teams

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. High school basketball season is a week away from beginning, so let’s start discussing top players and top teams.

Mission League talent surge

Brandon McCoy has left St. John Bosco for Sierra Canyon.

(Greg Stein)

The Mission League has continued to have a surge in basketball talent through transfers and development of young players. Harvard-Westlake won consecutive state titles until Eastvale Roosevelt broke through last season and has won seven straight league championships.

Sierra Canyon will start out as No. 1 in the state in many rankings and polls with an influx of transfers, including St. John Bosco’s Brandon McCoy and JSerra’s Brannon Martinsen to team up with Maximo Adams, who previously played at Narbonne and Gardena Serra before starring for the Trailblazers last season.

Here’s a look at the talent and top teams in the Mission League.

The Trinity League is not far behind, led by Santa Margarita, which returns four starters and has Georgia Tech commit Kaiden Bailey, Washington State commit Brayden Kyman and Oregon State commit Drew Anderson. Mater Dei has Kansas commit Luke Barnett. St. John Bosco has one of the nation’s top seniors in 6-foot-9 Christian Collins. The Braves also have one of the nation’s top lacrosse players who’s also 6-7, Dominic Perfetti.

Missouri commit Jason Crowe Jr. is back to lead Inglewood. Crossroads has added two sensational sophomore transfers in Evan Willis from Mater Dei and Shalen Sheppard from Brentwood. Pasadena’s 6-11 Josh Irving is committed to Texas A&M. Gene Roebuck from La Mirada is a high-scoring junior guard.

Quarterback Wyatt Brown of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame shows off the thrill of victory in 44-28 Division 3 playoff win over Laguna Beach.

(Craig Weston)

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame needed a strong offensive performance to hold off Laguna Beach 44-28 in a Division 3 opener. Quarterback Wyatt Brown made plays and running back Noel Washington had three touchdowns to offset 413 yards passing and four TD passes from Jack Hurst. Here’s the report.

Here’s a look at Hurst, a 6-foot-4 junior quarterback who finished with 45 touchdown passes this season.

Five No. 1 teams lost in the first round of the playoffs. It was also a tough week for unbeaten teams, with Crespi, Torrance, Crean Lutheran and Rowland losing in the opening round.

Leuzinger might have pulled off the most impressive win over Crean Lutheran 34-17 in Division 2 behind the return of quarterback Russell Sekona, who had four touchdown passes after being sidelined with a hand injury. Los Alamitos rallied for a 35-28 win over Yorba Linda. San Juan Hills got a walk-off field goal from Kyle Donahue to defeat Downey 28-27.

In Chaparral’s 63-42 win over Chaminade, quarterback Dane Weber completed 24 of 31 passes for 360 yards and five touchdowns with one interception and ran for 106 yards and three touchdowns in win over Chaminade.

The Division 1 playoffs begin Friday: Orange Lutheran at St. John Bosco, Servite at Corona Centennial, Mission Viejo vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium, Santa Margarita at Sierra Canyon.

Here’s a look at this weekend’s playoff schedule.

Here’s a look at top individual performances.

Carson quarterback Chris Fields.

(Nick Koza)

No. 1-seeded Carson and quarterback Chris Fields begin the Open Division playoffs Friday against King/Drew. The other opening matchups have Kennedy at Birmingham, Garfield playing Palisades at site to be announced and Crenshaw at San Pedro.

Van Nuys pulled off the biggest upset in Division I with a victory over No. 4-seeded Banning, Kudos to coach Ken Osorio, who resurrected a program that didn’t have many wins or many players before he took over in 2023. Van Nuys is at Marquez on Friday. Another good quarterfinal matchup has Franklin at No. 1 Venice.

In Division II, Western League schools University and Fairfax meet for a second time. University lost the first time 21-20. Chatsworth upset No. 3 Roosevelt and now plays at No. 6 Marshall. In Division III, top-seeded Santee received 241 yards rushing and three touchdowns from Darnell Miller, pushing his season total to 2,485 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Ava Irwin (2) celebrates with her teammates after catching two TD passes in JSerra’s 25-20 victory over Orange Lutheran for the Southern Section Division 1 flag football title.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Perfection. It was achieved by the JSerra flag football team with a 25-20 win over Orange Lutheran to win the Southern Section Division 1 championship.

Three times JSerra faced the defending Division 1 champions. Three times JSerra found a way to beat Orange Lutheran. The Lions finish 28-0.

Here’s a look at the drama and celebration.

The City Section will hold its flag football championships Saturday at Garfield High.

Here are the updated City Section pairings.

The legend returns

Hall of Fame basketball player Gail Goodrich came to Sun Valley Poly High on Friday to have the school’s gym named after him.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Anges Times)

Gail Goodrich, one of the greatest basketball players in Los Angeles history, returned to town to have his alma mater, Sun Valley Poly, name its new gym, “The Gail Goodrich Sports Complex.”

Goodrich, 82, was emotional and appreciative. He’s one of the few athletes to have won a City title, NCAA title and NBA title with Poly, UCLA and the Lakers. He’s a basketball Hall of Famer and beloved by many Los Angeles sports fans.

Here’s a look at the ceremony and his humbleness.

Girls volleyball

Sierra Canyon players celebrate their five-set victory over Marymount in the Southern Section Division I semifinals Nov. 1,2025, in Chatsworth, CA. Sierra Canyon went on to win the girls’ volleyball title. (Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Sierra Canyon won the Southern Section Division 1 girls’ volleyball championship over Mater Dei. Here’s the report. Here’s a look at divisional champions.

