rally

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. After five weeks of high school football, you think you know who’s good and who’’s not. Guess again. The sit-out period for transfers is ending, and the cavalry is about to arrive to change the fortunes of teams.

Here comes help

The sit-out transfer period ends for City Section players Thursday and for Southern Section players on Sept. 29. Some teams will be getting better.

Carson is adding receiver Jordin Daniel (Dominguez) and defensive lineman Tion Marshall (Gardena). King/Drew is picking up several players that will boost its chances of winning the Coliseum League.

Cathedral, which started the season as a top 25 team, is 1-4. A group of linemen become eligible to help protect quarterback Jaden Jefferson and add to the defensive front. Linebacker Daequan Jeffes from Loyola and lineman Mike Watson (6-4, 265 pounds) from Warren will help immediately on defense.

Unbeaten Sierra Canyon adds talented kicker Carter Sobel, who was a standout at Chaminade. Orange Lutheran’s running game will get a big boost with the arrival of Sean Morris, a transfer from Loyola. Corona del Mar adds standout lineman William Herrington from Newport Harbor.

Offensive lineman Saik Fiataugaluia, a transfer from Santa Margarita, becomes eligible at Corona Centennial. He’s 6 feet 5 and 350 pounds. Cornerback Jacob Whitehead, who was a star at Inglewood, joins an already talented St. John Bosco secondary. Cornerback Khalev Patrick Hall joins Mater Dei from Crean Lutheran. Richard Dunn, who was a standout at Hamilton last season as a freshman,, becomes eligible at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. He’ll play on the defensive line.

Murrieta Valley will get two new defensive starters in linebacker Erick Romo from Orange Vista and defensive end West Gomes from Vista Murrieta.

There’s dozens of players becoming eligible around the Southland, so prepare for some new names to be heard on the public address system at games.

Chris Henry Jr. of Mater Dei prepares to make touchdown catch against Corona Centennial.

(Craig Weston)

It was gut-check time for Mater Dei in its trip to Las Vegas to face Bishop Gorman. The Monarchs were facing the possibility of losing two games for the first time since the 2013 season.

They came away with a 27-24 victory to resurrect their season behind tight end Mark Bowman, receiver Chris Henry Jr. and quarterback Ryan Hopkins. Here’s the report.

Sierra Canyon stayed unbeaten and earned respect with a dominating win over Trinity League power Orange Lutheran. Here’s the report.

Freshman quarterback Jonah Tuaniga of Long Beach Millikan passed for 508 yards and nine touchdowns in a 63-0 win over Cabrillo. That’s a freshman record for touchdown passes.

Verbum Dei won its first game since the 2022 season with a victory over Belmont. Here’s the report.

Rocco Thomkins had 16 tackles and sophomore quarterback Gino Wang rallied JSerra to a 39-35 win over Leuzinger.

Edison won its 21st straight game in its rivalry series with Fountain Valley.

Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times.

Here’s the top individual performances from the weekend.

Here’s this week’s schedule of games.

There’s plenty of parity at the top in the City Section. Birmingham, Carson, San Pedro and Banning continue to lose to Southern Section teams, so it leaves lots of questions when league play begins.

Carson lost in double overtime to North Torrance 42-35. Birmingham lost to Calabasas 49-38. San Pedro lost to El Modena 34-14 at SoFi Stadium. Banning lost to Palos Verdes 52-0. They’re all following the Birmingham example that losses to Southern Section opponents can turn out to be victories by preparing teams for City Section play.

Elyjah Staples of Marquez had four touchdown catches and two sacks in a win over La Puente.

Quarterback Liam Pasten of Eagle Rock was 17 of 19 passing for 309 yards and five touchdowns in a 56-21 win over Taft.

Here’s this week’s top 10 City Section rankings.

Wait your turn still works

Junior quarterback Taylor Lee of Oxnard Pacifica has 15 touchdown passes in his last two games.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

“Wait your turn.”

Those three words are repeated again and again by parents trying to teach their young sons and daughters good manners, whether it’s at the dinner table, the amusement park or the ice cream shop.

So why do parents suddenly forget or ignore their words of wisdom when their kids become teenagers, find themselves in sports competitions, lose out on a starting job or don’t receive the attention they think they deserve and decide to flee rather than “wait your turn.”

Two of the top quarterbacks this season, Luke Fahey of Mission Viejo and Taylor Lee of Oxnard Pacifica, waited their turn and are thriving. Here’s the report.

Basketball standout Tyran Stokes of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame made his first appearance in a football uniform on Monday.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

On Monday, the No. 1 high school basketball in the country for the class of 2026, Tyran Stokes of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, started practicing with the football team. He’s 6 feet 8, 245 pounds and will play receiver. He needs 10 days of practices before he can play in a game.

Here’s the report.

With an injury at quarterback, Camarillo turned to its best athlete, Mya Rei Smith, to move from receiver to quarterback, and she has adjusted as if she’s been playing the position all season. She’s the starting point guard for the basketball team and is receiving lots of interest from college programs. Camarillo is 16-1.

Orange Lutheran’s Makena Cook passed for a season-high 410 yards and seven touchdowns in a 46-20 win against Aliso Niguel. Orange Lutheran is 17-0 and begins league play on Thursday against Mater Dei.

Other top teams are JSerra (18-0), Newport Harbor (16-1) and Dos Pueblos (16-1).

In the City Section, Panorama has won its first 16 games. Quarterback Yadhira Hermenegildo has thrown 41 touchdown passes.

Girls volleyball

Middle blocker Elle Vandeweghe of Marymount.

(Steve Galluzzo )

There was a terrific national tournament in Las Vegas, the Durango Classic, and Marymount emerged as champion by knocking off No. 1 Sierra Canyon in the final. Redondo Union, Mater Dei and Mira Costa were also in the tournament.

“Elle Vandeweghe was awesome,” coach Cari Klein said.

Vandeweghe had eight kills in the 21-25, 25-15, 25-12 win over the Trailblazers. Teammate Sammy Desler was named tournament MVP.

Thousand Oaks won the Chatsworth tournament, defeating Palisades in the semifinals and Canyon Country Canyon in the final.

Senior setter Hailey Lauritzen of the Lancers was named tournament MVP.

Cross-country

The Woodbridge Classic brought out lots of top runners from outside California. Here’s the report.

Ivy League play begins

Former St. John Bosco quarterback Caleb Sanchez is playing for Columbia in the Ivy League.

(Columbia Athletics/Stockton Photo)

Former St. John Bosco quarterback Caleb Sanchez has returned for his second season playing in the Ivy League for Columbia. The season began last week, and there’s 39 former Southern Section players on rosters.

Here’s the report.

Notes . . .

In an interview with NBC Los Angeles, former Bishop Montgomery football coach Ed Hodgkiss said he was approached before the season to change the philosophy of the football program.

Last December, according to Hodgkiss, he met with Bishop Montgomery’s now former President Patrick Lee and two others, who previously worked for football powerhouse St. John Bosco.

“They approached me and said we can do the same thing at Bishop Montgomery,” Hodgkiss said, adding the three men had planned to hire a new coaching staff, build a new stadium and bring top players to the Torrance high school. Hodgkiss ended up being fired and the school canceled its varsity season after an Archdiocese investigation and CIF penalties that resulted in 24 players being declared ineligible.

Also the high school association that runs Arizona passed an emergency bylaw to disallow out-of-state transfers to play who transfer in the middle of the season. At least four former Bishop Montgomery and one Long Beach Millikan football player have transferred to Arizona after being declared ineligible for two years in California. They transferred before the bylaw went into effect and are eligible. . . .

Sage Hill standout guard Amalia Holguin has committed to Texas for women’s basketball. . . .

Pitcher Noah Darnell of Santa Margarita has committed to Harvard. . . .

Junior pitcher Sean Parrow of Sierra Canyon has committed to LSU. . . .

Delan Grant, who played basketball at St. Francis until transferring this year to Sierra Canyon, has committed to New Mexico State. . . .

Junior softball player Mattea Stern from Garden Grove Pacifica has committed to Arizona. . . .

Infielder Tate Hammond from Long Beach Poly has committed to UCLA. . . .

Pitcher Mason Sims of Corona.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Junior pitcher Mason Sims of Corona has committed to Texas. . . .

Former Sierra Canyon quarterback Wyatt Becker will be enrolling at Princeton in 2026. He’s taking a Catholic mission this year. . . .

Maddie Smith from Flintridge Prep has committed to Yale for women’s basketball. . . .

Junior softball catcher Riley Hilliard of La Mirada has committed to Oklahoma. . . .

Junior pitcher Ben Lewis of Corona Santiago has committed to Oklahoma State. . . .

Chadrack Mpoyi, a 6-foot-11 center at Crean Lutheran, has committed to Minnesota. . . .

Gardena Serra baseball coach AJ Perry will become the school’s athletic director. He will be replaced by Ryan Odums. . . .

Jordan Myrow is the new baseball coach at Palisades. He played at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, UCLA and Cal State Los Angeles. He has a tough task because the campus baseball field is gone for several years while temporary bungalows are used because of damage from the Palisades fire. . . .

From the archives: Robin Yount

The best baseball player in Taft High history is Robin Yount, a member of baseball’s Hall of Fame who turned 70 years old last week.

He had a 20-year career with the Milwaukee Brewers playing mostly shortstop. He got his 3,000th career hit on Sept. 9, 1992. He made his major-league debut as an 18-year-old.

