Luke Howe throws shutout to clinch West Valley League title for El Camino Real
As the high school baseball regular season comes to an end, Luke Howe of El Camino Real has thrust himself into the competition for best pitcher in the City Section.
One week after throwing a shutout in eight innings against Chatsworth, he came through with a two-hit shutout of Birmingham in a 1-0 victory on Tuesday to deliver El Camino Real's 13th consecutive win in West Valley League play and clinch the league championship. He struck out seven and walked two.
Luke Howe of El Camino Real threw a two-hit shutout in a 1-0 win over Birmingham.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Committed to Long Beach State, Howe was repeatedly getting called third strikes with a slider that Birmingham hitters could never figure out whether to take or swing.
The only run of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly from Jackson Sellz that allowed Shane Bogacz to make a headfirst slide at the plate to beat the throw.
Once again, Birmingham failed to win a league title in the 19th season for coach Matt Mowry but is in perfect position to win a sixth City title under Mowry. Kevin Olmos struck out four in six innings and will team with freshman Carlos Acuna to give the Patriots the needed one-two pitching duo to try to make it to Dodger Stadium on May 24.
El Camino Real, a nine-time City champion, will be the likely No. 1 seed when pairings are announced Saturday, and Howe is reminiscent of the great ECR pitchers from the past who led the team to championships, such as Randy Wolf, Kirk Birkins, Jose Cardona and Matt Malconian.
Advertisement
Coach Josh Lienhard, who won his 300th game earlier this season, has seniors Howe and Devin Gonor tested on the mound. The team has been winning close games with clutch contributions, whether on hits, bunts or fielding plays.
There will be an eight-team Open Division, and the challenge for El Camino Real and Birmingham might be having to face fellow West Valley League teams in the opening rounds. The likely teams headed to the Open Division include Venice, Sun Valley Poly, Sylmar, Banning, Cleveland and Chatsworth.
Whatever happens, it would not be a surprise to see El Camino Real and Birmingham meet again for the championship at Dodger Stadium.
Advertisement
In other action on Tuesday, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame claimed third place in the Mission League with a 5-1 win over St. Francis. Dominic Cadiz and Dru Wilson hit home runs.
The Garden Grove Pacifica softball team won the Crestview League championship even though it lost to Cypress 1-0.
Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
Cover story: ‘Severance's' Ben Stiller
What's the one thing from your childhood that your mom threw away that haunts you to this day? Ben Stiller has one, a souvenir from what today would be called a riot but back in the 1970s registered as perfectly normal behavior. I'm Glenn Whipp, columnist for the Los Angeles Times, host of The Envelope newsletter and the guy still holding out hope that those baseball cards are going to turn up in a box someday. In this week's newsletter, let's look at what our Envelope cover star Ben Stiller misses. For this week's cover story, Stiller and I talked a lot about his love for the New York Knicks, a passion kindled early and one that became an 'addiction' this year as the team tried to win its first NBA championship since 1973. His dad, Jerry Stiller, took him to lot of games as a kid. Two of Jerry's friends, Stanley Asofsky and Carnegie Deli co-owner Fred Klein, had season tickets, and they knew all the players and refs and would introduce them to Ben. Jerry also took his son to baseball games, both the Yankees and the Mets. The Yankees were Ben's favorite — though his commitment to them was nowhere near his love for the Knicks — and when they won the American League championship series in 1978, Stiller ran out onto the field with his friend Jonathan Harris, as one did in New York. (Or, really, anywhere else ... but especially New York.) He even scooped up a chunk of the right-field turf and took it home with him on the D train. 'I had it in my room for two years,' Stiller says. 'And then,' I guessed, 'your mom threw it away.' 'My mom threw it away,' Stiller affirms. To be fair to Anne Meara, the sod was old and crumbling and probably had bugs in it. And yet ... 'It was a prized possession,' Stiller says. 'I had it on a piece of tinfoil on a shelf. Maybe if I had been really lucky and had picked up a base, my mom wouldn't have made me get rid of that.' Stiller told me he wouldn't be directing any episodes of 'Severance's' upcoming third season to free him up to make a feature film, a World War II survival story about a downed airman in occupied France who becomes involved with the French Resistance. Stiller has spent most of this year helping prep the third season and wants to be clear that the show is 'a real priority.' But after a long break, he's ready to return to feature filmmaking. 