Palisades knocked off Western League rival Venice to win the City Section Open Division title. Here’s the report.

Sierra Canyon received the No. 1 seed for the Open Division state volleyball playoffs that begin this week. Here are the pairings.

Water polo

Corona del Mar’s Sam Macias (20) fires in a goal at close range against Santa Margarita.

(Don Leach/Staff Photographer)

The Final Four is set for the Southern Section Open Division boys water polo semifinals Wednesday at Irvine’s Woollett Aquatic Center. It will be No. 1-seeded Newport Harbor facing No. 6 Mira Costa and No. 3 Corona del Mar taking on No. 4 Oaks Christian.

Here’s a look at Corona del Mar’s win over Santa Margarita to decide a Final Four berth.

Notes . . .

Harvard-Westlake basketball coach David Rebibo and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Richard Ferkel have been elected to the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be June 28 at the Skirball Cultural Center in the Sepulveda Basin. . . .

Freshman Layla Phillips of Harbor Teacher Prep poses for a photo.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

The City Section has another freshman phenom to promote. Freshman Layla Phillips from Harbor Teacher Prep won the City Section girls’ golf championship, and it wasn’t even close. Here’s a profile on a player whose name is going to be known nationally. . . .

Moanikeala Finau from Diamond Bar won the Southern Section individual girls’ golf championship. . . .

A free heart screening for students and kids ages 10 to 25 will take place Thursday from 2:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. at La Mirada High. . . .

St. John Bosco closer Jack Champlin has committed to UC Irvine. . . .

Daniel Robles has resigned as football coach at Don Lugo. . . .

Joe Jurado, who criticized the Southern Section when his 9-1 Rim of the World football team failed to make the playoffs at an at-large team, has resigned as head coach. . . .

Sophomore defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou from Orange Lutheran has reclassified to the class of 2027. He’s 6 feet 7, 275 pounds. . . .

Dean Herrington has been let go as football coach at St. Francis. Here’s the report. . . .

St. Francis is advertising its position as paying its new football coach from $125,000 to $175,000. JSerra is advertising from $150,000 to $200,000. The Catholic schools think football is a wise investment. . . .

Terrance Smith is no longer the football coach at Ayala. . . .

Junior quarterback Deshawn Laporte of Burbank has committed to Delaware State. . . .

Johnny Dukes is the new basketball coach at Eastvale Roosevelt. . . .

Linebacker Ryder Barnes from Crean Lutheran has committed to Cal Poly. . . .

Former Sun Valley Poly assistant football coach Steve Smith is the new head coach at Reseda. . . .

The Southern Section cross-country prelims will take place Friday and Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College.

From the archives: Tyler Glasnow

Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow with former Hart coach Jim Ozella, who coached him in high school.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Former Hart High pitcher Tyler Glasnow followed former Harvard-Westlake pitcher Jack Flaherty in coming to the Dodgers and becoming a world champion by contributing on the mound during the World Series. Glasnow was injured during last year’s World Series but finally came through for his home-town team.

Here’s a story from 2024 about Glasnow adding California cool to the Dodgers.

Recommendations

From the Washington Post, a story on former San Clemente quarterback Sam Darnold becoming an NFL MVP candidate.

From Westridgespyglass.org, a story on a high school journalist bringing to light how her school tried to keep quiet a volleyball match against Jurupa Valley.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on the growth of former Los Alamitos receiver Makai Lemon, now a star at USC.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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If you think Trinity League football is the best in the country, then the Mission League might be its equivalent in boys’ basketball this season.

“It’s off the charts,” Harvard-Wesltake coach David Rebibo said in describing the talent of the eight Mission League teams.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” Chaminade coach Bryan Cantwell said. “We could have all eight teams potentially in the top 30 in Southern California.”

Transfers, promising freshmen and the development of young players has set the stage for a league schedule in January that will allow fans to see players who might be soon appearing on weekend TV for college basketball teams or on NBA rosters.

Harvard-Westlake has won seven consecutive league titles and remains in the title mix. The coaching is so good in the league and the talent so plentiful that it would be no surprise if multiple teams win Southern Section titles depending on what divisions in which they are placed.

It’s not as if the league didn’t have talent before this season, but Cantwell pointed out, “There’s just more on all of the teams.”

Every team except Harvard-Westlake added transfer students this season. The biggest were St. John Bosco senior Brandon McCoy going to Sierra Canyon, 7-foot-3 Cherif Millogo arriving at St. Francis from Boston and 6-9 Sam Mbingazo returning to Bishop Alemany after playing at Iowa Prep last season.

One big loss, though, has been suffered at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, where 6-7 Tyran Stokes, ranked No. 1 by many in the class of 2026, won’t be playing for the Knights. He withdrew from school last week. There are others ready to help replace him.

Zachary White has committed to San Diego State and NaVorro Bowman has gotten so good that he’s become one of the best prospects from the class of 2027.

Sierra Canyon could start a lineup solely of transfers, with Maximo Adams in his second season with the Trailblazers and one of the best players in the class of 2026. Brannon Martinsen, a 6-6 senior, arrived from JSerra.

Sierra Canyon’s Maximo Adams hugs coach Andre Chevalier.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Harvard-Westlake isn’t going anywhere, with the return of standout senior guard Joe Sterling, a Texas commit, senior center Dominique Bentho and guards Pierce Thompson, Amir Jones and Cole Holden. Crespi returns the Barnes twins, Isaiah and Carter.