Here’s a story from 1986 by the great Hall of Fame writer Ross Newhan.

Here’s a bio of Yount’s accomplishments.

Recommendations

From NFHS.org, a story on high school football continuing to rebound national in participation numbers.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story of the growing concerns with artificial turf fields.

From ESPN.com, a story on MLB banning teams from watching or compiling information on high school baseball during a period that should be a break.

From the Riverside Press Enterprise, a story on Lorenzo Sims, Ramona’s latest top running back.

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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President Marcos said in July there were anomalies in 9,855 flood-control projects worth more than $9.5 bn.

Thousands of protesters have gathered in the Philippine capital, Manila, angered over a corruption scandal involving flood control projects that are believed to have cost billions of dollars.

With organisers hoping to draw one of the largest turnouts of anticorruption protests in the country on Sunday, police and troops were put on alert to prevent any possible outbreak of violence.

There has been deadly violence in another Southeast nation, Indonesia, recently, where protesters, infuriated by police violence, parliamentarians’ wages and soaring inflation, have been staging nationwide demonstrations.

Protesters in Manila waved Philippine flags and held a banner that read “No more, too much, jail them”, as they marched, demanding the prosecution of all those involved.

“I feel bad that we wallow in poverty and we lose our homes, our lives and our future while they rake in a big fortune from our taxes that pay for their luxury cars, foreign trips and bigger corporate transactions,” student activist Althea Trinidad told The Associated Press news agency.

“We want to shift to a system where people will no longer be abused.”

According to the AFP news agency, an estimated 13,000 people gathered in Manila’s Luneta Park by Sunday morning.

Anger has been mounting over the so-called ghost infrastructure projects since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr highlighted the scandal in July during his annual State of the Nation speech.

Marcos later established an independent commission to investigate what he referred to as anomalies in many of the 9,855 flood-control projects that were worth more than 545 billion pesos ($9.5bn).

Outrage from the public worsened after a wealthy couple, Sarah and Pacifico Discaya, who operated several construction companies, won flood control contracts that showed dozens of European and US luxury cars and SUVs they owned.

Marcos said on Monday that he did not blame people for protesting against the scandal “one bit” and called for the demonstrations to be peaceful. The president added that the army was on “red alert” as a precaution.

Reporting from Manila, Al Jazeera’s Barnaby Lo said the protest was being led by Christian churches of all denominations, but the Catholic Church has “historically” been able to “galvanise the Filipino people”.

“It’s not a coincidence that these protests are happening on September 21, which is the anniversary of the declaration of martial law by former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr and is taking place on the very highway where two people power revolutions took place,” Lo said.

Lo added that protesters want the president to institute “lasting reforms” that would “eradicate any opportunity for corruption at any level of government”.

Aly Villahermosa, a 23-year-old nursing student, told AFP that she had waded through floods in the storm-prone country.

“If there’s a budget for ghost projects, then why is there no budget for the health sector?” she said, adding that the theft of public funds was “truly shameful”.

Croix Bethune scored on a header in the 71st minute to pull the Washington Spirit into a 2-2 draw with Angel City on Thursday night in the National Women’s Soccer League.

The Spirit (10-4-7) remained in second place in the league standings behind the Kansas City Current with a nine-game unbeaten run.

The draw stopped a two-game losing streak for Angel City (6-9-6), which was below the playoff line but still within reach of a berth.

Trinity Rodman’s penalty attempt was stopped, but she scored on the rebound to give the Spirit the lead in the 12th minute.

Just two minutes later, rookie Evelyn Shores scored her first NWSL goal off a cross from Gisele Thompson. Thompson has five assists this season, tied for the league lead.

Angel City went ahead in the 56th on an own goal by Spirit defender Tara McKeown. Bethune pulled Washington back even with her header.

Deborah Abiodun was bloodied when she caught a cleat in the head in a collision with Angel City’s Jun Endo that caused a lengthy delay in the first half. Abiodun returned to the match with a wrap on her head.

The multimillion-dollar jousting over redrawing California’s congressional districts to boost Democrats and counter President Trump was on full display in recent days, as both sides courted voters less than a month before ballots begin arriving in mailboxes.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, national Democratic leaders including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and a slew of political influencers held an hours-long virtual rally Tuesday afternoon, urging Californians to support Proposition 50 in the Nov. 4 special election. Speakers framed the stakes of the ballot measure as nothing short of existential — not just for Democratic interests, but also for democracy.

“It’s all at stake. This is a profound and consequential moment in American history. We can lose this republic if we do not assert ourselves and stand tall at this moment and stand guard to this republic and our democracy. I feel that in my bones,” Newsom said Tuesday afternoon.

If passed, Proposition 50 would gerrymander the state’s congressional districts to favor Democrats, bolstering the fates of several Democrats in vulnerable swing districts and potentially cost Republicans up to five House seats.

California’s congressional districts are drawn by a voter-approved independent commission once a decade after the U.S. census. But Newsom and other state Democrats proposed a rare mid-decade redrawing of the districts to increase the number of Democrats in Congress in response to similar efforts in GOP-led states, notably Texas.

Tuesday’s virtual rally, which was emceed by progressive influencer Brian Tyler Cohen, was a cross between an old-school money-raising telethon and new media streaming session. Popular podcasters and YouTubers such as Crooked Media’s Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor (alumni of former President Obama’s administration), Ben Meiselas of MeidasTouch and David Pakman shared the screen with political leaders, with an on-screen fundraising thermometer inching higher throughout.

Cohen argued that people like him had been “begging” Democrats to fight Trump. And now elected officials had done their part by getting Proposition 50 on the ballot, he said, urging viewers to donate to support the effort.

Warren argued that Trump was a “would-be king” — but if Democrats could retake control of either house of Congress, that would be stopped, she posited.

“And if we have both houses under Democratic control,” Warren continued, “now we are truly back in the game in terms of making our Constitution work again.”

The exhaustive list of speakers represented the spectrum of the modern left, with standard-bearers such as Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, alongside rising stars including Reps. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) and Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.). A number of California delegates, including Sen. Alex Padilla and Reps. Ted. Lieu, Robert Garcia, Pete Aguilar, Jimmy Gomez and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, also spoke.

The event had been scheduled to take place Sept. 10 but was postponed after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier that day.

Jessica Millan Patterson, the former leader of the California Republican Party and chair of an anti-Proposition 50 committee, accused Newsom of “scrambling for out-of-touch messengers to sell his scheme.”

“For Gavin Newsom, it’s all distraction and deflection. Instead of addressing the $283 million price tag taxpayers are stuck with for his partisan power grab, he’s hosting a cringeworthy webinar packed with DC politicians, out-of-state influencers, and irrelevant podcasters, all lining up to applaud his gerrymandered maps,” Millan Patterson said in a statement Tuesday.

Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who championed the creation of the independent redistricting commission while in office and has campaigned to stop gerrymandering across the nation after his term ended, forcefully denounced Proposition 50 on Monday.

“They are trying to fight for democracy by getting rid of the democratic principles of California,” Schwarzenegger told hundreds of students at an event celebrating democracy at the University of Southern California. “It is insane to let that happen.”

The former governor, a Trump foe who has prioritized good governance at his institute at USC, said the effort to dismantle the independent commission’s congressional districts to counter Trump are anti-democratic.

“They want to get rid of it under the auspices of we have to fight Trump,” Schwarzenegger said. “It doesn’t make any sense to me because we have to fight Trump, [yet] we become Trump.”

And on the morning of Sept. 10, opponents of the ballot measure rallied in Orange County, speaking about how redrawing congressional districts would dilute the voice of communities around the state.

“We’re here because Prop. 50 poses a serious threat to Orange County’s voice, to our communities and to our taxpayers. This measure is not about fairness. It’s about power grab,” said Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen during a rally at the Asian Garden Mall in Little Saigon, a Vietnamese hub in Westminster. “And it comes at the expense of our taxpayers, our small businesses and our minority communities.”

She noted that Little Saigon would be grouped with Norwalk in Los Angeles County if the ballot measure passes.

“Ask anybody in this area if they even know where Norwalk is,” Nguyen said.

Between 100,000 and 150,000 people have demonstrated in London against immigration, with arrests made after violent clashes with police.

The rally was organised by Tommy Robinson – a far-right activist with criminal convictions – backed by billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk.

What are the implications?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Peter Geoghegan – Editor of the investigative news site Democracy for Sale

Jennifer Nadel – Director and co-founder of cross-party UK think tank Compassion in Politics

Tariq Ali – Political writer and historian

SAN FRANCISCO — Teoscar Hernández pumped his fist. Ben Rortvedt let out a scream. Mookie Betts put some oomph on the end of the Dodgers’ arm-waving, hip-shaking, hit celebration.

After struggling for so long in high-leverage situations, the team’s offense finally had reason to celebrate.

For weeks now, the Dodgers have technically been in a tight division race.

The real battle, however, has often been with themselves.

At a time of the year typically dedicated to scoreboard watching and monitoring the standings, the team had instead been preoccupied by its own inconsistent play. Chief among their recent problems: Capitalizing on scoring opportunities.

In a 13-7 defeat of the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, they finally vanquished those demons.

After trailing by three runs early, and reaching rock bottom again after coming up empty with the bases loaded and no outs in the second inning, the Dodgers mounted the kind of rally that had so often been missing during their lackluster second half of the season, scoring six runs in the top of the fifth inning to key what felt like a statement win.

“A lot of guys put together really good at-bats,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “We found a way to keep the ball moving forward, keep moving to the next guy. It was really impressive.”

