teammate

Kaylon Miller was on the six yard line in the fourth quarter, blocking on a USC run play when he saw King Miller, his running back and twin brother, blow right past him.

“Run, run, go, go!” he remembers shouting as King bumped it outside and crossed the Nebraska goal line for the go-ahead touchdown that would ultimately be the game winner in the Trojans’ 21-17 Big Ten win last Saturday in Lincoln.

When King turned around in the end zone, it was his brother who was the first to greet him; the two brothers shared a moment as their facemasks clashed into each other. Both walk ons. Both finding opportunities to get on the field as redshirt freshmen — and both making the most of those opportunities.

“You owe me a burger,” King remembers Kaylon telling him.

Kaylon has been happy to see his brother succeed — King Miller was pressed into duty last month due to injuries, and he responded with big games against Michigan and Notre Dame — but he continued to wait for his moment. Then in the first quarter against the Cornhuskers, right guard Alani Noa went down with an injury. Kaylon was standing next to USC offensive line coach Zach Hanson, who turned to him.

“This is your opportunity,” Hanson told him. “Let’s go.”

It was Kaylon’s turn.

“Honestly, just a remarkable story that I’ll be able to tell when I’m older,” he said. “Obviously, everybody wants their opportunity to go and play and you just have to be ready when your number’s called on. It just so happened that mine had to be that night.

“I just knew that when I got that opportunity I was gonna make the most of it.”

And make the most of it he did. Despite taking all of his practice reps that week at center, Miller stepped in at guard and didn’t just hold it together — he elevated the o-line in a low-scoring slugfest against a tough Nebraska defense.

Allowing zero pressures on the night, Miller recorded a pass block grade of 88.2, the third-best in the Big Ten last week and the sixth-best among Power Four guards.

“Played awesome. He really did,” Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said. “He was physical, he pass pro’ed well. He was really physical in his pull game, was really sharp assignment-wise, which — I know I’ve mentioned several times — was all the more impressive because he really hadn’t been able to take a lot of practice reps at guard. Thoroughly impressed.”

While Miller still says he feels more confident snapping the ball due to the more compact nature that comes with playing center, he attributes his success at right guard to being able to rely on his teammates. The o-line, especially at guard, is a symbiotic relationship. So much of it is depending on the tackles and center for help (and vice versa), and Miller was 100% confident in his teammates next to him.

Things could’ve gone south with Miller playing for the first time in an intense road environment at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers, and the 86,529 fans in attendance, were dressed in all black. Black balloons were released by a raucous crowd each time Nebraska scored. But in between series, left tackle Elijah Paige — who made his return from a knee injury he suffered in Week 4 against Michigan State — kept Miller’s mind right.

“Just treat it like practice,” Paige said. “Obviously, that’s a pretty hostile environment. It’s one of the best environments out there. So obviously that can get to you, the noise can get to you, everything can get to you. But I kind of just tell him to focus in and act like this is a Tuesday or Wednesday practice.”

As the Trojans prepare to host Northwestern on a short week, Miller’s trying to think too much about what happened the week before; he knows opportunities can be taken away just as quickly as they’re earned. He likes to lean on a saying he tells his twin brother all the time:

“Never look back upon any situation that you’ve ever been in, just look forward because nothing that you did in the past can be taken back. You can only have your eyes in tunnel vision, forward.”

As for the burger that King still owes him?

“I ain’t get him it yet, but I got to,” King said with a laugh. “I don’t know when it is, he gonna keep asking me about it for sure, but I got him one day.”

Colin Creason’s journey to become the starting quarterback at Los Alamitos High in his senior year has been anything but smooth.

He went to Mater Dei as a freshman. He went to Los Alamitos as a sophomore. He briefly went to Long Beach Poly for two days at the start of his junior year before returning to Los Alamitos, which forced him to sit out all last season.

In his first varsity start on Aug. 15, he guided the Griffins to a 20-12 win over Inglewood. The team has won eight consecutive games under Creason, who has become more comfortable and confident with each game. He has passed for 1,292 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for 239 yards and eight touchdowns.

He grew up knowing and playing with most of his Los Alamitos teammates in youth ball. Somehow, someway, he got through all his starts and stops and concluded, “Of course, the grass isn’t always greener.”

His ability to run and pass and stay cool under pressure has been important for the offense, and he’s adopted the attitude of his teammates.

“We’re not scared of anybody,” he said. “This team is so close.”

His father, Brandon, was an All-CIF basketball player at Oak Park in 1994. Colin played basketball, baseball and flag football since he was 8 with many of his teammates.

Remember when Dorothy was saying in “The Wizard Of Oz”: “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.”?

Creason has come to understand there’s no place like Los Alamitos.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

When Luka Doncic plays in his first exhibition game of the season for the Lakers against the Phoenix Suns Tuesday night, Coach JJ Redick said the plan with his star is pretty simple.

“Give him the ball,” Redick said, laughing.

