Fighters are being “hurt, exploited or forgotten” in a failing system, says former boxer Paul Smith, who has criticised a lack of support for athletes.
Smith is part of a team set up to represent fighters and safeguard their futures, with the group aiming to launch the “biggest ever inquiry into health and safety in combat sport”.
The group, called the Global Fighters’ Association (GFA), wants the inquiry to provide the platform for it to become “the new umbrella organisation for all combat sport”.
It was set up last year with the aim of creating a union to safeguard fighters’ futures.
The GFA says it wants to campaign for fair contracts and better pay, insurance and pensions, proper health and safety standards and somewhere for fighters to report problems to an official channel.
It points to public fundraisers in recent months which have helped fighters such as Lee Reeves pay for emergency care after serious injuries.
Smith, who challenged three times for a super-middleweight world title before his retirement in 2017, says it is a “failing” of the system when fighters like Reeves have to raise money to pay for recovery.
“Every week, somewhere in this sport, a fighter is hurt, exploited or forgotten, and the only safety net is whatever the boxing community can scrape together after the fact,” said Smith.
“That’s not a system. That’s a failing. We are not aware of anyone, ever, who has properly invested the time and resources to get under the bonnet of this sport, work out exactly where it is failing fighters, and publish actionable recommendations to fix it.”
The GFA says it has secured respected barrister Jonathan Caplan KC to lead the process of conducting the inquiry, which will look into the “safety, governance and treatment of combat sports participants at all levels”, from grassroots to professional.
He will be tasked with producing a report back on the evidence and testimonies gathered.
The GFA is a non-profit organisation and is aiming to raise £500,000 to fund the inquiry via a crowdfunding campaign.
Chair designate Simon Bazalgette says the group wants to provide fighters with the same support available to athletes in other sports.
“Over the last decade or so, professional sports such as rugby, football and horse racing have raised their game when it comes to the welfare of the participants,” said Bazalgette.
“It is striking that combat sport is one of the last workplaces with no professional representation for its workers, meaning little protection, no minimum health and safety standard, no independent pension scheme, no insurance floor, and no single body a fighter can turn to when something goes wrong.
“The GFA has been formed to rectify this, to help the sport create a stronger bond of trust with its participants and its audience, and thereby give a stronger foundation for growth.”
Earlier this month, British mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Michael ‘Venom’ Page urged fighters to form a union to campaign for better pay.
He pointed to the Muhammad Ali Act – a 2000 US law designed to protect boxers’ rights and combat potential monopolies – as something he would like to replicate in MMA.
UFC president Dana White has been spearheading a push to amend the act – a move which GFA acting general secretary Paul Maloney says should cause alarm bells in fighters.
“It’s the one piece of legislation anywhere in the world that gives fighters a level of workplace protection, and it’s currently being rewritten in a way critics say favours the promoters and networks that already hold most of the power,” said Maloney.
“If it can be stripped back there, it can happen anywhere else that lacks its own independent, respected voice for fighters – which is exactly why the GFA exists.”
You do whatever you want; I’m not offended by any of it.
You are not entertained. You don’t like the demonstrative way he waves off calls. You hate how he’ll belabor a point for possessions at a time — as he did, per usual, in Friday’s not-particularly pretty 125-117 victory over the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers improved to 2-0 and Doncic had 23 points, six rebounds, seven assists and, if you’re looking to complain, a career high-tying 11 turnovers.
But me? I am entertained — endlessly. As long as Luka’s list of grievances is long.
Because Doncic is a maniac. Not a mad man, a madman. And a reminder that these millionaires are playing a child’s game, because no one relishes it with quite the joy and verve and passion and emotion and occasional tantrum like Doncic does.
He’s someone who arrived onstage, talented beyond his years. He’s also a toddler.
He couldn’t change if he wanted to, but would you really want him to?
There’s no slicing and dicing without a sufficiently sharp edge.
But if you’re a Lakers fan, you have to know you can’t take out the trash talk from Doncic’s game. You can’t ask him nicely to clean up his mess, man. Petty isn’t going to be pretty. And everyone can get it — including, once, the reporters on press row covering Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks. “You can’t guard me!” he screamed at us, ridiculously.
You have to let him cook, your very own basketball anarchist.
Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts during a win over the Clippers on Friday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“He’s always going to play with an edge,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “As long as he’s not causing the other team to have a five-on-four transition opportunity, it doesn’t bother me.”
And if he’s not toeing the line on a late-season suspension triggered by a 16th technical foul, his antics probably wouldn’t bother Lakers fans, either.
“This season, I’m trying to not get techs,” Doncic said after Wednesday’s season-opening victory against the Warriors, when he and Lendeborg mixed it up. “It was the first time that was not a double tech, ’cause I didn’t say nothing. So I’m working on it.”
It isn’t that Doncic busies himself with the refs because he’s lazy and doesn’t want to get back on defense — do you know how much stamina it takes to keep up a marathon-length running dialogue? How exhausting it has to be to litigate every little thing, to be so constantly aggrieved?
It’s a special part of his special skill set; put him in the top 1% in the world of complainers. If he wasn’t one of the world’s top 1% of hoopers, imagine him in court instead of on the court; he’d be a bulldog: Objection! Objection! Objection!
The man is a rascal, but he’s not a villain. Everything he does is with a wink-wink twinkle in his eye.
He never shuts up on the court, but he’s a man of few words off of it, low-key and community-minded and in the top 1% of patient autograph-givers. A generous teammate to whom good vibes matter much.
But he’s an absolute menace to compete against and, yes, to officiate.
So, kids, don’t try this at home. At least not during a basketball game. Don’t show that energy to the refs, who deserve your respect. As do your teachers and your coaches and your parents or guardians.
But do keep that energy. You’re not going to get what you want in life unless you advocate — agitate — for it. Put pressure on powers that be. Ask for explanations — demand them. Because it’s true, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Being pushy works, even if it won’t win you popularity contests. The GMs left Doncic off their predictive MVP list for a reason. He finished fourth in MVP voting last season and has never been higher than third in his eight NBA seasons.
That’s largely a reflection of where the Lakers placed last season — fourth. And where they’re expected to finish this season; there are 12 teams with better odds to win the title, according to DraftKings.
But it probably has more to do with voters’ appetite for discussion, the type of heated debate that offends the sensibilities of so many — even though that mayhem is a crucial ingredient of Luka’s magic. Just sit back and relax. Enjoy the show.
SALT LAKE CITY — Luka Doncic raised three fingers toward the Utah crowd. Fans were left counting more than just his points.
Doncic hit three clutch three-pointers late in the fourth quarter and took a momentum-swinging charge to lead the Lakers to a nail-biting 132-123 victory over the Utah Jazz on Sunday at Delta Center. Doncic led the Lakers (3-0) with 52 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds as the team fought back from an 18-point second-quarter deficit.
Guard Austin Reaves hit a dagger three with 34 seconds remaining to give the Lakers a seven-point lead. As Doncic salted the game away from the free-throw line, he was serenaded with chants of “MVP!” Reaves finished with 29 points.
“Getting MVP chants in someone else’s arena is crazy,” center Walker Kessler said. “But, you know, obviously deserving.”
Kessler knows this arena well. It’s where he spent the first four years of his career. But the center was quiet in his return to Salt Lake City. After he joined the Lakers in a massive sign-and-trade deal that cost the Lakers two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps and a four-year, $130-million contract, Kessler was held to just two points on one-of-two shooting with seven rebounds.
Kessler received a mixed reception from the crowd, which included a large number of fans in Lakers colors. The Jazz didn’t play a highlight reel during the game to welcome the center back, as many teams often do for a player who returns on an opposing team.
Kessler had averaged 24 points and 8.5 rebounds per game during the Lakers’ first two games and shot a blazing 84.6% from the field while feasting off lob passes from Doncic and Reaves.
When asked whether Kessler’s return would spark extra motivation for the Jazz, Utah coach Will Hardy dispelled any suggestions of revenge.
