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Tyler Shough threw an incomplete pass in the end zone on a two-point conversion attempt, allowing the Lions to escape with a 31-30 win in overtime over the New Orleans Saints in Detroit on Sunday.

Saints coach Kellen Moore chose to go for the win instead of tying the game with 1:34 left in overtime after his team came back from a three-touchdown deficit in the third quarter and allowed a touchdown on the opening possession of the extra period.

Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes to Amon-Ra St. Brown, the second score a five-yard throw early in overtime, and Jahmyr Gibbs ran for two touchdowns.

New Orleans rallied from a 21-0 deficit and pulled into a 24-all tie on Shough’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson with 1:07 left in the game.

Detroit went three-and-out on offense, giving the Saints the ball with a chance to win it and Ryan Wright missed a 62-yard field-goal attempt as time expired.

Gibbs had a career-high 29 carries for 156 yards. He also had five catches for 30 yards.

Goff was 26 of 39 for 206 yards without a turnover.

at Bengals 33, Buccaneers 27: Cincinnati’s new-look defense forced four turnovers — including its first fumble recovery for a touchdown since 2022 — and Joe Burrow passed for 254 yards and a touchdown during a victory over Tampa Bay. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield surrendered three fumbles during the loss.

Jets 23, at Titans 10: Breece Hall ran for 102 yards and a touchdown, Geno Smith threw for 215 yards and New York defeated Tennessee. The Jets never trailed and held the ball for just over 38 minutes. Cam Ward was 19 of 32 passing for 140 yards and a late touchdown toss.

Ravens 41, at Colts 23: Derrick Henry ran for three touchdowns to move into third on the NFL’s career list, Lamar Jackson threw for 324 yards and a TD and rushed for a score and Baltimore beat Indianapolis. Jesse Minter won his debut as the Ravens’ coach.

at Steelers 20, Falcons 13: T.J. Watt returned an interception of Cooper Rush 35 yards for a touchdown to help Pittsburgh secure a win over visiting Atlanta. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers passed for 221 yards and a touchdown. Rush, who was filling in for the injured Tua Tagovailoa, threw for a touchdown and a pair of interceptions that Pittsburgh turned into scores.

Bears 59, at Panthers 37: Caleb Williams threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 65 yards and two more scores as Chicago defeated Carolina in the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history.

at Jaguars 34, Browns 10: Trevor Lawrence threw for 245 yards and four touchdowns, helping Jacksonville spoil the debut of new Cleveland coach Todd Monken. Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson threw an interception on the opening drive.

Bills 36, at Texans 31: Josh Allen threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Palmer with 1:36 remaining to lift Buffalo past host Houston during a back-and-forth season opener. Allen had 334 yards passing with two touchdowns and ran for two more scores. The Texans had a chance to win in the closing seconds, but Greg Rousseau earned his second strip sack of the day, taking down C.J. Stroud at the Buffalo 28.

at Eagles 24, Commanders 22: Jalen Hurts passed for 203 yards and three touchdowns, helping Philadelphia edge Washington. Jayden Daniels passed for 164 yards and two touchdowns, but the Philadelphia defense stuffed a late Commanders two-point conversion attempt to seal the win.

at Vikings 39, Packers 22: Kyler Murray suffered a hit to the head on a run play in the first quarter and was placed in concussion protocol. Carson Wentz replaced Murray and passed for three touchdowns and Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones Sr. added two more rushing scores to help the Vikings beat the Packers.

at Raiders 27, Dolphins 13: Kirk Cousins passed for 160 yards and three touchdowns, helping Las Vegas beat Miami. Both teams were scoreless in the fourth quarter, with the Raiders doing just enough to overcome two Cousins interceptions.

At the end of a topsy-turvy Saturday that saw the Big Ten’s top contenders tumble, Trent Mosley stood just inside USC’s 15-yard line, looking skyward.

By that point, Ohio State had just blown a 20-point, fourth-quarter lead to Texas, and Oregon had, hours earlier, been stunned by Oklahoma State. The path to the top of the Big Ten suddenly seemed open as ever, just as the Trojans’ tremendous freshman caught the punt and took off in search of an opening himself.

With his stunning start to the season, no one player at USC — and perhaps in all the nation — had manufactured more hope through two games. While the conference’s other top teams spent the day licking their wounds, here, once again, was Mosley weaving joyfully through the open field and conjuring the very same magic from thin air. He shook off one tackle, then another. Soon enough, he was gone for an 86-yard punt return, and the No. 14 Trojans were rolling, comfortably on their way to a 49-30 win over Louisiana.

The second half didn’t feel quite as hopeful, as the Trojans let up and let Louisiana linger around through a victory that coach Lincoln Riley deemed “up and down.”

Still, the win was USC’s 10th straight at home, going back to the 2024 season, and gives the Trojans’ a spotless nonconference slate in 2026 — not that anyone would confuse their early-season schedule for a murderer’s row. There won’t be any easy home wins from here, though, with USC’s next three games against Oregon, Washington and Ohio State.

“It’s been good getting adjusted to this,” Mosley said. “But now we go on the road, so that’ll be a new adjustment.”

USC has, in glimpses this season, looked like a team that belongs among those Big Ten behemoths. And the most encouraging of those moments have largely come from the Trojans’ talented freshman class.

Mosley, who also had an acrobatic receiving touchdown Saturday, wasn’t the only one who made his presence felt. Tight end Mark Bowman had his eagerly anticipated breakout game, as he exploded for six catches, one of which he capped by hurdling two defenders. He finished with 83 yards and two touchdowns, all in the first half. Defensive tackle Luke Wafle, meanwhile, continued his streak of early dominance by tallying a team-leading seven tackles.

USC tight end Mark Bowman hurdles over Louisiana safety Kody Jackson during the first half Saturday.

(Kevin Terrell / Getty Images)

“I feel like our peak, our trajectory should be even higher because of how many young guys are playing,” Riley said.

The win wasn’t nearly as dominant an effort for the rest of USC’s defense, which was coming off of a shutout of Fresno State. Louisiana averaged 7.6 yards per play and scored 20 points in the second half, led by dual threat quarterback Lunch Winfield, who scampered to 91 rushing yards.

“We’re just gonna take this as a learning moment,” defensive tackle Jide Abasiri said. “I just feel like sometimes we’ll get comfortable or complacent, then that’s something we need to, going forward, fix when adversity hits.”

It wasn’t the sharpest night for the Trojans’ offense, either. Though, you wouldn’t know it from the box score. While USC rushed for 214 yards, nearly 100 came in the fourth quarter, with the game well in hand. Quarterback Jayden Maiava put up numbers once again, as well, completing 19 of 29 passes for 261 yards and five touchdowns.

USC receiver Trent Mosley makes a touchdown catch under pressure from Louisiana safety Maurion Eleam Saturday at the Coliseum.

(Mark J. Terrill / Ap Photo/mark J. Terrill)

The five passing scores tied a career high. But Maiava said after the game that it “definitely didn’t feel like” that strong of a performance.

Through two games, Maiava had accounted for as many touchdowns (six) as he had incomplete passes entering Saturday’s game. But on Saturday, he missed his first three passes, the third of which went directly to a Louisiana defensive back.

The interception was Maiava’s first of the season, and it led to a Louisiana field goal, giving the Ragin’ Cajuns (1-1) an early lead. It was also the first time the Trojans trailed this season.

USC (3-0) and its quarterback settled down after that. The Trojans mounted a 12-play scoring drive on the ensuing possession, and Maiava found Bowman for a five-yard score. Then, they mounted a 10-play drive, and Maiava found Bowman again.

By that point, USC’s offense had piled up almost 200 yards, while Louisiana had scraped together just 18.

But the Ragin’ Cajuns refused to go away — for the moment, at least. They marched the length of the field and scored, cutting USC’s lead to 14-10.

That was the closest they’d get. The Trojans mounted a third straight drive of 10 plays or more, and this time, Maiava fired a touchdown pass through the hands of a Louisiana defensive back on its way to freshman Kayden Dixon-Wyatt.

The knockout blow came soon after that. After its follow-up drive went nowhere, Louisiana made the mistake of punting to Mosley, who took off sprinting to his right and didn’t stop until he reached paydirt.

The punt return was his fourth score of the season. He added a fifth before the final buzzer sounded.

The rest of the night wouldn’t go nearly as smoothly. The intensity, Riley said, “dipped a little bit.” Louisiana would linger, well into the fourth quarter.

But by then, the Trojans could safely coast their way to a clean non-conference sheet, knowing the trust test of their season – and their stellar true freshmen – is still to come.

Two unbeaten high school football teams, San Pedro and Bell, played on an old-school unmowed grass field on Friday night at Bell. The football disappeared at times when placed among the thick grass before the snap.