Early in Saturday’s game, the Dodgers (83-65) had honed a sound approach. They stressed Giants ace Logan Webb. They stayed alive in two-strike counts. They worked long at-bats and put runners on base.

The missing ingredient, as usual, had been the big hits needed to build a big inning. Then, in the top of the fifth, it all so suddenly — and refreshingly — flipped.

That’s what happened in the second, when Webb wiggled out of trouble by getting Miguel Rojas to hit an infield pop-up and Rortvedt to roll into a double-play, preserving the 4-1 lead the Giants had taken against Clayton Kershaw in a 36-pitch first inning.

“It’s real easy, if you don’t get any runs in that inning, to sit there and start pouting and start letting the emotion take over,” Muncy said. “It’s tough to dig out of that hole.”

This time, however, the Dodgers came back from the dead.

Shohei Ohtani hits a solo home run in the third inning Saturday against the Giants.

(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)

The turnaround started in the third, when Shohei Ohtani bat-flipped a leadoff home run that traveled 454 feet (the longest of his 49 long balls this season) and Hernández belted an RBI double off the wall with two outs.

That momentum carried into the fifth, when the Dodgers’ recently unproductive offense suddenly — and refreshingly — flipped the bases-loaded script.

After a walk from Betts, a single from Freddie Freeman and a walk from Muncy chased Webb from the game, Hernández came to the plate against Giants reliever José Buttó.

Hernández quickly fell behind to newly inserted Giants reliever José Buttó, taking a first-pitch fastball before fanning on a slider out of the zone. But after laying off another slider in the dirt, Hernández got a mistake, with Buttó leaving a fastball up and over the plate. Hernández lined it to the gap, where center fielder Luis Matos struggled to get a bead. It dropped in under Matos’ diving attempt, rolling past him for a two-run double that gave the Dodgers a 5-4 lead.

“Getting closer to October, everybody is trying to do the little things, not trying to do too much and just getting on base for the next guy,” said Hernández, who was one of three Dodgers hitters to record three hits and lead the way with three RBIs.

“That was a big difference today. Everybody was into the game. It didn’t happen in the second inning, but we came back and started fighting again, every at-bat and scored some runs.”

Indeed, from that point on, the floodgates burst open. Michael Conforto lifted a sacrifice fly to right. Rortvedt lined another two-run double to left-center. Betts bounced a run-scoring single up the middle.

By the time the side was retired, 11 Dodgers had come to the plate. Eight had reached safely. Six had come around to score.

An exorcism, exhale and sigh of relief for the Dodgers’ long-scuffling offense.

“That was awesome,” said Kershaw, who exited after the third. “For them to grind out at-bats — especially after me putting them in a hole after the first inning — getting guys on base, not trying to do too much, taking what they’re giving you, walks, hits, all the things, it was really impressive.”

Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw reacts after giving up an RBI single in the first inning Saturday.

(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)

Over their 26-33 stretch since July 4, the Dodgers had lost so many games like this one, letting bad outings from starters or wasted opportunities early in games send them into spirals that lingered for days (and sometimes weeks) after.

But on this night, every moment of adversity was met with an answer.

After Kirby Yates gave back three runs in the bottom of the fifth, the Dodgers responded with another three-spot in the sixth punctuated by an RBI double from Rojas. When the bullpen needed someone to calm the waters, rookie left-hander Justin Wrobleski produced 2⅓ scoreless innings.

Even on a day that Will Smith was placed on the injured list (finally being shelved after battling a bone bruise on his hand for the last 10 days) and Muncy left the game after taking a pitch to the head (he passed postgame concussion protocols, and will have a scheduled day off Sunday), the Dodgers didn’t wilt.

Instead, their lineup finally produced as expected, going seven for 15 with runners in scoring position, producing 11 of their 23 combined hits and walks with two strikes, and fueling a win that keeps the team 2½ games up in the National League West standings — all while helping ease concerns about their recently inconsistent offense.

“I just don’t see why we can’t do that, as far as approach, on a nightly basis,” manager Dave Roberts said. “With two strikes, you got to give something up. And I think for me tonight, I saw us give up the pull side. And then you’re starting to get hits to the big part of the field, hits the other way to the other gap, winning pitches. We did that all night long. Good stuff.”

Cofounder of anti-Islamist EDL says rally is for free speech, as protesters attack police and antiracism campaigners.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of London for a march organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, as support for the anti-immigrant Reform UK party soars across the country.

London’s Metropolitan Police estimated that Robinson’s “Unite the Kingdom” rally drew about 110,000 people on Saturday, crowds marching from two directions – Waterloo Bridge and Lambeth Bridge – and converging on Whitehall, next to the United Kingdom Parliament.

Al Jazeera witnessed people waving an assortment of flags – Union Jacks, the red and white St George’s Cross of England and the Israeli Star of David – chanting “[Keir] Starmer is a w*****” as they flocked to see famous far-right speakers next to the UK Prime Minister’s Downing Street residence, including Robinson, Katie Hopkins, and Steve Bannon.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and is known for his anti-immigrant and anti-Islam views, billed the march as a demonstration for free speech, British heritage and culture, pumping up the crowd with claims that migrants now had more rights in court than the “British public, the people that built this nation”.

The Met deployed more than 1,600 officers to keep apart Robinson’s rally and a counter “Stand Up to Racism” protest attended by about 5,000 people, reporting on X that a number of officers were assaulted as they tried to stop the former breaching cordons delineating a buffer area between the two.

“We continue to see significant aggression directed at officers by Unite the Kingdom protesters,” said the force on X, which arrested nine protesters, adding that additional officers supported by police horses had been deployed in “multiple locations”.

Stand Up to Racism counterprotest held

At the counterprotest, attended by left-wing lawmakers Zarah Sultana and Diane Abbott, the crowd held signs saying “refugees welcome” and ”smash the far right,” and shouted “stand up, fight back”.

The “Stand Up to Racism” campaign group posted on X that its protesters had also been attacked by Robinson’s followers. “Are these the ‘concerned ordinary people’ we’ve heard so much about? Or are they far right thugs,” said one post.

Robinson’s rally comes at the tail end of a highly charged summer in the UK that featured several protests staged outside hotels housing asylum seekers in England, following the arrest of an Ethiopian man who was later convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in a London suburb.

BREAKING: far right thugs attack anti-fascists in Whitehall. Are these the “concerned ordinary people” we’ve heard so much about? Or are they far right thugs. #StandUptoRacism pic.twitter.com/0rkMf5BxmM

— Stand Up To Racism (@AntiRacismDay) September 13, 2025

It also comes as the far-right, anti-immigrant Reform UK party establishes itself as a significant political force, with recent polls saying it would be the UK’s largest political party if a general election were held now.

People at the march displayed placards with slogans like “send them home” and “stop the boats”, the latter a reference to asylum seekers making the perilous journey over the English Channel in inflatable boats.

One woman who had travelled from Scotland for the march told Al Jazeera that she was sick of seeing homeless British people in the street while immigrants were receiving shelter and that empty buildings should be opened for both groups.

“Bad things are going to happen if things don’t change,” she said.

Robinson founded the nationalist and anti-Islamist English Defence League (EDL) and is one of the most influential far-right figures in the UK.

While the crowd attending the “Unite the Kingdom” was large, it fell far short of one of the biggest pro-Palestinian marches, which drew an estimated 300,000 people in November 2023.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. It was another week of scandal in high school football. And also games with top performances. It’s an interesting balancing act for sportswriters.

Scandal widens

There’s continuing fallout from an Archdiocese of Los Angeles investigation that self-reported violations by Bishop Montgomery’s football program to the Southern Section, resulting in the school ending its varsity season after playing one game and forfeiting another. Now the rest of the season will be forfeits as the school investigates its 24 transfer students.

President Patrick Lee has been placed on administrative leave, according to a parent who says faculty were told of the decision. The Archdiocese has declined to confirm, saying it doesn’t comment on personnel matters. Most interesting is that Lee was brought in last school year as Bishop Montgomery’s first president. Also faculty members have been directed not to speak to the media. The school’s principal resigned from her role as president of the Camino-Del Rey Athletic Assn.

The school is trying to play a junior varsity schedule while allowing eligible varsity players to participate, but that’s unlikely to gain traction. Hart canceled this week’s JV game with Bishop Montgomery, not wanting to subject its regular JV players that include freshmen to a game against possible varsity players out of concern for player safety.

The Southern Section has to decide whether eligible Bishop Montgomery varsity players can transfer and be eligible immediately since the school dropped its varsity program.

An attorney is representing fired head coach Ed Hodgkiss and five ineligible players. Legal action is expected.

The Southern Section has continued its crackdown of transfer students who submitted inaccurate paperwork. Long Beach Millikan had to forfeit two games for using ineligible players and most of its transfer students are now listed under review on the Southern Section transfer web page. One of those players who didn’t play Friday after previously being cleared was quarterback Ashton Pannell, who transferred from Loyola after previously attending St. John Bosco. Other schools are also dealing with issues involving transfer students.

The Archdiocese held a scheduled meeting with principals and athletic directors. The Catholic schools chief indicated changes are coming on how to handle transfer students within Archdiocese high schools.

Remember, under CIF rules, you have to move physically with the entire family unit to be eligible immediately. Otherwise you get a one-time sit-out period transfer status that lasts for a portion of the season. Schools confirm the transfers through paperwork requirements. The Southern Section appears to be using AI technology to catch students using addresses that had previously been used. That can result in a violation of bylaw 202, which prohibits providing false information. It also is a violation to receive inducements to transfer, such as housing, known as bylaw 510, undue influence.