“In no way is tonight about Walker,” Hardy said. “Like it’s not a, ‘Oh wow Walker’s here so we better play harder.’ We’re gonna demand the same standard that we did in our last game. Some of the story lines I don’t quite understand. Like we have a lot of love for Walker. He’s somebody that we have a great relationship with and a lot of shared experience.”
Kessler admitted he “let my emotions get the best of me” in his return Utah, which he described as “a special place.”
“Kind of got too amped and then just couldn’t find the ball,” Kessler said. “Couldn’t find the rhythm, just kind of was off a couple fouls that were tough, a couple blocks I usually [make]. It’s one of those nights. But fortunately basketball is not a one-man sport.”
The Lakers showed they have one of the best duos in the league.
Reaves was held scoreless during the first quarter, but awoke for 15 points in the second. The undrafted guard has so far lived up to the massive contract extension he signed in June, averaging 26.7 points per game on 63.9% shooting with 6.2 assists per game.
“AR so far in these three games has just been Mr. Consistency,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.
Reaves started the comeback. Doncic completed it. In less than 30 seconds, Doncic watched a fadeaway jumper circle the rim before dropping through for a three-point play, then ripped the ball out of Ace Bailey’s arms for a steal before hitting a three at the buzzer to put the Lakers up by three at halftime.
The Slovenian superstar was coming off an admittedly “terrible” game in which he had 23 points, seven assists and 11 turnovers in the Lakers’ home win over the Clippers. Redick said Doncic is still finding his rhythm after not playing with the Slovenian national team over the summer as he typically does.
Doncic made just two of his first eight three-point attempts Sunday. He looked right back in rhythm when he splashed the tying three with 4:06 remaining in the fourth quarter and pushed his palms toward the ground to quiet the crowd.
The final shot before halftime showed Redick that Doncic has his groove back.
“When he’s in the flow state, he gets into, like, showman mode,” Redick said. “He’s on stage performing … it’s always really fun to watch.”
Doncic gave the friendly road crowd his best moves. Lying on his back watching one his shots roll through the net, he shimmied his shoulders before teammates pulled him to his feet. When he splashed the tying three with 4:06 remaining in the fourth, he wagged his finger. On the next possession, he let out a scream when he stepped in front of Keyonte George to take a charge. After putting the Lakers up by six with 1:40 remaining with one of his signature step-back threes, Doncic held three up three fingers to the crowd.
Doncic went nearly seven months without hearing that roar. Not playing with the national team left him out of competition for one of the longest stretches of his career. He doesn’t think he’s back to full form yet.
“I’m still getting there honestly,” Doncic said. “This is the first time I didn’t play basketball in six or seven months, which is a long time. So I’m not used to it.”
He still looked right at home hearing “MVP” chants from a road crowd.
PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid punished Milwaukee with a triple-double one night and wanted to go right at Detroit and try for another on the next one. So the amiable big man with a career list of injuries that would fit on a scroll or two made a good-natured plea with the media to try to convince the 76ers to let him play in back-to-back games.
“Can you guys put pressure on them?” Embiid said with a laugh. “I want to play tomorrow, so start writing articles and put pressure on them so they’ll let me play.”
Not even the power of the pen can aid Embiid in playing consecutive games.
The 76ers smartly rested their All-Star center — no one game in October in the NBA is worth the potential of long-term harm — and then they went out and got smoked Sunday night by the Detroit Pistons.
LeBron James is in Philadelphia, and that’s a good thing. Jaylen Brown has an NBA Finals MVP on his resume and is serving up one-liners about lamb and gravy in his rivalry with a former Boston teammate.
No matter the star power added to the roster, the natural growth of homegrown talent such as Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, the 76ers have always since his 2016 debut — and will always — win as much and go as far in the postseason as Embiid will take them.
The 76ers were outrebounded 54-37 and trailed by 21 points in their first loss of the season to the Pistons. The Pistons pounded the inside and scored 24 second-chance points. They got the kind of looks that only get tougher to attempt when Embiid is in the lineup.
So yes, with the 76ers already thin in frontcourt depth, it was up to James to man a bulk of the minutes at center. The 41-year-old James won the opening tip for the 76ers.
The Pistons won everything else.
“We’re going to have those moments where we have different lineups out there throughout the course of the season,” James said. “I think the more minutes we get, the more games that we get under our belt, the more time we get, we’ll know what works well for us.”
James scored 18 points, grabbed two rebounds and was a minus-22 going up against Paul Reed, and the 76ers were left to hope his presence at center was nothing more than a cameo.
The 76ers were a whopping plus-49 with Embiid on the court over the first three games and minus-25 with him off it.
“I mean [heck], we’ve got an MVP over there,” James said as he looked in the direction of Embiid’s locker.
“I’m not here to have a sustainable role at the five. We’ve got Joel Embiid at the five. I don’t see it being a sustainable role but it’s a role that we know we can tap into if we needed. But sustainable playing the five? If I was to say I was signing here to have a sustainable role at the five, I don’t think none of us would actually want that.”
The 76ers also played without big men Dominck Barlow (back), Jabari Walker (knee) and 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall. Fall has yet to play this season with a left quadriceps strain.
“We’ve got a 7-7 guy over there who hasn’t played. That would help,” James quipped.
Even with Embiid and his 11 boards in the lineup against the Bucks, the 76ers were still outrebounded 62-39.
Maxey, a first-time All-Star starter last season, had a suggestion to fix the rebounding woes.
“Some of our tall guys could come back,” Maxey said with a smile. “That would be great. We’ve just got to hit, box out, try to fight. We’ve got to figure it out.”
James took inspiration from Detroit’s bench, where Taurean Prince sat and watched the game. Prince didn’t play but he is responsible for one of the great viral interview moments in NCAA tournament history when he deadpanned the definition of a rebound after his Baylor team was outrebound by Yale.
“In the great words of Taurean Prince, who I saw tonight on the bench,” James said, “a good friend of mine, so, the ball goes up into the air. You go grab the ball. That’s what we’ve got to do, man. They got more of those than we did.”
So the 76ers do what they do so many times when Embiid doesn’t play and took the loss.
Let him sit. One game won’t hurt. It’s when those absences start stacking up that always doom the 76ers.
On the face of it, Ulster are without a victory in their four United Rugby Championship outings this season.
But head coach Richie Murphy is not ready to hit the panic button.
Despite a winless start, the Irish province are just one point outside the play-off places despite a struggle for results.
An opening defeat by Edinburgh was followed by two thrilling draws against Glasgow and Munster, and then a loss to the Bulls in the first of a South African double-header.
There has been a constant theme throughout: Ulster have allowed the opposition to build an early – and often significant – lead.
On each occasion they have fought back, but have yet to seal a comeback with victory.
Murphy admits his side have been “digging a bit of a hole” in each of their four matches this season.
“Obviously, we’re not quite getting the results that we wanted, but we’re in every game,” said Murphy, whose side defeated Zebre in their Challenge Cup opener.
“We’re playing against top-class opposition and we’re fighting for everything we can get.”
“It’s really important that we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. We will stick to our process and stick to what we believe in, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
The sons of Snoop Dogg, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jon Bon Jovi and John Mellencamp all gave big-time football the old college try. None made a big impact on the field.
Maybe Bo Bryan, son of country music superstar and “American Idol” host Luke Bryan, will be the first to do so. A three-star quarterback from a mid-sized private high school in Tennessee, Bryan announced on Sunday that he has committed to Georgia, telling Rivals “it was literally a dream come true.”
Although landing a roster spot at a major college is a noteworthy achievement under any circumstances, Bryan faces steep odds. Georgia, a perennial top-10 program and national championship contender, typically recruits passers of Matthew Stafford-level pedigree. Stafford, the current Rams quarterback and slam-dunk Hall of Famer, was the first pick in the NFL draft out of Georgia in 2008.
Bryan, currently sidelined with a broken collarbone, is ranked No. 141 nationally at his position in the 247/Sports Composite. His scholarship offers were from small-school FCS programs such as Tennessee Martin, Austin Peay and North Alabama.
It’s not surprising that the Bulldogs carved out a roster spot for Bryan. His family has been Georgia fans for decades and his coach at the Franklin, Tenn., Battle Ground Academy is a longtime friend of Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. As a child, Bryan attended camps run by Georgia head coach Kirby Smart.
