How first-year coordinator Chris Shula guided Rams defense through growing pains

• January 18, 2025

LOS ANGELES — Typically, in a losing locker room after a game, the Rams respond to most questions — Why weren’t you more successful in this area? What did the opponent do to take this part of the game away from you? Why didn’t this play call work? — with a simple refrain: I’ve got to look at the film. So much happens in the fog of football, players and coaches alike don’t want to make snap judgements when the tape will tell them the truth.

But following the Rams’ 37-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12, the Rams defense didn’t offer up that shield. The players knew exactly what had gone wrong. They hadn’t stuck to their assignments. They had allowed offensive linemen to move them out of their run gaps, leaving large lanes through which Saquon Barkley broke a franchise rushing record.

“It was a wakeup call, simple as that,” outside linebacker Jared Verse reflected eight weeks later. “We were doing the work, we just weren’t holding each other accountable. We started getting complacent. We can’t ever get that again.”

Now, headed into a divisional round rematch with the second-seeded Eagles, the fourth-seeded Rams have become a more disciplined team on defense, resulting in five straight wins and a division title. They’ve held five of their last seven opponents to 14 or fewer points.

And that renaissance began in the week of practice after that loss to the Eagles.

Steady presence

Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula used to introduce himself only by his first name. He did not want to be associated with the other famous coaches in his family, preferring to avoid any whiff of nepotism as he built his career.

By the time Rams head coach Sean McVay promoted Shula to coordinator last winter after spending seven seasons coaching all three levels of the defense, he was more comfortable embracing his lineage. And during OTAs in the spring, former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett advised him to stay comfortable in who he is.

“He stopped me in the hallway and just said, ‘Hey, Sean hired you to be you. Don’t try to be anybody else and be the best version of yourself,’” Shula said. “That’s what I keep trying to tell myself. Just be the best version of me. Sean entrusted me with the job, do the best job you can and don’t try to be anybody else.”

Shula is not the fiery or gregarious type like the man he replaced, Raheem Morris. It can be a strain to hear him during outdoor press conferences in windy Woodland Hills.

But he is talented at building relationships with his players, like Morris was. Shula is known to keep his finger on the pulse of all the position rooms.

“He’s a guy that he kind of makes sure that everybody’s on the right page, he’s going to come into different meeting rooms and put his face in there,” defensive tackle Kobie Turner said. “I think that we all already had a respect for Shu but he’s definitely earned every bit of that respect, too, just in the way that he goes about his business, even in the game planning and the positions that he puts us in. It’s easy to go play for a defensive coordinator like that.”

One thing Shula learned early on with this season’s team is that they don’t need him to chew them out after a bad performance. They have enough internal motivation that he doesn’t have to yell.

So when they reconvened to watch film the day after the Eagles loss, Shula kept his message simple.

“I always say, ‘Just stick your face in the fan, make the corrections that we need to do moving forward and let’s do it as coaches and players,’” Shula said. “That’s all you do. Just correct it, move forward and hopefully you play better next week.”

“He just told us, ‘You can’t let that happen. You gotta stop the run, that can’t be something that ever happens again,’” Verse recalled. “No team can feel comfortable running the ball on us.”

And it was that kind of communication, the ability to know what his players needed to hear and when they needed to hear it, that led McVay to trust his former college roommate with the defensive coordinator job.

“I think when he ended up getting the job, because of how close we are relationship-wise, people just assumed that’s why. Those that have been around him and those that understand his body of work, they know that this has been earned,” McVay said. “The best coaches get the most out of guys and they make them inspired to want to try to play for Chris and for the right reasons. I think he’s done an excellent job of bringing that to life.”

Accountable in everything

Early in the season, the Rams’ defense might have seemed a little vanilla, particularly with the array of pass rushers available at Shula’s disposal. Part of it was that the entire playbook hadn’t been installed yet, but players hadn’t yet earned Shula’s trust to cut them loose, either.

“If we’re not able to hold the quarterback and keep him within the pocket and affect him with sending however many we’re sending, then we’re not going to have the ability to call that,” Turner said. “As the year has gone on, I think we’ve had more accountability and I think that’s been part of the reason he’s been able to call a lot of the things, be able to heat them up.”

“Accountability” was a big word for the Rams defense in the wake of that first Eagles game. The players took it on themselves to correct each other for lapses in effort or judgment during practices.

