well, normal.
“He was still getting his balance back,” Suzuki said. “I’m like, come on dude, don’t go falling on me or everybody’s going to be looking at us!”
Suzuki could have made a modest donation to Wilhite’s recovery fund. That would have been a lovely gesture.
Angels manager Kurt Suzuki, left, and Jon Wilhite were teammates at Cal State Fullerton. “Would you just write your family member a check? No, you’re going to be there for him,” Suzuki said of how he’s supported Wilhite since the accident.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
For Suzuki, that would not have been enough. The Titans were family, and to this day he remembers that Wilhite’s father attended practice just about every day, sitting in the front row, wearing that trademark white bucket hat.
“Would you just write your family member a check?” Suzuki said. “No, you’re going to be there for him.”
The Angels honor their best pitcher each year with the Nick Adenhart Award. Suzuki can present it now, and share his memories of Adenhart. Perhaps Wilhite could join Suzuki.
If he were to do that, he would want to make sure to share his memories of the other victims, too: Courtney Stewart, 20, a Fullerton classmate he described as smart, fun, and not at all scared to tease her ballplayer friends about their play; and Henry Pearson, 25, a law student and aspiring sports agent who Wilhite said never took a moment for granted.
We met at Marine Park in Manhattan Beach, where Pearson and Wilhite played youth baseball, and where a memorial reads: “On April 9, 2009, Henry Pearson, Courtney Stewart and Nick Adenhart were killed by a drunk driver. Jon Wilhite miraculously survived and recovered. They remain an inspiration to us all.”
Some days more than others, Wilhite feels the miracle of survival, of prayer, of modern medicine. I asked him how he explains what happened to people who don’t already know.
“I usually don’t like to drop that bomb on people,” he said. “I usually try to be vague.”
He knows he is the lucky one. He tries to remember that every day, but his mind never drifts far from the others.
“Three of the best people I know lost their life for a senseless act,” he said, “people with such promise.”
Thanksgiving is upon us, so I asked Wilhite if anything came out of this horrific tragedy for which he can be thankful.
He paused. The grief might never fully pass. He was not about to force an answer.
But, after a minute or so, he talked of the relationships he had built with the families of Adenhart, Pearson and Stewart, and the baseball community that supported him, and the close friends who stepped up to help him in his time of need.
Wales captain Jac Morgan will miss the start of the 2026 Six Nations after dislocating his shoulder in the autumn series opener against Argentina at the start of November.
The 25-year-old flanker has undergone surgery, with Ospreys head coach Mark Jones saying Morgan now faces “four to five months” on the sidelines.
Wales kick-off their campaign away to England on 7 February before home matches against France on 15 February and Scotland a week later.
If his rehabilitation goes well, Morgan could potentially have a chance of returning for the final two games against Ireland on 6 March and Italy on 14 March.
“He’s had his operation, it’s all gone really well and he’s on the road to recovery,” said Jones. “He’s in that race now to get back as soon as he can.
“It will be four to five months based on what we’ve heard, but obviously those things can change, we’re just working off that at the moment.”
At the City Section breakfast on Wednesday morning for teams competing this weekend in championship football games, two linebackers from the class of 2027 were asked to take a photo together, because one day, it could be historic.
Elyjah Staples, a 6-foot-3 junior from Marquez, and De’Andre Kirkpatrick, a 6-3 junior from Crenshaw, can match their skills against anyone in the state. College recruiters are paying attention and one day NFL scouts will too. They are helping destroy the stereotype that City Section football is lacking in talent.
Running back Darnell Miller of Santee has rushed for 3,100 yards. He’s a perfect gentleman taking care of his 10-year-old brother Frederick. No offers. If anyone needs a terrific talent with character Darnell Miller is that person. pic.twitter.com/g64gaDJutQ
Add versatile junior quarterback Chris Fields III from Carson and senior running back Darnell Miller from Santee, who has surpassed the 3,000-yard mark rushing this season, and you have a group of players you’ll be watching on television in the coming years.
Marquez coach Rudy Fortiz has been hearing from friends through text messages. He’s in a bit of a bind. His team is facing his alma mater, South Gate, for the Division I title on Saturday. Fortiz says he always roots for South Gate — except for this week. South Gate was 0-10 two seasons ago.
Hawkins coach Ronald Coltress is the one who had the put the program back together after it went 0-13 in 2016 because of forfeits and firings of coaches. In 2017, he was JV coach when the varsity went 0-11 following an exodus of players. He took over in 2018 and the team went 1-9. The administration told him to stay the course and make sure players were going to class, behaving and graduating. Now Hawkins is 10-2 and playing for the Division III championship on Friday against Santee at Birmingham.
“There was nobody left,” Coltress said. “I had to find kids who wanted to play.”
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
Keller, who led the consortium that bought Strasbourg for one euro in 2012, has helped revive a club that were playing in the amateur fourth tier after financial collapse.
They returned to the Ligue 1 within five years, and are now competing on the European stage – two years after entering into the partnership with Chelsea.