“I remember being at games and my parents holding me,” Bryan told On3. “I’ve always been a Georgia fan.”
Bobo called with the offer, and Bryan gave the answer he had already rehearsed.
“I told myself, are we going to shoot for the stars at a place like Georgia, or are we going to stay in the FCS or potentially a smaller FBS school?” he said. “Eventually, I told myself, just shoot for the stars.”
Bryan is hardly the first child of a rich and famous music superstar to take a stab at high-level college football, with the mid-2010s experiencing a rush of attempts.
Cordell Broadus, son of rapper and cultural icon Snoop Dogg, was a four-star receiver at Las Vegas Bishop Gorman High, and his 2015 recruitment by UCLA was considered a coup. However, he quit before the season started, gave it another shot the following spring and quit again before the 2016 season began.
“He’s going to pursue other passions in his life and we encourage that,” UCLA coach Jim Mora said.
Broadus’ attempt came on the heels of a four-year stint at UCLA by Justin Dior Combs, the son of music mogul Diddy. The 5-foot-7, 170-pound defensive back saw limited times on special teams and was credited with four career tackles. Combs graduated from UCLA with a degree in sociology.
Meanwhile, Jesse Bongiovi, son of rock musician Jon Bon Jovi, spent the 2013-2016 seasons as a walk-on defensive back at Notre Dame. He appeared in one game in each of his four seasons and was credited with one tackle.
Still another son of a popular musician to suit up for major college football was Hud Mellencamp, a two-time Golden Gloves boxing champion in Indiana who walked on as a wide receiver at Duke. He appeared in two games in 2014 and one in 2015, making zero receptions, and graduated with a degree in history.
Bryan will be competing against a Georgia quarterback commit with more traditional bloodlines: Colton Nussmeier, whose brother Garrett is a backup quarterback with the Kansas City Chiefs after a standout career at LSU. Their father, Doug, is offensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints.
Whether Bo Bryan eventually fulfills his lifelong dream of succeeding on the Georgia gridiron, he is likely to make a mark in business if his predecessors are a fair indication.
Stafford became the franchise’s all-time leader in touchdown passes by connecting with tight end Davis Allen for two and with Nacua for another in a victory that improved the Rams’ record to 3-4.
“A good step in the right direction,” coach Sean McVay said.
Williams and Corum each rushed for a touchdown as the Rams bounced back from consecutive defeats by the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals to keep alive their turnaround from their third poor start in three seasons.
For the first time in the Rams’ last five games, the outcome did not come down to the final play.
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Luka Doncic scores 52 in Lakers victory
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Luka Doncic raised three fingers toward the Utah crowd. Fans were left counting more than just his points.
Doncic hit three clutch three-pointers late in the fourth quarter and took a momentum-swinging charge to lead the Lakers to a nail-biting 132-123 victory over the Utah Jazz on Sunday at Delta Center. Doncic led the Lakers (3-0) with 52 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds as the team fought back from an 18-point second-quarter deficit.
Guard Austin Reaves hit a dagger three with 34 seconds remaining to give the Lakers a seven-point lead. As Doncic salted the game away from the free-throw line, he was serenaded with chants of “MVP!” Reaves finished with 29 points.
“Getting MVP chants in someone else’s arena is crazy,” center Walker Kessler said. “But, you know, obviously deserving.”
Kessler knows this arena well. It’s where he spent the first four years of his career. But the center was quiet in his return to Salt Lake City. After he joined the Lakers in a massive sign-and-trade deal that cost the Lakers two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps and a four-year, $130-million contract, Kessler was held to just two points on one-of-two shooting with seven rebounds.
From Mirjam Swanson: In the most complimentary way, I ask: What the heck was that first half, UCLA?
Yes, really. With Saturday’s 28-10 victory over Michigan State, Bob Chesney has the Bruins football team 7-0 for the first time since 2005. Still undefeated and still the only team in the Big Ten — and SEC — conferences that can say so. Ranked No. 9 in the nation and moving on up.
And so I ask: Two lost fumbles before halftime? Two drops? Two holding penalties? A meager 84 yards through the air and a modest 14-7 halftime lead? Against a majorly depleted Michigan State team fielding a freshman third-stringer at quarterback — that also lost two more of its best players to injury in the first half?
These Bruins are too good to be letting the wounded Spartans (2-6, 0-5 Big Ten) hang with them for even a half.
And yet, for a hot moment, doubt started to creep back in: Was this the day Chesney’s chariot turned back into a pumpkin? Was the last petal from the enchanted rose about to fall, this beauty of a season due to turn ugly? Was the fairy tale almost over?
Isaiah Hartenstein added 12 points and 12 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which won its third straight to start the season but lost three players to injury, including All-Star guard Jalen Williams, who went down hard on a drive to the basket with 1:14 left. Williams left the court on a stretcher with towels covering his left leg.
Guard Cason Wallace (left shoulder soreness) and forward Jaylin Williams (right wrist soreness) left the game in the first quarter and did not return. Mitchell was eight-for-14 shooting with six rebounds, four assists and three steals in 28 minutes.
Leo Walta scored the tying goal in the 62nd minute, and LAFC clinched a playoff spot by rallying from two goals down in the second half for a 2-2 draw with the Galaxy on Sunday night.
Joseph Paintsil scored his first two goals since August as the Galaxy hung on impressively for a point, but endangered their own playoff hopes by blowing the lead in another thrilling El Tráfico derby.
The final seconds of injury time were breathtaking: Galaxy goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski and defender Justin Haak both made spectacular stops on LAFC chances before Denis Bouanga scored on a redirection of Tyler Boyd‘s bicycle kick — only for the play to be ruled offside.
All games at 5 p.m. PT All game on FOX/FOX Deportes/FOX One
No. 1 Milwaukee vs. No. 1 Tampa Bay at Milwaukee 3, Tampa Bay 2 (box score) at Milwaukee 5, Tampa Bay 4 (box score) Monday at Tampa Bay Tuesday at Tampa Bay *Wednesday at Tampa Bay *Friday at Milwaukee *Saturday at Milwaukee
* if necessary
This day in sports history
1907 — Jim Thorpe makes his Carlisle (Pa.) debut dazzling a crowd of 22,800 in a 26-6 defeat of No. 4 Penn at Philadelphia’s Franklin Field. Thorpe rushes, returns kicks and does all the kicking in putting on a one-man show.
1951 — Joe Louis loses his last fight, an eighth-round TKO to Rocky Marciano at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Marciano knocks Louis down with a left hook in the eighth round. Louis gets to one knee at the count of three and takes an eight-count before getting up. Marciano ends the fight with a right that sends Louis through the ropes and onto the ring apron. Louis’ career record is 66-3 with 52 knockouts.
1968 — Brooks Dawson of Texas El Paso completes 17 of 24 passes for 304 yards in the final 10:21 of the fourth quarter as the Miners beat Brigham Young 31-25.
1968 — Boxer George Foreman beats Ionas Chepulis of the Soviet Union for the gold medal in the heavyweight division at the Mexico Olympic Games.
1970 — Muhammad Ali returns to the ring after a 2 1/2-year layoff due to his refusal to be drafted into the United States Army. Fighting in Atlanta, Ali opened a cut over Jerry Quarry’s left eye with a right hand in the third round, causing the fight to be stopped before the start of the fourth round.
1980 — The St. Louis Cardinals sack quarterback Baltimore quarterback Bert Jones 12 times in a 17-10 victory.
1982 — Philadelphia Phillies Steve Carlton became the first pitcher to win four Cy Young Awards
1990 — Wayne Gretzky becomes the NHL first player to reach the 2,000-point plateau when he helps set up a goal by Tomas Sandstrom at 14:32 of the first period of the Kings’ game at Winnipeg.
2000 — The New York Yankees become the first team in more than a quarter-century to win three straight World Series titles, beating the New York Mets 4-2. The Yankees match the Oakland Athletics’ three in a row from 1972-74, and win their fourth title in five years.
2002 — Volponi, a 43-1 long shot, finds room along the rail and blows past the fading Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem to take the Breeders’ Cup Classic by 6½ lengths ahead of Medaglia d’Oro.