“There are anywhere between three and five Division 1 players on every team with D1 potential between the sophomores and juniors,” Rebibo said. “The senior class in this league is unreal. It makes the league as competitive as it’s been in a very long time.”

As if talent weren’t enough of a draw, there’s the coaching. Former Lakers star Derek Fisher, who used to coach the New York Knicks, is in his third season at Crespi and no one is intimidated coaching against him. Chaminade’s Bryan Cantwell, St. Francis’ Todd Wolfson and Sierra Canyon’s Andre Chevalier are veteran coaches who’ve all won section championships. Loyola has a first-year coach, Cam Joyce, from Ohio, and Mike DuLaney guided Bishop Alemany to a Division III state title in 2024.

“It’s going to be really competitive and really fun,” Cantwell said.

Throughout Southern California, there are plenty of elite prospects. There’s Missouri-bound Jason Crowe Jr. of Inglewood; Kansas-bound Luke Barnett of Mater Dei; high-scoring junior guard Gene Roebuck of La Mirada; Georgia Tech commit Kaiden Bailey of Santa Margarita; top sophomore transfers Evan Willis and Shalen Sheppard of Crossroads; heavily recruited Christian Collins of St. John Bosco; dynamic senior guard Josiah Johnson of Mayfair; standout senior guard Isaiah Rogers of Corona Centennial; 6-11 Josh Irving of Pasadena, who has committed to Texas A&M; 6-6 rising junior Kevin Keshishyan of Los Altos.

As far as teams, Sierra Canyon, Santa Margarita, St. John Bosco, Redondo Union, Rolling Hills Prep, Harvard-Westlake, Corona Centennial and Damien all appear headed to top teams status.

Unfortunately, the City Section has seen most of its top players transfer or graduate. Palisades is the preseason favorite with the arrival of the 6-6 Popoola twins, Elijah and Olujimi, juniors from Las Vegas.

From Jack Harris: The now two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers made their first moves of the offseason on Thursday.

The biggest one will ensure will ensure a familiar face is back for their pursuit of a three-peat next year.

The team picked up its $10-million club option for third baseman Max Muncy, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly, bringing the now longest-tenured member of the roster back for what will be his ninth season in Los Angeles.

The Dodgers also picked up a $3.55-million club option for reliever Alex Vesia (keeping him out of arbitration), according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly. Additionally, they shook up the 40-man roster with a series of maneuvers that included Tony Gonsolin being designated for assignment.

None of the moves were overly surprising, starting with the option the Dodgers exercised at the end of a two-year, $24-million deal Muncy signed in the 2023 offseason.

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From Ryan Kartje: The drill is simple. Just a basic throw-and-catch warm-up, called “Pat-and-Go,” that USC and many other football programs do virtually every day. Quarterbacks loosen their arms, while pass catchers get their legs warm, running routes on air. It’s the sort of drill where it’s easy enough to slough off a rep or two. Or to get a little casual, like playing catch in the yard.

But when Makai Lemon lines up during Pat-and-Go, there is nothing casual about what comes next. Every rep is taken seriously, every reception reeled in with intention. The junior has taken thousands of these reps, caught thousands of these passes over three seasons at USC, each filed away as a data point for Lemon to later access.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen one he didn’t catch game-like,” USC coach Lincoln Riley says. “Rarely does he ever take a rep that isn’t very intentional.”

It’s a fitting snapshot of the Trojans’ top receiver, one that captures more than just his prowess as a football player. Every action with Lemon is deliberate, every detail accounted for. That singular focus has made him the most reliable receiver in college football and, come April, a surefire first-round NFL draft pick, all while somehow maintaining a strikingly low profile for a pass catcher of his caliber.

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UCLA BASKETBALL

From Ben Bolch: At her players’ request, Cori Close showed up inside Pauley Pavilion five hours before tipoff. The UCLA women’s basketball coach was joined by her assistants and managers for pregame shooting at 6:30 a.m., so many players filling the court that the sessions had to be staggered.

Three days after a lackluster showing in their season opener, the Bruins felt they had something to prove in their first game at home. The additional work before facing UC Santa Barbara on Thursday reflected their commitment.

“I mean, I never have to coach this team’s work ethic,” Close said. “That is never in question. And so that’s a really fun place to be in.”

The day’s biggest gratification would come later, the third-ranked Bruins resembling an All-Star team at times during an 87-50 rout of the Gauchos that showed glimpses of the firepower they hope to fully unleash by season’s end.

Forward Gabriela Jaquez revealed one of the best long-range shooting displays of her career, making four of seven three-pointers on the way to 21 points. Point guard Kiki Rice was a constant playmaker in her return to the starting lineup while scoring 20 points, grabbing eight rebounds and distributing three assists. Shooting guard Gianna Kneepkens added another dimension to the offense with four more three-pointers and 20 points.

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UCLA box score

LAKERS

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: The only way that game could have ended was with a free throw.

Thanks to two missed free throws from San Antonio’s Julian Champagnie with 0.2 seconds remaining, the Lakers survived 118-116 Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs in a disjointed game that dragged on for nearly three hours and included 66 total fouls and 84 free throws.

The Lakers (7-2) won their fifth consecutive game, fighting through exhaustion from playing in their third game in four days and a short rotation without guard Austin Reaves. At halftime, players and coaches acknowledged how tired they felt. Coach JJ Redick said when he woke up at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday “it was like a bus had hit me.”

