Latest news with #SouthernSection
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Santa Paula lineman works on the football field and in the wheat fields
When 6-foot-5, 315-pound all-league offensive tackle Jorge Gonzalez of Santa Paula High had to take a mandatory two-week break this summer under the Southern Section dead period rules, he didn't just sit at home. He went to the wheat fields of Santa Barbara and earned money using a weed whacker eight hours a day so he could buy a car. 'My uniform turned green,' he said of his daily work in the fields. The Santa Paula community is heavily involved in the agriculture business, and football coach Myke Morales said many of his players have worked in the fields. Gonzalez is a three-year starter with a 3.8 grade-point average and made the trip to Ventura on Thursday for a Tri County League media day that also featured players from Agoura, Hueneme, Dos Pueblos, San Marcos and Fillmore. Morales and Fillmore's Charles Weis discussed their 100-year-old rivalry game played at the end of each season. It's unlike any other as far as uniting both communities. 'It's the way it's supposed to be,' Weis said. 'It's a community event. It's what's right is for high school football.' Agoura is ready to welcome back quarterback Gavin Gray, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the fourth game last season. He'll have baseball standout Tyler Starling at receiver, plus the Chargers have running back George Hastings, who will become No. 7 on the roster. Dos Pueblos returns all-league receiver Micah Barnhart. Hueneme has high hopes for running back Jeremiah Alvarado. San Marcos might have one of the best multi-sport athletes in the state in elite golfer Austin Downing, who's also a kicker and plays baseball. Fillmore will rely on four players who will be three-year starters — linebacker Carlos Cabral, receiver Mauricio Ocegueda, lineman Marcus Lechuga and lineman Genaro Villela. All the coaches are preparing for possible disruptions because of wildfires and have had experiences in the past. 'Every year, we're problem solving,' Dos Pueblos coach AJ Pateras said. 'We just navigate.'
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
St. John Bosco Baseball's incredible turnaround
In 2023, Head Coach Andy Rojo took over a St. John Bosco baseball program that was coming off a 10-18 season, including just 1-14 in Trinity League play. Two years later, the Braves went 14-1 in league, won the CIF Southern Section and finished as state champions. So how did they pull off this amazing turnaround?
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Millikan gets revenge against Calabasas, wins California Live BallerTV bracket
Millikan's 2024-25 season culminated in a CIF-Southern Section 2AA playoff appearance – and a lopsided first round loss to Calabasas. However, the Rams got an early start on getting revenge during the last weekend of June with help from their newest star. Blue chip incoming freshman Quali Giran led Millikan with 20 points to beat Calabasas 84-65 in the BallerTV bracket finals for a California Live 2025 title. Jeremiah Hunt had 18 points for Millikan – which was his nightly average as a junior – and JoJo Wicker added 14. Between Giran, Hunt, and Wicker, Millikan projects to have one of the more formidable backcourts in L.A. If new stars emerge outside the Rams' big three, the team could have quite a bit of upside for 2025-26. Advertisement Grayson Coleman had a game-high 27 points for Calabasas. RELATED:
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jaden Bailes, JSerra win California Live Grip Spritz bracket title
Get ready for yet another big year from JSerra boys basketball. Despite graduating impact seniors such as BJ Davis-Ray and Grayson Sinek, the Lions look like a CIF-Southern Section Open Division playoff team once again. With returning senior Brannon Martinsen and St. Augustine senior transfer Jaiden Bailes leading the way, JSerra handled fellow CIF-SS Open Division team Redondo Union 69-56 to cap off a title run at California Live 2025 in the Grip Spritz bracket. Bailes had 31 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals, and Martinsen added 11 points. Before that, JSerra opened with a 68-33 rout of Riverside Poly, a 57-55 win over St. Joseph (Santa Maria), and a 73-66 victory against Corona Centennial. Advertisement The rest of the bracket had many more big-name programs: Archbishop Riordan, La Mirada, Cathedral Catholic, San Joaquin Memorial, Archbishop Mitty, Sunnyslope (AZ), Olympian, Central Catholic, Destiny Christian, San Joaquin Memorial, Mission Bay, Fairmont Prep, and Mountain Pointe (AZ). Bailes received an offer from Cal right after the tournament. RELATED:
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Quarterback Makena Cook will be back as Orange Lutheran's flag football standout
As rules change for girls seven on seven flag football in California with the implementation of a first national rule book, there's good news to report from Orange Lutheran, which won the first Southern Section championship last season. Quarterback Makena Cook, injured during the girls' soccer season, should be ready to go this fall. Cook, whose ability to throw spirals with precision and length helped make her the No. 1 quarterback in the state, will need to adjust to a major rule change that allows defenses to start from just one yard away from the ball instead of seven yards. Advertisement That is expected to lead to fewer points scored, quarterbacks forced to release the ball quicker and fewer long passes. It also creates the opportunity for coaches to deploy more sophisticated defenses, such as deciding how many defenders to rush and mixing up their coverages. Shielding the quarterback long enough to give them time to throw will be the big challenge. Blocking and screening is illegal, so teams need to figure out ways to disguise plays or trick defenses long enough to create opportunities for big plays. There's lots of discussions happening in the Sherman family. Kristen is head coach for Orange Lutheran's flag football team. Her husband, Rod, is head coach for the Lancers' 11-man team. Film night isn't "Top Gun: Maverick." "In the Sherman house, we've been watching a lot of film for boys and girls," Ray said. Advertisement There should be no problem creating interest in finding players. The City Section is up to 85 flag football teams and growing. Chaminade and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame are adding teams in the Southern Section, with Harvard-Westlake set for next year when it opens its new River Park athletic complex. With the Chargers and Rams providing support and the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 having a flag football competition, the sport is set for major growth. Cook became one of the stars last season and still has two more years of eligibility, making her the early face of excellence at the quarterback position in Southern California. 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.