2006 — Ryan Miller stops 29 shots as Buffalo beats the New York Islanders 3-0 to win its 10th straight game. The win matches the best start in NHL history, tying the 1993-94 Toronto Maple Leafs.
2012 — The NHL cancels all its games through the end of November because of the labor dispute between owners and players.
2013 — Octavias McKoy runs for 455 yards, setting an NCAA record for all-divisions, as Division III Western Connecticut State beats Worcester State 55-35. McKoy scores five touchdowns in the game and breaks the rushing record previously held by Dante Brown of Marietta College. Brown ran for 441 on Oct. 5, 1996 against Baldwin-Wallace.
2014 — Serena Williams wins the WTA Tour Finals for the third straight year and fifth time overall, beating Simona Halep 6-3, 6-0. Williams joins Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf as the only players to have won five titles in the season-ending championship.
2014 — Ben Roethlisberger is 40 for 49 for 522 yards and six touchdown passes in Pittsburgh’s 51-34 win over Indianapolis. Roethlisberger became the first player in NFL history with two 500-yard passing games — 503 yards vs. Green Bay on Dec. 20, 2009.
2014 — Abby Wambach scores four goals and the World Cup-bound United States beat Costa Rica 6-0 for its fifth CONCACAF women’s title.
2018 — The longest World Series game by innings and time; Dodgers beat the Boston Red Sox, 3-2 in the 18th inning (7 hours, 20 minutes) in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium with a Max Muncy walk-off home run.
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 houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
The alleged incident happened in the final minute of the Group C match in Baku.
Immediately following the allegation, England head coach Matt Thorpe was seen on the match coverage on DAZN asking for the referee to come over, before calling his players off the pitch.
After an initial report from Thorpe, the referee told England’s coaching staff, “I cannot hear”.
One of Thorpe’s assistant coaches can then be heard telling the referee “we are reporting racism”, before adding “we do not want to play”.
When another official came over, talking about what would happen after the match, the assistant told him: “No, our players do not want to play”.
He was later heard saying that a player was “upset”.
Heated words were then exchanged between each set of coaching staff, with both saying they were trying to protect their players.
This is the first time the U15 World Cup and Festival has been played, and involves 189 countries and territories.
Matches are played in an eight-a-side format, on smaller pitches, with 20-minute halves.
England are scheduled to play their next match against Zimbabwe at 20:45 local time (16:45 GMT) on Monday, with Republic of Ireland facing Cambodia at the same time.
The UCLA football team produced its worst quarter of the season Saturday.
After fumbling twice in Michigan State territory, halting offensive momentum, the Bruins were trailing going into the second quarter and tied 7-7 with three minutes left in the second quarter.
But for the third consecutive week, the defense shifted the momentum and ignited the offense.
Powered by a defensive unit that tallied three takeaways, four sacks and limited the opposing offense to 156 yards, UCLA earned its seventh win of the season Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl, trouncing Michigan State 28-10.
It is the first time the Bruins have gone 7-0 since 2005. The team moved up to No. 7 in the Associated Press top 25 poll Sunday.
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Let’s take a look at the three takeaways from the Bruins’ fifth conference win. UCLA sits atop the Big Ten standings, with its last nonconference game against 3-4 Nevada on Saturday.
Are the Bruins aggressive enough?
The final score did not reflect the Bruins’ dominance over the Spartans.
UCLA ran the ball 48 times compared to 31 passing attempts. And while the ground game was successful, rushing for 245 yards and three touchdowns on 5.1 yards per carry, the Bruins had the opportunity to blow the doors off the game through the passing game.
The Bruins opted to play a clock management game, running out the entire fourth quarter with a multi-score lead instead of taking shots downfield and manipulating the defense through the air. And Michigan State adjusted accordingly, stacking the box and preparing for the run.
With the Spartans focused on stopping the run, UCLA’s offense had the opportunity to take advantage of an already depleted secondary and give quarterback Ty Dieffenbach more opportunities to get comfortable in the passing game.
Dieffenbach’s one deep shot connected with sophomore wide receiver Brian Rowe Jr. for a 63-yard touchdown. But outside of that, Dieffenbach did not connect for a pass of more than 20 yards. And coach Bob Chesney acknowledged that the offense could have opened up more, but that the Bruins decided to run out the clock.
“There were moments there in the fourth, too, and the late third, where that box got pretty loaded, and we should have taken some shots on the outside,” Chesney said. “But at the same point, you’re trying to run this clock out and get out of here with the win, ultimately, and could have taken a little more risk if we wanted to. But I thought we managed it well enough to get a victory here.”
It doesn’t always have to be Wayne
Wayne Knight has been the star of UCLA’s offense so far.
But the Bruins have proven that the backfield is less of a bell cow system and more of a three-headed beast.
And despite a shaky first half, senior Jaivian Thomas and fifth-year Anthony Woods more than illustrated that they could be the featured back on any given day.
Thomas and Woods fumbled in the first half in Spartan territory — their first of the season on 118 combined carries thus far. But the duo refused to let the mistake define them. Thomas ran for 41 yards and a touchdown in 10 carries while Woods rushed for 112 yards and one score in 14 carries alongside three receptions.
Woods and Thomas’ production in the dying embers of the affair became pertinent when Knight went down with a chest/ribs injury. While Chesney said that the injury is nothing overly serious and that the tailback could have returned to the game, the coaching staff decided to keep him sidelined as a precaution.
“I thought [Anthony] Woods was rolling today. To be able to see some of the holes that he found and be explosive and physical was really good,” Chesney said. “But both of those guys put the ball on the ground early. That’s not what we were looking for, but I love their response.”
Linebacker University
All season, the Bruins’ secondary has earned praise.
Defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler’s unit has not allowed a quarterback to gain more than 160 passing yards during its last four games and has given up fewer than 100 yards in two of those games.
But the entirety of the Bruins inside linebacker department has hounded opposing offenses all season — dominating in all facets of defense, from blitzing the quarterback, to finishing off tackles in open space to blanketing pass catchers when tasked in coverage.
And all of that was on display Saturday.
“They understand the run scheme. They do all of the things right. They relate pre-snap. And then they communicate post-snap extremely well,” Chesney said. “And those are all the things that they have to be able to accomplish. But then they play a very physical brand of football. And when you start to blitz them, they get downhill quick, and they pack a punch when they do.”
Headlining the crew is Sammy Omosigho, who has not missed a beat since coming to Westwood from Oklahoma. He ranks first in the nation in forced fumbles with five through seven games, and ranks first in the Big Ten in sacks with five despite playing inside linebacker.
His linebacker partner — fifth-year Jalen Woods — is playing up to Omosigho’s level, with 2.5 sacks, one interception and 59 tackles, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten. Sophomore Scott Taylor, who has been playing as a hybrid inside/outside linebacker, has three sacks and two forced fumbles.
And senior Donavyn Pellot joined the fun Saturday, recording the first interception of his career and returning it 67 yards, flipping the field, and turning the tide of the game.
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UCLA alum Natalie Nakase’s strategy change pays off
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase reacts on the sideline during Game 4 of the WNBA Finals against the Atlanta Dream at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Saturday.
(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
Former UCLA point guard Natalie Nakase shook up her starting lineup and helped spark the Golden State Valkyries’ Game 4 win over the Atlanta Dream during the WNBA Finals, evening the series 2-2.
Guard Tiffany Hayes and Kaila Charles joined the starting five during Golden State’s 67-62 win Saturday in Atlanta. Nakase tightened her rotation to seven players, bringing Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini providing a spark off the bench.
“I just wanted to change it up,” Nakase said. “The best thing about our team is no one cares who starts, no one cares. People coming off the bench, it doesn’t matter … because we have a really selfless team, egoless team. So, yeah, I just wanted to change it, and you definitely saw some energy, better fight.”
Nakase said her players have bought into doing whatever it takes to support each other all season.
“We’re about caring for each other,” she said. “We’re about pouring into each other, and I think what’s really big key is they want to see success in their teammates more than themselves.”