Redick paused for a second.

“You talking about minutes?” he asked.

Redick said they are “still working through what that looks like” with the Lakers’ staff and Doncic’s team.

“I think very likely it’ll be some form of a ramp-up from tomorrow to whenever the second game is that he plays in,” Redick said. “What that looks like in terms of the total minute, I don’t know.”

But one thing is for certain when Doncic steps on the court with his teammates.

“Yeah, he’ll touch the basketball,” Redick said.

The Lakers then play a back-to-back game Wednesday night in Las Vegas against the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic’s old team, but it’s highly unlikely he plays in that game.

The Lakers finish their preseason against the Sacramento Kings Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, which is when Doncic probably will play, especially since he said last week that he wanted to play in two preseason games.

The Lakers open the regular season Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors at home and that is the main thing Doncic is getting ready for.

He’s done more in practice, giving his teammates a view of what Doncic is like.

“Oh, he’s moving great,” Jarred Vanderbilt said. “Everything that I’ve seen from him, he’s being vocal. He’s leading the charge. He’s being everything we need him to be right now. So, we’re happy to have him out there right now during this week, him getting some good practices and running with us, and just starting to build that momentum towards the regular season.”

Etc.

Redick said Marcus Smart, who has been recovering from an Achilles tendinopathy injury, will play against the Suns. … Redick said Maxi Kleber (quad) participated in the Lakers’ stay-ready game Monday.

LeBron James chuckled at the question he knew was coming as a a smile crossed his face when he was asked about the word “retirement.”

James stammered as he tried to answer the question during his session at the Lakers’ media day on Monday.

He never provided a definitive answer about his future. He’s about to enter his 23rd season in the NBA, which will mean James will have played more seasons in the league than anyone in history. He turns 41 on Dec. 30, but if last season was any indication, James hasn’t slowed down.

When James was asked about his approach to this season, knowing that retirement is near, he seemed unsure how to answer.

“I mean, I don’t know,” he said. “I mean, I’m excited about today, I’m excited about an opportunity to be able to play a game that I love for another season. And whatever the journey, however the journey lays out this year, I’m just super invested, because like you just said, I don’t know when the end is, but I know it’s a lot sooner than later.

“So just being super appreciative of the fact that I could come up here, do another media day and talk to you guys and do all this stuff around here, so just excited about the journey and whatever this year has in store for me.”

James exercised his player option for $52.6 milllion this summer to play with the Laker, the final year of his deal. He did not sign an extension with the Lakers, meaning that James will be a free agent after the 2025-26 season if he does not retire.

James already is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer during the regular season with 42,184 points. He has played the second-most regular-season games in history at 1,562, just 50 behind the leader, Robert Parish.

James averaged 24.4 points,7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists last season

It was clear that he still was on top of his game.

“The things that still pushes me is the fact that the love of the game is still high,” James said. “The love of the process is even higher. So that’s what continues to push me to play this game. I mean, it’s really that simple. Me training and working on my body and trying to get my body as close to 100% as possible every year, it’s something that’s like —- it’s a beautiful thing for me. Just continue to challenge to see how well I can push myself to play the game at a high level, recover at a high level, be able to sleep better, mentally prepare, try to stay sharp throughout the course of a long season. And just the roller coaster of an NBA season, that’s all like, gratifying to me, no matter the good, the bad, the ugly. I love that process. So it’s a bigger. … So much that goes into it, more than just picking up a basketball and shooting at the rim.”

James is teaming up with another superstar in Luka Doncic, who signed a three-year extension for $165-million.

Doncic, 26, is considered one of the top players in the league, giving James a top-notch running partner.

James was asked how much having a player like Doncic beside him will weigh in his decision to retire.

“Nah, nah. As far as how long I go in my career? Nah. Zero,” James said. “The motivation to be able to play alongside him every night, that’s super motivating. That’s what I’m going to train my body for. Every night I go out there and try to be the best player I can for him, and we’re going to bounce that off one another. But as far as me weighing in on him and some other teammates of how far I go in my career, nah. It would be, literally my decision, along with my wife and — two of my boys [Bronny and Bryce] already gone. … So it’ll be a decision between me, my wife [Savannah] and my daughter [Zhuri]. It won’t be, ‘Hey, having a meeting with my teammates.’ It won’t be that.”

James and Austin Reaves have been teammates for four years now, and Reaves has seen no decline in his famous teammate.

Reaves, who declined a four-year, $89.2-million contract offer from the Lakers over the summer, hasn’t talked to James about retirement but doesn’t see it happening any time soon.

“Every time you see him, he’s got a big smile on his face, he’s the biggest kid in the room, has a great time and you got to appreciate that for somebody who has been going at it for so long, 23 years,” Reaves said. “At some point you feel like the joy might not be there. But every time you see him, it reinsures that he’s here for one thing and one thing only and that’s to win. But I don’t know about retirement. He might play for another 10 years.”