“Hey coach, do you need me to bring my lawn mower,” a Bell player joked.

San Pedro assistant coach Andres Srsen was pulling grass before the game to clear an area so kicker Dylan Moreno could practice field goals. “This is crazy,” Srsen said.

No one showed up to mow the field this week, coach Noel Padilla said.

It was the perfect environment for two blue-collar communities: San Pedro, known for its bustling port and dock workers, and Bell, known as a densely packed working class industrial city.

San Pedro (4-0) had little trouble navigating the thick grass, rolling to a 49-7 victory behind quarterback Seth Solorio, who completed 13 of 17 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns.

Braeden Villegas caught touchdown passes of 52 and 17 yards. Solorio rarely faced defensive pressure because of strong blocking from his offensive line. He was 10 of 11 for 175 yards in the first half when San Pedro led 35-7.

If any player proved he was in shape, it was San Pedro punt returner Chazz Fugatti, who returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown and easily ran through the thickest part of the grass. The only question was how tired he felt pumping his legs as the grass got thicker.

“Yeah, I was pretty exhausted after the touchdown,” he said. “Honestly, it was surreal. I was just excited to be out here and excited to play. It does feel like a corn field. It was fun.”

Another player having no issues running was tight end Joaquin Fernandez, who took a screen pass and ran 94 yards for a touchdown.

Solorio, who has 14 touchdown passes in four games, said of his team’s progress: “We’re really building chemistry. I love my guys. I love my receivers.”

Jaxon Brown and Villegas were Solorio’s primary targets.

San Pedro is considered a strong contender to be one of the final four teams in the City Section Open Division playoffs but will be gearing up for its annual Marine League rivalry game at defending champion Carson on Oct. 23, when the Pirates will really find out where they stand.

San Pedro players hoist Braeden Villegas after his touchdown reception against Bell.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

San Pedro had too much size and strength on its offensive and defensive lines for Bell (3-1), which hopes to offer competition to Garfield in the Eastern League. The Eagles’ only touchdown came on a 15-yard Aaron Hernandez touchdown reception in the first quarter after the Pirates lost possession by touching a punt and not recovering the ball. Or maybe they couldn’t find the ball?

Bell has five baseball players playing football, including quaterback/pitcher Manuel Pasillas, who showed off his toughness, being sacked only once in the first half by San Pedro’s Jaxon Moore.

Bell is supposed to get a new field and new scoreboard, with construction scheduled to begin as early as this month for a two-year project. Until then, the Eagles will need someone to keep cutting the grass.

That was a strange game. There were 22 accepted flags for 211 yards in penalties, fumbles galore and three turnovers in total. There was a safety and a missed field goal. Ultimately, Mater Dei (4-0) won 10-9 over Corona Centennial (1-2) in a game where it only converted two out of 10 third down attempts.

Beyond the weirdness, however, a solution at the quarterback position might have emerged for the Monarchs — in the form of a freshman, no less. Head coach Raul Lara has cycled through three players in the position so far this season, and the standout against Corona Centennial on Friday was Paytyn Guess.

“The young kid is dynamic, no doubt,” Lara said before the game. “But he’s young and he’s still learning the program and playbook. Once he learns, we’ll get him in the game a little bit more.”

Friday night’s game showed that Guess might be ready to be the starter.

Santa Ana Stadium has played host to Mater Dei football games for many decades, but the fans in its stands might not have seen a better pass than what the freshman conjured during the second quarter. Running away from oncoming rushers, Guess threw the ball back against his body — something most coaches advise against — and found heavily recruited senior wideout Gavin Honore at the one-yard line.

It was a dot. Right on the money. Professional players 10 years Guess’ senior would be excited to make that kind of play.

Mater Dei High freshman quarterback Paytyn Guess.

(Caleb Otte / For The Times)

The only hesitation to not start Guess was shown on the very next snap. Under center, Guess fumbled the snap and Centennial recovered the ball in the end zone. It was an unfortunate low after such a triumphant high.

Ultimately, though, Guess made the key throw after being entrusted to lead the final drive. With Mater Dei in their own half of the field on a third down, he found Honore along the sideline to pick up a first down and effectively end the contest.

That came after Mater Dei junior quarterback Russell Sekona tied the score, 9-9, midway through the fourth quarter with a one-yard touchdown plunge. Jerry Shifman converted the point-after kick for the winning margin.

Centennial had a chance to reclaim the lead with 2:30 left in the game, when its last drive ended in a missed field goal.

As far as Guess, he can make plays and had multiple downfield passes that fell just incomplete. But in that moment, the kid showed true composure. There might be growing pains, but the raw talent is on display.

Guess finished the nightcompleting four of nine passes for 56 yards, while rushing for 19. Lara had no worries about putting the freshman in the fire and letting him secure the victory.

“Coach Lara’s trust in me means everything,” Guess said after the win. “It shows me what I can accomplish on the field.”

He has a lot of time to develop, but aGuess said he needs to acclimate to this new stage.

“High school football moves quicker,” Guess said “I also need to be louder in my cadence because this was my first game in front of a big crowd.”

His skills directly resembled that of his counterpart on the night, senior Jaden Jefferson. The Hawaii commit might be ending his high school career just as Guess is starting, but both have a slippery and slinking style of play that excites fans just as much as it moves their teams down the field.

Jefferson had a solid game, going 14 for 23 through the air with 205 yards and tacked on 65 on the ground. The play that defined the night, however, was a blemish on his record. Backed behind its own 10-yard line, Centennial looked to Jefferson for another magic moment. His flip pass to a running back bounced off his teammate and into the waiting arms of a Mater Dei defender, setting up Sekona’s run.

Centennial’s defense was top notch all night, only allowing two third-down conversions. Mater Dei’s run game was shut down, gaining less than 100 yards, and it looked like the Monarchs would be stifled for the entire four quarters.

The game started out with a jet sweep touchdown from Kennie Leggett, a former Mater Dei player, and it seemed as though Centennial would beat the Monarchs as it did twice last season when building a 9-0 lead in the first quarter. The home team’s defense ratcheted up the pressure, however, not giving up another score. The Huskies only scored again on the freak safety in the first quarter.

Centennial has dealt with a lot of injuries to the offensive line this season, which allowed Mater Dei to get multiple sacks and hurries on Jefferson. Before the game, head coach Matt Logan said that his team has been treating every game in the same way regardless of the opponent. Three tough Trinity League matchups to start the season, however, have left them with a losing record.

Centennial played better, and Logan was right by saying it can go toe-to-toe with any opponent, but the scoreboard favored Lara’s men on a weird night in Santa Ana.

UCLA senior wide receiver Mikey Matthews expects the Bruins’ aerial attack to be as electrifying and dominant as their ground game was in a season-opening win over California.

The passing offense lived up to Matthews’ expectations against Cal — but only for a half.

After quarterback Nico Iamaleava completed 12 of 18 passes for 179 yards in the first half, he completed just two more passes for five yards — the Bruins’ only yardage in the third quarter.

The rushing attack carried the Bruins to victory, breaking open a tied game with three fourth-quarter touchdown runs.

UCLA receiver Mikey Matthews (7) celebrates after quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) ran for a touchdown against Cal at California Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

(Godofredo A. Vasquez/For The Times)

While UCLA called a run-heavy script in the second half, throwing it just four times compared to 18 rushing attempts, the passing game clearly stalled.

Offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy said the offense had to improve after last weekend’s 45-24 victory, noting that two penalties in the third quarter — including on third and one — derailed drives and that the self-inflicted wounds were a teaching moment.

“You have to make sure that every drive, you’re treating it independently. There was a lull in the third quarter, but when you look at it, I was happy with how they responded,” Kennedy said as the team prepared for Saturday’s home opener against San Diego State. “Obviously, you’re not happy with the production of the third quarter, but you’re happy with how they responded in the fourth. There was always belief on the sideline. We had three really bad drives and that’s just as much on me as it is on anyone else.”

Iamaleava played a vital role in keeping the offense on track. And despite largely not contributing through the air in the second half, he looked more comfortable and confident than he ever had in his college career. Matthews called that poise Iamaleava’s greatest improvement since the duo arrived in Westwood last year.

Kennedy said the senior signal-caller was walking up and down the sideline, talking to teammates and stressing a “next drive” mentality.

And Iamaleava’s short-term memory focus echoed his coordinator’s in-game philosophy.

“We will make corrections on bad plays on Sunday, there will be things where we have to make in-game adjustments, but when you are talking about a missed assignment, there’s nothing you can do about it,” Kennedy said. “The only thing you can do about that is worry about ‘how do I get better, how do I learn from my mistake,’ and you have to do it in the moment. You are in a 60,000-seat stadium and it’s not the easiest thing to do, but having other people understand, ‘Let’s move on,’ that’s where he did a really good job.”