Golden State will host Game 5 of the series Monday at 5 p.m. The remainder of the series schedule is in flux as the WNBA negotiates where Atlanta can play its remaining home games.
Bruins on deck
Here is this week’s UCLA athletics schedule. All Times are PDT.
Monday, Oct. 26
Men’s golf at East Lake Cup, All day
Women’s golf at Nanea Invitational, All day
Tuesday, Oct. 27
Men’s golf at East Lake Cup, All day
Women’s golf at Nanea Invitational, All Day
Men’s basketball vs. San Diego (exhibition), 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 28
Men’s golf at East Lake Cup, All day
Women’s golf at Nanea Invitational, All day
Friday, Oct. 30
Men’s and women’s tennis at Dennis Rizza Intercollegiate Classic, All day
Cross country at Big Ten championship, Time TBA
Women’s volleyball vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m.
Men’s soccer vs. Indiana, 7 p.m.
Women’s soccer at USC, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 31
Men’s and women’s tennis at Dennis Rizza Intercollegiate Classic, All day
Men’s water polo at Cal, 1 p.m.
Football vs. Nevada, 1:15 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 1
Men’s and women’s tennis at Dennis Rizza Intercollegiate Classic, All day
Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Sports editor Iliana Limón Romero and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann are emerging as early contenders to become the next Manchester United head coach if Michael Carrick loses his job.
Carrick’s position at Old Trafford is under major threat following the club’s poor start to the season, with work towards identifying his successor believed to be ongoing.
It is understood Howe and Nagelsmann both feature prominently on the list of candidates the club has explored to potentially replace him, and that both managers are aware of United’s interest.
Sources have also indicated Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is admired at United, but the fact he is under contract would complicate any move for the Spaniard.
Howe, Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte – who is interested in the job – are out of work, making their potential appointments easier.
Multiple sources have told BBC Sport that former Newcastle boss Howe is fully open to joining United if Carrick loses his job.
Nagelsmann is available after leaving his job as Germany head coach after the World Cup, while Conte – who has also been linked with Juventus – is open to returning to football after leaving Napoli in May.
Should Carrick be dismissed, the 20-time English top-flight champions will be looking to appoint their eighth permanent manager or head coach since Sir Alex Ferguson departed the club in 2013 on the back of winning their most recent title.
Here, BBC Sport takes a closer look at the contenders who could be up for the job.
Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where it’s beginning to feel like we’ve reached the point of no return for Lincoln Riley. USC’s 24-7 loss to Wisconsin on Saturday was objectively one of the worst of Riley’s tenure as a head coach.
That it came after a bye week only made it a more damning indictment of Riley and the culture he’s built at USC.
The reality is, another loss over USC’s next four games would eliminate the Trojans from College Football Playoff contention for the fifth straight season under Riley. And with three top-10 teams still on the schedule, it feels all but inevitable that USC will fall short of expectations once again this season, a half decade into Riley’s tenure as the Trojans coach.
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USC fans, safe to say, are fed up. Many of them, it seems, want Riley fired right now. But the Trojans are technically still in the race, even if they’re just barely limping along, and aside from the brief hit of dopamine and schadenfreude that such a swift firing might provide, cutting ties with a coach before the end of the season is almost always a dangerous idea. It makes even less sense, in this case, for USC — a school that should know by now how sideways a midseason move can go.
Each of the last three Trojan football coaches preceding Riley were fired midseason. And the ripple effects of those firings, you could argue, ended up setting USC back even further.
When USC fired Lane Kiffin in the middle of the night at LAX after a 3-2 start to the season, then-athletic director Pat Haden not only turned the Trojans into a national punchline, but also painted himself into a corner. Interim coach Ed Orgeron ended up turning the season around and earning the endorsement of USC’s entire locker room. (Which you can hear more about on this week’s new episode of House of Troy.) But Haden had no intention of hiring Orgeron, and the decision to move on ended up being a disaster, on multiple levels.
With Steve Sarkisian, Haden had no choice but to cut ties. But this time, he actually did end up hiring the interim coach, Clay Helton, after seeing how Helton had shepherded the program through a difficult season. And of course, that hire ended up being a huge failure.
I’ll never forget the chaos of USC’s 2021 season, after Helton was fired. Interim coach Donte Williams had no idea how to usher a team through a season. The locker room was in disarray. It all felt unfair to the players. The subsequent search did end up yielding Riley — a move that, at the time, looked like a major coup — but because USC was in such a desperate position, it had to offer Riley a huge deal that he couldn’t possibly refuse.
Firing Riley now would leave athletic director Jen Cohen in a similarly tough position, with months of speculation surrounding a high-pressure search. The players, as far as we know, are still behind Riley. Meanwhile, many of the coaches Cohen would probably consider in his stead will have their teams in the playoff hunt through December and even January. One need only look at what’s happened to Penn State to see how that could go awry.
There’s also the matter of Riley’s contract. If USC does fire him, it will be on the hook for his estimated $70-million buyout, plus whatever millions it would owe to the rest of his staff. But there is one way that the school could soften the blow of what would otherwise be a serious expenditure.
If Cohen makes a move, she could wait until the end of the season, when a full picture of the open coaching jobs has come into focus and Riley’s agent has had a chance to take a lay of the land. Maybe then a job would emerge that both Riley and the school agree would be a better fit.
In that case, USC could significantly offset the cost of Riley’s buyout, according to a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak on the matter. That would make the move much more palatable to the people already shelling out millions for a state-of-the-art facility, as well as a $40-million NIL budget.
The dots are easy to connect. The Baylor job already opened Sunday, and the school, according to On3, is looking for a coach with Texas roots. It’s possible, too, that the Texas Christian job opens up by the end of the year if Sonny Dykes, who has ties to Riley, can’t turn things around. Other jobs will surely open up that we’re not even anticipating.
Until a donor waving around a $70-million check starts making demands, it makes more sense to weather the next month with Riley, whatever it may hold. Maybe it won’t be as bad as you’re thinking.
But for the moment, it’s the rational thing to do.
JuJu Watkins, pictured earlier this year, was back on court for USC on Sunday.
(Luke Hales / Getty Images)
—USC rushed for negative-17 yards against Wisconsin. Seriously. On the Trojans’ first carry Saturday, King Miller ran straight into a brick wall of the Badger defensive front. And it never really got better from there. Jayden Maiava lost 57 yards on five sacks, which made the rushing numbers look much worse. But it’s not like USC’s other rushers found any room. Miller had eight yards in 11 carries. Freshman Shahn Alston was the leading rusher with 28 yards. And Waymond Jordan, who had been USC’s No. 2, was conspicuously absent. We’ll find out more about that ahead of Saturday. But right now, USC’s rushing attack looks completely out of sorts.
—What was Lincoln Riley thinking on that 58-yard field goal attempt? Riley was asked about that fourth-quarter sequence, which began with a delay of game penalty that moved the Trojans out of field goal range. Riley said that USC was strangely called for the delay because it ran in a player later, then snapped the ball before the referee had given the OK, not after the clock had run out, like a usual delay. Nonetheless, after that, Riley should’ve punted on fourth and 17. Instead, he decided to send out kicker Caden Chittenden to attempt a career long … in the rain. “We knew points were at a premium at that point,” Riley explained. “We just felt like — obviously, a 58-yarder is never going to be crazy high percentages, but we needed points, and to punt it down there didn’t feel like it was the right choice at the time.” Well, they ended up making the wrong choice. Wisconsin scored on the ensuing drive and put the game away.
—USC’s offensive line might’ve been the game’s biggest disappointment. USC boasted some of the best pass protection in college football through the season’s first half, then completely collapsed against Wisconsin. Quarterback Maiava was affected throughout by the Badgers’ pressure. There was barely any room for the run game, either, as Wisconsin simply overpowered USC at the point of attack. Needless to say, not a great week to have written about how great the offensive line was looking!
—USC’s defense held Wisconsin to 58 passing yards. That’s the fewest the Trojans have given up in a game since holding Michigan to 32 in their Big Ten debut, and in an alternate timeline, it might’ve been seen as a big moment for USC’s secondary. But Badger quarterback Colton Joseph didn’t have an incompletion in the second half, completing his final 10 passes. The most critical of which came on fourth down, when Wisconsin went five wide, with four receivers bunched on one side. The subsequent screen went for a 16-yard touchdown, which was Joseph’s only pass of more than 10 yards all game. Turns out, it’s all he needed.
—Defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart is still limited by an injured foot. The injury continues to linger, and Stewart continues to fight through it. At one point Saturday, he went to the locker room before returning to the game. There’s no questioning Stewart’s toughness, and clearly he’s capable of gutting it out through games. But it doesn’t appear that he’ll be fully healthy again this season without some serious time away from the field.
—USC’s women’s hoops gave a first glimpse of a potential title-winning team on Sunday. The Women of Troy took on Cal in an exhibition matchup that marked JuJu Watkins’ return in front of fans at Galen Center, and Watkins wasted no time making her presence felt, as she went to the hoop 14 seconds into the exhibition. The trio of Watkins, Jazzy Davidson and top freshman Saniyah Hall shot a combined 22 of 45 for 59 of USC’s 78 points. Still, USC barely snuck past Cal.
Notable quotable
“Gritty ain’t pretty. We played the harder football game, brought it to them, and they can’t really do nothing with us. It’s just two different types of football.”
—Former USC running back Bryan Jackson, who scored Saturday’s first touchdown for Wisconsin
Olympic sports spotlight
USC men’s water polo ripped off nine straight wins to start the season, then went 4-3 after that, with two losses to Stanford and one to UCLA, both of which sit just ahead of the Trojans in the national rankings.
The Trojans looked back on track in their final match of the season at home, rolling past Air Force, 21-8. And they still have road matchups against UCLA, Stanford and California that should tell us whether the Trojans are true contenders for a national title.
What I’m watching this week
Olivia Wilde, from left, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton in “The Invite.”
(A24 via Associated Press)
Some of the smartest movies are also the simplest. I kept thinking about that while watching “The Invite” recently. Directed by Olivia Wilde, the story takes place entirely in one couple’s apartment, during one evening spent with their upstairs neighbors.
It ended up being one of my favorite films of 2026 to date, with stellar performances from all the actors involved: Wilde, Seth Rogen, Ed Norton and, especially, Penélope Cruz. Maybe not the best flick to watch if you’re fighting with your significant other. But “The Invite” made me feel all sorts of feelings, which is generally what I’m looking for in a movie.
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email Ryan at ryan.kartje@latimes.com, and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. The high school basketball season begins in two weeks, yet players have been playing non-stop since the summer. Let’s look at top players in the Southland for boys.
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Players to watch
The Mission League is so loaded with talent in basketball that five teams — Sierra Canyon, Harvard-Westlake, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, St. Francis and Crespi — are considered among the top 10 teams in the Southland.
Jordan Mize, Josh Lowery and JJ Sati-Grier are returnees from Sierra Canyon’s state championship team, and Houston Rolle transferred from Heritage Christian. That’s an impressive starting four.
St. Francis has twin towers 7-foot-5 Cherif Millogo and 7-0 Yann Kamagate. Harvard-Westlake has returning guards Pierce Thompson and Cole Holden. Notre Dame’s NaVorro Bowman is headed to UConn. Transfer King Rachal is 6-7 and committed to Utah State. Josiah Nance is committed to SMU. Crespi has twins Carter and Isaiah Barnes entering their senior years.
There’s been lots of movement in the Trinity League to Mater Dei. Isaiah Williamson left Los Alamitos, Ryan Doane left JSerra and Ender Berg left Legacy Christian, all ending up at Mater Dei, which could have a starting five of former transfer students.
All-star guard Gene Roebuck, a Cal commit, will have spent four years at La Mirada, which is an achievement itself. Coming off sensational freshman seasons are guards Will Conroy Jr. from Village Christian and Quali Giran from Long Beach Millikan.
Palisades remains the team to beat in the City Section with returnees Phillip Reed,EJ and OJ Popoola and Jack Levey.
Mahamadou Diop, a 6-11 center at San Gabriel Academy, has committed to San Diego State. Nick Welch Jr. is a 6-9 center at Rolling Hills Prep ready to become a big-time player. Chris Sanders is coming off a great junior season at Redondo Union.
Davey Harris at Windward, Ethan Hill at Brentwood, Chris Paul Jr. at Campbell Hall and the trio of Evan Willis, Shalen Sheppard and Van Moczydlowsky of Crossroads are part of a wicked Gold Coast League, which will be the toughest to predict a champion.
The best three-point shooting guard is back at Damien in Zaire Rasshan. Etiwanda has 6-3 junior Devin Mitchell. Grayson Coleman of Milken should have lots of games beyond 30 points. Oaks Christian returns its leading scorer, junior Brady Sullivan. Maxwell Scott from Corona del Mar averaged 21.7 points last season and is headed to Harvard. Guard Earl Bryson is at Crean Lutheran after starring at JSerra.
This is just a refresher of some names before games officially begin Nov. 13 in the City Section and Nov. 16 in the Southern Section. And, if some of your favorite players from last season are now at different schools, welcome to how you try to win a championship in 2026-27.
Carson quarterback Chris Fields III points toward the sky after his 71-yard touchdown run against San Pedro.
(Craig Weston / For The Times)
It’s week 10 and the last chance to seal up playoff spots or league championships.
Carson wrapped up the Marine League championship and the No. 1 seed for the City Section Open Division playoffs with a 35-0 win over San Pedro. Here’s the report.
Compton won its first league championship since 1979 winning the new Hub City League title. Compton finished the regular season 9-1.
It’s week 9 in high school football season, and these are the best players I’ve seen. 1. DB-WR Jalen Flowers (Palos Verdes), 2. OL Lucas Rhoa (Orange Lutheran), 3. DL Kasie Currie (Sierra Canyon), 4. LB Aydan Steen (Santa Margarita), 5. WR Quentin Hale (Corona Centennial).
San Juan HIlls delivered the biggest upset of the week, knocking off San Clemente, which played without injured quarterback Preston Beck. Here’s the report.
Tru Warrior Casas of Fairfax turned in a great individual performance, rushing for 331 yards and four touchdowns in a loss to Palisades.
Sophomore Asir Nembhard of Mater Dei set a school record with 349 yards rushing in a wild win over Orange Lutheran.
Culver City’s Nicholas Hoang passed for 480 yards and six touchdowns in a win over Torrance. Nathaniel Cadet of Marshall had seven touchdown passes in win over L.A. Wilson.
League championships are on the line in Bishop Amat at Sierra Canyon, Valencia vs. Hart at College of the Canyons, San Juan Hills at Mission Viejo. Another good game is unbeaten Mary Star at Carson, not to mention the annual East. L.A. Classic matching Garfield and Roosevelt at East Los Angeles College.
And St. John Bosco plays Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium in a game for second place in the Trinity League and a top four playoff berth in Division 1.
At the Mt. SAC Invitational, Sabina Cruz of Westlake stamped herself as a CIF title contender with a win in the girls team sweepstakes race in 16:35.1.
Redondo Union’s Mario Montoya ran a scorching 13:43.5 to top the boys races.
Crescenta Valley had the best team score in boys. Great Oak was second in girls.
Power of grandparents
The Reis twins, Christian (left) and Weston, are juniors for Palos Verdes and cheered on by grandparents.
(Nick Koza / For The Times)
Grandparents sitting in the football bleachers offer moments of magic at high school football games.
Outfielder Matti Di Maggio of Dos Pueblos has reclassified from class of 2029 to class of 2028. He was on The Times’ all-star baseball team last season as a freshman and won a gold medal playing for the USA 15U national team. Now he’ll be considered a junior this spring….
Tresbien Caraway has resigned after 11 years as basketball coach at New Roads….
Mahamadou Diop, a 6-foot-11 center from San Gabriel Academy, has committed to San Diego State….
Ender Berg, a 6-11 transfer from Legacy Christian, and Ryan Doane, a 6-8 transfer from JSerra, will be eligible at Mater Dei beginning Christmas Day….
Junior center fielder Dane Disney from Oaks Christian has committed to UCLA….