'Severance' star Adam Scott understands, though he finds it hard to imagine the set without Stiller. Scott remembers exactly what he told Stiller when they were shooting the jaw-dropping, mood-shifting Season 2 finale. 'I was just like, 'Dude, this is our 'Temple of Doom,'' Scott told me, referencing the second 'Indiana Jones' movie. 'And I was in absolute paradise the entire time, not just because 'Temple of Doom' is my favorite movie, but because we were getting to do it all. There's the marching band. There's a fight scene. There's the running in the hall. We had the big scene where Mark talks to Outie.' 'And when we finished it, we were all so tired,' Scott continues. 'But I could see how happy Ben was. It was such a showcase for him.' And now, he'll be returning to making movies — the one thing as a kid he always wanted to do. Well, that and snag third base at Yankee Stadium.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Sierra Canyon's Mikhal Johnson is one of many difference-makers on defensive line
Sixth in a series of stories profiling top high school football players by position. Today, Mikhal Johnson, Sierra Canyon defensive lineman. Mikhal Johnson, 6 feet 2 and 255 pounds, has played defense all his football life. Then came the moment last season when Sierra Canyon coach Jon Ellinghouse gave him a chance to catch a pass from quarterback Wyatt Becker in a Mission League championship game against Gardena Serra. Johnson called it 'something out of a movie.' 'We practiced it a couple times during the week," Johnson said. "Coach called me over, 'We're running the play.' I lined up at tight end. I did a fake block. I go out, nobody is guarding me. This is it. Wyatt throws me the ball over my shoulder. I catch it. It was like, 'Yes.' I was so excited. My first ever touchdown the first time I played a skill position in my life.' Nothing comes as a surprise for Johnson, who also had a baseball game in the spring in which he hit two home runs and had seven RBIs against Camarillo. Ivy League football schools have been lining up trying to get him to consider their experience of academics and athletics. He had 16 tackles for losses last season. 'I think he's almost unblockable,' Ellinghouse said. 'I've seen him screw up several of my practices and go up against some the best high school players in the world. He's a perfect combination of strength and twitchiness. He has long arms and deceptive strength.' Johnson is one of many outstanding defensive linemen and edge rushers set to make an impact this season. The position might be the strongest of any in Southern California when considering talent and depth. Richard Wesley of Sierra Canyon changed his classification to class of 2026 because he's been a standout since freshman year and is a Texas commit. Mater Dei has the most dominant lineman in Tomuhini Topui, a 315-pound USC commit known for throwing around blockers and running backs. Khary Wilder of Gardena Serra, an Ohio State commit, is coming off a junior season in which he recorded 11 tackles for losses. Andrew Williams of Fremont is a 6-5, 220-pound USC commit trying to prove you can still make it out of the City Section. Sophomore Marcus Fakatou of Orange Lutheran and junior ElijaHarmon of Inglewood are big, strong and intimidating young stars in the making. Anthony Jones of Crean Lutheran is a UCLA commit known for his pass-rushing skills. Malik Brooks of St. Pius X-St. Matthias is a 330-pound tackle committed to USC who knows how to take apart double teams. Devyn Blake of Edison has the size to cause havoc. Elijah Staples of Marquez is a defensive end who had 13 sacks as a sophomore. Dutch Horisk of St. John Bosco is an Oregon commit who had four sacks last season. There's many defensive linemen this season ready to be difference-makers, and Johnson fits right in. He has used baseball to help him excel in football. 'I feel they both help me,' he said. 'Baseball is good hands-eye coordination and because I'm a defensive linemen I use my hands a lot. Seeing a baseball, the reaction time is like an offensive lineman using their hands.' Sierra Canyon is still trying to find a way to get past Mater Dei and St. John Bosco in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, a roadblock that most teams in Southern California have failed to get through. Read more: Complete coverage: Prep football preview 2025 'It's a fire under our butts to keep going,' Johnson said. 'We practice hard.' Monday: Ventura linebacker Tristan Phillips. Defensive linemen to watch Malik Brooks, St. Pius X-St. Matthias, 6-4, 330, Sr. USC commit is big roadblock in the middle Marcus Fakatou, Orange Lutheran, 6-7, 265, So. His talent level is off the charts Dutch Horisk, St. St. John Bosco, 6-3, 240, Sr. Four-year starter is Oregon commit Mikhal Johnson, Sierra Canyon, 6-2, 255, Sr. Had 16 tackles for losses Anthony Jones, Crean Lutheran, 6-4, 285, Sr. UCLA commit keeps building up strength Simote Katoanga, Santa Margarita, 6-5, 250, Sr. JSerra transfer is physical specimen Izak Simpson, Simi Valley, 6-3, 260, Sr. Sacramento State commit has 29 sacks the last two years Tomuhini Topui, Mater Dei, 6-3, 320, Sr. USC commit could play for any college in the country Richard Wesley, Sierra Canyon, 6-5, 250, Sr. Texas commit had nine sacks last season Khary Wilder, Gardena Serra, 6-4, 260, Sr. Ohio State commit is four-year starter who shows up every game Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Sierra Canyon's Mikhal Johnson is one of many difference-makers on defensive line