James returns to a Lakers team that was 50-32 last season and finished third in the Western Conference. The Lakers then lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Minnnesota Timberwolves.

But the Lakers have retooled, adding center Deandre Ayton, guard Marcus Smart and wing Jake LaRavia.

James has won four NBA championships, and yearns for another.

“I don’t know, just to know how many miles I got as far as this game in my 22 years, now starting 23 years, and to still be able to play at a high level, to still to be able to go out there and can make plays and be respectful on the floor,” James said.

“It’s just super humbling and gratifying for me, personally. I love to play the game, and I love to play at a high level. And for me, age is kind of just a number, but it is reality too, though. I mean, you look at the history of the game, it’s not been many guys at my age, or especially going into Year 23 that’s been able to play at a level like that. And I’ve just tried to not take it for granted and just try to give the game as much as I can, inspire whoever I can: the younger generation, my generation, the generation after me, the generation to come. I think you are of the age what you, I guess, tell your mind you are.”

Ayala High basketball coach Sameer Bhatt, who also teaches AP Government, says of his senior point guard, Joshua Townsell, “He’s the epitome of what you want a student athlete to be.”

On Monday, Townsell and 10 other Southern Section athletes were honored at the 20th Dr. Jim Staunton Champions for Character Awards.

Besides being given a $1,000 scholarship, Townsell received a gift certificate for free Raising Cane’s chicken for a year. That’s what he was most bragging about.

His coach sent out an email to the entire Ayala faculty, saying, “While he may not seek the spotlight, the impact he has made on our basketball program, and the wider Bulldog community, is nothing short of remarkable.”

He has a 4.0 grade-point average and serves as a mentor to many of his teammates. He has volunteered to assist in water development projects in Nigeria and community service in Pomona. He’s also a star point guard who was first-team all-league as a junior.

Teammates will be congratulating him — and asking to accompany him when he goes for a chicken dinner.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

How good is Son Heung-min? On the night LAFC celebrated Carlos Vela’s induction into the team’s ring of honor, Vela asked for Son’s autograph.

And he’s not the only one. Small crowds of fans have begun gathering outside LAFC’s training center at Cal State Los Angeles, some waiting for hours, to request Son’s signature on scraps of paper, photos and plush likenesses of the South Korean star in a Tottenham uniform.

On a recent afternoon, Son stopped his car and obliged every one of them.

Forget, for a moment, what he’s done on the field — which isn’t easy to forget since he’s scored six times and assisted on three other goals in seven games, only one of which LAFC lost.

The transformation Son has brought everywhere else since joining the team seven weeks ago has been breathtaking.

He arrived just as the dog days of summer were becoming ferocious. LAFC had been eliminated from the FIFA Club World Cup and the Leagues Cup, had won just four of its last 12 games in all competition and faced a severely compacted fixture schedule going forward.

Yet by dint of personality alone, Son immediately lightened the mood.

“He brings a smile to work every day,” coach Steve Cherundolo said.

A month later he was even more effusive.

“What I’m most impressed [with] is how Sonny treats people. His fans and his teammates,” Cherundolo said. “He’s an incredible human being. He’s very gracious. He’s patient. And he’s just a fine human being.”

That’s why everyone from teammates to security guards at the team’s training center use superlatives like humble, special, gracious, down to earth — and, yes, nice — when describing Son.

Midfielder Timothy Tillman, who was born in Germany, said Son, who played there for five years, surprised him when he began speaking to him in “very good” German.

“I love that he’s talking German with me. Having someone speak in German on the team feels good,” said Tillman, who quickly added what’s become the rote reaction to Son.

“I really, really like him,” he said. “I like that he’s here.”

LAFC’s Son Heung-Min forms a rectangle with his fingers after scoring against Real Salt Lake on Sept. 17.

(Chris Gardner / Getty Images)

Being kind hardly qualifies one for the Nobel Prize. Nor does being liked and appreciated by your co-workers. In many ways, those things seem like the bare minimum we should expect from one another.

But those traits are, many times, rare among superstar athletes — or celebrities in any field. Vela, an MLS MVP and the league’s single-season scoring champion, was often moody and aloof during his seven years at LAFC. Zlatan Ibrahimovic dominated the score sheet during his two seasons in MLS, yet he wasn’t shy about harshly criticizing teammates, which may be one reason why the Galaxy won fewer than half the games he played in.

Son, on the other hand, lifts everyone around him. Last spring, as he neared his final season in the Premier League with Tottenham, an English journalist — who rated players on charity, personality and sportsmanship — christened Son the nicest player in soccer history. (Speaking of sportsmanship, in 2019 when a dangerous Son challenge fractured the ankle of Everton’s André Gomes, Son broke into tears on the pitch. After apologizing — profusely and repeatedly — to Gomes, Son refused to celebrate two Champions League goals against Red Star Belgrade, choosing instead to look into the TV cameras with his palms pressed together in prayer for Gomes’ recovery.)

