st. john bosco

William Hudson, a 14-year-old freshman golfer, shot 71 on Monday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the Servite Invitational.

“It was very important to me and my school,” Hudson said.

Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.

Hudson is a straight-A student who picked up his first golf club when he was 3. He has a daily routine involving practicing at 6 a.m. before heading to school. He’s also enrolled in a school entrepreneur program that involves taking classes at a junior college that will qualify for college credits.

“They are long days, but I get through it,” Hudson said.

He comes from a family that enjoys golf. His great-grandfather played until his death at 98 last year.

“I love how it can take me to interesting places and meet interesting people,” Hudson said. “I can play for the rest of my life. It’s a lifelong sport.”

It’s looking like another strong year for golfers in Southern California, with several individual champions returning, including Jaden Soong of St. Francis and Grant Leary of Crespi.

Now Hudson has thrust himself into the conversation.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Preseason All-Star baseball team for the Southland.

PITCHER: Striker Pence, Corona Santiago, So.; Throws legitimate 101-mph fastballs for strikes.

PITCHER: Jared Grindlinger, Huntington Beach, Jr.; Whether pitching or hitting, Grindlinger stands at the top of 2027 class.

St. John Bosco pitcher Jack Champlin closed games for the Braves last season and was unstoppable in the postseason.

(Nick Koza)

UTILITY: Jack Champlin, St. John Bosco, Sr.; UC Irvine commit was phenomenal during playoffs last season as a closer.

CATCHER: Carson Scheffer, Oaks Christian, Sr.; Oklahoma State commit has electric arm and power at the plate.

Santa Margarita shortstop Brody Schumaker (left) and his father, Skip, the manager of the Texas Rangers.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

INFIELDER: Brody Schumaker, Santa Margarita, Sr.; TCU commit has speed, instincts and can bunt with the best.

INFIELDER: Dylan Seward, Norco, Jr.; Tennessee commit can hit and field with work ethic that is off the charts.

INFIELDER: Trey Ebel, Corona, Sr.; Texas A&M commit gets to move from second base to shortstop to show off his arm.

INFIELDER: James Clark, St. John Bosco, Sr.; Showed off his impressive skills for USA 18U national team.

INFIELDER: James Tronstein, Harvard-Westlake, Sr.; Vanderbilt commit moves to shortstop and hit above .500 in winter ball.

Corona’s Anthony Murphy is fired up.

(Nick Koza)

OUTFIELDER: Blake Bowen, JSerra, Sr.; Oregon State commit might be best pro prospect in Southern California.

OUTFIELDER: Jordan Ayala, Norco, So.; Throws fastballs in the 90s and also hits bombs.

OUTFIELDER: Anthony Murphy, Corona, Sr.; LSU commit is center fielder who chases down flyballs, hits home runs and can run.

La Mirada finally got its breakthrough win in the Southern Section Open Division basketball playoffs on Friday night, going on the road to defeat St. John Bosco 56-53.

The Matadores (23-7) wanted to be in the Open Division playoffs last season and went 1-3, failing to make the state playoffs. They lost to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on Wednesday, in a pool-play opener, ending their 14-game winning streak, then came back to inflict a rare home defeat on St. John Bosco in a pool play game. St. John Bosco had a chance to tie the score at the end but a three-point attempt failed.

Jordyn Houston led La Mirada with 22 points. St. John Bosco faces Notre Dame on Tuesday. La Mirada is in good position to claim second place in the pool and advance to the quarterfinals.

Harvard-Westlake 67, Damien 62: Joe Sterling finished with 22 points to help the Wolverines get back into the win column in an Open Division pool play game.

Corona Centennial 74, Etiwanda 48: The Huskies rolled to a win in their Open Division opener.

Crespi 82, Corona del Mar 70: The Celts faced a large, enthusiastic road crowd and won their first Open Division game. Isaiah Barnes scored 24 points and Jasiah Williams 23. Maxwell Scott scored 35 points for Corona del Mar.

JSerra 75, Loyola 46: Jaden Bailes scored 22 points in the Division 1 playoff victory.

Mater Dei 85, Westlake 59: It was another dominating win for the Monarchs in Division 2.

Rolling Hills Prep 63, Orange Lutheran 52: Josahn Webster, the son of King/Drew coach Lloyd Webster, contributed 23 points for Rolling Hills Prep.

Shalhevet 42, Palm Springs 41: Sam Jacobsen had the game-winning basket for Shalhevet in a Division 4-A game.

Venice 58, Sun Valley Poly 40: The Gondoliers advanced in the City Section Division I playoffs.

Southern California will be well represented on the West team for the McDonald’s All-American Game on March 31 in Glendale, Ariz.

Selected to the boys team are Jason Crowe Jr. from Inglewood, Christian Collins from St. John Bosco, Brandon McCoy and Maximo Adams from Sierra Canyon. Former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame player Tyran Stokes also made the team.

Crowe is committed to Missouri and Adams to North Carolina.

Jerzy Robinson from Sierra Canyon and Cydnee Bryant from Corona Centennial made the girls team.

Robinson is committed to South Carolina and Bryant is a Kansas commit.