Zain Majeed, a 6-8 senior at Mater Dei, has committed to Princeton….
Long Beach Wilson’s boys’ water polo team did not apply for a Southern Section playoff spot as the program deals with a hazing incident….
UCLA volleyball All-American Brandon Taliaferro, who is a 1996 graduate of San Clemente High, is the Tritons’ new boys volleyball coach. He also served as an assistant coach at UCLA….
Junior pitcher Christian Reis of Palos Verdes has committed to Oregon State….
Mark Wulfemeyer, a legendary high school basketball player for Troy High in the 1970s, has died in Hawaii. He was 70. He held the state scoring record from 1974 through 1979. Here’s a story from 1991 describing his journey in basketball and baseball. His grandson, Warren, is a top baseball player at Santa Margarita….
St. Francis athletic director Matt Luderer has died after a long fight with brain cancer. He was 54. Luderer took over at St. Francis in 2013 after being athletic director at Crespi…..
Learned overnight the very sad news that retired coaching legend Joe Kelly, architect of the great Palos Verdes HS/Peninsula HS superpower in the 80s, 90s & beyond, passed away, possibly age 84. He was much larger than just a coaching figure. A legend of a man. RIP, Captain 🕊️🙏🏼
Joe Kelly, who guided Palos Verdes and Peninsula to cross-country success in the 1980s and 1990s, has died….
Junior quarterback Josiah Boyd of Vista Del Lago has committed to UCLA….
Outfielder/pitcher Jesse Mendoza of Corona Centennial has committed to Cal Baptist….
From the archives: Bryce Young
Quarterback Bryce Young in 2019 when he was selected the Gatorade state player of the year at Mater Dei.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Quarterback Bryce Young has gone from Mater Dei to Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama to No. 1 pick of the Carolina Panthers to star quarterback for the Panthers.
From the Star-Telegram, a story on Texas approving the 35-second clock for high school basketball.
From Elevenwarriors, a story on former Mission Viejo quarterback Luke Fahey set to star for Ohio State.
From Chron.com, a story in Texas about coaches getting stipends cut if they don’t get a commercial driver’s license to help with lack of bus drivers.
From NFHS.org, a story about high schools needing emergency action plans and AEDs for sports competitions.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on the “Marina Brewers” playing in the World Series.
Tweets you might have missed
@latsondheimer In high school? Dad gets the nod, but not by much. Maurice Jones-Drew had wind-legal bests of 10.80 for the 100 and 22.21 for the 200 at De La Salle while Deuce has wind-legal bests of 10.81 and 22.30!
Whomever on the Cleveland Browns decided to draft Mason Graham (Servite, Michigan) and Carson Schwesinger (Oaks Christian, UCLA) in the same year deserves a statue. The Browns are in first place.
It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing away of Harrison Schaen. Former Mater Dei HS/Santa Ana CA star & Princeton University forward had suffered a severe stroke over a year ago & was finally overcome by failing organs. I had the luxury of coaching Harrison on my Belmont Shore club team when he was in HS & he was a very talented person on and off the court. Started for Mater Dei in MD’s ESPN2 televised game vs St. Vincent/St. Mary HS/Akron OH & @KingJames at my 2003 Pangos Dream Classic at UCLA Pauley Pavilion. Godson of the late Hugh Hefner was beloved by everyone he came into contact with. I feel fortunate to have visited him recently at his convalescent home in San Diego. I will miss him dearly. I love you Harrison. May your memory be eternal
“Trent’s a winning player. All you’ve got to do is to look at his Harvard-Westlake career. He impacts winning. He doesn’t play for stats. He’s really adjusting well to being a team leader.”
Coach Cronin, speaking about junior Trent Perry on Tuesday https://t.co/i1wgV7N2ah
In this week’s episode of ‘Friday Night Live,’ @latsondheimer + @RandyRosenbloom talk to Palos Verdes twins Weston and Christian Reis about the season and get their take on the rise of UCLA football since they come from a family of Bruin athletes. https://t.co/nZB6UHL3fd
Congratulations to this week’s Feel Good Friday, Trevor King! 💫 A powerful reminder that teamwork, dedication, and support make every moment on the field meaningful! https://t.co/jbQmkpGmXI
Campbell Hall CA’s Sofia Joh overcomes the 🌧️ midway through the Girls D3 3/4/5 individual sweepstakes at #MtSACXC to take home the big win Friday afternoon!
Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.
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England duo Zoe Harrison and Megan Jones are among four nominees for World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year award.
They are nominated alongside Canada’s DaLeaka Menin and New Zealand’s Kaipo Olsen-Baker for the award, which recognises exceptional performances during the 2026 season.
Fly-half Harrison, 28, scored 88 points from the tee for England this year while Red Roses captain Jones, 30, is nominated for a second year in a row – missing out to Canada’s Sophie de Goede in 2025.
The World Cup-winning pair played important roles in England claiming their eighth successive Women’s Six Nations title in May, part of a 41-match unbeaten run ended by back-to-back defeats by Canada this month.
The winner will be announced following this weekend’s final WXV Global Series matches, with England facing the United States on Friday (21:15 GMT).
Elsewhere, England’s Abi Burton has been shortlisted for Women’s 15s Try of the Year for her try against Australia in the WXV Global Series in September.
Real won their fifth straight game across all competitions and are finding their footing under veteran Jose Mourinho.
A Kylian Mbappe double, three vital points and bragging rights.
Sunday night could not get any better for Real Madrid fans.
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When the action kicked off under the lights at Camp Nou for the Clasico, Jose Mourinho’s side were far from the favourites. But after 90 minutes of drama and fiery football, Real had the last laugh, beating rivals Barcelona 2-1 in a tantalising match.
The victory has renewed belief among the Bernabeu faithful, who are counting on Mourinho to lead them back to glory days.
Here are the key takeaways from Real’s El Clasico win against Barcelona:
Real earn bragging rights and snap Barca’s perfect record
Mbappe’s brace – which took his tally to 14 goals this season – was enough to silence the tens of thousands of Barcelona supporters at Camp Nou.
With that, Los Blancos became the first side to beat Barcelona in the league this season, ending the Catalan club’s nine-game winning streak in the top flight. Had Barcelona won, they would have broken Real’s 1968-69 record for a best-ever start in the Spanish top flight.
It also marked a second straight defeat for Hansi Flick’s side, coming only days after they fell to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
As for Real, victory brought home bragging rights. Real now lead the head-to-head record with 107 wins to Barca’s 106 in their all-time Clasico record.
Dean Huijsen gives a thumbs-up after Real Madrid’s s El Clasico win over Barcelona [Alex Caparros/Getty Images]
Mbappe hits a century of Real goals
A day before the world tunes in to watch the Ballon d’Or ceremony for the best player of the 2025-26 season, Mbappe achieved another milestone.
The French forward’s brace brought up his 100th goal for Real across all competitions since joining in 2024 from PSG.
The 27-year-old, the second-best La Liga scorer this season, is building on a remarkable performance last campaign, which saw him finish as La Liga and the Champions League’s top scorer, the World Cup Golden Boot winner and the all-time leading World Cup scorer.
Real Madrid players celebrate Mbappe’s second goal [Josep Lago/AFP]
Real are slowly closing the gap on Barcelona
Defeats to Real Betis and Atletico Madrid last month shook Real’s top-flight campaign, but recent results reflect stability.
Real have now won five matches in a row – three in La Liga and two in the UCL – and seem to be coming into strong form.
Even though Sunday’s victory was just a second in eight games against Barcelona, Real are slowly reducing the gap on Barca this season, with just over a quarter of the season played.
After 10 matches, they are third in the league standings on 24 points, three points behind Barcelona, while Atletico are sandwiched in between, sitting second with 25 points.
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe are two of their star players [Ana Beltran/Reuters]
Can Mourinho bring Real back to glory days?
The improvement in form suggests Mourinho’s Real can challenge Barcelona’s recent La Liga dominance in his first season back in Spain.
After two seasons without trophies, Real turned to old boss Mourinho to find a way to stop Barca’s dominance.
Although Mourinho has not won a league title since guiding Chelsea to the Premier League crown in 2014-15, his record as one of football’s most decorated managers remains formidable.