If a player got a sack against the scout team and coaches spotted the ball 20 yards downfield to keep the period going, that player was expected to run back to the line of scrimmage and prepare for the next play.

“If I don’t get to the ball, [Michael] Hoecht’s going to tell me. If Kobie doesn’t run to the ball, I’m going to tell him,” Verse said. “If [Braden] Fiske doesn’t run to the ball, Kobie’s going to tell him. It’s just a constant thing.”

With the trust earned, Shula has been able to open up the playbook, and pull out some heat-check calls, like the zero high safety blitz he called in the final seconds against the Arizona Cardinals that led to an Ahkello Witherspoon interception.

That culminated in last week’s nine-sack performance against the Vikings, tying the playoff record for most sacks in a game, with cornerbacks Witherspoon and Cobie Durant joining in the fun on corner blitzes.

“When we get them in second-and-12, 13, plus, he brings out the third-down package, I’m like, ‘Aw, [expletive], yeah, he’s ready to show them,’” Verse said. “He’s ready for us to come out there.”

Now, the Rams go to Philadelphia, to play the team that scared their defense straight, a measuring stick with a trip to the NFC title game on the line.

“There are going to be some ups and downs, just stay steady through it and play together,” Shula said. “You just have to play consistent and good football. Obviously, they’re a great team and they cause it all, but some of the stuff we have to play better, play better techniques and we can coach a lot better as well. The first step in correcting anything is just understanding what the issue was and the guys understanding that is a big step.”

​ Orange County Register 

Long Beach soccer community remembers Cabrillo freshman who died Friday after on-field medical emergency

• January 18, 2025

LONG BEACH — Tears, flowers, prayers and shock. An emotional vigil was held Saturday morning to remember a Long Beach Cabrillo High School freshman who died Friday following an on-field medical emergency during a boys frosh-soph home soccer game against Long Beach Poly.

Hundreds of community members, including the boy’s family, Cabrillo soccer players and athletes from several other high schools in the Long Beach Unified School District attended the vigil, which was held on Cabrillo’s auxiliary soccer field, where the game and incident took place Friday afternoon.

Also see: Cabrillo freshman dies after on-field medical emergency during soccer game

The boy has been identified by family members as Brian Guzman, 15, who was also on the school’s cross country team.

“I would do anything for him,” said Frankie Guzman, Brian’s older brother, who spoke to community members on behalf of his family. “I would do anything for him to be here again. As a community, I appreciate every single one of you guys at the school, just coming out here and being here for my brother. It means the world to me and it means the world to my family and I cannot thank you guys enough for what you guys are doing today.”

Meanwhile, Cabrillo coach Sandra Castillo said it was a privilege to be Brian’s soccer and cross-country coach.

“It’s a big loss for a team and I just want to say thank you for showing up,” Coach Castillo said. “This really shows how strong our community, how strong our soccer community is. I appreciate every single on of you guys for being here from the bottom of my heart for supporting all of us in this hard time.”

Witnesses said Guzman went to the sideline and appeared to be tying his shoe when he collapsed.

Cabrillo assistant principal Andrea Itson, who oversees athletics, said staff members immediately activated emergency protocols.

“Our player experienced a medical emergency on the field and we activated our emergency protocols immediately and care was transferred to EMTs when they arrived,” Itson said. “Mom was present and went with them to St. Mary’s Hospital.  We learned later of his passing.”

“We have a lot of support from our district leadership who reached out immediately last night and were with us every step of the way from communication to providing counseling support which we have in place for next week for particularly our boys soccer team and for students because we believe this will impact many students, teachers, staff members, the students that were there that witnessed it,” Itson continued. “This is super traumatic.”

Meanwhile, Frankie Guzman said his younger brother, who he will always remember for his competitiveness, will be missed.

“This boy showed me out in every single way that he could,” Frankie Guzman continued. “I thought I was good. He was going to go places. I used to play for Millikan a couple years ago. Every single step I made, that boy was right behind me. Right behind me and it hurts so bad because I don’t get to see him grow up.”

Guzman’s older brother said he wanted to impart on everyone, including teammates and opposing players, that tomorrow is not promised.

“I’m here today saying goodbye to my baby brother,” Frankie Guzman added. “Tomorrow is not promised. Today is not promised. I know a lot of you all are tough but today nobody is tough. You have to love on one another like family. It doesn’t matter what school you are. It doesn’t matter where you live, where you’re from, it does not matter. You all have to love one another. I’m going to miss him more than anything.”