Leading up to the opener, Kennedy said he was “beyond confident” in Iamaleava as a leader, player and face of the program, and added that Iamaleava’s willingness to run hard and take hits instills conviction in the team and makes him an easy person to rally around.

“He’s had the opportunity to play young in his career. He’s been in the spotlight for so long,” UCLA assistant quarterbacks coach Jon Boyer said. “He’s dealt with victories. He’s dealt with adversity, and now he does feel valued, and I don’t want him to feel like he’s in it all alone ever.

“He’ll be tested this year where moments of doubt come in, and that’s our job to provide that vision of hope and come up with a plan to get him out of whatever he’s facing.”

Matthews, who led the receivers with four catches for 88 yards, is confident his quarterback will put the ball in the hands of many UCLA receivers he can trust.

“We’re deep in the receiver room. Landon Ellis, Semaj Morgan, Brian Rowe, Aidan Mizell, Shane Rosenthal. I can literally just go down,” Matthews said. “I feel like everyone is bound to have a breakout season, breakout game, whatever it is. Everyone’s going to eat in that room. That’s just how much we trust everyone throwing the ball down the field and everything like that.”

If Matthew Fine, a 5-foot-8, 165-pound senior running back and lacrosse star for Loyola High, needs a walk-up song, he can go back to 1969 when Frank Sinatra’s hit “My Way” came on the radio with the lyrics, “I did it my way.”

Fine, who lives in Manhattan Beach, declined to be interviewed last week before the Cubs’ game against the public school he lives five minutes from, Mira Costa. He didn’t want to give friends he grew up with any bulletin board material. Then he went out and rushed for 105 yards in a 14-7 Loyola victory.

It was fun for him to catch up with neighborhood kids he used to play with starting at age 5.

“I traded jerseys and traded photos,” he said. “It was nice talking to them.”

Asked if he walked home from the game, Fine said, “I actually considered it.”

Fine, with his speed and strength from lacrosse training, could be the comeback player of the year in football. He quit football after his sophomore year to focus on lacrosse. Loyola has one of the best lacrosse programs in the state, winning last season’s Southern Section championship. He’s earned a lacrosse scholarship to Utah.

Football coach Drew Casani had lobbied Fine to return to football before his junior year with no success. Last school year, after the lacrosse season ended, Casani sent him a text inviting him to return.

“I’m in,” Fine responded.

“I love football,” Fine said. “There was a lot of uncertainty. My junior year is where you get recruited for lacrosse. After sitting out a year and watching all the guys playing football, I got really jealous and wanted to jump back in.”

He rejoined the team this year starting at the bottom of the depth chart. Now he’s had back-to-back games rushing for more than 100 yards. This will be his first and only year playing on varsity.

“I’m doing this for fun,” he said. “I love football. I’ve been doing it longer than any other sport.”

Whenever the season ends, it will be Fine’s final football game.

“I don’t think I’ll have any regrets,” he said. “I’ll just be sad. I don’t want to think about that.”

Incredibly, as much as people believe football gets players in the best shape of their life, Fine once flunked his conditioning test for lacrosse after playing football.

“It’s a different type of conditioning,” he explained.

Casani is thrilled that Fine’s one year off from football has had little effect.

“He picked up seemingly where he left off,” Casani said. “ He’s fast, has vision and is hard to tackle.“

Don’t ask his father, Mickey, what Fine might do next or any day.

“My son does things his own way,” he said. “Sometimes I don’t understand it.”

With a 4.0 grade-point average and terrific lacrosse talent as an attacker, Fine has a bright future. For those who play intramural flag football on Utah’s campus, Fine could be the ringer to deliver a championship next year.

Start the early recruitment, Utes students.

From the moment they arrive at school, Dos Pueblos High seniors Ruby Streatfeild and Brooklyn Hedricks are practically inseparable.

Whether in class, at lunch or in practice, the two spend so much of their time together they can finish each other’s sentences, and that synergy is one reason the Chargers are in the hunt for a CIF flag football championship. Their competitiveness is another.

“Me and Brooklyn are besties,” Streatfeild said. ”The biggest thing we have in common is we both want to win.”

Streatfeild began the season as a receiver but transitioned to quarterback when Ava Taiji sustained a tricep strain at the Chargers Invitational. She has flourished in her new role, passing for 823 yards and 18 touchdowns.

“It’s a lot harder, but I like it,” said Streatfeild, who has also rushed for 248 yards and five touchdowns. “I like getting the ball every play and being able to make more plays. It’s taught me to be a leader. It’s not just about being vocal, it’s about the energy you bring to the field and not letting a loss bring you down.”

The Chargers are 10-2 and have shut out five opponents. Their only defeats came within hours of each other at the Chargers Invitational, to reigning Southern Section Division I champion JSerra and Bonita Vista, the second-ranked team in the San Diego Section. They have won seven straight, giving up only 25 points in the process.

Naturally, Hedricks is Streatfeild’s favorite target.

“Brooklyn has the best hands and really good speed,” Streatfeild said. “If I throw her the ball, it’ll be caught.”

Hedricks, a receiver on offense and a linebacker on defense, has mutual trust in her quarterback. She already has 27 receptions for 355 yards and eight touchdowns.

“I know when Ruby throws it, it’s going to get there,” she said.

Both grew up playing soccer and their AYSO teams were once matched against each other at a tournament in Bakersfield when they were 12, although neither knew it at the time.

Dos Pueblos quarterback Ruby Streatfeild throws on the run during a 31-0 win over Santa Barbara.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“My family figured it out later,” said Streatfeild, who ended the first drive of last week’s nonleague game at Santa Barbara by rolling to her left and zipping a perfect pass to Hedricks in the corner of the end zone. Hedricks later scored on a 40-yard interception return in the team’s 31-0 victory.

“Ruby and Brooklyn have been with us since Day 1, they’re both three-sport athletes and both have sisters who also play,” said Dos Pueblos coach Doug Caines, who started the program in 2023. “It’s incredible for Ruby to be clicking this fast at a new position. As for Brooklyn, she’s so gifted at reading the quarterback. She had two pick-sixes at the Ventura Showcase.”

In the winter, the two play on the varsity soccer team (Hedricks plays forward; Streatfeild left back) under the guidance of Hedricks’ father George, who is also the head baseball coach.

“I don’t think we’ve ever assisted each other in soccer,” said Hedricks, who tallied six goals and three assists last season.

Asked which is more exhilarating — scoring a goal or a touchdown — the two looked at each other and said in unison: “A touchdown!”

Hedricks plays outfield in softball and will move from right field to center in the spring.

“I got a promotion,” she joked.

1

2

1. Dos Pueblos receiver Brooklyn Hedricks catches a pass. 2. Dos Pueblos quarterback Ruby Streatfeild runs with the ball. (Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Hedricks had 30 hits, 23 RBIs and 20 runs with 26 putouts in 26 chances last season as Dos Pueblos advanced to the Division 3 semifinals.

Streatfeild’s spring activity is track and field, where she competes in the 100-meter dash, long jump and both relays. She ran the anchor leg as the Chargers set a school record in the 4×100 meters with a time of 48.66 seconds at the Division 2 prelims last year.

However, both consider flag football their primary sport and have received offers to play in college.

“My dad encouraged me to try out and I loved it from the start,” said Hedricks, who is the school’s all-time leader in interceptions with 45. “I’ve never struggled learning plays.”

Hedricks’ sister Reagan is a freshman linebacker and punter on the junior varsity team.

Streatfeild’s inspiration was her sister Sterling, who was a tailback and free safety and now attends Vanderbilt. Last June, the sisters helped the Conquer Chargers’ U17 team win the inaugural Roma Bowl in Italy after Sterling’s graduation. Ruby was named the tournament MVP.

“She was in ninth grade and came to watch her older sister try out and after that first day she said ‘I want to do that,’” Caines said of Ruby, who caught a team-best 104 passes for 1,101 yards and 18 touchdowns last fall.

Ruby Streatfeild has thrown for 823 yards and 18 touchdowns since switching from receiver to quarterback early in the season.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Streatfeild and Hedricks’ bond grew even stronger as teammates on the Conquer Chargers, which won the high school girls division at the NFL Flag championships in July in Westfield, Ind. That roster also featured Kacey Hurley, who quarterbacked Dos Pueblos to the Southern Section semifinals last fall and is now a freshman at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

“We tried out in November and were with the team for eight months prior to nationals,” Hedricks said. “We trained once or twice a week in Camarillo and some days we carpooled.”

“It was fun experience but that was five-on-five not seven-on-seven, which is a whole different format,” added Streatfeild, who was thrilled to learn the next morning that a play she made — diving to catch the ball before it hit the ground — was No. 1 on the ESPN “SportsCenter Top 10.” She also made the list for her 60-yard touchdown catch in the playoffs last season against Edison.