Now that Son, 33, is playing in the U.S., MLS is getting its first up-close look at what fans in South Korea, England and Germany have known about the player for years. And Son’s kindness and humanity is proving contagious.

Last week teammate Denis Bouanga, who is in the race for the MLS Golden Boot, declined to shoot at an open net, instead slipping the ball to Son, who scored to complete his first MLS hat trick.

“I could have scored. The goal was open,” Bouanga admitted through a translator. “It was good for him to have the feeling to score a hat trick. We celebrated together.”

On Sunday, Son returned the favor, setting up two of Bouanga’s three goals. Bouanga’s second hat trick in three games gave him 22 goals for the season and tied him with Lionel Messi for the league lead. It also made him the first player in MLS history to score at least 20 times in three successive seasons.

“Sonny is a very good player and a very good pal on the field and outside the field,” Bouanga added. “This connection that we have, this chemistry, it was automatic.”

Transformative too: Bouanga and Son have combined for all 12 goals in their team’s last three games — all wins — becoming the first teammates to score hat tricks in three straight games. The most potent attacking duo in the league has also given LAFC (14-7-8) a firm grip on a home playoff berth and made it a legitimate MLS Cup contender.

Son, predictably, deflected the praise, saying that he appreciated the welcome he’s received.

“What should I say? I never expected, to be honest, that welcome or support,” he said after Sunday’s win. “It seems very crazy. But I love that. I’m a very, very happy guy, lucky guy, having this amazing support behind me. I want to give always something back.

“I just want to say thank you.”

That’s exactly what everyone at LAFC has been saying since Son arrived.

⚽ You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week’s episode of the “Corner of the Galaxy” podcast.

Speaking about the impact the abuse had on her, Carter said: “It makes you feel really small. It makes you feel like you’re not important, that you’re not valuable.

“It makes you second guess everything that you do – it’s not a nice place to be. It doesn’t make me feel confident going back on to the pitch. My family was so devastated by it as well and so sad.”

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said during the tournament that the governing body had referred the “abhorrent” abuse to UK police.

Carter stepped back from social media following the abuse, though she said the support received from the England fans “meant everything”.

The England team decided to stop taking the knee before matches, with manager Sarina Wiegman saying the impact of the anti-racism gesture was “not good enough”.

Carter said the psychological impact of the abuse she suffered made her feel “scared” when Wiegman told her she had been selected to play in the final.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever been scared – too scared to play,” she added.

“I think it was a mixture of such a big game, but then on top of that [I was] scared of whatever abuse might come with it, whether it’s football based or whether it was going to be the racial abuse that was going to come with it because I did something wrong.”

CHELSEA boss Enzo Maresca loves to celebrate with a cigar – but more than anything he wishes he could have a smoke with a team-mate who died in horrific circumstances.

Maresca has enjoyed plenty of recent success, guiding the Blues to glory in the Conference League and Club World Cup.

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After the latter, the Blues boss enjoyed one of his favourite Portagas 2 cigars, the brand he used to smoke with Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola when they were marking City’s success.

But when Maresca was asked to name the football personality he would most like to one of his favourite Portagas No 2 cigars with, the Italian gave a poignant answer – Antonio Puerta, who died aged 22 after suffering a cardiac arrest on the field.

Maresca told Men in Blazers: “That’s a very good question. I will tell you, when I was 25, 26, I lost a team-mate inside the pitch. So if I could, I would like a cigar with him.”

Midfielder Maresca had four seasons at Sevilla but his third campaign started in tragic fashion.

The Italian was on the field when, just 35 minutes into the opening game of the 2007/8 season – at home against Getafe – Puerta suffered a cardiac arrest.

After the wing-back collapsed and lost consciousness in the penalty area, team-mates and medical staff rushed to his aid.

Puerta recovered enough to walk to the dressing room but collapsed again there.

He was resuscitated and rushed to hospital, where he had to receive more life-saving resuscitation.

But Puerta died three days later, on August 28, because of multiple organ failure and irreversible brain damage.

It emerged that he had an incurable hereditary heart disease called arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.

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Puerta’s death shocked Spanish football and the wider world.

His girlfriend was expecting their first child at the time of his death.

When Puerta passed away, Maresca and the rest of the Seville squad were already in Greece for a Champions League qualifier against AEK Athens.

Maresca, who played for Greek side Olympiakos later in his career, spoke about the tragedy when Chelsea went to Athens in October 2024 for a Conference League game against Panathinaikos.

Maresca said: “In terms of the season I spent here in Greece, for me it was very good with Olympiakos, a big rival with Panathinaikos. But unfortunately I lost a friend on the pitch when I was at Seville.

“The first game we played after that, we were already in Athens and just on that day, one of our team-mates passed away in Antonio Puerta.

“So it is a mixed feeling. The season in Athens was fantastic. But every time I come back here I am a little bit sad.”