Timothy Guzman, Brian’s uncle, who is also a pastor, said his nephew loved soccer.

“He loved playing the sport, playing the game and as many of you know he was a fighter,” Timothy Guzman explained. “Thank you for coming together as one.”

“He was always filled with joy and laughter,” continued Timothy Guzman, as he received condolences from Lakewood soccer players. “He was a man after God’s own heart and he always loved soccer.  He’s been playing his whole life and is multi-talented. He chose to serve God with all his heart.”

The freshman was also fondly remembered by teammates.

“Brian is in a better place now,” said Cabrillo senior Frank Osbourne Russell, who is a member of the soccer team and the school’s student body president. “He was a little boy, didn’t even finish high school yet. I send my condolences to the family for their loss.”

The Long Beach Unified School District released a statement Friday regarding the incident:

“We are heartbroken to share that a Cabrillo High School 9th grade student passed away after experiencing a medical emergency during a soccer game,” the district’s statement said. “Our thoughts are with the student’s family, and the entire community. Counseling services will be available when school resumes on Tuesday to support those in need. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, no further details will be shared.”

Cabrillo High administrators canceled all of its sporting events after the incident happened Friday.

Cabrillo’s next soccer game is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 22 against Jordan High at Compton College.

The school community is planning a memorial service. Details will be released at later date.

​ Orange County Register 

How to prepare for the next Santa Ana wind event forecasted this week

• January 18, 2025

The Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index is forecasting a strong Santa Ana wind event Monday, Jan. 20 and Tuesday, Jan. 21 for areas in LA, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties.

Northeast to east winds of 20 to 40 mph with gusts to 60 mph will occur in Monday morning and then decrease through the day becoming local 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 35 mph after sunset, according to the forecast. The windiest locations will receive gusts to 80 mph on Tuesday morning. Humidity will be in the single digits and teens throughout the day. Temperatures will be near normal with mid-40s to low 50s across the mountains and mid-60s to low 70s in the valleys. Both the live and dead fuel moisture will be critically dry.

Preparation StepsPreparing can start with four important steps:

1. Be Informed: Be informed about emergencies that could happen in your community and identify sources of information in your community that will be helpful before, during, and after an emergency. Register with AlertOC to receive emergency notifications in Yorba Linda. Access Ready.gov to learn what to do before, during, and after an emergency.

2. Make a Plan: Discuss, agree on, and document an emergency plan with those in your care. You will want to consider creating a Family Communications Plan, a plan for Shelter-in-Place, a plan on how you will Get Away, and Emergency Plans at School and Work.

3. Build a Kit: Keep enough emergency supplies – water, non-perishable food, first aid, prescriptions, flashlight, and a battery-powered radio on hand – for you and those in your care.  Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to make it on your own for at least three days, maybe longer. While there are many things that might make you more comfortable, think first about fresh water, food, and clean air.

Here’s a basic emergency home kit list:

4. Get Involved: There are many ways to get involved especially before a disaster occurs. The whole community can participate in programs and activities to make their families, homes, and places of worship safer from risks and threats. After preparing yourself and your family for possible emergencies, take the next step and get involved in preparing your community. Learn more about the City’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), a program designed to train community volunteers in basic disaster response skills.

Sources: City of Yorba Linda, Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index

​ Orange County Register 

Clippers finally get to host the Lakers in their house

• January 18, 2025

They were arena mates, connected by a 100-foot hallway and a not-so-subtle dislike for each other. One team had banners; the other covered them. One team had stars and most of the victories; the other had little more than wishes.

None of that mattered, however, when the teams played each other four times a year at Crytpo.com Arena in what affectionately became known as the “Hallway Series”, a nod to their unconventional shared space. No other team in the NBA shares an arena.

The dynamic, though, changed this season.

The Clippers moved to their own place, Intuit Dome, a state-of-the-art arena located 14.3 miles and a couple of freeways across town in Inglewood, bringing high-tech, a two-sided LED scoreboard and the fan-inspired Wall to the Clippers-Lakers series.

“I heard that place is sick,” Lakers guard Austin Reaves said. “I heard it’s really cool.”

Lakers star LeBron James took a more subdued view of playing at Intuit Dome for the first time.

“It will be just like going to any new arena,” James said. “The same as when Golden State moved from Oracle. It will be the same when anybody else had a new arena.”