“Discussions with Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly have been about how to create a smart multi-club model from the beginning, while using more financial power,” said Keller.
“We improved every year and were in a strong financial position before the takeover, but with new partners we can dream a little bigger and think about getting into the top six or seven to qualify for Europe every year.”
At the Stade de la Meinau, BlueCo’s investment is evident, with cranes finishing the stadium’s expansion from 26,000 to 32,000 seats – the final touches of a £157m redevelopment.
Walking around the modernised stadium, there is incredible attention to detail, including monuments to every male and female player to wear the blue jersey.
“The good balance is ambition but with tradition,” Keller said.
“We are investing a lot to set up an organisation around the team to help the players go higher. That’s in staff, data, physio, player care and scouting networks.”
Sporting director David Weir was hired last month, after leaving Brighton.
But, just as at Chelsea, Strasbourg’s squad had already been transformed by BlueCo – with £112m spent on building the youngest squad – averaging just 21.5 years of age – in the big five leagues. Chelsea are fourth – behind their partner club, plus Paris St-Germain and Parma.
Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos was the first to benefit from a move between the clubs – spending 18 months on loan at Strasbourg – and says he still watches their matches and texts manager Liam Rosenior.
“We try to work well with the technical team of Chelsea to have good players for Strasbourg,” says Keller. “It would have been impossible for us to have Mike Penders, Andrey Santos or Dorde Petrovic in the past, so that’s positive.
“Strasbourg and France is a good step for the young players to develop, and this BlueCo project is about building quality.
“We are investing a lot in a young generation. It can happen that one player per year is good enough for Chelsea. But our project is to have other players around top clubs in Europe, not just Chelsea. It’s not correct to say they are coming to go to Chelsea.
“They are coming to Strasbourg because of the ambition.”
Strasbourg sold £74m of players in the summer – including Dilane Bakwa to Nottingham Forest and former captain Habib Diarra to Sunderland, both for about £30m.
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: During parts of Sunday’s game in Utah, LeBron James desperately motioned toward the Lakers bench for a sub. When asked after the game about a particularly labored stretch during the second quarter, James quipped that it wasn’t just that moment.
“First, second, third and fourth,” James joked Sunday in Utah. “Come get me.”
Two days later, James looked almost back to normal as he had season-high 25 points, showing he had no trouble pushing the pace in transition while the team was plus-18 with him on the court.
“It will get better every game,” James said Tuesday of his conditioning. “Today was another … testament to that. So great win for us, but I’m starting to feel better and better.”
Coach JJ Redick said the Lakers will be tracking James’ three-point shooting, play-making and transition points as indicators of how he is progressing in his return from sciatica that sidelined him for 14 games.
Chad Baker-Mazara scored 23 points, Jaden Brownell added 16 points, and USC claimed the Maui Invitational championship with an 88-75 victory over Arizona State on Wednesday.
Baker-Mazara won the tournament championship for the second consecutive year after scoring 14 points in Auburn’s 90-76 victory over Memphis last season. Baker-Mazara made nine of 16 shots from the field against Arizona State with four three-pointers.
USC took the first double-digit lead of the game at 77-66 with 5:14 remaining on a basket by Ezra Ausar. The Trojans drew an offensive foul under the ASU basket and Jordan Marsh sank a jumper from the free-throw line to make it 81-69.
On Wednesday, the Rams designated receiver Tutu Atwell and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon to return from injured reserve. Both could play Sunday against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C., coach Sean McVay said.
The Rams also placed cornerback Roger McCreary on injured reserve, claimed cornerback Derion Kendrick off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks and signed veteran tight end Nick Vannett to the roster.
Max Sasson and Drew O’Connor scored in a late 2:10 span, Nikita Tolopilo made 37 saves in his first NHL appearance of the season and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Ducks 5-4 on Wednesday night.
Sasson gave Vancouver the lead with 4:02 remaining on a tip, and O’Connor followed with 1:52 to go on a wrist shot. Cutter Gauthier got one back for the Ducks with seven seconds left, his 14th of the season.
Jackson LaCombe, Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish added goals for the Ducks, who have three victories in the first five games of a six-game homestand.
1913 — Notre Dame and Texas meet for the first time in a Thanksgiving showdown. Both carry perfect records into the game, with Notre Dame not losing a game in three years and the Longhorns on a 12-game winning streak. The Fighting Irish build on a 10-7 halftime lead, scoring 20 unanswered points for a 30-7 win at Austin, Texas. The win gives Notre Dame a 7-0 season for rookie coach Jesse Harper.
1947 — Howie Dallmar of the Philadelphia Warriors sets an NBA record for the most field-goal attempts with none made (15) in an 81-59 loss to the New York Knicks.
1949 — Steve Van Buren of the Philadelphia Eagles becomes the second NFL player, the first in 16 years, to rush over 200 yards. He runs for 205 yards in a 34-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
1960 — Trailing 38-7, the Denver Broncos score 31 points to salvage a 38-38 tie with the Buffalo Bills.