Here are three takeaways from the game:

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Ex-NBA player accused of selling LeBron James injury secrets pleads not guilty

CLIPPERS

Jalen Green scored 29 points in his Phoenix debut, Devin Booker added 24 points and the host Suns beat the short-handed Clippers 115-102 on Thursday night.

Green, who missed the Suns’ first eight games with a right hamstring strain, played 23 minutes and was 10 of 20 from the field, including six of 13 from behind the three-point line.

Grayson Allen, playing through an illness, scored 18, Mark Williams had 13 points and nine rebounds and Royce O’Neale scored 17, 11 in the third quarter when Phoenix outscored the Clippers 40-23 to take a 91-74 lead.

The Clippers lost their third straight. They played without James Harden, who missed the game for personal reasons, and Kawhi Leonard, sidelined with a right ankle sprain.

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Clippers box score

NBA standings

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra returns from a game in Denver to find his home on fire

KINGS

Brad Marchand scored two goals and Sam Reinhart got the go-ahead goal on his 30th birthday in the Florida Panthers’ 5-2 victory over the Kings on Thursday night.

Anton Lundell got a short-handed goal in the third period and Sam Bennett also scored for the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Panthers, who rebounded from a 7-3 loss against the Ducks to get their first victory on their four-game West Coast road trip.

Marchand has scored a goal in three straight games since returning to the Panthers from a one-game absence to travel to Nova Scotia to support a close friend who lost his daughter to cancer last month. The veteran tied the game late in the first period after taking the puck from Anton Forsberg behind Los Angeles’ net, and he added his ninth goal of the season in the third.

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Kings summary

NHL standings

DUCKS

Leo Carlsson‘s short-handed goal midway through the third period proved to be the winner as the Ducks rallied to beat the Dallas Stars 7-5 on Thursday night.

Carlsson scored on a slap shot 10:38 into the third period to give the Ducks a 6-4 lead. Troy Terry had an assist on the goal.

Chris Kreider scored twice, Cutter Gauthier, Olen Zellweger, Ian Moore added goals and Mason McTavish added an empty-netter for the Ducks, who’ve won five consecutive games and seven of their last eight. Lukas Dostal finished with 21 saves.

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Ducks summary

NHL standings

2028 OLYMPICS

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: With no permanent structures to build for the 2028 Olympics, LA28 hopes the lasting legacy of the Summer Games will live on in the hearts of Angelenos through one of the largest volunteer programs ever.

The private organizing committee launched registration for an expanded volunteer program on Thursday, allowing potential volunteers to express interest in participating in community events now, helping with the Games in 2028 or both.

LA28 will partner with local organizations and nonprofits for community volunteering events that will begin before the end of 2025. Potential volunteers for the Olympics, which begin on July 14, 2028, and follow with the Paralympics opening on Aug. 15, can also register their interest now, but applications will not open until summer of 2026.

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THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1943 — The Detroit Lions and New York Giants play the last scoreless tie in the NFL.

1968 — Red Berenson scores six goals, including four in the second period, to lead the St. Louis Blues to an 8-0 victory over Philadelphia.

1974 — South Africa is awarded the Davis Cup against India. India refuses to play in the final because of its opponent’s apartheid policy. It’s the first time the final is not played.

1985 — Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, the former middleweight boxer convicted twice of a triple murder in 1966 and the hero of a Bob Dylan song, is released after 19 years in prison. Carter, 48, is freed after a federal judge rules the boxer and a co-defendant were denied their civil rights by prosecutors during trials in 1967 and 1976.

1991 — Magic Johnson, who helped the Lakers to five NBA championships, announces he has tested positive for the AIDS virus and is retiring.

1998 — Awesome Again steals Skip Away’s thunder and the $5.12 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs with a three-quarter length victory over Silver Charm. Skip Away finishes sixth and misses becoming the first horse to earn $10 million.

1999 — Tiger Woods becomes the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win four straight tournaments, capturing the American Express Championship.

2003 — The defending champion U.S. baseball team fails to qualify for the 2004 Athens Olympics, losing to Mexico 2-1 in the quarterfinals of a qualifying tournament in Panama City, Panama.

2008 — Jerry Sloan is the first NBA coach to win 1,000 games with one team when his Utah Jazz beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 104-97. Sloan, 1,000-596 with the Jazz, has an overall coaching record of 1,094-717 with the Jazz and Chicago Bulls.

2009 — Zenyatta comes from last after a poor start and fights off Gio Ponti in the stretch to win the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. The 5-year-old mare, ridden by Mike Smith, beats a loaded field of 11 males and becomes the first female to win the race in its 26-year history.

2010 — Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning starts his 200th consecutive game, a 26-24 loss at Philadelphia. Manning joins Brett Favre as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to start 200 consecutive games.

2016 — Stephen Curry sets an NBA record with 13 three-pointers — one game after missing all his long-range attempts for the first time in two years — and the Golden State Warriors beat the winless New Orleans Pelicans 116-106. Curry finishes with 46 points, three days after his league-record streak of 157 games with at least one three was snapped.

2018 — For the second straight year, France wins the Six Nations Rugby Championship on points difference from Ireland.

2021 — Kyle Larson holds off Martin Trues Jr. in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway to earn his 10th win of the season and claim his first Cup Series championship.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

From Broderick Turner: The buzz inside Crypto.com Arena for the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs game was created because generational talents Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyana were performing. It was a show that even several members of the World Series champion Dodgers were on hand to watch.