The Champions League game against AEK, which had been scheduled for the evening of the day Puerta died, was postponed.

When Sevilla faced AC Milan in the Uefa Super Cup on August 31, all 22 players had the name Puerta on the back of their shirts.

Sergio Ramos, who had come through the Sevilla academy and into the first team with Puerta, wore T-shirts in memory of Puerta after Spain’s triumphs at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.

Jesus Navas, who was on the field on the day Puerta collapse, made the same gesture after the 2010 World Cup final.

In 2010, Sevilla unveiled a statue of Puerta at their training ground.

Watch the full Men in Blazers interview with Enzo Maresca here.

FILIP JORGENSON pranked Chelsea team-mate Trevoh Chalobah after beating Bayer Leverkusen.

The Blues earned a 2-0 victory over the German outfit to win the VisitMalta Weekender Cup.

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Estevao netted his first goal in Chelsea colours before Joao Pedro wrapped up the result late on.

Enzo Maresca‘s player did lift the trophy in a ceremony after the game but were not overly enthused in their celebrations.

The players took turns lifting the pre-season trophy until Malo Gusto handed it to Chalobah.

The defender gave the cup a half-hearted lift before Jorgenson decided to prank him.

The goalkeeper gestured that he wanted his go with the silverware and Chalobah went to give it to him.

However, the Dane was not being serious and instead walked away, leaving Chalobah hanging.

The defender was then left with the trophy and was unable to offload it to the likes of Liam Delap and Cole Palmer.

He eventually got shot of the cup as wonderkid Estavao took it off his hands and lifted it to the crowd with a big smile on his face.

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Palmer was next to him when he lifted the cup and enjoyed watching the young brazilian enjoy the moment.

Meanwhile, after the match manager Maresca hinted that the Blues are not finished in the transfer market.

The Blues have been heavily tipped to sign Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho.

The club could also dip into the market for a new centre back following the ACL injury to Levi Colwill.

Maresca said: “It’s a priority for me to get a new centre back.

“We will see if we go for it.

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“Levi is a fantastic player. What we achieved last season is because of him.

“He played a lot of games with me, I love him. We are going to miss him.

“We are trying also to find different solutions.”

The club could also see Nicolas Jackson leave before the window shuts.

The striker is training alone and was left out of the squad for the match against Leverkusen.

He has been linked with moves to both Newcastle and Bayern Munich.

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Rashawn Slater, the Chargers’ star left tackle who became the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history last month, sustained a torn patellar tendon in practice and will undergo season-ending surgery, the team announced Thursday.

Slater went down in team drills after going up against edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu. As Slater planted his left foot, he collapsed to the ground and immediately grabbed his leg.

A quiet hush fell over the Chargers’ facility while Slater stayed down for several minutes before trainers and teammates helped him onto a cart. Slater appeared visibly distraught — throwing his helmet, slamming his hand on the cart and burying his face in his hands. Several teammates walked over to console him before he left the field.

Two trainers supported him as he entered the team facility. He was unable to put any weight on his left leg.

“I didn’t really see anything — I kind of just turned around and boom,” Tuipulotu said of the play. “We’re praying for him.”

The injury is a significant setback for a Chargers team that was hoping to have Slater anchor an offensive line that was hampered by injuries and struggled, at times, to create opportunities for the running game last season. The injury comes as the Chargers are already dealing with depth concerns along the line, with Mekhi Becton being sidelined since July 28 because of an undisclosed injury.

Slater played a valuable role in helping the Chargers set a franchise record for the fewest offensive turnovers (eight) in a season. He also finished 2024 with the second-best overall grade and the third-best pass-blocking grade at offensive tackle, per Pro Football Focus.

Joe Alt slid over to left tackle for the remainder of practice Thursday. Trey Pipkins III subbed in at right tackle — where he started in 2022 and 2023 — before spending most of last season at right guard, starting 15 games. With Slater out, Alt likely will be Justin Herbert’s blindside protector this season.

Slater signed a four-year, $113-million contract extension on July 27 that included $92 million guaranteed. The guaranteed amount is the most ever for an NFL offensive lineman.

Allen happy to be back

Keenan Allen always envisioned a return to the Chargers. Once his brief stint with the Chicago Bears ended, he saw himself coming back to the franchise that drafted him.

“It was close to home and family,” Allen said. “This is what I’m used to. The organization, the people around the building — it just feels like home.”

Thursday marked Allen’s first day back in powder blue and gold — a welcome sight for fans who watched his climb over 11 seasons.

On his first snap of full-team drills, Allen hauled in a strike over the middle from Justin Herbert, reigniting a familiar connection that lasted four seasons.

The two began rebuilding their chemistry last Friday, when Herbert threw to Allen during a private workout. Allen said they stayed in touch throughout the process leading up to his return.

Allen said he missed being on the receiving end of Herbert’s throws and is “just happy to be back.”