One good thing is the early season attention on ineligible players can prevent numerous forfeits at the end of the football season that could prevent a school from entering the playoffs because of an anonymous tip.

Marine League coaches who forfeited to Narbonne last season alleging money payments feel vindicated after a booster confirmed during a podcast that he paid parents to transfer their sons to Narbonne. Here’s a report.

Madden Williams of St. John Bosco prepares to make a game-tying 51-yard touchdown catch against St. Frances.

(Craig Weston)

It was the Madden Williams show in Bellflower. He made two spectacular catches in the fourth quarter to rally St. John Bosco to a 21-14 victory over Baltimore St. Frances. Here’s the report.

Los Alamitos improved to 4-0 with a 41-21 win over Gardena Serra. There’s no doubt no coach has done a finer job in the first month of the season than Ray Fenton.

Mission Viejo exposed the weakness in Northern California football, routing one its top teams, Folsom, 53-14. Folsom and De La Salle are considered the top Northern California teams in contention for a CIF state championship Open Division bowl spot. San Mateo Serra comes to town to play St. John Bosco on Friday.

Jason Miller, the Leuzinger coach who used to coach in Northern California, was asked to explain the downward trajectory.

“Lots of traditional football families have moved out of the Bay Area, replaced by tech families,” he said. “Black and white families with generations of football players have found the Bay Area unaffordable. Interest has lacked in college football as well. East Palo Alto and West Oakland were once treasure chests of athletes that have been watered down by gentrification.”

Bishop Amat came up with an upset win over Valencia behind a game-winning 79-yard touchdown run from Ryan Salcedo. Here’s the report.

Huntington Beach quarterback Brady Edmunds.

(James Carbone)

Quarterback Brady Edmunds of Huntington Beach had a big game in win over Western. Here’s the report.

Here’s this week’s top 25 football rankings by The Times.

Here’s the top performers from the weekend games.

Here’s this week’s schedule of games.

City Section

Hamilton coach Elijah Asante poses next to campus mural of Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

The City Section’s top teams continue to struggle in nonleague games against Southern Section opponents, but the strategy is designed to prepare them for league play. Birmingham lost to Moorpark, Carson lost to Palos Verdes and San Pedro lost to Great Oak.

Meanwhile, Palisades and Granada Hills engaged in a passing vs. running scoring marathon before Palisades prevailed 59-44 behind 387 yards passing and six touchdowns from quarterback Jack Thomas.

Robert Garrett, the longtime coach at Crenshaw, continues to be on administrative leave. The Cougars suffered their first team in falling to Hamilton 23-6. Jacob Riley of Hamilton had three interceptions. Here’s the report.

Garfield got its first win for new coach Patrick Vargas over La Palma Kennedy. All-City running back Ceasar Reyes rushed for 172 yards and had 12 solo tackles on defense.

Here’s this week’s top 10 City Section rankings.

Verbum Dei rising again

Verbum Dei President Father Travis Russell finally got around to putting up a photo of the new Pope.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Verbum Dei is preparing to play its first football game later this month after dropping its varsity season last year for lack of players. It’s a re-start with a new coach and the backing of an energized school president who carries around a tool box acting like a handy man for any and all problems.

Here’s the report.

Girls volleyball

The Stillwell volleyball family. Sophomore Lucy (left), father Tom, a former UCLA All-American, and senior Maya. The daughters play at Harvad-Westlake.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Tom Stillwell won three NCAA titles playing volleyball for UCLA. Now he has two daughters playing for Harvard-Westlake. He’s enjoying life as a Girl Dad. Here’s the report.

Four-year starter Abby Zimmerman has led Redondo Union girls volleyball.

(Steve Galluzzo)

What a week it was for Redondo Union volleyball with wins over previously unbeaten Marrymount and powerful Mater Dei. Here’s the report from the Marymount victory.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier with a home match against Sierra Canyon on Tuesday.

Venice handed Palisades its first defeat in winning its own tournament championship. Gaia Adeseun-Williams and Samantha Lortie was named co-tournament MVPs from Venice.

JSerra is 11-0 and continuing to look like one of the best flag football teams in the Southern Section. The Lions began the El Toro tournament with shutout wins over Classical Academy of San Diego and Edison.

Freshmen receivers Tessa Russell and Ava Irwin continue to be impact players.

Panorama is off to 7-0 start in the City Section behind quarterback Yadhira Hermenegildo.

Prep talk

A look at the positives from high school sports last week.

All-American Kami Miner dropped by Redondo Union to offer a pep talk to the girls volleyball players.

Louie Vargas (left) with his son, Danny, has been officiating for 52 years.

(Courtesy Danny Vargas)

It’s year No. 52 as a high school sports official for Louie Vargas, who’s 80 years old and still a head linesman for football games.

The Slye brothers, Jordan Jr. and Marty, are lifting up Salesian football and a third brother will arrive next season.

First-year coach Derwin Henderson has Rialto off to a 3-0 start.

Notes . . .

Infielder Trevor Deack of Orange Lutheran has committed to Utah Tech. . . .

Pitcher Damian Catano of Arcadia has committed to St. Mary’s. . . .

A refurbished outside basketball court at Crenshaw High was dedicated Saturday and painted in the school’s colors. . . .

Sophomore point guard Josh Lowery has transferred to Sierra Canyon. . . .

Swimmer Tori Yamamura of Valencia has committed to Missouri. . . .

Bishop Alemany baseball has picked up Mikey Martinez from Crespi. He was a starting infielder and top relief pitcher as a sophomore for the Mission League champions. Also senior pitcher Jaden Lee, the younger brother of UCLA pitcher Justin Lee, has left Sherman Oaks Notre Dame for Alemany. . . .

Casey Patterson is the new boys volleyball coach at Newbury Park . . . .

The stadium fields at Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks and Westlake will be receiving refurbishment beginning Dec. 1, forcing soccer teams to seek alternative sites. . . .

Long Beach Millikan has forfeited wins over Las Vegas Foothill and Newbury Park for using ineligible players.

From the archives: Ty Dieffenbach

Former Agoura quarterback Ty Dieffenbach

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Former Agoura quarterback Ty Dieffenbach, who originally signed with and spent two years at Pittsburgh, made his debut for Cal Poly last week and passed for 263 yards and ran for 69 yards in a win over San Diego. He accounted for three touchdowns and was named the Big Sky player of the week. On Saturday, things didn’t go as well in a 63-9 loss to Utah. He passed for 82 yards.

Here’s a story from 2022 looking at Dieffenbach’s potential as a quarterback.

Recommendations

From Burlisononbasketball, a story on top girls basketball players making an impression at a local camp.

From Communityforwardredlands, a story on the return of Hall of Fame football coach Dick Bruich.

From SFGate.com, a story on the rapid growth of girls flag football.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on the soccer Thompson sisters gaining money and attention.

From the Los Angeles Times, an excerpt from a book on Newbury Park’s cross-country success.

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.

Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. What’s a high school football season without scandal and success. It’s just happening in the opening week.

Bishop Montgomery woes

Bishop Montgomery announced the firing of its football coach after weeks of turmoil that saw the program lose five transfer students to ineligibility, saw numerous players suspended for leaving the team bench during a loss in Hawaii and finally was forced to forfeit to Mater Dei because it did not have enough players to compete.

Here’s the report on the firing.

Here’s a look at who’s responsible for this latest scandal involving a Catholic school in the Archiocese of Los Angeles.

Valencia quarterback Brady Bretthauer has his team at 2-0.

(Craig Weston)

Valencia has come out with a 2-0 start behind its dynamic duo of quarterback Brady Bretthauer and running back Brian Bonner. Here’s a report from its victory over Chaminade.

Santa Margarita went to overtime to beat Corona Centennial and deliver a first victory for coach Carson Palmer. Here’s the report.

Loyola, despite losing more than a dozen players in the off season to transfers, upset Long Beach Millikan behind Stanford commit Max Meier, who had 10 tackles and two sacks.

Yorba Linda rallied for a win over Edison in a battle of top 25 teams. Here’s the report.

Gardena Serra and Sierra Canyon are showing off great defenses. Here’s the report from Serra’s 47-0 win over Hamilton.

Sierra Canyon defeated Oaks Christian 63-0 and has two shutouts in two games.

St. Frances from Maryland is coming to town to face 2-0 St. John Bosco on Friday.

It took six overtimes before Orange defeated Laguna Hills 46-43.

Here’s a list of top individual performances from Week 1.

Here’s the score list from Thursday. Here’s the score list from Friday.

Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times.

Here’s the Week 2 schedule.

Hamilton freshman quarterback Thaddeus Breaux.

(Craig Weston)

It was a rough opening game for Hamilton freshman quarterback Thaddeus Breaux. The Yankees lost to Gardena Serra 47-0. But Breaux showed off a strong arm and looked resilient, good qualities for the future. Hamilton plays Crenshaw on Friday. Here’s the report from the Serra loss.

Crenshaw is 2-0 but longtime coach Robert Garrett has not been on the sideline. Here’s a report.

San Pedro and Carson rebounded from losses in their opening games to rout City Section opponents Kennedy and Dorsey.

University coach Bryan Robinson (left) and brother Jason Robinson, an assistant, with their father, 80-year-old EC Robinson, a former Locke and Uni coach.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

The sons of former Locke and University coach EC Robinson have University at 2-0. Here’s the report.