Thirteen years after his first spell at Real ended, Mourinho’s return to the Clasico offered a chance to make an immediate statement, and victory over Barcelona made it all the sweeter.
The result should also help to boost morale and build unity within the Real squad. More importantly, Mourinho now has evidence that his methods can help return Real to the summit of Spanish football.
“If we win today but lose at El Sardinero, it counts for nothing, because Madrid isn’t playing to win at the Camp Nou,” Mourinho said. “They’re playing to win the championship.”
Mourinho has made his intentions clear.
After celebrating Sunday’s Clasico win with his trademark knee slide, the 63-year-old manager knows his job is far from over.
Having led Real to three trophies during his first spell, including a record-breaking La Liga triumph, Mourinho knows best what Real are capable of achieving.
Jose Mourinho guided Real to three trophies during his first spell [Angel Martinez/UEFA via Getty Images]
Pakistan had all but lost hope of winning their One-Day International (ODI) cricket match against England when all-rounder Shadab Khan walked onto the pitch to bat and stormed off it with an unlikely come-from-behind win in the bag, in front of a raucous home crowd in Lahore.
The hosts were reduced to 154-9 in the chase of 242 on Sunday, and England were in sight of their first win of the tri-nation series when Shadab and fast bowler Haris Rauf came together for the last-wicket partnership.
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From there on, Shadab put on a run-chase masterclass, hitting an unbeaten century to give Pakistan a one-wicket victory and book a spot in the series final.
The 28-year-old launched a surprise counterattack on England, ending up with 113 not out off 96 balls alongside Rauf (7 not out off 19). Shadab and Rauf’s partnership was the highest last-wicket stand in a successful run chase in ODI history.
Earlier in England’s innings, Ben Duckett was the lone batting saviour, scoring 105 off 111 for his fifth ODI century. Once Arafat Minhas dismissed him, England looked hopeless as Shaheen Afridi’s impressive bowling cleaned up their batting lineup.
He took his fourth wicket (4-46) to remove Henry Crocombe. England’s last-wicket pair added 39 to post a below-par total of 241 all out from 46.4 overs.
England then decimated Pakistan’s top order as Jamie Overton (3-43) and Liam Dawson (2-19) removed Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam and Saad Baig cheaply.
The hosts ultimately slumped to 154-9, having been 74-3. By this point, England had all but secured victory as the home crowd began leaving Gaddafi Stadium after the ninth wicket fell.
Shadab stepped up to flip the script and produce the batting performance of a lifetime when he prised victory away from England, particularly after his leg-before-wicket dismissal was overturned on review.
“I dedicate this win to the two most wonderful women in my life: my mother & my wife,” Shadab wrote on social media following the victory.
“Special mention for [Haris Rauf], we win only as a team and he showed that today in the partnership. Thank you to my entire team.”
‘Won it for Pakistan out of nowhere’
The victory went some way towards restoring faith among Pakistani cricket fans, who have endured months of dismal performances at global tournaments, as well as bilateral series.
It was “an innings to remember”, as former Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Hafeez put it, while teammate Imad Wasim praised Shadab for handling the extreme pressure.
“That was a sensational innings by Shadab Khan,” Sri Lanka’s veteran cricketer Angelo Mathews wrote on X. “Won it for Pakistan out of nowhere.”
Barbadian wicketkeeper-batsman Shai Hope called the match “absolute cinema” while former West Indies cricketer Daren Sammy termed it “another thriller”, referring to Sri Lanka’s thrashing of England on Thursday when they recorded the second-highest successful run chase in ODI history.
Praise and memes kept pouring in on social media as one user joked about making a documentary of the game, while others reiterated the need for more trilateral series in ODI format.
Speaking after the match, Pakistan’s captain Afridi said he was pleased with the team’s overall performance, especially the way Shadab and Haris finished the game.
“We thought we had a lot of variation in the team, so that’s why we brought Shadab in,” the fast bowler said.
“We need top-order runs; we’re struggling. I hope in the next few games we’ll bring that energy.
“I think tonight we’ll be celebrating; tomorrow back to normal.”
Pakistan’s Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf celebrate after winning [KM Chaudary/AP Photo]
‘Incredible run chase’
English cricket commentator Nasser Hussain praised Pakistan’s “incredible run chase” as he credited Shadab’s change of intent in the heat of the moment.
“Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf; that partnership, you had to be really switched on and smart how you played it,” Hussain said on Sky Sports.
“The moment they changed intent, the moment Shadab said ‘right we’ve gone one way, it’s gone nowhere, we’re going to play our shots’, there’s a lesson to be learnt,” Hussain said, referring to the previous game when England were put under pressure.
“Brilliant change of intent from Shadab Khan; that game had gone from them. Took one individual backed up by Haris Rauf to bring it back.”
Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf echoed a similar sentiment.
“Superb display of positive intent! Fearless, aggressive and full of belief. Take a bow,” he wrote on X.
Speaking alongside Hussain, retired English cricketer Chris Woakes agreed on Shadab’s spectacular performance: “A hundred not out at number eight is pretty special!”
Maeve Enright of Chaminade is seeing the fruits of her labor. She was a key figure in lobbying Chaminade’s administration to add flag football to the sports program last year.
Her determination, presentation and lobbying made a difference. The issue was finding space to practice. Once that was handled, the team was approved.
Now, in its second season, Chaminade has reached the Southern Section Division 2 quarterfinals after a 20-18 win over Hart. Next up is a Tuesday game against Anaheim Canyon.
Enright has been an important defensive player for the Eagles. She also has a 4.5 grade-point average and plays soccer, club soccer and softball.
Talk about doing the most — and then some — with your high school days.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
But, despite the abominable weather altering the whole complexion of round four, there was no shortage of drama.
In the East Midlands derby on Saturday, Leicester Tigers produced a second-half performance that was as vintage Leicester Tigers as you could possibly get: a brutal set-piece and forward display that shook the old foundations of the Crumbie Stand and would have made the ABC Club proud.
In front of a febrile sell-out crowd, the game was played on the edge – a major scuffle breaking out on the stroke of half-time with England team-mates Henry Pollock and Ollie Chessum in the thick of it.
But tensions will have eased quickly. Thirteen of those involved in the derby met up for dinner in the England camp on Sunday.
“This fixture always has some heat behind it, and we know it means a lot to each other and to the fans,” Leicester and England scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet explained to BBC Radio 5 Live.
“We just try and put all our heart on to the pitch. Sometimes it boils over into a little scuffle, but we will go and have a beer with them now. That’s what rugby is about. You play fierce with each other and then enjoy each other’s company.
“We always end up laughing about it. Being in England camp with them almost makes the fixture mean a bit more, because you always want one over them.”
Northampton are the champions and still the team to beat. However, that’s twice in six months they’ve been handed a lesson by the Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
Saints fans will be comforted by the fact the title is decided in the warm early summer months of May and June, but boss Phil Dowson will still want his side to be as effective in the wet as they are in the dry.
When Mr Kilpatrick returns to his classroom in Doha after mid-term, the scale of the achievement back home may be lost on those around him.
So he admits he may have to get creative when explaining the events of his trip back home.
“Well it’s funny, it’s a Spanish outfit that I’m working for so they haven’t got a clue who Edendork are or what Gaelic football is.
“But they don’t need to know, I’ll tell them that I had a great week.
“It’s my World Cup, every bit of it. I’ll be able to enjoy myself now and then I’ll get back next week, and we’ll just reminisce about what’s happened.”
Neil is the brother of Tyrone star Conn Kilpatrick, so the club’s first senior county title was an extra special.
“It’s definitely special and I was gutted at the last couple of years that I didn’t come home for the championship.
“I was watching it on TV and just to experience this with Conn, and experience this with family, is something that I’ll never forget.”
He adds that living away from home means he only gets six or seven weeks in the summer back in Tyrone, and winning a title with those he grew up with means “it’s probably hard to put into words”.
“To many people this probably means nothing, but to the few that are out here on the field and are part of the Edendork community this is everything.
“We’ll probably never experience a day like this ever again so you just have got to soak it up and enjoy every single bit of it.”