“This is where I’m supposed to be,” Allen said.

He is the veteran leader of a receiving room that looks much different than the one he left, with Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis the only holdovers from two seasons ago.

“[It’s] much better than what I’m used to seeing in a training camp this early,” Allen said of his first impressions. “The technique, the way they’re getting downfield, the way they’re pressing coverages — I think it looks great.”

Allen shared how impressed he’s been with Ladd McConkey, who broke his franchise rookie receiving records, joking, “He had a few more games.”

“You’ve got two guys who love to play football and compete,” said Allen, on sharing the field with McConkey. “You can put us anywhere. … And obviously, he showed that last year.”

Throughout the offseason, Allen felt teams “downplayed” his value. Entering his 13th season, he’s out to prove he can still perform at a high level at 33.

“Still got a little hunger, little chip on my shoulder and still want to go out there and play ball,” Allen said.

USC star freshman Alijah Arenas will miss at least the next six to eight months after sustaining a serious knee injury that will require surgery, leaving his future with the Trojans in question.

An MRI this week found a slight meniscus tear, as well as a bone bruise, according to a person familiar with the situation not authorized to discuss it publicly, dealing a critical blow to both USC and a player it hoped could become a superstar in short order.

“Alijah is a tremendous worker, teammate, competitor and person,” USC coach Eric Musselman said in a statement. “He is understandably disappointed that he will not be able to take the court to start the season, but his health is our No. 1 priority.”

The injury comes just two weeks after Arenas was cleared to practice with USC, and three months after he survived a carwreck in his Tesla Cybertruck. Now it’s unclear how much he’ll play for USC — if at all.

At best, Arenas may be cleared to return late in his freshman season. But considering his status as a top draft prospect, there could be more to consider surrounding his return to action.

The five-star freshman was expected to step in and play a major role in his first year with the Trojans, despite being a full year younger than most freshmen in the same position. Arenas graduated a year early from Chatsworth High in order to reclassify into the 2025 class and join USC.

“We have no doubt that he will come back even stronger,” Musselman said.

CHICAGO — Bobby Jenks, a two-time All-Star closer and World Series champion with the Chicago White Sox, has died, the team announced Saturday. He was 44.

The White Sox said Jenks died Friday in Sintra, Portugal, where he was being treated for adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer.

Jenks helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series, saving four games in six appearances during the postseason. He was an All-Star in each of the next two seasons while saving 41 games in 2006 and 40 in 2007.

He retired 41 consecutive batters in 2007, matching a record for a reliever.

“He was embarrassing guys, good hitters, right away,” former White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko said in a video tribute.

Jenks saved 173 games for the White Sox from 2005 to 2010 before finishing his career with 19 appearances in 2011 for the Boston Red Sox. For his career, he was 16-20 with a 3.53 ERA and 351 strikeouts in 348 appearances, all in relief.

“He and his family knew cancer would be his toughest battle, and he will be missed as a husband, father, friend and teammate,” White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “He will forever hold a special place in all our hearts.”

Jenks began his career with the Angels, who drafted the hard-throwing right-hander in the fifth round of the 2000 amateur draft. He was eventually placed on assignment and picked up by the White Sox.

He is survived by his wife, Eleni Tzitzivacos, their two children, Zeno and Kate, and his four children from a previous marriage, Cuma, Nolan, Rylan and Jackson.

“As a teammate,” said former White Sox outfielder Aaron Rowand, “he was the best.”

This season Piastri is in another league compared to his team-mate. The incident in Canada was a direct result of Lando making yet another mistake. McLaren need to prioritise Oscar for the rest of the season, surely? – Anon

To describe Piastri as “in another league” from Norris this year is a bit of a stretch, to say the least.

There’s no doubt Piastri has had a better season than Norris so far, and been the more convincing of the two McLaren drivers. Hence his advantage in the championship and in their head-to-head stats in both races and qualifying.

But in terms of outright performance, there is little between the two, and they are more or less swapping the position of the faster McLaren driver each weekend.

The key this year so far is that Piastri is delivering his best on a more consistent basis than Norris. The Australian is beating Norris, not only on the weekends when he is quicker, but also on some of the weekends when the Briton looks like he probably is, because of the errors he is making.

Canada was a case in point. Had Norris strung his qualifying together, he would probably have been ahead of Piastri on the grid, in which case he would likely have finished ahead of him as well.

The same could have been said of Saudi Arabia and Miami. In Jeddah, Norris crashed in qualifying, trying too hard. In Miami, he qualified ahead but tangled with Verstappen on the first lap, allowing Piastri past.

There is no doubting Norris’ speed, but it’s also undeniable that he is making too many mistakes this season. He knows it; the team know it. And they’re trying to help him with it.

Of course, the question is, why is this happening? Is he feeling the pressure from Piastri? Of being in the best car and this being his best chance of a world title so far in his career? A combination of both, and perhaps other factors as well?