But what they saw was a lot of fouls being called that made the game unsightly. Doncic picked up his fifth in the fourth quarter, and Wembanyama eventually fouled out.

In the end, Doncic produced 35 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds in leading the Lakers to their fifth straight win with a 118-116 victory over the Spurs on Wednesday night.

The Lakers won despite a horrible turnover late in the game, giving the Spurs a chance to tie the score.

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Lakers box score

NBA standings

DODGERS

From Jack Harris: The Dodgers wasted no time this week setting their sights on a potential World Series three-peat for next season.

Now, they embark on the winter-long process of building a roster capable of doing it.

For the most part, the core of the 2026 Dodgers shouldn’t change much. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith will still lead the offense. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow will anchor the rotation.

However, with plenty of money coming off the books, several notable contributors to this year’s team now free agents, and plenty of opportunities lying ahead of them this offseason, the Dodgers have work to do and decisions to make as they attempt to defend their title again next year.

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The Dodgers-Blue Jays World Series had record-setting ratings. Here’s what it means

DODGERS POLL

We asked, “Who was the Dodgers’ hitting star in the World Series?”

After 1,691 votes, the results:

Will Smith, 55.8%
Shohei Ohtani, 27.4%
Miguel Rojas, 13.1%
Someone else, 3%
Max Muncy, 0.7%

RAMS

From Gary Klein: The Rams are no longer kicking the can down the road when it comes to their kicking problems.

On Wednesday, the Rams signed kicker Harrison Mevis to the practice squad to compete with second-year pro Joshua Karty. The move came a day after the team signed veteran long-snapper Jake McQuaide to compete with Alex Ward.

“It’s all geared toward trying to be able to just get some solutions and some kick consistency really with our field-goal operation,” coach Sean McVay said Wednesday. “I think it’s important to have good competition at some spots that we feel we can have improved play.”

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From Andrés Soto: 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 ultimately would 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.

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Keith Browner, former USC linebacker and member of a large NFL family, dies at 63

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1869 — First U.S. college football game played, Rutgers 6, Princeton 4.

1934 — Joe Carter scores four touchdowns and Swede Hanson rushes for 190 yards as the Philadelphia Eagles crush the Cincinnati Reds 64-0.

1966 — Philadelphia’s Timmy Brown returns kickoffs 93 yards and 90 yards for touchdowns to lead the Eagles to a 24-23 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

1981 — Larry Holmes knocks out Renaldo Snipes in the 11th round to retain the world heavyweight title in Pittsburgh.

1983 — James Wilder of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rushes for 219 yards and a touchdown in a 17-12 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

1988 — Britain’s Steve Jones win the New York City Marathon in 2:08:20, the fastest time in the world this year. His margin of victory, 3 minutes and 21 seconds over Salvatore Bettiol, is the largest in the history of the five-borough race. Grete Waitz wins an unprecedented ninth women’s title, finishing in 2:28:07 well ahead of Italy’s Laura Fogli (2:31:26).

1992 — Manon Rheaume of the Atlanta Knights becomes the first woman to suit up for a regular-season pro hockey game. The 20-year-old goalie doesn’t play in Atlanta’s 3-2 overtime loss to Cincinnati in the IHL game.

1993 — French-based Arcangues stages the biggest Breeders’ Cup upset, rallying to beat Bertrando by 2 lengths in the $3 million Classic at Santa Anita. Arcangues went off at 133-1 and returned $269.20 on a $2 bet.

1993 — Evander Holyfield regains the WBA and IBF heavyweight championships from Riddick Bowe in a fight disrupted by a parachutist. During the seventh round at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the chutist tumbles into the ringside seats and stops the fight for 21 minutes. Holyfield becomes the fourth man to become a heavyweight champion at least twice.

1995 — Art Modell officially announces Cleveland Browns are moving to Baltimore.

1999 — Charles Roberts rushes for 409 yards and five touchdowns to lead Sacramento State past Idaho State 41-20, setting a new NCAA record for a single-game rushing performance.

2005 — Annika Sorenstam becomes the first player in LPGA Tour history to win a tournament five straight times, shooting an 8-under 64 for a three-stroke victory in the Mizuno Classic.

2010 — Michigan wins the highest scoring game in its 131-year history by stopping a 2-point conversion attempt in the third overtime for a 67-65 victory over Illinois.

2010 — Zenyatta comes within a head of finishing a perfect career. Horse racing’s biggest star closes from dead last, but Blame holds off the 6-year-old mare and wins the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic under the lights Churchill Downs. Zenyatta entered the race hoping to improve to 20-0 on her career.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

From Jack Harris: The celebration had hardly begun, when Shohei Ohtani first voiced the theme of the day.

“I’m already thinking about the third time,” he said in Japanese, standing atop a double-decker bus in downtown Los Angeles with thousands of blue-clad, flag-waving, championship-celebrating Dodgers fans lining the streets around him for the team’s 2025 World Series parade.

Turns out, he wasn’t alone.

Two days removed from a dramatic Game 7 victory that made the Dodgers baseball’s first repeat champion in 25 years, the team rolled through the streets of downtown and into a sold-out rally at Dodger Stadium on Monday already thinking about what lies ahead in 2026.

With three titles in the last six seasons, their modern-day dynasty might now be cemented.