Marquez is 2-0 and has moved into this week’s top 10 City Section rankings by The Times.

Orange Lutheran (12-0) and JSerra (8-0) continue look like the top two teams in flag football and they will be meeting twice in league play with games on Sept. 30 and Oct. 9.

Redondo Union defeated San Pedro in the championship game to win the LA City Girls Flag Football Classic.

Agoura won the Malibu tournament championship. Kiyomi Kohno was named MVP.

Flag football scores from Monday and Tuesday.

Flag football scores from Wednesday and Thursday.

Girls volleyball

It’s go tiime for Redondo Union in girls volleyball facing two huge tests this week. First up is a home match against 9-0 Marymount on Tuesday, followed by a road match against 7-1 Mater Dei.

Redondo Union is 13-1 and led by four-year starter Abby Zimmerman.

Prep talk

Quarterback Diego Montes of Granada Hills Kennedy passed for 2,508 yards and ran for 1,400 yards as a junior.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Your daily look at positive happenings in high school sports:

Two quarterbacks injured last season return to lead their teams to victory.

Kennedy All-City quarterback Diego Montes says, “Do not sleep on the City Section.”

Crespi continues its improvement in football behind sophomore quarterback Chase Curren.

El Camino Real football player Lincoln Elder almost got a perfect score on the SAT, loves math and want to enter the sports data business one day.

Running back Moyo Odebunmi of Cleveland went off for five touchdowns.

Golfer Andrew Rodriguez of La Serna is rising and has a big tournament this month.

Notes . . .

Brandon McCoy gets fired up after a basket for St. John Bosco. He had 28 points in overtime win over Richmond Salesian.

(Nick Koza)

After rumors all summer that he would be transferring from St. John Bosco to Sierra Canyon, standout guard Brandon McCoy made it official, enrolling at the Chatsworth school last week. He didn’t attend St. John Bosco’s opening day of school last month, so it was only a question of the news becoming official. His arrival coincides with the arrival of JSerra transfer Brannon Martinsen at Sierra Canyon. The best player might be Maximo Adams, who’s being recruited by Duke and Kansas. It will make for a quite a Mission League season with Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Harvard-Westlake and Crespi all having top players.

And don’t feel sorry for St. John Bosco, which picked up sophomore point guard Cam Anderson from Eastvale Roosevelt. . . .

Pauley Pavilion will be the site on Nov. 22 for a Mission League vs. Trinity League basketball challenge that features an 8:30 p.m. matchup of St. John Bosco vs. Harvard-Westlake. Santa Margarita will play Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at 7 p.m. and Sierra Canyon will face JSerra at 5:30 p.m as the featured matchups that begin at 9:30 a.m.. . . .

Cole Knupfer of St. John Bosco has committed to St. Mary’s for baseball. . . .

Sophomore 6-6 forward Evan Willis has transferred from Mater Dei to Crossroads. . . .

Tom Kelly is the new swim coach at Edison. He was at Crean Lutheran. . . .

Westlake pitcher Caden Atkinson has committed to UC San Diego. . . .

From the archives: Tahj Owens

Loyola running back Tahj Owens on his way to scoring five touchdowns against Culver City in 2021.

(Brody Hannon)

Entering his senior season at Princeton, Tahj Owens is a former Loyola running back who’s become a key player at defensive back for Princeton. He started every game last season.

He was Angelus League MVP at Loyola.

Here’s a story from 2021 telling the story how he had to drive from Chino Hills to attend Loyola in downtown Los Angeles.

Recommendations

From the Los Angeles Times, an opinion piece on if tackle football isn’t safe for girls, why is it safe for boys.

From Runnersworld, a story on a 16-year-old turning pro by signing with Nike.

From the Press Enterprise, a story on Southern Section commissioner Mike West.

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.

Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.

Julian Sayin had a 40-yard touchdown pass to Carnell Tate early in the fourth quarter, Ohio State’s defense got a couple key stops in the red zone and the third-ranked Buckeyes opened their season with a 14-7 victory over top-ranked Texas on Saturday.

It was the fourth time the AP’s No. 1 team in the preseason poll has met the previous season’s national champion in the opener. The defending champ has won the last three.

Arch Manning completed 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown with an interception for the Longhorns.

Texas was one of five on fourth down, including being stopped twice in the red zone. The Longhorns were driving for a tying touchdown late in the game but Jack Endries was stopped by Caleb Downs on yard short of a first down to end hopes of a comeback.

Sayin was 13 of 20 passing for 126 yards. His best pass of the day came with 13:08 remaining in the game, when Tate beat Texas cornerback Jaylon Guilbeau for the long score. Tate juggled the ball before pulling it down in the end zone to put the Buckeyes up by two touchdowns.

CJ Donaldson opened the scoring midway through the second quarter on a one-yard run up the middle to cap a 13-play, 87-yard drive that took eight minutes off the clock. The Buckeyes benefitted from a pair of penalties, including a face-mask call on Colin Simmons that wiped out an incomplete pass on third and four.

Texas finally got points with 3:28 remaining in the fourth quarter when Manning connected with Parker Livingstone on a 32-yard touchdown.

The Longhorns defense forced a three-and-out, giving Texas a chance to tie.

at No. 12 Illinois 52, Western Illinois 3: Hank Beatty returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown and broke Red Grange’s nearly 102-year-old Illinois record for yards on punt returns in the Illini’s rout Friday night to open the season.

Beatty had four returns for 133 yards to break Grange’s mark of 125 set against Nebraska on Oct. 6, 1923. The third-quarter TD return was the Illini’s first since D’Angelo Bailey did it against Ohio State in 2013.

at No. 20 Indiana 27, Old Dominion 14: Fernando Mendoza scored on a five-yard run in his debut as Indiana’s quarterback and Jonathan Brady returned a punt 91 yards for a score. Mendoza, the starter at California last season, finished 18-of-31 passing for 193 yards and ran six times for 34 yards. His TD run late in the first half gave the Hoosiers a 17-7 lead.

Indiana’s 309-yard rushing attack was led by Maryland transfer Roman Hemby, who had 23 carries for 110 yards. Kaelon Black added 92 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Indiana won its ninth straight home game to improve to 9-0 at Memorial Stadium under second-year coach Curt Cignetti.

Old Dominion started fast, with quarterback Colton Joseph faking out the Hoosiers’ defense on the first offensive play of the game and sprinting 75 yards for a TD, and the Monarchs controlled most of the first quarter. Brady’s punt return tied the game with nine seconds left in the quarter.

Joseph added a 78-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter that got ODU within 27-14. He finished with a career-high 179 yards rushing on 10 carries and completed 11 of 22 through the air for 96 yards with three interceptions.

at No. 24 Tennessee 45, Syracuse 26: Joey Aguilar completed 16 of 29 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns. He threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to Braylon Staley in the second quarter and found Star Thomas for a seven-yard score in the third. He also helped close out the win when he passed to Miles Kitselman for a two-yard TD in the fourth.

Star Thomas had 92 yards on 12 carries for Tennessee, which opened a 38-14 lead in the third. DeSean Bishop and Peyton Lewis each rushed for a TD. Tennessee (1-0) rolled to 493 yards of offense, compared to 377 for Syracuse (0-1).

Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli was 23-of-40 passing for 247 yards and a touchdown in his first start with the Orange. He also had a pass intercepted and was sacked five times.

Notes

The Barry Odom coaching era at Purdue got off to a fast start in a 31-0 rout of Ball State when the Boilermakers scored in the first 40 seconds on a 49-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Browne to Arhmad Branch. … BYU transfer Jake Retzlaff passed for a touchdown and added a 69-yard scoring run in his Tulane debut, and the Green Wave rolled to a 23-3 victory over Northwestern. … Matthew Schecklman threw four touchdown passes and Northern Iowa defeated Butler 38-14 in a season opener to give Todd Stepsis a win in his debut as the Panthers’ head coach. … Evan Simon set a career high with six touchdown passes and Temple snapped an FBS-worst 20-game road losing streak in a 42-10 season-opening win over UMass.

The Milei government is weathering a bribery scandal as a pair of important elections approach in September and October.

Argentina’s President Javier Milei has been forced to leave a campaign rally in Lomas de Zamora, a suburb of Buenos Aires, after protesters pelted his vehicle with small rocks, bottles and other objects.

On Wednesday, Milei and members of his libertarian party, La Libertad Avanza, held a rally for voters ahead of two key upcoming elections.

On September 7, the province of Buenos Aires is expected to hold local races. And on October 26, the country faces midterm elections, which will see half of the 257-seat Chamber of Deputies up for grabs, as well as a third of the Senate.

The elections are seen as major tests for Milei as he reaches the midpoint of his four-year term as president.

But Milei, whose dark-horse election victory in 2023 upset Argentina’s political establishment, has faced backlash for the dramatic “shock treatment” he has attempted to undertake with the country’s economy.

His administration has also been rocked by a bribery scandal involving his sister, Karina Milei.

As Milei and Karina stood on the bed of an open pick-up truck on Wednesday, waving to supporters and signing autographs, witnesses reported seeing objects flying in their direction as protesters attempted to approach the vehicle.

Presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni shared a picture on the social media platform X, with a circle highlighting what appeared to be a rock thrown in the president’s direction.

“They could have killed anyone,” Adorni said of the protesters. “They don’t care about human life, and they’ll care even less about the country. The end.”