Whatever it is, he certainly needs to get out of the headspace he is in and find a way to get into a place where things flow more naturally for him. Where, essentially, he is not over-striving.

As for the question of prioritising Piastri, that goes back to the first answer. Other than in specific circumstances, that’s not how McLaren go racing, and it’s hard to see a strong argument for it at the moment.

The McLaren is not the fastest car every weekend. But it is consistently the fastest car so far this year.

Their drivers are one and two in the championship, and relatively comfortably so. What would be the argument for them to prioritise Piastri in those circumstances?

No one in the Chargers’ locker room felt as bad as Justin Herbert. At least that’s what the quarterback said after a career-high four interceptions in January cost the Chargers an opportunity for their first playoff win since 2018.

But the disappointment that rendered Herbert motionless on the sideline in Houston had faded in his memory, he said. Offseasons tend to have that rejuvenating effect.

“If I spend any more time worrying or focusing on a loss like that, I would be doing a disservice to my teammates,” Herbert said Wednesday on the second day of Chargers minicamp. “Obviously it didn’t go the way we wanted it to, like I said at the end of the year, but you gotta move on.”

Despite the crushing wild-card loss that prolonged the Chargers’ seven-year playoff win drought, Herbert maintained that his offseason has been business as usual.

Meeting with local reporters for the first time in five months, Herbert recited the typical offseason lines with a stone-faced expression. His new teammates are picking up the offense quickly. He wants to continue mastering the scheme in his second season under the coaching staff.

Herbert instead makes stronger statements on the practice field and in the weight room, where his determined nature has earned him a spot in coach Jim Harbaugh’s “Elite Nine” club of the team’s hardest workers.

“I know it motivates me every day to get up out of bed, like I gotta rise up to his level,” Harbaugh said. “He’s doing anything and everything he can possibly do. Now it’s up to the rest of us.”

During the offseason, the Chargers focused on adding weapons around Herbert to elevate a sputtering offense that ranked 20th in the NFL in yards per game.

Even without pads, the athleticism and instincts of running back Najee Harris and rookie Omarion Hampton have impressed Herbert. Rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden is showing his receiving capabilities as Syracuse’s all-time leader for receptions and receiving yards by a tight end when he had the most catches of any player during team drills Wednesday. Gadsden, a converted wide receiver, will team with free-agent acquisition Tyler Conklin, who has had at least 50 catches in each of the last four seasons, to boost the tight end position.

The biggest offseason move was the addition of a familiar name. Mike Williams, after one year away from the franchise that drafted him in 2017, returned on a one-year contract to reunite with Herbert. The 6-foot-4 receiver, who has been working primarily with trainers during minicamp practices, “changes the way you play football when he’s on your team,” Herbert said.

“50-50 balls are not quite 50-50 as we’ve seen with Mike,” the quarterback added.

The receivers could use the boost. Ladd McConkey was the group’s only consistent force last year. The former second-round pick dominated against Houston with an NFL rookie playoff-record 197 yards receiving, nine catches and one touchdown. The rest of his teammates combined for five receptions and 45 yards. Still without a playoff win in two appearances entering his sixth NFL season, Herbert completed a career-low 43.7% of his passes and was sacked four times.

Chargers rookie running back Omarion Hampton warms up with teammates during a workout last week.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Getting Williams and rookie receivers Tre’ Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who were selected in the second and fifth rounds, respectively, on the field could open up a more aggressive deep passing game, offensive coordinator Greg Roman said.

The stacked room also could put more pressure on Quentin Johnston to live up to the billing of a former first-round pick. The receiver entering his third year is “owning the system now,” said Roman, who predicted another major step for Johnston this season.

The former Texas Christian star shook off a disappointing rookie season with 711 yards receiving and eight touchdowns on 55 catches last year. He torched the Las Vegas Raiders in a playoff seed-clinching Week 18 win for 13 receptions and 186 yards receiving. Even Johnston estimated that it was the best game he’d ever had at any level of football.

Yet he followed with a major disappointment in the biggest moment with no catches on five targets in the wild-card loss. Johnston went without a catch in two games last season, both coming in marquee matchups. He was also shut out against the Baltimore Ravens in a “Monday Night Football” showcase in which he also dropped a crucial third-down pass. To pile on, fellow receiver Zay Flowers, who the Ravens picked one spot behind Johnston in the 2022 draft, led Baltimore with 62 yards receiving on five catches.

Learning a second offense in as many years in the NFL, Johnston had to play “a game of catchup last season,” Roman said. But with consistent practices in organized team activities and minicamp, the coach said Johnston is “starting to come out of the other end of the tunnel.”

“Justin, he’s throwing to him a lot,” Roman said, “and Q’s answering the call.”

Seth Hernandez, the senior pitching standout at Corona High, has been chosen the national baseball player of the year by Gatorade.

Hernandez learned of the prestigious honor during a surprise presentation at Corona on Thursday. He was named state player of the year on Tuesday.