But their goal of adding to this “golden era of Dodger baseball,” as top executive Andrew Friedman has repeatedly called it, is far from over.

“All I have to say to you,” owner and chairman Mark Walter told the 52,703 fans at the team’s stadium rally, “is we’ll be back next year.”

Continue reading here

Photos: World Series champion Dodgers parade through Downtown L.A.

Fernando Valenzuela to be considered for National Baseball Hall of Fame induction

DODGERS POLL

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the pitching star for the Dodgers, but who would you consider to be the hitting star in the World Series?

Shohei Ohtani, who hit .333 with three doubles, three homers, five RBIs and six runs scored

Will Smith, who hit .267 with two doubles, two homers and a team-leading six RBIs, including the go-ahead homer in the 11th inning of Game 7

Max Muncy, who hit .214 with two homers, including a clutch homer in the eighth inning of Game 7 to bring the Dodgers within one

Miguel Rojas, who only went two for 10 but hit that tying, ninth-inning homer in Game 7

or someone else?

Vote here in our poll and let us know.

LAKERS

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: After Nick Smith Jr. had scored eight consecutive points, slashing to the rim for a layup followed by two deep threes, Rui Hachimura could tell the 21-year-old guard was going to deliver a big game just when the Lakers needed it.

“Keep going,” Hachimura encouraged Smith during a second-quarter timeout.

Smith did. Straight to the tunnel, where the third-year guard got sick.

With their three biggest stars out, the Lakers literally gutted out a 123-115 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday at Moda Center as Smith fought through an uneasy stomach to notch 25 points and six assists in the Lakers’ fourth consecutive victory.

Smith, playing on a two-way contract with the South Bay Lakers, gave the Lakers (6-2) the perfect substitute off the bench as Luka Doncic (leg) and Austin Reaves (groin) sat out. He delivered electric shooting, making five of six shots from three-point range. With the team’s primary ball-handlers sidelined against an aggressive Portland defense, Smith steadied the offense. He also ignited it with 17 second-half points.

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Lakers box score

NBA standings

CLIPPERS

Bam Adebayo had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Norman Powell added 21 points in his return to Southern California and the Miami Heat held off the Clippers 120-119 on Monday night.

Powell was a key member of the Clippers for three seasons before being traded to the Heat before this season

Andrew Wiggins scored 17 points and Kel’el Ware added 16 to help the Heat end a two-game losing streak and win on the road for the second time in five games. Miami is 1-2 to open a four-game trip.

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Clippers box score

NBA standings

RAMS

From Gary Klein: Puka Nacua returned to the Rams’ lineup in spectacular fashion, catching a touchdown pass, amassing nearly 100 yards receiving and picking up key yardage on a fourth-down jet sweep during a victory over the New Orleans Saints.

But that rushing play, which ended with a crushing hit, came with a cost.

On Monday, Nacua was scheduled to have a scan of his injured ribs, though coach Sean McVay said during a videoconference with reporters that “I feel optimistic … in regard to where we’re potentially heading.”

McVay on Monday said he felt “sick” about leaving Nacua susceptible to injury because of the play call.

“I’m kicking myself about putting him in that spot where he sustained that shot to the ribs,” McVay said

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CHARGERS

From Sam Farmer: A bad situation on the Chargers offensive line just got worse, as the team announced Monday that standout left tackle Joe Alt will undergo season-ending ankle surgery.

Alt, who missed three games earlier in the season because of an ankle injury, re-injured the same ankle during Sunday’s victory at the Tennessee Titans when linebacker Jihad Ward was blocked into the back of his legs.

“Feel bad for Joe,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters. “I know it’s going to be OK. It’s not going to be life-altering. Feel bad for him.”

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UCLA BASKETBALL

From Ben Bolch: It was the sort of postgame rant that Mick Cronin usually saves for a bad loss at a time when he’s trying to swing a season back in the right direction.

This one came after a victory in the season’s first game.

That’s how few positive takeaways there were for UCLA on Monday night on its home court.

Having beaten two quality opponents in exhibition games, the 12th-ranked Bruins struggled mightily in a game that counted against a team from the Big Sky Conference.

Most of the problems came on the defensive end.

“There’s so many mistakes,” Cronin said after his team held on for an 80-74 victory over Eastern Washington at Pauley Pavilion, “I’d like to fire myself for our defense.”

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UCLA box score

————

From Kara Alexander: The No. 3 UCLA women’s basketball team won its first game of the season, defeating feisty San Diego State 77–53 on Monday at the Honda Center.

The Bruins (1–0) built an eight-point lead in the first quarter, but the unranked Aztecs (0–1) managed to cut the deficit by three by the end of the period.

San Diego State struggled to score in the second quarter when UCLA went on a 12–2 run.

The scoring gap continued to increase as the Bruins extended their lead to 15 points, ending the first half with a 37–22 advantage.

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UCLA box score

USC BASKETBALL

From Andrés Soto: For most of Monday night, USC played exactly like a team with 13 new players.

Coach Eric Musselman’s preseason concerns about the Trojans’ offense likely were not abated after USC struggled in the first half of its season opener against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at Galen Center.

Cal Poly, a mid-major coming off a 16-19 season, wouldn’t let USC run away with the game, with the Trojans clinging to a six-point lead at halftime.

But then sophomore forward Jacob Cofie — one of 10 transfer portal additions — came alive in the second half, notching a 23-point double-double as the Trojans pulled away for a comfortable 94-64 win.