1960 — Detroit’s Gordie Howe scores his 1,000th point with an assist, and the Red Wings beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0. It’s Howe’s 938th NHL game.
1961 — Detroit’s Gordie Howe becomes the first to play 1,000 NHL games.
1965 — Gordie Howe becomes the first NHL player to score 600 goals. The milestone comes in Detroit’s 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
1966 — The Washington Redskins set an NFL regular-season record for most points in a 72-41 victory over the New York Giants. Both teams also set records with 16 TDs and 113 total points.
1980 — Dave Williams returns Eddie Murray’s opening kickoff in overtime 95 yards to give the Chicago Bears a 23-17 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. The Bears tied the score with no time remaining in regulation.
1994 — Joe Montana of the Kansas City Chiefs becomes the fifth quarterback to surpass 40,000 passing yards in a 10-9 loss at Seattle.
1998 — Texas’ Ricky Williams becomes the leading rusher in Division I-A history, breaking Tony Dorsett’s record set 22 years earlier.
2009 — Graham Gano kicks a 33-yard field goal in overtime to give the Las Vegas Locomotives a 20-17 victory over the Florida Tuskers in the inaugural UFL championship game.
2011 — The Connecticut women’s basketball team wins its 89th straight at home to set an NCAA record, beating Dayton 78-38 behind freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis’ 23 points.
2015 — James Harden scores 50 points to lead Houston past Philadelphia 116-114 for the 76ers’ 27th straight loss dating to last season, the longest losing streak in major U.S. pro sports. The previous record was set by the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976-77 and matched by the 76ers in 2013-14.
2016 — Justin Tucker makes all four of his field-goal attempts, including ones from 52, 54 and 57 yards, in Baltimore’s 19-14 victory over Cincinnati. Tucker has made 34 field goals in a row, including 27 this season, and has connected on all 15 conversion. It is Tucker’s 11th game with at least four field goals since entering the NFL in 2012.
Compiled by the Associated Press
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]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Lewis Crocker is set to return to Windsor Park for a voluntary defence of his IBF world welterweight title next spring.
The Belfast fighter beat Paddy Donovan by split decision to clinch the vacant belt in front of a sold-out crowd at Northern Ireland’s national football stadium in September.
Crocker and Donovan’s fight – a rematch of their March contest which ended in Donovan’s disqualification – marked boxing’s return to Windsor Park for the first time since Carl Frampton’s victory over Luke Jackson in August 2018.
It is understood a defence is slated for 11 April, with an opponent expected to be confirmed in the next fortnight.
Crocker, who is unbeaten in 22 professional bouts, has been vocal about his desire to fight Conor Benn, who defeated bitter rival Chris Eubank Jr in dominant fashion in their Tottenham Hotspur Stadium rematch on 15 November.
Speaking to BBC Sport NI in the build-up to that fight, Crocker’s manager Jamie Conlan mentioned Benn and WBC champion Mario Barrios as options for the 28-year-old.
However, Englishman Benn this week told Boxing News, external Crocker “is not really a name that is on my radar”.
With a victory in April, Crocker would be expected to return to the ring in late summer.
A catch worthy of a statue. An out at home plate by history-making inches. A cheating outfielder steals a victory. A struggling first baseman steals a marathon. A sore-handed catcher steals a title.
The greatest postseason game by one player in baseball history. The greatest World Series by one pitcher in baseball history. The greatest moment by a Dodger benchwarmer in baseball history, a guy so embedded in the landscape of Los Angeles sports that he will be forever known simply by two abbreviated versions of his name…
It’s perhaps appropriate today to give thanks for the drama, thanks for the art, thanks for the breathtaking uncertainty of the diamonds of October.
Thanks, baseball, for creating the tableau for the Dodgers’ 13 most memorable playoff moments, one for every win, one for every scream, one for every occasion when you thought it couldn’t get any crazier.
Then it did.
The Philadelphia Phillies’ Nick Castellanos is out at third after Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts gets the throw from Max Muncy and applies the tag in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the NLDS at Citizens Bank Park.
Treble winners Hull KR will start the defence of their Super League title with a visit to newly promoted York Knights in the opening game of the 2026 season.
Rovers will travel to York’s LNER Community Stadium on Thursday, 12 February (20:00 GMT).
Hull KR won the Challenge Cup, League Leaders’ Shield and Grand Final last season, sealing the title by beating previous champions Wigan Warriors 24-6 at Old Trafford in October.
York are one of three new clubs in Super League for next season as part of an expanded 14-team competition.
The Knights and Toulouse Olympique were selected to join the top flight by an independent panel, while Bradford Bulls were promoted in place of financially troubled Salford Red Devils after climbing to 10th in this year’s grading system.
York will play in Super League for the first time while Toulouse return to the top tier after their one-season stint in 2022.
Both the Bulls, who return to Super League after an 11-year absence, and Toulouse start the campaign with away games on Saturday, 14 February.
Bradford will make the journey east to face Hull FC, while Toulouse travel to Wakefield Trinity.