“That just shows what a game-changer Ruby is,” Caines said. “I mean, to make an ESPN highlight not once but twice? Amazing!”

While they do not socialize much off campus, the hours they spend together on it have forged a close friendship.

“It’s harder to hang out after school because of where we both live,” said Hedricks, who has a 45-minute commute from Lompoc to Goleta. “Not a big deal — I’m used to it by now.”

Caines is grateful for the attention his stars have brought to Dos Pueblos, located in the foothills across the 101 Freeway from UC Santa Barbara.

Dos Pueblos’ Brooklyn Hedricks, left, celebrates with teammate Kindah Ahmad-Reda after returning an interception for a touchdown against Santa Barbara.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“We’re not in Orange County or San Diego, we’re the northernmost school in the Southern Section and we don’t get as much exposure but we’re fighting for relevancy,” he said. “It was so cool seeing 805 [area code] girls beat more established club teams from Texas and Florida. It shows we have good teams up here.”

Dos Pueblos finished 24-3 last season and played even with JSerra for almost three quarters before losing 20-0 in the Division 1 semifinals. This year’s goal is to make it to the finals.

“We’ve had a different quarterback every season, so this is nothing new,” Streatfeild said. “We’re still progressing but beating Westlake was huge. We have the best coach, so I think we can make the top division. We’re going to give it our all.”

Way back in the 1970s, the City Section ruled in top quarterbacks. In the city of Granada Hills alone, there were two future NFL quarterbacks competing: John Elway at Granada Hills and Tom Ramsey at Kennedy. Add another future NFL quarterback, Jay Schroeder, and the City Section could compare itself to anyone in the nation.

This season, City teams have been going to the air to take advantage of their experienced, athletic quarterbacks.

From Chris Fields III at Carson to super sophomore Thaddeus Breaux at Hamilton, these quarterbacks know what they are doing. Let’s look at others.

South East’s Bryce Johnson has 743 yards passing and five touchdowns in three games. Jered Smith of Verdugo Hills has 462 yards passing and six touchdowns in two games. Noa Tuvalu of Banning has thrown for 837 yards and seven touchdowns with only one interception.

Seth Solorio of San Pedro set a school record with seven touchdown passes last week against Westchester. Freshman Exavier Johnson of Birmingham came through with 171 yards passing and two touchdowns last week in a loss to Moorpark. Robert Holohan of Palisades has five touchdown throws. Danniel Flowers of Crenshaw has led his team to a 3-0 start with his versatility to run and pass.

Gerald Torres of King/Drew has 800 yards passing and seven touchdowns. Nathaniel Cadet of Marshall has passed for nine touchdowns.

It’s a good sign that teams are getting their offensive lines to provide enough protection to let quarterbacks shine.

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

A look at the top performers from high school football games across the Southland this week.

RUSHING

• Justin Clinton, Bishop Amat: Rushed for 119 yards and one touchdown in win over Valencia.

• Myles Cross, Granada Hills: Rushed for two touchdowns and made game-saving interception in win over Palisades.

• Moyosoreoluwa Odebunmi, Cleveland: Rushed for 138 yards in 15 carries and scored one touchdown in win over Castaic.

• Will Biddle, L.A. University: Rushed for 215 yards and two touchdowns in win over Santee.

• Levin Whitney, South East: Rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns in win over Fremont.

• AJ McBean, Gardena Serra: Rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns in win over Los Alamitos.

• Brandon Hernandez, Panorama: Rushed for 275 yards and five touchdowns in win over Fulton Prep.

• Jordan Bonilla, La Serna: Rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns in win over Salesian.

• Matt Quintanilla, Granada Hills Kennedy: Rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns in win over Canyon Country Canyon.

• Gatsbee Gumban, Nogales: Rushed for 197 yards and three touchdowns in win over Cantwell-Sacred Heart.

• Rocky Martinez, Redondo Union: Set a school record with 306 yards rushing in 31 carries and one touchdown in win over Culver City.

• Ryan Christianson, Orange Lutheran: Had 32 carries for 165 yards and one touchdown in win over Chandler (Ariz.) Basha.

• William Fredericksen, JSerra: Rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns in win over Crean Lutheran.

PASSING

• Jacob Anzaldua, Banning: Passed for 462 yards and seven touchdowns in win over Carter.

• Ryan Rakowski, Palos Verdes: Ran for three touchdowns, passed for two touchdowns in win over Carson.

• Seth Solorio, San Pedro: Set a school record with seven touchdown passes in win over Westchester.

• Domenico Doran, Bishop Amat: Completed nine of 10 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns vs. Valencia.

• Chase Curren, Crespi: Passed for 230 yards and two touchdowns, ran for two touchdowns in comeback win over St. Francis.

• Nathaniel Cadet, L.A. Marshall: Passed for 229 yards and three touchdowns in win over Bernstein.

• Donovan Shirley, Salesian: Passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns in loss to La Serna.

• Talon Spencer, Capistrano Valley: Passed for 225 yards and three touchdowns, ran for 177 yards in win over Great Oak.

• Trent Lux, Great Oak: Passed for 300 yards and three touchdowns in loss to Capistrano Valley.

• Bryce Johnson, South East: Passed for 223 yards, ran for 94 yards and three touchdowns in defeat of Fremont.

• Angelo Gutierrez, Marquez: Passed for 356 yards and five touchdowns, ran for 96 yards in loss to Mayfair.

RECEIVING

• Jordan Slye Jr., Salesian: Three catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns in loss to La Serna.

• Anthony Jacobs Jr., Oxnard Pacifica: Caught three passes for 115 yards and three touchdowns in win over Hart.

• Matthew Crowson, Great Oak: Caught five passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns in loss to Capistrano Valley.

DEFENSE

• Reginald Duncan, Crenshaw: Recorded three sacks in win over Hamilton.

• Chase Madrid, Hart: Had eight tackles and two interceptions in loss to Oxnard Pacifica.

• Alifeleti Tuihalamaka, Oaks Christian: Had 12 tackles, including a sack, in loss to Liberty.

• Malaika Sione, Oxnard Pacifica: Had 12 tackles in win over Hart.

• Nolan Scott, Corona del Mar: Had one sack, one interception and 65 receiving yards in win over Edison.

• Adrinn Ry and Isaac Guzman, Nogales: Had two interceptions each vs. Cantwell-Sacred Heart.

• King Rich Johnson, Orange Lutheran: Returned interception 84 yards for touchdown vs. Chandler (Ariz.) Basha.

• Elyjah Staples, Marquez: Credited with 21 tackles and scored on a blocked punt vs. Mayfair.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Diego Mendez, Cleveland: The soccer player made six of six PATs and a 40-yard field goal vs. Castaic.

• Jorden Wells, Servite: Returned punt for touchdown in loss to Arizona Centennial.

• Stephen Nunez, Crespi: Returned a kickoff 57 yards, returned a punt 53 yards and had six catches for 93 yards and one TD in win over St. Francis.

• Connor White, El Toro: Blocked field-goal attempt and returned it 70 yards for touchdown in win over Aliso Niguel.

• Noah Ahrari, Chino Hills: Made 43-yard field goal in loss to San Juan Hills.

The sun hadn’t even set yet over the Coliseum, and already Trent Mosley had broken free, with nary a defender within 15 yards on either side.

It was the start of the second quarter on Friday night, when USC quarterback Jayden Maiava spotted his budding star freshman soaring on a slot post through the wide-open center of the field. And a split-second later the crowd saw it, too — their quiet rumbles rising to a thrilling roar, as if they knew what was coming next.

One ankle-twisting stutter-step is all it took for the true freshman to take off, once again. And it didn’t take much after that for USC to stick a fork in Fresno State.

But while Mosley captivated once again and Maiava came alive, it was Gary Patterson and the Trojans’ defense that really twisted the knife in a dominant 39-0 win for USC.

A week ago, it was Patterson who took the Trojans’ poor finish the hardest after they gave up 23 points in the fourth quarter to San José State. But a week spent looking in the mirror seemed to make a major difference as USC (2-0) managed its first shutout since Week 2 of the 2024 season.

“He loves shutouts,” sophomore defensive back Alex Graham said of the Trojans’ defensive coordinator. “He thinks shutouts are the best thing in the world.”

Patterson must have felt particularly thrilled Friday, considering how thoroughly USC’s defense dismantled Fresno State. The Bulldogs had just 56 yards heading into their final drive, 52 of which they accumulated in the first quarter.

“I told you guys,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said, “he makes it challenging on the other side.”