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USC box score

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1934 — The Detroit Lions rush for an NFL-record 426 yards in a 40-7 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The only bright spot for the Pirates is scoring the first touchdown against Detroit this season, ending the Lions’ shutout streak at seven games.

1951 — The U.S. wins six of eight singles matches and ties another to win the Ryder Cup 9½-2½ over Britain at Pinehurst in North Carolina.

1960 — Wilt Chamberlain of Philadelphia scores 44 points and sets an NBA record by missing all 10 of his free throws in the Warriors 136-121 victory the Detroit Pistons.

1984 — Seattle’s Dave Brown returns two interceptions for touchdowns in a 31-17 triumph over the Kansas City Chiefs.

1987 — NBA announces four new franchises; Charlotte and Miami for 1988 and Minneapolis and Orlando for 1989.

1989 — Sunday Silence holds off the late charge by favorite Easy Goer to win the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by a neck at Gulfstream Park.

2000 — R.J. Bowers rushes for 128 yards to become the first player in NCAA history to gain 7,000 yards in his career, leading Grove City past Carnegie Mellon 14-10.

2000 — In the highest scoring Division I-AA game in NCAA history, Ricky Ray passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns and scores three more to lead Sacramento State over Cal State Northridge 64-61.

2006 — Rod Brind’Amour of Carolina scores his 1,000th career point, assisting on a goal in the Hurricanes’ 3-2 win over Ottawa.

2007 — Adrian Peterson runs for an NFL-record 296 yards and three touchdowns in Minnesota’s 35-17 win over San Diego.

2012 — Andrew Luck breaks the NFL’s single-game rookie record by throwing for 433 yards in leading Indianapolis to a 23-20 win over Miami

2016 — Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno, Scott Hartnell and Josh Anderson score two goals apiece and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat Montreal 10-0, matching the biggest loss in the Canadiens’ storied history.

2017 — Quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw rushes for a career-high 265 yards and Army ends Air Force’s 306-game scoring streak with a 21-0 victory.

2017 — With a 31-24 overtime victory over Nebraska, Northwestern becomes the first Football Bowl Subdivision program to win three consecutive overtime games.

Compiled by the Associated Press

THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY

1959 — Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks wins his second consecutive NL MVP award.

1976 — Baseball holds its first free agent draft with 24 players from 13 major league clubs participating. Reggie Jackson eventually signs the most lucrative contract of the group, $2.9 million over five years with the New York Yankees. Others free agents are Joe Rudi, Don Gullett, Gene Tenace, Rollie Fingers, Don Baylor, Bobby Grich and Willie McCovey.

2001 — Luis Gonzalez’s RBI single caps a two-run rally off Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth, and the Arizona Diamondbacks win their first championship by beating the New York Yankees 3-2 in Game 7.

2009 — The New York Yankees win the World Series, beating the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 behind Hideki Matsui’s record-tying six RBIs.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where we’re still struggling with how to view USC’s 21-17 win at Nebraska. On one hand, USC gutted out a hard-earned road victory, just its second true road win outside of L.A. since 2023, with a stingy defensive stand in the second half. On the other, USC’s offense was out of sorts, its quarterback had the worst start of his tenure and its defense was run over for the third time in four games.

No matter your perspective, this much is indisputable: USC is 6-2, bowl eligible and in prime position to be 8-2 heading to Eugene in late November. Remember, the Trojans were 4-5 at this time last year.

But after flying back west for the final time this regular season, we’re going to take a brief break from football to alert you that college basketball season, believe it or not, is about to begin. And both of USC’s teams enter the season on fascinating and uncertain terms.

Let’s start first with the men’s team and Eric Musselman, who thought he’d have a five-star freshman to help springboard his program to relevance in Year 2. But the injury to Alijah Arenas has undoubtedly altered that trajectory. What we don’t know now is how much and for how long.

That’s just the beginning of the questions facing USC. Here are three others …

1. Who’s going to play point guard?

You may remember this same query from this time last season, when USC entrusted the role to Desmond Claude, who was a good playmaker, but not a great floor general. He turned the ball over nearly four times per game.

Arenas was expected to be the primary ballhandler. But with him out, it’ll be some combination of Rodney Rice, Chad Baker-Mazara, Jordan Marsh and Jerry Easter sharing ballhandling duties. None have any extensive experience as a floor general. Marsh has been a pleasant surprise in practice, but was more of a pure scorer at North Carolina Asheville.

Rice will have a lot on his shoulders already. And that’s not considering his actual shoulder, which has held him out for much of the preseason. He’ll need someone else to step up to help.

2. How much better is USC’s frontcourt?

When USC played its two exhibition games last month, opposing coaches couldn’t believe how much 7-foot-5 center Gabe Dynes affected the game defensively. Dynes was arguably USC’s best player in the preseason, and he wasn’t even expected to start in the Trojans’ frontcourt.

He had six blocks in his debut and should help give USC improved rim protection this season. Which is to say any rim protection at all.

The staff has been high on Jacob Cofie since he arrived on campus. Don’t be surprised if he ascends to a major role. Ezra Ausar, at 253 pounds, should be a beast on the boards, and Jaden Brownell should give USC’s frontcourt range out to the arc. This group has a lot of varied skillsets, and that should put the defense especially in a much better position.

3. Can USC score enough?

When asked what he learned most from his team during the preseason, Musselman didn’t mince words.

“We’ve got to figure out a way to score better,” he said.