Video captured the pick-up truck accelerating to escape the crowd. One protester held aloft a mock suitcase with Karina Milei’s face on it and dollar bills sticking out in odd places. Others chanted, “Out with Milei!”

The news agency AFP reported that one Milei supporter had to be transported by ambulance for medical care after clashes with protesters resulted in rib injuries. But no officials in the Milei pick-up truck were injured.

Milei himself used the incident to campaign on social media against “Kirchnerism”, a left-wing political movement.

“The empty-headed nutters throwing rocks resorted to violence again,” he wrote in one post. “On September 7 and October 26, let’s say at the polls: KIRCHNERISM NEVER AGAIN.”

In another, Milei put the choice more starkly: “Civilisation or barbarity.”

Milei has taken dramatic action to regulate Argentina’s spiralling inflation, but his austerity campaign has included cuts to social safety-net services, widespread government layoffs and sweeping deregulation.

He famously campaigned with a chainsaw to symbolise his approach to government bureaucracy. But critics warn that his efforts have left Argentina’s poorest citizens more vulnerable. While official statistics indicate inflation has dropped, unemployment and poverty have risen.

The bribery allegations have heightened the backlash against his administration.

Karina Milei occupies a high-level position in Milei’s government, as a general secretary to the president.

But audio recordings have captured Diego Spagnuolo, the head of the National Disability Agency and a close ally of Milei, claiming that Karina took a cut from government contracts intended to help those with disabilities.

Milei has since fired Spagnuolo, and in his public appearances on Wednesday, he repudiated the recordings.

“Everything he says is a lie,” Milei told reporters in Lomas de Zamora. “We are going to bring him to justice and prove he lied.”

Milei put on a united front with his sister at Wednesday’s rally, appearing side by side with her in the pick-up truck.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. Let the bidding begin. A 15-year TV contract that the CIF signed with Time Warner Cable in 2011 ends in 2026. What will happen next?

CIF seeks new TV deal

The California Interscholastic Federation is about to open up bidding for its television broadcast rights because a 15-year deal with Time Warner (now Spectrum) is ending on July 31, 2026.

Signed in 2011, the $8.5-million deal gave Time Warner Cable the rights to televise state championship games and playoffs. It turned out to be a boon for the CIF, because game rights fees for high school sports ended up declining. Charter Communications acquired Time Warner in 2016 and rebranded to Spectrum, which has struggled at times as to how to maximize its investment in the TV package. Spectrum recently signed a three-year deal to broadcast Southern Section games.

CIF executive director Ron Nocetti.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

This year, the final payment of $952,422 is being made and will go into the CIF general operating budget. The deal started with a $550,000 payment and has gone up 4% each year. The CIF, which runs high school sports in California, uses money from membership fees, championship events and corporate sponsorships for its budget. The TV package is the largest financial deal among the sponsorships and helps reduce dues charged to schools.

Executive Director Ron Nocetti said the CIF will soon initiate a request for proposals and put it out for bidding. The market has changed considerably since 2011, with online streaming coverage of high school events surpassing linear coverage.

It will be interesting to see which media companies decide to bid, how much money they are willing to pay and how long the contract might last.

Another contract ending next year is with SBLive, which originally was trying to compete with MaxPreps and help the CIF design a way for fans to get immediate scores from games. SBLive changed its focus, entered into a partnership in 2021 with The Arena Group and in 2024 joined Minute Media, which runs Sports Illustrated sites. MaxPreps has moved to take further control of the prep sports scene after being acquired in April by PlayOnSports, the owner of GoFan and the NFHS Network, which started streaming a national game of the week.

This changing world of high school sports offers opportunities for the CIF to expand its media reach but also possible pitfalls depending on how media companies view the future.

How it started

Eric interviewing Sophomore Tajh Ariza after a basketball game. Son of Trevor Ariza. Taken December 2022.

(Nick Koza)

Starting with John Elway as a high school student at Granada Hills High in the 1970s, my journey covering prep sports has been going on for 49 years. It’s been quite a journey.

My mission has always been to entertain, inform and make a difference. There’s no reason to quit something you enjoy as long as the challenges keep coming and the athletes keep getting better and better with personalities that make you laugh and cry.

Here’s some observations how it started and where I’m going.

The opening weekend of Southern Section football saw a terrific matchup of top 10 teams: Mission Viejo vs. Santa Margarita. It turned out to be a defensive struggle until Ohio State-bound quarterback Luke Fahey struck late in the third quarter with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Jack Junker to give the Diablos a 7-3 victory. Here’s the report.

Three Trinity League teams — Mater Dei, St. John Bosco and Orange Lutheran — traveled to Florida for games, and each one came home with a victory. Here’s the report. Mater Dei plays Bishop Montgomery on Friday at home. Bishop Montgomery went to Hawaii and lost to St. Louis in Honolulu 34-27 in a game that ended with 51 seconds left when players from both sides left benches. Here’s the report.

Huntington Beach showed off its passing attack in a win over Orange. Here’s the report.

Corona Centennial defeated Servite 42-14 to give coach Matt Logan victory No. 296 in his 29 years with the Huskies.

Here’s the score list from last week.

Here’s The Times’ top 25 rankings.

Here’s the schedule for this week.

Here’s a list of top individual performances in the Southland.

Granada Hills Kennedy quarterback Diego Montes, right, and Eagle Rock quarterback Liam Pasten stand next to each other after Kennedy’s 59-56 win on Friday night.

(Benjamin Royer / For The Times)

The best high school football game of the weekend belonged to City Section teams Kennedy and Eagle Rock in a battle of All-City quarterbacks. After more than three hours, 15 touchdowns and the game ending past 11 p.m., Kennedy prevailed 59-56 on a late touchdown by Diego Montes. Here’s the report on the drama.

Granada Hills’ Troy Versa makes interception in 50-16 win over North Hollywood.

(Craig Weston)

Granada Hills rushed for 420 yards with no passing yards or attempts in an impressive 50-16 win over North Hollywood. Here’s the report.

Birmingham knocked off Hart 24-14 in a sign the Patriots are clearly the No. 1 team in the City Section. Quarterback Kevin Hawkins ran for more than 150 yards and Jimmy Renteria had a touchdown on a fake punt, catching a pass and also recovered a fumble.

Crenshaw defeated Fairfax 37-6 to give coach Robert Garrett victory No. 291.

Teams will be playing Thursday this week, with Dorsey at Carson a big one for future playoff seedings. Also Hamilton opens up its new stadium Thursday against Gardena Serra.

Here are the top 10 City Section rankings.

JSerra is unbeaten and looking like a challenger to Orange Lutheran. The Lions won their own tournament championship with a 19-0 win over Carlsbad.

Camarillo defeated Oxnard 13-12 in the championship game of a tournament at Rio Mesa.

Here’s score list from Friday and Saturday.

Girls volleyball

Marymount put an end to Harvard-Westlake’s seven-match winning streak with a 3-0 win at Marymount.

Mater Dei swept Los Alamitos 3-0 to improve to 2-0 on the season. The Monarchs are headed to Florida for a tournament.

Redondo Union hosts Long Beach Poly on Tuesday in a big nonleague match in preparation for a showdown against Marymount on Sept. 2.

Prep talk

Athletic trainer Jonathan Rivas of Culver City helped save an athlete who went into cardiac arrest last spring.

(George Laase)

Every day, there’s positive information coming from high school sports. That’s Prep talk. Here are last week’s stories.

Athletic trainer Jonathan Rivas saved an athlete last spring in cardiac arrest. Here’s a report.

Mira Costa’s special teams trio of punter Jackson Shevin (left), snapper Jackson Reach and kicker Nico Talbott.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Mira Costa has a trio to make its special teams pretty good this football season. Here’s a report.

Harvard-Westlake started the girls’ volleyball season 7-0 under a first-year coach. Here’s a report.

John Michael Flint is quite a two-sport star at Bishop Diego with a 38-inch vertical leap. Here’s a report.

Ty Plinski of Corona Centennial became a media sensation with his one-handed catch on Friday night. Here’s a report.

Notes . . .

High school sports participation has risen to record levels aided by one of the new sports, girls flag football. Here’s the report. . . .

Last season’s Southern Section singles tennis champion, Sophie Suh of Orange Lutheran, will not be playing for the team this season. The sophomore will be focusing on the International Tennis Federation circuit. . . .

Grant Leary of Crespi won the Southern Section individual golf championship. He’s also a photographer for the Yearbook.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Crespi golfer Grant Leary, the winner of the Southern Section individual title last season, has committed to San Jose State. . . .

The Downey vs. Warren football game on Oct. 24 has been moved to Dignity Health Sports Park at Cal State Dominguez Hills at 7 p.m. . . . .

Richard Schroeder is the new baseball coach at San Marcos. . . .

After 16 years as basketball coach at Beverly Hills, Jarvis Turner announced he has stepped down. . . .

Orange Lutheran girls water polo coach Brenda Villa has resigned to become associate head coach at Stanford. She’s a former Olympian and won two Open Division championships coaching the Lancers. . . .

Omari Cuffe, a 6-foot-4 junior basketball player who’s played sparingly the last two seasons at St. Pius X-St. Matthias, has transferred to Loyola. So has senior guard Deuce Newt from Campbell Hall. Newt started at times. Loyola has a new coach, Cameron Joyce. . . .

St. Francis basketball coach Todd Wolfson said his school has received a 7-foot-4 transfer in Cherif Millogo from Burkina Faso. Mater Dei has transfers from IMG Academy and the state of Oregon. . . .