That was an understatement, given what happened after Mosley’s tide-turning touchdown. With the Bulldogs backed up against their goal line, Patterson dialed up a nickel blitz — and Fresno State didn’t account for it. So defensive back Kennedy Urlacher came flying into the backfield and collided into Bulldogs quarterback Jayden Mandal, who fell out of the back of the end zone for a safety.

“That’s just great coaching,” Urlacher said. “Coach knows what to call in certain situations.”

USC coach Lincoln Riley, center, celebrates during the Trojans’ 39-0 win over Fresno State at the Coliseum on Friday night.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Patterson had no problem pouring it on, as it didn’t get any less demoralizing for Fresno State (0-1) after that. USC’s defense didn’t give up a single yard or a first down in the second and third quarters. And over that stretch, the Trojans gave up just one completed pass.

USC’s defense actually tallied more safeties (two) during that same stretch.

The second, from defensive back Alex Graham, came a quarter later, and it looked quite familiar. This time, Graham came screaming out of the slot on the same blitz and leveled Mandal in the end zone. It was one of three sacks that USC registered off the nickel blitz — and one of four overall.

The combination of an all-around dominant defensive effort, with the Trojans’ usual offensive mastery, offered a glimpse of what USC hopes it can be this season. The question is whether it can actually do it again moving forward.

Maiava might have a hard time staying quite this perfect. The USC quarterback had one of the most precise performances of his Trojans tenure, completing 23 of 25 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Through two games, just six of his 54 passes have ended up incomplete.

“It’s more than perfect,” wideout Corey Simms said. “It’s amazing playing with a quarterback like Jayden Maiava.”

It certainly doesn’t hurt to have Mosley, who notched his second consecutive 100-yard game, tallying all of his 104 yards and two touchdowns in the second quarter. Or what about Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, his freshman counterpart? He had 102 yards on six catches.

USC was all but unstoppable through the air. But on a night where there was little to nitpick, the Trojans weren’t exactly efficient on the ground. Their ballcarriers averaged under four yards per carry, and Waymond Jordan, USC’s leading rusher with 67 yards, lost a fumble.

But with Maiava doing most of the heavy lifting, USC barely needed its backfield.

Maiava completed 19 of his first 20 passes, picking up where he left off last week when he connected on 25 of 29 in the opener. Faced with an early fourth down, he heaved a pass deep down the sideline for Dixon-Wyatt, who leaped over a defender to reel in a 31-yard reception. Three plays later, he found sophomore wideout Tanook Hines streaking across the end zone, uncovered, and hit him for an opening score.

USC running back Deshonne Redeaux scores a touchdown after Fresno State defensive back Taylor Powell, left, fails to tackle him during the second half of the Trojans’ 39-0 win Friday night at the Coliseum.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

He didn’t take his foot off the gas. After Jordan fumbled away a screen pass, Maiava later found Mosley for that 68-yard score. Then he didn’t miss a single pass for another two quarters.

By that point, USC’s defense had found another level.

It wasn’t until the final drive that Fresno State managed to move the ball. The Bulldogs tallied more yards on that possession (60) than they had the rest of the game combined, and they managed to march to the Trojans’ eight-yard line.

But that was as far as Fresno State would go. This time, on fourth down, a pack of Trojan defenders descended. They piled on Mandal for a game-ending sack.

On the sideline, players crowded around Patterson, jumping for joy. And in the center of the chaos, the Trojans’ new defensive coordinator cracked a smile.

Orange Lutheran High does not have an easy game on its schedule. MaxPreps ranked the school’s schedule as the toughest in the nation, as it faces off against five opponents in the website’s preseason national top 25 rankings.

The first three weeks have been a true gauntlet.

It started with an away game in Florida against Miami Central High, the seventh-best team in the state, according to MaxPreps. Orange Lutheran only lost by one point.

After beating the 15th-best team in California, San Diego Cathedral, last week 38-24, the Lancers faced its biggest test yet: Chandler (Ariz.) Basha, the No. 1 team in Arizona, and ranked 12th nationally. Orange Lutheran is the eighth-ranked team in California and 61st nationally.

A 30-24 loss to Basha last season still hung in the air around Orange Coast College on Friday night, and it looked like Orange Lutheran would be in for another one after Basha senior quarterback and Princeton commit Jake Rogers threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Jaden Baldwin on the third play of their first drive.

However, because they didn’t make this season about themselves, Orange Lutheran has a prime directive to make things as hard as possible on opponents. A 23-17 win Friday suggested they followed through on that goal.

After the first quarter, Basha was not able to do anything effective on offense.

Every possession in the third quarter was a three-and-out, with one resulting in a punt out of the end zone. Basha had a bad snap, giving Orange Lutheran two points.

Beyond that, twin brothers and juniors Anhor The Great Johnson and King Rich Johnson swarmed everything that Basha tried to do.

It started with a 75-yard pick-six from King Rich on a snaking sideline return that gave Orange Lutheran a lead they never conceded.

Anhor The Great had so many pass breakups that counting would’ve been a fool’s errand.

Defensive line bat downs and sacks haunted Rogers, who finished the game with 192 yards passing and two touchdowns with two interceptions as well as a less than 50% completion on passes and two interceptions.

Senior lineman Lucas Rhoa got to watch this all unfold from the sidelines, and he was truly in awe after the game.

“One of the best defensive games I’ve seen,” he said. “Really, two big plays and three other points [is all Basha got]. We couldn’t do it without them, because we only put up 23 points.”

The only score given up in the second half was a 30-yard pass from Rogers to senior running back Noah Roberts. It gave the Bears life for the first time since the half. It was also Roberts only big play on a night where he averaged less than two yards per carry.

It was senior night for Orange Lutheran, with emotions flowing around Orange Coast College stadium all night, but it was a sophomore running back who had the most explosive performance.

Ryan Christianson finished with 151 yards rushing and one touchdown on 31 rushes. He was buoyed by Rhoa and a strong offensive line performance.

“Our running back is amazing, he did amazing things,” he said. “I’m proud of the way we played tonight, but there’s so much more we could clean up. So many points were left on the board. If we clean it up we’re going to be very good.”

First year head coach Ray Fenton inherited this insane schedule, but he probably would’ve booked the same battles. Many of his players will be playing Division I football on Saturdays, so why not test them now?

Plus, Orange Lutheran plays in the Trinity League. With highly ranked schools such as St. John Bosco, Mater Dei and Santa Margarita on the schedule, playing weak schools in nonleague games does nothing but harm Orange Lutheran’s talented roster.

“We can’t hide from our league, it’s like the SEC of high school football,” Fenton said.

A look at the top performers from high school football games across the Southland this week.

RUSHING

• AJ McBean, Gardena Serra: Rushed for 135 yards in eight carries and scored three touchdowns in win over L.A. Hamilton.

• Noel Washington, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame: Rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns in win over Bishop Alemany.

• Adrian Petero, Santa Margarita: Rushed for 108 yards and one touchdown in win over Corona Centennial.

• Dallas Miller, Huntington Beach: Rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns in win over Los Alamitos.

• Jordan Medrano, Bell: Rushed for three touchdowns and had double-digit tackles in upset win over Marquez.

• Matt Fine, Loyola: Rushed for 101 yards in nine carries and scored three touchdowns in win over Long Beach Millikan.

• Maliq Allen, St. John Bosco: Rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns, caught one TD pass in win over Philadelphia Roman Catholic.

• Daiveaun Neal, Jefferson: Rushed for more than 200 yards for the second consecutive week in win over Van Nuys.

PASSING

• Taylor Lee, Oxnard Pacifica: Passed for 365 yards and five touchdowns in win over San Diego Lincoln.

• Ezra Brown, Orange Lutheran: Completed 18 of 19 passes for 253 yards in win over San Diego Cathedral.

• Julian Medina, Norco: Completed 20 of 22 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns in win over Colony.

• Donovan Shirley, Salesian: Passed for 371 yards and three touchdowns in win over Mesa (Ariz.) Westwood.

• Jaxson Algaze, El Toro: The sophomore passed for 338 yards and five touchdowns in win over Marina.

• Star Thomas, Orange: Passed for 280 yards and three touchdowns in win over Laguna Beach.

• Lequand Jackson, Baldwin Park: Passed for 263 yards and five touchdowns, ran for 115 yards win over Rowland.

• Jeremy Mellalieu, Chaminade: Completed 10 of 12 passes for 216 yards and four touchdowns in win over Valencia.

• Hudson Shaddow, El Dorado: Passed for 191 yards and four touchdowns in win over Fullerton.

• Ford Green, Westlake: Completed 14 of 18 passes for 257 yards and four touchdowns in win over Agoura.

• Chase Curren, Crespi: Passed for 291 yards and four touchdowns in win over Golden Valley.