“Super surprised,” he said after a presentation in which he was told by coach Andy Wise that he’d be taking a team photo and instead found former major leaguer Dexter Fowler greeting him with the player of the year trophy while family, friends and teammates were cheering him on.

The Gatorade national baseball player of the year award that was presented to Corona pitcher Seth Hernandez.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Hernandez joined Corona last season after two years of being home schooled. He has developed into the top high school pitching prospect available in next month’s MLB amateur draft.

“At the end of the day, I have brothers for life and I’ll never forget the memories I spent with them,” he said of his high school days.

He went 9-1 this season with an 0.39 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings with only seven walks.

Puka Nacua is using organized team activities to hone his craft and prepare for his third NFL season.

But the Rams’ star receiver also recently took time to help others prepare to avoid potential health challenges.

Nacua last week returned from a trip to Samoa, where he and his mother joined medical professionals from Utah Valley University to provide testing, clinics and education about diabetes.

Nacua said his father, who died when Nacua was a youngster, experienced complications from the disease.

So the opportunity to travel with his mother to his maternal grandmother’s village was “kind of a full-circle moment” for his family, Nacua said Tuesday.

“To be able to go and improve the situation in the homeland was something sweet,” Nacua said after the team went through a workout.

Nacua, who missed the Rams’ first on-field workout because of the trip, appeared to be at full strength Tuesday, with no evidence of the knee injury he fought through last season.

Nacua is part of a remade Rams receiver corps that is expected to elevate the offense for a team regarded as a Super Bowl contender.

The Rams released veteran Cooper Kupp, who signed with the Seattle Seahawks, and replaced him with three-time All-Pro Davante Adams. They also re-signed Tutu Atwell to a one-year, $10-million contract. Second-year pro Jordan Whittington and rookie Konata Mumpfield also are competing for roles.

“It definitely is a little bit different,” Nacua said of Kupp’s absence from the receivers’ meeting room. “The spot he used to sit in, I think, it’s definitely occupied by somebody now, so everybody’s getting used to it.”

But Nacua said Adams, who was absent Tuesday, has come in and provided leadership.

“Somebody who’s played at a super high level his whole career — and the knowledge he has is something different from what we’re used to, having Coop in the system a long time,” Nacua said. “It’s been great to have him around and I feel like I’m learning something new every day.”

Nacua, 24, proved a quick study after the Rams selected him in the fifth round of the 2023 draft out of Brigham Young.

With Kupp sidelined at the start of the season because of injury, Nacua became quarterback Matthew Stafford’s primary target. Nacua enjoyed a record-setting season, catching 105 passes for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns. He was a finalist for the NFL offensive rookie of the year.

During training camp before last season, Nacua suffered a knee injury during a joint workout with the Chargers. He then aggravated the issue in the opener against the Detroit Lions, and was sidelined for five games. He still caught 79 passes for 990 yards and three touchdowns for a Rams team that finished with a 10-7 record and advanced to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs before losing to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said Nacua was “continuing to work on his craft,” during organized team activities.

“He’s naturally just a leader,” LaFleur said. “Just the way he goes about it.”

In a few weeks, Nacua will play a prominent role for the Rams when they travel to Maui for a minicamp that will conclude voluntary offseason workouts. Nacua, who also is of Hawaiian descent, is expected to be warmly embraced by the locals during some activities that will be open to the public.

“I’m excited,” he said. “I can’t wait for everybody to come out there and have some shaved ice. I’m sure they’ll be waiting for us.”

Etc.

The Rams have four coaches working with them during organized team activities as part of the NFL’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching fellowship program. The coaches are Taylor Embree (tight ends), Chris Marve (defensive backs), Va’a Niumatalolo (outside linebackers) and Greg Stewart (offensive line).

For senior catcher Matthew Gonzalez of Banning, Saturday’s City Section Division I championship baseball game at Dodger Stadium ended in tears after a 3-1 defeat to Carson.

Few were more impressive on the field than Gonzalez, who hardly passes the eyeball test at 5-foot-6 and 130 pounds. Thank goodness players in high school usually earn spots by their ability and performance and not by physical measurements.

He threw out two runners trying to steal second with throws that looked like they came out of a bazooka. Twice in the seventh inning he made plays at the plate, tagging runners with great expertise. The umpire ruled one runner safe (he looked out) and another runner out. Each time, Gonzalez moved on whether he agreed with the call or not.

Afterward, Gonzalez received hugs from teammates and coaches trying to console him. He said he believed the runner sliding the first time was out but accepted the decision. You can see how much people appreciate his presence and character.

Just like on the TV program “The Voice,” ignore your eyes and what you see from physical dimensions. Just watch his arm strength and ability to block pitches and make plays at the plate. He was a catcher extraordinaire on a major league field. Nobody can take that away and perhaps someone will recognize he might help them in the future.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].