Corona del Mar water polo standout Nathan Simoncelli has committed to USC. . . .

Pitcher Colten Rainer of Royal has committed to UCLA. He was throwing in the 90s this summer in a major improvement. He’s the younger brother of former Harvard-Westlake star Bryce Rainer, a first-round pick of the Detroit Tigers last season. Other UCLA commitments include pitchers Garrett Jacobs (Mira Costa) and Robert Zimmerman (Redondo Union) and outfielder Jaden Jackson (St. John Bosco). . . .

Rob Loehle is the new boys basketball coach at Simi Valley. . . .

Nareg Kopooshian, head coach of AGBU, has been appointed as the head coach of the FIBA Armenia U16 National Team by the Armenia Basketball Federation. The Eurobasketball competition is scheduled for the summer of 2026. . . .

Pitcher Jake Chung of Harvard-Westlake has committed to Brown.

From the archives: Lars Nootbaar

St. Louis Cardinals’ Lars Nootbaar celebrates with teammates in 2021.

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Former El Segundo and USC standout Lars Nootbaar has been in the major leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2021.

He was a much decorated athlete during his days at El Segundo as the school’s quarterback in football and star baseball player.

Here’s a story from 2014 when El Segundo was 10-0 led by its star two-sport athlete.

Recommendatons

From Texas A&M, a story on how youth sports can create future leaders or future cheaters.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on how Carson Palmer views coaching high school football.

From the Daily Pilot, a story on two Huntington Beach surfers creating a documentary.

From the Washington Post, a story on premium seating in high school sports.

From the Los Angeles Times, a question and answer with former USC quarterback and Orange County legend Todd Marinovich.

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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As investors digested the news of a potential rate cut from the United States’ Federal Reserve in the coming months, European markets saw a correction on Monday morning. Benchmark stock indexes dipped into negative territory except for the FTSE 100, which remained closed because of a bank holiday in the UK. 

The Dax in Frankfurt lost 0.4% soon after the opening, the CAC 40 in Paris dipped by 0.6%, the Madrid IBEX 35 was down by more than 0.4% and the European benchmark STOXX 600 decreased by 0.3% after 10.00 CEST. 

At the same time, the euro was slightly down against the US dollar, with the exchange rate at 1.1707.

Turning to market outliers, Danish energy company Orsted shares saw its shares fall to a record low, losing more than 17% of their value in Copenhagen. This came after the US administration halted the company’s offshore wind farm construction project called Revolution Wind on Friday, raising alarm among the company’s investors.

Meanwhile, JDE Peet’s shares soared more than 17% on the news that Keurig Dr Pepper would buy the Dutch coffee company in a €15.7 billion deal.

Asian trade followed US rally

The movements followed a cheerful trading session in Asia, where shares advanced on Monday, tracking Wall Street’s rally after the head of the Federal Reserve hinted that interest rate cuts may be on the way.

Fed chair Jerome Powell said on Friday at an annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, that he is aware of risks to the labour market — which could prompt faster rate cuts.

A surprisingly weak report on job growth this month has led many traders to expect a cut as soon as the Fed’s next meeting in September, after months of pressure from US President Donald Trump for lower rates.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index jumped 1.9% by the close, and the Shanghai Composite index surged 1.5%. The latter is trading at its highest level in a decade, despite worries over higher tariffs on exports to the United States under Trump and weak domestic demand at home.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.4%, and the Kospi in South Korea climbed 1.3%. 

“Asia is set to rally in catch-up mode, feeding off Wall Street’s Friday rebound after Powell cracked the door open to rate cuts,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

In other dealings on Monday morning, US benchmark crude oil gained 0.4% and was traded at $63.92 per barrel at around 11.00 CEST, while Brent crude, the international standard, added 0.25% to $67.39 per barrel.

The US dollar rose to 147.24 Japanese yen from 146.88 yen. 

Gold prices inched lower, by 0.2% to $3,410 an ounce. 

What to look out for this week

Nvidia’s earnings report, due on Wednesday after markets on Wall Street close, is a key focus of attention this week.

The firm’s role as a key supplier of chips for artificial intelligence, along with its heavy weighting, give it outsized influence as a bellwether for the broader market.

In Europe, inflation figures from France, Germany, Italy and other key European countries will be released on Friday.

Nico Hoerner had an RBI double against former teammate Kyle Hendricks and the Chicago Cubs beat the Angels 4-3 Sunday to complete a three-game series sweep.

Hoerner and Matt Shaw each had two hits in backing right-hander Jameson Taillon (9-6), who allowed one run in five innings as the Cubs improved to 8-2 in winning their third straight series. Right-hander Daniel Palencia worked out of a ninth-inning jam for his 20th save.

Taylor Ward hit his 30th homer for the Angels, who fell to 2-7 since a three-game sweep of the Dodgers.

Hendricks (6-9) gave up four runs on five hits over 4⅓ innings with three walks and two strikeouts in his first start against his former club. He joined the Angels this season after 11 seasons with Chicago, where he played a key role in their 2016 World Series title.

Ward reached 30 homers for the first time in his career with a first-inning blast for a 1-0 lead.

Kyle Tucker had a game-tying RBI single in the third inning and Hoerner had his run-scoring double in the fourth. The Cubs chased Hendricks in the fifth when they got a sacrifice fly from Pete Crow-Armstrong and an RBI single from Carson Kelly for a 4-1 lead.

The Angels pulled within a run in the sixth on an RBI double by Ward and a run-scoring grounder by Luis Rengifo.

Key moment: After he walked the go-ahead run with one out in the ninth, Palencia struck out rookie Christian Moore on a full-count, 99.9-mph fastball, then ended it with a strikeout of Bryce Teodoso.

Key stat: Tucker went five for 12 with three home runs and seven RBIs in the series, after he was given a three-game rest against Milwaukee last week,

Up next: Angels RHP Jose Soriano (8-9, 4.00 ERA) will face Texas on Monday.

Connie Contreras was so excited when her daughter told her that Bob Dole was campaigning for the presidency just a block from her Redondo Beach home Wednesday that she dropped the bedcovers she was straightening, left the dirty dishes in the sink and ran all the way to Perry Park to see Dole for herself.

And she didn’t even like Dole.

But for coming to her town, Dole earned the 64-year-old Contreras’ vote.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen any politician in my life,” Contreras said, beaming. “This is so exciting for me!”

There are always political junkies who will work a presidential candidate’s phone banks, wave signs and crowd in front of TV cameras at rallies. But to excite at least some of the average, reputedly apathetic American voters, there’s nothing like a good, old-fashioned stump speech. Just ask Contreras.

“Dole came to my park, where I used to take my kids!” she said. “Now that I hear him, I’m going to vote for him.”

*

To be sure, there were more than a few political die-hards among the 300 or so in attendance, the ones who wear lapel pins with their candidate’s name and rattle off their previous campaigns the way other people list their children.

Nikola M. Mikulicich Jr., a 23-year-old who graduated from Cal State Dominguez Hills at 17 and from UCLA’s Law School when he was 20, is a veteran rally-goer, having attended Bush/Quayle rallies four years ago.

Mikulicich, a self-employed lawyer, a member of the Young Republicans and the local chapter of the California Republican Assembly, said he was glad he took a few hours away from his work.

“I came to show support for Dole and the work of the local officials to clean up this area,” said Mikulicich, a Redondo Beach resident. “I think we got the message loud and clear to Dole, [Gov. Pete] Wilson and [state Atty. Gen. Dan] Lungren that we care about the work they’re doing to make our streets safer.”

The UCLA campus Democrats also made an appearance, complete with both hand-drawn and official Clinton-Gore signs.

“I’m here to make a statement, you know, that I don’t think Dole has the best solutions to the problems in this country,” said Max Von Slauson, a 23-year-old history major from San Francisco, outfitted in a sweatshirt from an Asian dance troupe performance, dark blue plaid shorts and hiking boots. “We’re moving into the 21st century, you know, and he’s, like, back in the 17th or 18th century.”

Some ralliers came to Perry Park, a neighborhood green patch with playground equipment and a baseball diamond, not in support or defiance of Dole, but to share their opinions about park policing with the presidential hopeful.

Some neighbors and local officials said they were thrilled that Dole came to acknowledge what they called the successes of a temporary restraining order that bars 28 alleged gang members from congregating in the park or participating in various other activities, legal and illegal. The city hopes to be granted a permanent injunction in June.

But those named in the order, their friends and their supporters wanted Dole to know their side of the story too.

“Dole needs to come to our community and see what’s going on for himself,” said Rachel Lujan, an 18-year-old mother and student who rocked her stroller back and forth while she spoke. “It’s a violation of the Constitution.”

Dole may not have seen Lujan’s and her friends’ signs–”Redondo Beach 1996 Not Germany,” read one–behind the banners proclaiming Dole’s name, advocating abortion rights, supporting Clinton and Gore and touting education. But it would have been hard for him to miss the smaller anti-Dole group’s boos over his supporters’ cheers.

Dotty Ertel, a 52-year-old Marina del Rey resident standing next to the teenage protesters, said she might have been at home eating breakfast if it weren’t for Dole’s appearance.

But as long as Dole was coming, Ertel said, so was she. So in stylish black leggings and smart camel-colored blazer, she waved her Clinton-Gore sign and shouted, “Four more years!” with the other rabble-rousers.

“This is my first campaign,” she said proudly. “Even if it’s a Dole rally, we have our opinion and should be heard.”