RECEIVING

• Bryce Thacker, El Toro: Caught 11 passes for 11 passes for 130 yards and four touchdown vs. Marina.

• Gary Ferguson, Oak Park: Had four touchdowns, including a 99-yard reception and pick six, in win over Fillmore.

• Quentin Hale, Corona Centennial: Caught seven passes for 108 yards and one touchdown in loss to Santa Margarita.

• Nate Davis, Trabuco Hills: Caught eight passes for 140 yards in comeback win over Bellflower.

• Blake Rogers, La Habra: Made five catches for 147 yards and three touchdowns in win over Northview.

• KJ Woodbury, Orange: Had seven receptions for 169 yards and one touchdown in win over Laguna Beach.

• Brady Stringham, Laguna Beach: Caught 13 passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns in loss to Orange.

DEFENSE

• Jalen Flowers, Palos Verdes: Made two interceptions in win over Orlando (Fla.) Bishop Moore.

• Dylin Bruce, Huntington Beach: Returned an interception 76 yards for touchdown vs. Los Alamitos.

• Kingston Jimmerson, Santa Margarita: The sophomore had two sacks in loss to Corona Centennial.

• Roshaun Brown, Jefferson: The sophomore returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown in win over Van Nuys.

• Kadin Saalih, Hart: Had three sacks in win over Newbury Park.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Sean Byrnes, Villa Park: Blocked two punts in win over Western.

• Jake Martin, Santa Margarita: Came up with blocked PAT in one-point win over Corona Centennial.

• Charlie Szaras, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame: Made field goals from 28 and 32 yards and was nine for nine on touchbacks vs. Alemany.

• Dylan Fullmer, Harvard-Westlake: Returned kickoff 87 yards for touchdown, had a 55-yard kickoff return and TD run in win over Palisades.

About five miles separate Agoura and Westlake high schools, but there seemed to be a great deal more distance between them Friday night, as host Westlake throttled the Chargers 38-7 in a nonleague game.

Most of that gap came via the right arm of sophomore quarterback Ford Green, who dissected the Chargers, completing 14 of 18 passes for 257 yards and four touchdowns. For Green, and the Warriors (2-0), the victory eliminated any lingering doubts about their season-opener last week, a thrilling, 32-26 triple-overtime win against Newbury Park. Though Green threw two touchdowns last week and ran for the winning touchdown, he threw two interceptions and tallied only 139 yards through the air.

Against Agoura (1-1), Green completed his first 10 passes and finished the first half with three touchdowns and 219 yards. He added a fourth touchdown in the third quarter. Westlake finished the scoring in the fourth on a one-yard plunge by running back Nazir Esanbor and a 35-yard field goal by kicker Gabriel Goroyan.

“Last week showed how we fight as a team when we come together, but tonight showed how we can dominate,” Green said.

Though graced with two top-flight receivers in Charles Davis and Demare Dezeurn, both of whom have committed to Cal, Green spread the wealth Friday, completing passes to six Warriors. Those included a 14-yard strike to Davis on the Warriors’ first possession and a 57-yard touchdown pass to freshman Drew Gamboa later in the first quarter. Green also completed a 58-yard second-quarter touchdown pass to Erik Green and a 29-yard pass to Dezeurn early in the fourth.

While praising Green’s composure, accuracy, consistency and feel, Westlake coach Rick Clausen also singled out the offensive line.

“Obviously Game 1 wasn’t what we were looking for, but they practiced really hard this week and focused on what they needed to work on and didn’t worry about the exterior stuff,” he said, “They gave [Ford] the chance to succeed.”

Ford trumpeted the depth of his receiving corps.

“I trust every single one of my receivers that they can get the job done and they did,” he said. “And we’re a brotherhood, a family, and the ball gets spread out. Even if one guy is doing really well, I know every one of them will be ready when it’s their time.”

Sophomore quarterback Jeremy Mellalieu threw for 222 yards and four touchdowns Friday to lead unbeaten Chaminade to a 35-10 victory over Valencia in a penalty-marred game at Valencia.

The 13th-ranked Eagles (3-0) opened the scoring late in the first quarter when Mellalieu found Bryan Granger-Narcisse with a short pass in the flat and Granger-Narcisse did the rest, breaking tackles and dodging defenders on a 63-yard jaunt to the end zone.

After Valencia missed a short field-goal attempt to close the first quarter, Mellalieu and Andrew Cordero connected on the first of two touchdown passes, this one covering 77 yards, to double the lead 13 seconds into the second quarter.

Valencia’s sophomore quarterback Evan McCallister, who completed 15 passes for 264 yards on the night, cut the deficit in half midway through the second quarter when Caysen Badawi turned a short pass into a 61-yard scoring play 9:32 before halftime. But that was as close as the Vikings (1-1) would get.

Kingston Williams, a senior tackle listed at 300 pounds, also had a big game for Chaminade with two key sackswhile moonlighting as a fullback on offense, scoring a second-quarter touchdown on a one-yard run and bulling his way five yards to pick up an important first down in the second half.

The game was delayed approximately 20 minutes early in the second period quarter after a Chaminade player became stricken by the hot and humid conditions. He was treated by paramedics on the sidelines before being transported by ambulance to the hospital for what a Chaminade coach said were precautionary reasons.

Don’t read too much into it.

That’s what Rams coach Sean McVay said after rookie quarterback Ty Simpson played and Stetson Bennett did not in the Rams’ 20-18 victory over the Chargers on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium.

McVay does not play starters or players expected to be significant backups or contributors during the preseason, especially in the final game.

Based on that, Bennett appears on track to be the No. 2 quarterback behind Matthew Stafford when the Rams play the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 10 in Melbourne, Australia.

Or does it?

“I wouldn’t look too far into what that was,” McVay said of playing Simpson. “It was just continuing to get him experience.

“We’ve got three quarterbacks on our roster. Obviously, we’ve got the reigning MVP of the league and we’ve got two guys that we feel really good about. And if you say, ‘Hey, what does that really mean?’ That’s what it means, that we feel really good about those two guys.

“Not pigeonholing myself into any sort of decision other than I feel really good about Stetson Bennett, feel really good about Ty Simpson.”

Simpson, the 13th pick in the draft, completed 18 of 23 passes for 119 yards, including a second-quarter touchdown.

He faced Chargers starters during his first series, which ended with a punt.

“I was excited because it was my first time to where I was going against real guys in a real game,” Simpson said. “And it felt like I expected it to feel. Fast.”

It was Simpson’s second no-turnover performance. In the preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, Simpson played all but the first two series and completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

On Thursday, his most impressive play came early in the second quarter on third-and-seven from the Chargers’ 11-yard line. Simpson escaped pressure and rolled out to his left before firing a pass to diving receiver Brennan Presley for a touchdown.

Rams quarterback Ty Simpson slides in front of Chargers linebacker Nadame Tucker during the first half Thursday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Matthew Caldwell, an undrafted free agent from Texas, started the second half and played into the fourth quarter before suffering a knee injury. He completed five of 10 passes for 31 yards, including an eight-yard touchdown pass to running back Dean Connors.

Bennett, a fourth-year pro, took the vast majority of second-team snaps during training camp and preseason practices, and took first-team reps on days Stafford was held out. Bennett played the first half against the New Orleans Saints and rushed for two touchdowns.

NFL teams must trim their rosters to 53 players by Sunday.

“We’ve got some tough decisions over the next couple days,” McVay said.

Other noteworthy items following the Rams’ victory:

Atwell isn’t a fill-in for Nacua

Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell celebrates after a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 28, 2025.

(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)

Running back Jarquez Hunter did not play — and was not in the building — but not because he was assured a roster spot with the Rams.

On Thursday, the Rams traded Hunter, a 2025 fourth-round draft pick, to the Miami Dolphins for receiver Tutu Atwell, who played five seasons for the Rams before signing with the Dolphins last March.

Atwell joins a receiver corps that includes Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, Xavier Smith and rookie CJ Daniels.

Nacua is the defendant in a civil lawsuit that alleges he made an antisemitic statement and bit a woman while riding in a vehicle. If the NFL determines that Nacua violated the league’s personal-conduct policy, he could be suspended.

Did the Rams acquire Atwell as a preemptive move in case Nacua is suspended?

“No,” McVay said. “It had nothing to do with that. It was exclusively a guy we were really familiar with that you could really get at what we felt like was good for us and good for Jarquez.”

“Tutu’s an alumni,” Rams general manager Les Snead said during an in-game television interview. “He should come back. He’s someone who knows Sean’s offense. He can come in and play all three [receiver] positions.”

Connors, who played at Murrieta Valley High and Riverside City College before finishing his college career at Rice and Houston, rushed for 69 yards in 18 carries. Jordan Waters rushed for 53 yards in 15 carries.