The $2 billion arena might not make a difference to James, but it does add another element in the Clippers-Lakers rivalry, which stands at 153-86 in the Lakers’ favor and remains a must-see game on their schedules.

Neither team is likely to contend for the NBA championship this season, although both are expected to secure a playoff spot. The Lakers (22-17) and Clippers (23-17) are among a handful of teams in the Western Conference fighting to stay on the plus side of .500.

With that said, bragging rights are still a thing.

In the early years, the Lakers dominated the series, which began when the Clippers were in San Diego and Buffalo before that. Little changed when the Clippers moved north and settled into the old Los Angeles Sports Arena, carrying with them a record of just 20 victories in the first 62 games against the Lakers.

The series moved to Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena) for the 1999-2000 season and the first of three Lakers NBA championships. Meanwhile, the Clippers failed to gain ground in their head-to-head series until the arrival of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in 2011. Suddenly the series became a rivalry.

With “Lob City” at the forefront, the Clippers swept the Lakers in 2012-13 and won 14 of their next 16 games against their arena mates. Although the Lakers still held a commanding 145-67 advantage in their head-to-head record, the Clippers showed they were no longer content to be the Lakers’ doormat.

Faces and coaches changed over the next two seasons, leading to rebuilding years for both teams. Then in 2018, LeBron James joined the Lakers and Kawhi Leonard signed with the Clippers the following season, bringing a high-level of star power to both sides of the rivalry.

Yet, despite the presence of James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers couldn’t beat the Clippers, losing 13 of the next 15 games they played, including 11 in a row. Then the series turned.

Last season, the Lakers took three of the four games despite a healthy Leonard. This season, Leonard is still ramping up his minutes after missing the first 34 games of the season.

But that doesn’t mean much to Reaves, pointing out the Clippers still have the league’s third-rated defense and their two-headed scoring leaders – Norman Powell and James Harden, who combined are averaging 22.5 points.

“That is the engine of their offense,” Reaves said. “Norman Powell, honestly, is playing at All-Star level, shooting the ball very well, averaging 24 (points) So, they’re a really good team. We just have to go in there prepared.”

Because anything can happen in a rivalry.

“So, I’m just excited for the opportunity to go compete,” Reaves said.

Staff writer Khobi Price added to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida signs new 2-year contract

• January 18, 2025

Galaxy defender and captain Maya Yoshida is returning, signing a new two-year contract through the end of the 2026 season.

Yoshida, 36, who was out of contract after last season, started all 40 games. He played all but 24 minutes in the Galaxy’s 34 regular-season games.

“We are thrilled to announce that our captain is back,” General Manager Will Kuntz said in a statement. “Maya has been an outstanding leader and teammate since his arrival to the club, and he is the embodiment of what it means to be a Galaxy player.

“His character, competitiveness and consistency were the foundation of our MLS Cup winning campaign. We look forward to being a further part of his storied career.”

Yoshida joined the Galaxy late in the 2023 season after a stellar career in Europe at Schalke, Sampdoria and Southampton, along with three World Cup tournaments with Japan.

Yoshida was voted the Galaxy’s Defender of the Year, anchoring a backline that made dramatic improvements from 2023 as the club regrouped to win its sixth MLS Cup in December.

Terms of the deal weren’t announced. Last year, Yoshida had a base salary of $800,000 and a guaranteed compensation figure of $893,334.

The Galaxy recently announced the signing of another defender, Mathias Jorgensen, who signed a two-year contract and will join MLS after a career in Belgium, Denmark, England, Germany, Netherlands and Turkey.

​ Orange County Register 

Another round of ‘extreme’ Santa Ana winds raises fire danger for already reeling LA region

• January 18, 2025

Firefighters in battle-scarred Los Angeles County and around Southern California could again face “extreme” fire weather conditions with powerful gusts in the coming week, the National Weather Service said on Saturday, Jan. 18.

“A strong and dry Santa Ana event with extreme fire weather conditions is increasingly likely,” the NWS said in a statement. “This event may be considerably stronger for many areas than the event that we experienced this past Monday through Wednesday.”

Also see: How to prepare for the next Santa Ana wind event

The stage is once again set for enormous fire danger because there still is critically dry vegetation, with no real rain since April, meteorologists said.

A fire weather watch was issued for the area near the Palisades fire starting at 10 a.m. on Monday until 10 p.m. Tuesday, but the alert could extend beyond that.