*

Most of the 140 fifth- and sixth-graders from nearby Madison Elementary School were also participating in their first campaign event. Wearing bright red T-shirts proclaiming the name of their school, the children listened to the speech from the grass next to the adults’ folding chairs. After the candidate finished, they sang a song about the Constitution.

Although they missed rehearsal for their play about the Constitution and Bill of Rights, 11-year-old Kathryn said she thought hearing Dole’s speech was educational in its own right.

“He talked about gangs and making this a safe city and making this park a place where kids can play,” Kathryn said. “I thought that was right. I like to play in parks.”

Ray Comstock, 84, came to Perry Park not for Dole but for his regular Redondo Beach senior citizens meeting. Comstock said he was underwhelmed that he also caught the tail end of Dole’s speech by happenstance.

“It’s just politics is all it is,” Comstock said. “I think half of them are here just to say they’ve been here.”

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. Zero week has arrived for high school football. Let’s examine some of the big games.

Showdown openers

Eagle Rock All-City quarterback Liam Pasten is 6 feet 1 and 145 pounds.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

After months of preparation, the high school football season begins this weekend. Here are some attractive games to watch.

North Hollywood at Granada Hills. If you want to see a game that lasts less than 90 minutes, this Thursday game is it. Two double-wing teams running the ball again and again. They played in last year’s City playoffs. You better eat that hot dog quick. The pick: Granada Hills.

Mayfair vs. Yorba Linda at SoFi Stadium, 5 p.m.. You’ll have to pay a hefty fee for parking and to get in on Thursday night, but Yorba Linda is a top 25 team. The pick: Yorba Linda.

Eagle Rock at Kennedy. It’s two All-City quarterbacks going at it on Friday night, with Liam Pasten vs. Diego Montes. Both teams are favored to win their respective leagues, so this is big for playoff seedings. The pick: Eagle Rock.

Leuzinger vs. Long Beach Poly at Veterans Stadium. It’s the senior season for the little running back that will run through a brick wall if needed, Leuzinger’s Journee Tonga. Combined with quarterback Russell Sekona, that’s a formidable duo. Poly returns veteran quarterback Deuce Jefferson for first-year coach Justin Utupo. Look for a close, intense matchup. The pick: Leuzinger.

Mission Viejo vs. Santa Margarita at Trabuco Hills. Carson Palmer debuts as head coach for the Eagles, which have perhaps the toughest schedule in Southern California. It won’t be easy taking down quarterback Luke Fahey & Co., but the return of Trent Mosley at receiver, the arrival of Trace Johnson at quarterback and a strong defensive line makes this the most intriguing game of the night. The pick: Mission Viejo.

Downey at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Downey quarterback Oscar Rios is a magician with his arm and legs. Notre Dame won’t have USC commit Luc Weaver at receiver (injured). Quarterback Wyatt Brown debuts for the Knights. This game is certain to go down to the final seconds. The pick: Downey.

JSerra at Sierra Canyon. Keep track of touchdowns allowed by Sierra Canyon this season. There won’t be many. That’s how good defensively the Trailblazers are. Sierra Canyon has aspirations of being a Final Four team in Division 1 and this will be the first big test. The pick: Sierra Canyon.

Newbury Park at Long Beach Millikan. It’s the final season for quarterback Brady Smigiel, and he’ll have to wait until the sit-out period ends to get his full complement of receivers, giving Millikan the opening to try for an upset. The pick: Newbury Park.

Hart at Birmingham. The Patriots begin their annual five-game stretch of playing Southern Section teams. They intend to feature an offensive line filled with 300 pounders. One lineman won the pizza eating contest with 10 slices in seven minutes. Hart returns a veteran quarterback in Jacob Paisano. The pick: Hart.

Orange Lutheran at Miami Northwestern. This was supposed to be a big national game, with Teddy Bridgewater coaching Northwestern. He was suspended, so now Orange Lutheran gets to show off its powerful offensive and defensive lines to help its new quarterbacks. The pick: Orange Lutheran.

St. John Bosco at Bradenton (Fla.) Manatee. The Braves get a nice trip to Florida to show off their many skill-position players. The pick: St. John Bosco.

Mater Dei at Florida St. Aquinas. It’s another national TV game on Saturday in which the No. 1-ranked Monarchs are going to dominate. Who’s going to stop their exceptional receiving group featuring tight end Mark Bowman, a USC commit, and two Ohio State commits? The answer is no one. The pick: Mater Dei.

Here’s the link to the complete zero week schedule of games.

Cousins Diego Montes (left) and James Montes of Kennedy.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

The Valley Mission League held a media day. Kennedy and San Fernando are considered the league favorites but don’t forget about Van Nuys and quarterback Carlos Herrera. Here’s a report.

Here’s the top 10 City Section preseason rankings.

Here’s The Times’ top 25 preseason rankings.

Quarterback Jack Thomas (left) and receiver Demare Dezeurn should form one of the best passing duos in the City Section at Palisades.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Here’s a look at scrimmages last week and how Palisades could have the best passing duo.

Here’s the Foothill League media day.

Here’s the West Valley League media day.

Simi Valley’s Micah Hannah makes interception against Spanish Springs.

(Craig Weston)

There were three games played last week with Los Alamitos and Long Beach Millikan picking up wins. Here’s a report.

West Adams, Dymally and Maya Angelou canceled games this week in the City Section because rosters were not ready to play.

Prep series

Defensive tackle Mikhal Johnson of Sierra Canyon makes his first ever reception on tackle eligible play to score go-ahead touchdown in 21-20 win over Gardena Serra last season.

(Craig Weston)

The Times’ nine-part series previewing top high school football players continues this week with top linebackers on Monday.

Here’s the link to the series.

Dos Pueblos came close to pulling off the shocker of the early season in flag football, taking unbeaten Orange Lutheran to triple overtime before falling 23-21 in the championship game of a tournament at Beckman High.

JSerra has three of the best freshmen players in Tessa Russell, Katie Meier and Ava Irwin. Irwin is the sister of former Hart, Stanford and NFL receiver Trent Irwin, so catching passes comes in the family.

Girls volleyball

Redondo Union started the season going 8-1 in Hawaii, including a win over Sierra Canyon, to finish runner-up in the Iolani tournament.

Here’s a preseason girls volleyball preview, with Mater Dei, Santa Margarita and Redondo Union looking like the teams to beat.

Notes . . .

Logan Brooks from El Segundo has committed to San Diego baseball. . . .

Guard Nick Giarrusso has transferred from Oaks Christian to Crean Lutheran. . . .

One of the state’s top basketball players, Brandon McCoy, is not returning to St. John Bosco for his senior season. He was not enrolled when classes began this week. There has been speculation he might transfer to Sierra Canyon. Top Eastvale Roosevelt sophomore guard Cam Anderson has enrolled at St. John Bosco. . . .

Capistrano Valley has added a football game against Crean Lutheran on Sept. 5. Most notable: Capistrano Valley’s head coach, Sean Curtis, is the son of Crean Lutheran coach Rick Curtis. Someone is going to have to pay for dinner after a loss. . . .

Offensive lineman Blake Graham of Leuzinger has committed to Cal Poly. . . .

Eagle Rock is scheduled to get a new football field and new track in 2026. Construction would begin in December. . . .

Erik Zimmerman is the new boys water polo coach at Mater Dei. . . .

Junior outfielder Tyler Vladic of Cypress has committed to Oregon. . . .

St. Francis quarterback Shawn Sanders suffered a broken collarbone in a scrimmage last week and will be sidelined at least a month. . . .

Newport Harbor water polo standout Kai Kaneko has committed to Stanford. . . .

Santa Margarita softball player Camryn Legeny has committed to Utah State. . . .

Defensive back Dillon Booth from Crean Lutheran has committed to Hawaii. . . .

Pierce College has closed its cross-country course for 2025, forcing City Section schools to scramble for a new site. Here’s the report. , , ,

Pete Cassidy, a former basketball coach and teacher at St. Genevieve and later Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, has died. He was always confused with the late former basketball coach with the same name at Cal State Northridge. He became a much-beloved teacher at Notre Dame and lover of sports who’d ride his bike to games.

From the archives: Lorenzo Booker

Lorenzo Booker was once one of the top running backs in California, if not the nation, in 2001 at St. Bonaventure. He ended up playing for Florida State and had four seasons in the NFL after being a third-round draft pick, retiring in 2012. He’s a member of the Ventura County Hall of Fame, He played on three unbeaten St. Bonaventure teams and rushed for nearly 8,500 yards and 137 touchdowns.

Now he’s an assistant coach at Newbury Park with another former St. Bonaventure standout, Whitney Lewis. His son played for the Panthers last season.

Here’s a story from 2006 about his days at Florida State.

Recommendations

From 13wmaz.com, a story on new high school transfer requirements in Georgia.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on Jaime and Gabriella Jaquez hosting a basketball camp.

From Deseret.com, a story on former Murrieta Valley QB Bear Bachmeier challenging for starting job at BYU.

From SI.com, a story on former Santa Margarita football player Jacob Bower making impact at Nebraska.

From MaxPreps, a story on more than 100 former NFL players being high school coaches this season.

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 X at @latsondheimer.

Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.

Thousands rallied in New York for a ‘Mass March for Humanity’ demanding an end to Israel’s imposed starvation of Gaza and the complicity of the US. Protesters honoured slain journalists, including Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif, and accused Israel of targeting media workers.