Still waiting on Aaron Donald

Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald leaves the field after a game against the Arizona Cardinals in November 2023.

(Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)

McVay reiterated that the Rams will continue to move forward until Donald decides whether he will end a two-year retirement and re-join the team.

“It’s really one of those deals that, what we’re doing is we’re focusing on this football team,” McVay said. “Aaron knows that, ‘Hey, if he wants to be able to do that, that’s something that we absolutely want to entertain and be able to figure out, and that’s really kind of all there is to it right now.”

During a television interview during the game, Rams general manager Les Snead said Donald, a three-time NFL defensive player of the year, was still going through his process.

“Obviously, the timeline’s getting a little closer to make a decision, but the timeline’s the timeline,” Snead said. “Time will tell.”

If Donald returns, he will join a front that includes two-time defensive player of the year Myles Garrett, acquired by the Rams in a blockbuster trade. Snead said in the interview that dealing for Garrett was not part of the Rams’ plan heading into the offseason.

“Never was Myles Garrett penciled into that intent,” Snead said, “and I’ll be honest with you: Never was Aaron Donald penciled into that intent. Sometimes luck goes your way, and we’re jacked to have Myles and we’re waiting on to see what happens with Aaron.”

Defensive standouts

Rams safety Nick Andersen, center, celebrates with teammates after recovering a fumble by Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert in the first half Thursday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Outside linebacker Darryl Peterson III had two sacks, including one that resulted in a fumble in the final minute to preserve the victory.

Safety Nick Andersen recovered a fumble by Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.

Cornerback Cam Lampkin also had a sack.

Edge rusher Wesley Bailey, who made a big impression in the first two preseason games, started against the Chargers but played only two snaps and had one quarterback pressure.

Mevis finishes perfect preseason

Mevis kicked two 27-yard field goals, making him six for six in three games.

Mevis kicked two field goals against the Chiefs and two against the Saints.

The Rams never found a way to consistently deploy speedy receiver Tutu Atwell. But they apparently can’t quit him.

On Thursday, the Rams traded second-year running back Jarquez Hunter to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Atwell, the team announced.
ESPN first reported the trade.

Hunter, 24, was a 2025 fourth-round draft pick from Auburn. He played in five games as a rookie, all on special teams. On a Super Bowl-favorite team that includes Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers, who is also a special teams ace, Hunter was not going to play unless there were a series of injuries.

Rams running back Jarquez Hunter carries the ball during a preseason win over the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium on Aug. 22.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Atwell, who will turn 27 in October, was selected by the Rams in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Louisville. He was sidelined much of his rookie season because of a shoulder injury, and was subsequently used sparingly the next three seasons. In 2024, he caught a career-best 42 passes for 562 yards.

Before the 2025 season, the Rams signed Atwell to a one-year, $10-million contract. But with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams getting the majority of targets, Atwell caught only six passes for 192 yards, 88 coming on a winning touchdown pass play against the Indianapolis Colts.

In March, Atwell signed a one-year, $1.4-million contract with the Dolphins, according to Sportrac.com.

Atwell joins a receiver corps that includes Nacua, Adams, Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, rookie CJ Daniels and Xavier Smith, who was the punt returner last season.

When talking about the Gerhardt brothers, Hudson, a quarterback, and Bailen, a receiver, first-year Village Christian coach Rand Holdren says there’s never a boring moment when the two are together.

“I want to send them off to their room,” he joked about the brothers bickering with each other.

What brothers don’t occasionally raise their voices, and fight over food, gifts and clothes?

In Village Christian’s 34-0 win over Huntington Park last week, Hudson, a senior, completed 11 of 13 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Bailen, a junior, caught four passes for 91 yards and one touchdown. Of course, if Bailen ever drops a pass, big brother might give him a nasty look.

Holdren left Maranatha to take over the Village Christian program.

“The first day of spring practice, we had nine kids,” he said. “I quickly realized why they called me.”

He’s up to 25 players and hoping the Gerhardt brothers will continue to be entertaining in games and in huddles.

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

Under coach Sean McVay, the Rams’ final preseason games routinely are showcases for players vying for spots on the practice squad, not the roster.

But Thursday night’s game against the Chargers at SoFi Stadium will offer another look at perhaps one of the most important players for the Rams’ future:

Rookie quarterback Ty Simpson.

Simpson, the 13th pick in the NFL draft, has been competing with fourth-year pro Stetson Bennett to back up Matthew Stafford, though Bennett took the vast majority of second-team reps during training camp and preseason workouts.

“I’ve seen good stuff,” McVay said this week of Bennett and Simpson. “I think the hard part is there have been up and down days. I think our defense does a good job of being able to give a lot of challenging looks.”

Simpson will play against the Chargers, McVay said, and also aimed to provide Matthew Caldwell, an undrafted free agent from Texas, his first opportunity. McVay said he had not made a determination about Bennett.

Bennett started against the Kansas City Chiefs but played only two series, one that resulted in a field goal. Simpson came on and completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

Against the New Orleans Saints, Bennett played the first half and completed 19 of 31 passes for 181 yards. He also rushed for two touchdowns. Simpson completed eight of 12 passes for 73 yards in the second half.

“What I have seen in both the games is the guys have good command,” McVay said, adding, “We feel fortunate that you got two guys that we believe in, feel really good about. One of those guys will be the backup in Australia.”

Other things to watch Thursday:

Who is not on the field

The season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia is looming, so McVay will hold out nearly all players assured of a roster spot, other than perhaps kicking-game specialists.

If they are not in uniform on the sideline, they will be on the 53-man roster.

Receiver Tyler Scott trying to catch on

With Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, Xavier Smith and rookie CJ Daniels, the Rams are set at receiver.

But Scott, who played for the Chicago Bears in 2023 and 2024, has made an impression that could land him on the practice squad if he is cut and clears waivers.

Against the Saints, Scott caught a key fourth-down pass from Bennett and just missed coming down with a deep pass.

Will Wesley Bailey stand out again?

Bailey, an undrafted free-agent outside linebacker, played very well in the first two games, but is trying to find a spot in a position group that includes Myles Garrett, Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart and Desjuan Johnson.

Bailey had a sack, three quarterback hits and also forced a fumble against the Saints.

If Bailey, at 6 feet 5 inches and 265 pounds, shines against the Chargers and does not make the roster, he seems like a longshot to clear waivers.

Special teams

Kicker Harrison Mevis has made all four of his preseason field-goal attempts.

Punter Ethan Evans appears ready for a standout performance in a contract year.

Receiver Allen Robinson II spent one season with the Rams. It didn’t go the way L.A. fans had hoped when the former Pro Bowl receiver signed a three-year, $46.5 million deal with the then-reigning Super Bowl champions.

Still, Robinson had some positive takeaways from that portion of his career to share during a video he posted to Instagram on Monday announcing his retirement from the NFL after 11 seasons.

“I learned a lot about football from Coach [Sean] McVay and Cooper Kupp and the guys I was around to be able to then use for the rest of my career,” Robinson said.

The video, titled “No More Sundays,” was posted on Robinson’s 33rd birthday. It shows Robinson watching film from every stop during his football career — from his days as “a kid in Detroit trying to be like Randy Moss” to his final NFL season with his hometown Lions in 2024. It and ends with him turning off the projector and literally hanging up his cleats.

Robinson played three seasons at Penn State and led the Big Ten Conference in receptions and receiving yards in 2012 and 2013 and receiving touchdowns in 2012. The 6-foot-3 player was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2014 draft and made the Pro Bowl in his second season.

During the first game of his fourth year with Jacksonville, Robinson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and missed the rest of the season. He signed with the Chicago Bears before the 2018 season and had four productive years there, which led to his contract with the Rams.

Robinson was expected to be an upgrade over veteran receiver Robert Woods, who was subsequently traded to the Tennessee Titans soon after the Robinson deal, but wasn’t able to achieve his previous levels of success. He wasn’t able to establish a rapport with veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, who did not throw passes during offseason workouts or part of training camp because of a right elbow condition.

A foot injury caused Robinson to miss the final seven games of the season. He finished the year with 33 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns. During the offseason, the Rams traded Robinson and a seventh-round draft pick (No. 251 overall) to the Pittsburgh Steelers for that team’s seventh-round pick (No. 234 overall). The Rams were on the hook for about $10 million of Robinson’s salary.

“I did get injured, so I didn’t have a full season in L.A.,” Robinson said. “But I think I learned a lot about myself, being able to just kind of persevere, go through adversity and being able to mentally grow up. I can say that my career wouldn’t be what it was if I didn’t have a lot of those learning moments.”

Robinson finishes his career with 565 receptions for 7,058 yards and 43 touchdowns. He and former NFL cornerback Prince Amukamara started the “Press Release” football podcast last year. In addition, Robinson has hosted several youth football programs over the years.