The strongest winds will blow in the western San Gabriel Mountains, into the Santana Susana mountains and down to the western Santa Monica Mountains, meteorologist Kristan Lund said. It’s predicted that areas in western San Fernando Valley, between Van Nuys and Burbank, will be hit the hardest.

Gusts up to 65 mph are expected in non-mountain areas, with gusts up to 80 mph in the mountains.

In Orange County and the Inland Empire, the NWS said on X: “Santa Ana winds will return for inland areas Monday, peaking in strength Monday night into Tuesday, then continuing through midweek. There is still uncertainty about the strength of winds, but critical fire weather conditions are likely given very low relative humidity.”

Cooler temperatures, more humidity and weaker winds will aid firefighting efforts over the weekend, NWS meteorologist Rich Thompson said on Friday.

This is a developing story. Please check back for more.

​ Orange County Register 

Rams at Philadelphia Eagles: Who has the edge in their NFC playoff matchup?

• January 18, 2025

No. 4 RAMS at No. 2 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

When: Noon Sunday

Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

TV/Radio: NBC (Ch. 4), Peacock/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 225, 226

Line: Eagles by 6

Notable injury designations

Rams: QUESTIONABLE: LT Alaric Jackson (chest/knee), CB Ahkello Witherspoon (thigh), NT Bobby Brown III (shoulder), OL Justin Dedich (illness).

Eagles: OUT: DT Byron Young (hamstring).

What’s at stake? Another game to play, a trip to the NFC title game, two wins away from a Super Bowl title.

Who’s better? Look no further than the Eagles’ 37-20 win over the Rams in Week 12 to answer this question, and that’s fair. The Rams were without right tackle Rob Havenstein in that game, but the Eagles didn’t have receiver DeVonta Smith. The Rams have certainly improved since this meeting, with the defense holding opponents to 14 or fewer points in five of the last seven games. But they have to prove it on the field against the Eagles to change this answer.

Matchup to watch: Rams’ front vs. Eagles’ offensive line. If the Rams are going to limit the damage Philadelphia can inflict running the ball, the front five are going to have to absorb blocks and double-teams and allow linebackers Omar Speights and Christian Rozeboom to make plays. If the Eagles’ offensive linemen are able to get up to the second level of the defense, it’s going to be a long day for the Rams.

Rams win if: They hold Barkley below 80 yards rushing. … K Joshua Karty doesn’t miss any field goals or extra points in slushy conditions. … the Rams don’t turn the ball over.

Fantasy sleeper: TE Tyler Higbee was on his way to a big night in Monday’s wild-card victory over the Minnesota Vikings before he went to the hospital for a chest contusion. Expect the Rams to try to get him the ball again in the early going, especially in the red zone after going 2 for 4 in that area in the first meeting with the Eagles.

Prediction: Eagles 20, Rams 17. Beat reporter’s record: 14-4 for the season; 11-7 against the spread.

​ Orange County Register 

Tens of thousands in Southern California could lose power next week with return of high winds

• January 18, 2025

Tens of thousands of customers across Southern California should prepare to lose power Monday or Tuesday as Southern California Edison plans to make preemptive cutoffs as “extreme” fire weather returns.

More than 10,000 Southern California Edison customers remained without power Saturday morning, Jan. 18 as the utility scrambled to fix equipment damaged by the recent high winds.

Although the utility has no ongoing public safety outages on Saturday, SCE is considering shutoffs early next week to communities across Southern California that — if enacted — could affect about 40,000 customers in San Bernardino County, 18,000 customers in Riverside County, 13,000 customers in Los Angeles County and 5,000 customers in Orange County.

“We have notified customers that may be under consideration for a public safety power shutoff for a period of time Monday or Tuesday depending on how the wind develops,” said SCE spokesperson Gabriela Ornelas.

Santa Ana winds and “extreme” fire conditions are forecast for those days and beyond in fire-torn Los Angeles County and across Southern California, meteorologists say.

“A strong and dry Santa Ana event with extreme fire weather conditions is increasingly likely,” the National Weather Service said in a statement on Saturday, Jan. 18. “This event may be considerably stronger for many areas than the event that we experienced this past Monday through Wednesday.”

SCE customers can search by address to check if a scheduled public safety outage could affect them: sce.com/outage-center/check-outage-status.

​ Orange County Register