Sixth in a series of stories profiling top high school football players by position. Today, Mikhal Johnson, Sierra Canyon defensive lineman. Mikhal Johnson, 6 feet 2 and 255 pounds, has played defense all his football life. Then came the moment last season when Sierra Canyon coach Jon Ellinghouse gave him a chance to catch a pass from quarterback Wyatt Becker in a Mission League championship game against Gardena Serra. Johnson called it 'something out of a movie.' 'We practiced it a couple times during the week,' Johnson said. 'Coach called me over, 'We're running the play.' I lined up at tight end. I did a fake block. I go out, nobody is guarding me. This is it. Wyatt throws me the ball over my shoulder. I catch it. It was like, 'Yes.' I was so excited. My first ever touchdown the first time I played a skill position in my life.' Nothing comes as a surprise for Johnson, who also had a baseball game in the spring in which he hit two home runs and had seven RBIs against Camarillo. Ivy League football schools have been lining up trying to get him to consider their experience of academics and athletics. He had 16 tackles for losses last season. 'I think he's almost unblockable,' Ellinghouse said. 'I've seen him screw up several of my practices and go up against some the best high school players in the world. He's a perfect combination of strength and twitchiness. He has long arms and deceptive strength.' Johnson is one of many outstanding defensive linemen and edge rushers set to make an impact this season. The position might be the strongest of any in Southern California when considering talent and depth. Richard Wesley of Sierra Canyon changed his classification to class of 2026 because he's been a standout since freshman year and is a Texas commit. Mater Dei has the most dominant lineman in Tomuhini Topui, a 315-pound USC commit known for throwing around blockers and running backs. Khary Wilder of Gardena Serra, an Ohio State commit, is coming off a junior season in which he recorded 11 tackles for losses. Andrew Williams of Fremont is a 6-5, 220-pound USC commit trying to prove you can still make it out of the City Section. Sophomore Marcus Fakatou of Orange Lutheran and junior ElijaHarmon of Inglewood are big, strong and intimidating young stars in the making. Anthony Jones of Crean Lutheran is a UCLA commit known for his pass-rushing skills. Malik Brooks of St. Pius X-St. Matthias is a 330-pound tackle committed to USC who knows how to take apart double teams. Devyn Blake of Edison has the size to cause havoc. Elijah Staples of Marquez is a defensive end who had 13 sacks as a sophomore. Dutch Horisk of St. John Bosco is an Oregon commit who had four sacks last season. There's many defensive linemen this season ready to be difference-makers, and Johnson fits right in. He has used baseball to help him excel in football. 'I feel they both help me,' he said. 'Baseball is good hands-eye coordination and because I'm a defensive linemen I use my hands a lot. Seeing a baseball, the reaction time is like an offensive lineman using their hands.' Sierra Canyon is still trying to find a way to get past Mater Dei and St. John Bosco in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, a roadblock that most teams in Southern California have failed to get through. 'It's a fire under our butts to keep going,' Johnson said. 'We practice hard.' Monday: Ventura linebacker Tristan Phillips. Malik Brooks, St. Pius X-St. Matthias, 6-4, 330, Sr. USC commit is big roadblock in the middle Marcus Fakatou, Orange Lutheran, 6-7, 265, So. His talent level is off the charts Dutch Horisk, St. St. John Bosco, 6-3, 240, Sr. Four-year starter is Oregon commit Mikhal Johnson, Sierra Canyon, 6-2, 255, Sr. Had 16 tackles for losses Anthony Jones, Crean Lutheran, 6-4, 285, Sr. UCLA commit keeps building up strength Simote Katoanga, Santa Margarita, 6-5, 250, Sr. JSerra transfer is physical specimen Izak Simpson, Simi Valley, 6-3, 260, Sr. Sacramento State commit has 29 sacks the last two years Tomuhini Topui, Mater Dei, 6-3, 320, Sr. USC commit could play for any college in the country Richard Wesley, Sierra Canyon, 6-5, 250, Sr. Texas commit had nine sacks last season Khary Wilder, Gardena Serra, 6-4, 260, Sr. Ohio State commit is four-year starter who shows up every game