“Football gave me more than I ever could’ve imagined,” Robinson wrote on Instagram. “It challenged me, shaped me, humbled me, and rewarded me in ways I’ll carry for the rest of my life. I came, I saw, I conquered and I leave with nothing but gratitude.

“The memories, the relationships, the victories, the lessons, they’ll stay with me forever! Thank you for every moment, every cheer, every lesson, and every opportunity.”

Former James Madison linebacker Trent Hendrick — who went undrafted in the 2026 NFL draft and participated in rookie minicamps with the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs but never signed with a team — committed to UCLA football Sunday, reuniting with coach Bob Chesney and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler in Westwood.

Recruiting website On3.com was the first to report his move.

The former JMU linebacker exhausted his eligibility after the conclusion of the 2025 season, but Hendrick, along with 15 other football players, was granted a temporary restraining order Wednesday by a Louisiana judge to play a fifth season of college football and enter the transfer portal.

Hendrick had 106 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles last season at James Madison under Chensey’s direction. His play earned him Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors.

James Madison’s Trent Hendrick tackles Washington State’s Maxwell Woods on Nov. 22 in Harrisonburg, Va.

(Brien Aho / Getty Images)

The restraining order follows a Colorado court ruling on July 31 that granted athletes who began their collegiate careers in the 2022-23 season a fifth year of eligibility for the upcoming season. Although the Colorado ruling stated players would not be allowed to enter the transfer portal, and a federal appeal court granted the NCAA a temporary stay on the Colorado court order Friday, pausing the nationwide injunction.

It is unclear whether the Louisiana ruling covering Hendrick’s transfer will be contested.

While Hendrick reportedly considered multiple schools, including local Virginia Tech — the alma mater of his agent Zach Hoban — and Tosh Lupoi-led California, the middle linebacker opted for comfort with scheme and familiarity with the coaching staff at UCLA.

Hendrick represents a significant addition to Hitschler’s defense and should immediately fortify the center of the Bruins’ front seven.

UCLA’s run defense ranked 18th worst in the nation last season, conceding 190.4 yards per game, while JMU’s unit ranked fifth best, allowing just 85.1 yards per contest. Integral to the Dukes’ run-stopping was Hendrick, who not only captained the defense, but spearheaded the run support.

Oklahoma transfer linebacker Sammy Omosigho has handled middle linebacker duties since the start of the spring, but with the addition of Hendrick, Omosigho could slide back to the weakside linebacker slot — a position he is familiar with in his three years in Norman, Okla.

There Omosigho can elevate the team’s run stopping and use his athleticism to cover the middle of the defense sideline-to-sideline.

The addition of Hendrick could make fifth-year linebacker Jalen Woods the odd-man out in the starting defense, pushing the St. John Bosco High product to the second team alongside JMU transfer Drew Spinogatti and senior returner Donavyn Pellot.

A look at the top performers from high school football games across the Southland this week.

RUSHING

• Ceasar Reyes, Garfield: Rushed for 277 yards and scored five touchdowns in win over Montebello.

• Jorden Wells, Servite: Rushed for 117 yards and one touchdown in loss to Corona Centennial.

• Sameer Ferguson, Victor Valley: Rushed for 136 yards in win over West Covina.

• Denzel Carter, La Salle: Had 254 yards rushing and four touchdowns and caught two touchdown passes in win over Cantwell-Sacred Heart.

• Tru Warrior Casas, Fairfax: Rushed for 251 yards and four touchdowns in win over Hollywood.

• Joshua Jones, Crenshaw: Rushed for 124 yards and one touchdown in win over Palisades.

• Asir Nembhard, Mater Dei: Rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns in win over American Fork.

PASSING

• Brady Edmunds, Huntington Beach: Completed 24 of 31 passes for 441 yards and six touchdowns in win over Long Beach Millikan.

• Cody King, Castaic: Passed for 357 yards and two touchdowns in win over Buena.

• Jaden Jefferson, Corona Centennial: Passed for 296 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 92 yards and two touchdowns in win over Servite.

• Trent Lux, Great Oak: Passed for 230 yards and four touchdowns in win over Vista Murrieta.

• Chase Curren, Crespi: Passed for 352 yards and three touchdowns in loss to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

• Donovan Shirley, Salesian: Passed for 348 yards and five touchdowns in win over Western.

• Gibson Turner, Torrance: Passed for 324 yards and four touchdowns in win over Mira Costa.

• Fletch Palmer, Santa Margarita: Passed for 242 yards and two touchdowns in win over Orlando (Fla.) Jones.

• Chris Field III, Carson: Accounted for four touchdowns, including the game-winner, in win over San Diego Lincoln.

• Matthew Escobedo, Cantwell-Sacred Heart: Passed for 452 yards and five touchdowns in loss to La Salle.

RECEIVING

• Dylin Bruce, Huntington Beach: Had 10 receptions for 226 yards and three touchdowns in win over Millikan.

• Ian Do, Cypress: Caught six passes for 182 yards in win over Cerritos.

• Quentin Hale, Corona Centennial: Caught eight passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns in wn over Servite.

• Jordan Slye Jr., Salesian: Caught seven passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns in win over Western.

DEFENSE

• Vincent Scates, San Dimas: Returned an interception for a touchdown in win over Glendora.

• De’Andre Kirkpatrick, Crenshaw: Had an interception and ran for touchdown vs. Palisades.

• Jaxson Rex, San Clemente: Returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown in win over Tustin.

• Hudson Manning, Chaminade: Had four sacks in shutout of Oaks Christian.

• George Hastings, Agoura: Contributed seven tackles, 103 yards rushing and a kickoff return for a touchdown in win over Saugus.

• Aydan Steen, Santa Margarita: The freshman had seven solo tackles vs. Orlando (Fla.) Jones.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Nevada Ford, Oak Park: Returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in win over Angelou.

• Niko Dragin, Palos Verdes: Made game-winning 22-yard field goal as time expired in win over Gardena Serra.

• Jalen Flowers, Palos Verdes: Returned kickoff 97 yards for touchdown in defeat of Gardena Serra.

• Jonas Mendoza, Long Beach Poly: Made 41-yard field goal in win over Downey.

• Myles Baker, Sierra Canyon: Returned kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown in win over JSerra.

Jason Grant made a diving catch in the end zone with eight seconds left to lift Crenshaw past host Palisades 34-29 on Friday night in a battle of likely City Section Open Division playoff teams.

Danniel Flowers escaped the pocket, rolled to his right and lofted a pass to Grant, who saved the day for the Cougars after it looked like Palisades would pull off the upset against the team that lost in the section championship game last fall. Flowers ran for the two-point conversion.

“I ran an outside go route and I had to stretch out but I got my knees down,” Grant said. “We’ve been working all summer and the hard work paid off.”

Grant gave a shout-out to interim coach Terrence Whitehead, who guide the Cougars to the finals last fall in the absence of longtime coach Robert Garrett, who was put on administrative leave just before the start of the 2025 season.

“I love him,” Grant said. “He trusted me enough to put me in.”

After the kickoff, Palisades had one last chance from its own 26-yard line with two seconds left but Kyion Rattler intercepted Robert Holohan’s desperation pass at the Cougars’ 35.

Joshua Jones scores Crenshaw’s first touchdown in Friday night’s 34-29 season-opening win at Palisades.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Flowers, who was injured on a sack earlier in the fourth quarter but returned to lead his team on the game-winning drive, threw touchdown passes of 46 yards to Rattler in the second quarter and 23 yards to Jovan Clark with 6:04 left in the fourth quarter that gave Crenshaw a 29-26 lead.

Playing on campus for the first time since the 2024 playoffs, Palisades regained the lead on Holohan’s 33-yard strike to Malachi Ross with 2:48 left for the 29-26 lead. The Dolphins thought they recovered a fumble at the Crenshaw 20 on the ensuing kickoff but the officials awarded the visitors the ball and tacked on a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that allowed the Cougars to start their final drive at their own 35.

“I had to come back in,” Flowers said of his late-game heroics. “I saw the D-end coming out so I just had to wait for a teammate to get open. We knew we’d win if we played four quarters. When we got down we kept our composure.”

Joshua Jones ran for 124 yards and one touchdown in 24 carries, De’Andre Kirkpatrick ran for a one-yard touchdown and intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter to keep Crenshaw close.

“We for sure want to go back to the finals and win,” Flowers added. “Defense wins games, but our offense won this one.”

Making his first varsity start, Holohan threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as the Dolphins established themselves as early Open Division contenders. They lost to Garfield in the Open Division quarterfinals last season, playing every game on the road as a consequence of the Palisades fire.

The teams were meeting for the first time since 1984 when both played in the Crosstown League.