Arenas, again, was supposed to lead the way in that regard. Rice was more of a secondary scorer at Maryland, as was Baker-Mazara at Auburn. USC looks, as of now, like a whole team of complementary offensive players, with no alpha yet. That can change. Maybe Cofie steps into the spot before season’s end. But it’s definitely something to monitor through the non-conference season.

What about the women’s team?

Kennedy Smith controls the ball while pressured by UConn guard Paige Bueckers during last season’s NCAA women’s tournament.

(Young Kwak / Associated Press)

USC enters this season with far lower expectations than this time last year, on account of JuJu Watkins’ knee injury, which will keep her out until next season. So what can we expect from Lindsay Gottlieb’s Trojans?

Here are the three big questions facing the USC women this season …

1. How can USC fill the void without Watkins?

This is the only question that really matters. Problem is there’s no clear answer. Gottlieb has been clear that no one player will replace Watkins, as tempting as it may be to slot top prospect Jazzy Davidson into that spot.

It’s more reasonable to recreate Watkins’ production in the aggregate. But that won’t be easy when you consider how much other production the Trojans lost from last season, in addition to Watkins. USC must replace 88% of its scoring and 80% of their rebounding output, and while that’s not that unique in the era of the transfer portal, it does mean the team is likely to have a very different identity.

Gottlieb has said that USC is going to play with more pace this season. But who will it turn to when it needs a bucket? Davidson is perhaps the likeliest candidate, but I’m particularly curious to see the development of sophomore Kennedy Smith. Smith was inconsistent offensively as a freshman. But Gottlieb plans to put the ball in her hands more, and how that works out will say a lot about the direction of the season.

2. What’s going on in the frontcourt?

Last season, there was no question who USC could count on down low. Rayah Marshall was a three-year starter, while Kiki Iriafen is now one of the best young bigs in the WNBA.

But with both gone, USC doesn’t have any proven options to step into their place. Gottlieb has said that USC will use a by-committee approach with transfer Yakiya Milton, Lithuanian import Gerda Raulusaityte and returners Vivian Iwuchukwu and Laura Williams. Of those four, only Milton was part of a college basketball rotation last season, and she only averaged two points per game in 11 minutes at Auburn.

Raulusaityte is the big unknown. One of the youngest members of the Lithuanian national team, USC kind of needs her to be an immediate contributor. Especially with her ability to stretch the floor as a shooter, something the other three don’t do. If she struggles, USC could be in trouble with its lack of talent down low.

3. How good will Davidson be right away?

Watkins is a tough act to follow as a top-rated freshman. But Davidson has the potential to be a stat-stuffing star right away.

I don’t know if she’ll score quite like Watkins, who shot 42% and scored 24 points per night as a freshman. What she will do, perhaps even more than Watkins, is elevate the games of teammates around her. You can read more about that in an upcoming story on Davidson.

But can she get a bucket when USC needs one? And can she force her way through traffic with her spindly frame? There are still questions to be answered. But while Gottlieb is doing her best to temper expectations, I think USC is going to need its star freshman to be a star right away, if it has any hope of competing in the Big Ten like it did last season.

—Jayden Maiava didn’t have it as a passer. So he used his legs. And that worked wonders. Maiava was a meager nine of 23 through the air for 135 yards, but he reminded the world that he’s a capable runner, too, as he rushed for 62 yards in 11 carries. The highlight of his day came in the third quarter, when Maiava took off on consecutive plays for a pair of 16-yard gains, the second of which saw him stiff-arm his way to a score. Maiava hasn’t looked to run much this season. But maybe he should consider doing it more.

—USC’s three most influential players Saturday were all walk-ons. Running back King Miller was USC’s only consistent source of offense. Kaylon Miller, his brother, stepped in for an injured Alani Noa and was arguably USC’s best lineman in the ground game. And USC kicker Ryon Sayeri continued to shine by knocking through two more field goals. I’m not sure what that says about USC’s team. But it’s not something you see every day.

—The offensive line just can’t stay healthy. Left tackle Elijah Paige returned after missing the previous three games, only for Noa to go down. Noa never returned, and we won’t know more about his status until at least Monday. USC is getting especially thin on the interior, with guard Micah Banuelos having also missed Saturday’s game. Center Kilian O’Connor should be back soon, but it’s a wonder that USC has held it together up front while being ravaged by injuries.

Olympic sports spotlight

After losing three of four to start their Big Ten slate, the women’s volleyball team’s tough start to the Big Ten slate is now firmly in the rearview. The Trojans have won six in a row. Among Big Ten teams, only Nebraska, which is 21-0 and No. 1 in the nation, has an active win streak that’s longer.

USC should win its next two before welcoming the Huskers to Galen Center for an epic match on Nov. 16.

In case you missed it

No. 23 USC uses late surge to win at Nebraska and keep playoff hopes alive

‘We still control our destiny.’ USC focused on rebounding after ugly Notre Dame loss

What I’m watching this week

IT: Welcome to Derry

(HBO)

I’ve written in this space before about my love of all things Stephen King. I’m also well aware of the less-than-stellar track record of adapting his books into television and movies.

I’m not sure just yet where “IT: Welcome to Derry” falls on that spectrum. Only the first two episodes of the spinoff prequel to “It” are currently available on HBO Max, and while Derry remains as creepy and tense as ever, I worry a bit about where the story is headed. All that said, my favorite part of the original book was the character building with the town’s kids. So far, that part remains intact.

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.