Football roundup: Mission Viejo, Orange, Foothill among the Week 4 winners

• September 19, 2026

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Mission Viejo trailed twice in the fourth quarter, but rallied to beat Pittsburg with a touchdown in the final minute of the game.

Carson Vandermade ran for a game-winning 9-yard touchdown for the Diablos in a 42-35 win Friday at Mission Viejo High.

Duke commit Luke Karby had three touchdown receptions for Mission Viejo (4-1). Brett Burnor threw four touchdown passes and ran for a touchdown. Jack Junker had a touchdown reception and Jeremy Bonhomme had a long reception to set up the game-winning touchdown.

Maddox Mataele, Stephen Smith and Toa Nansen had sacks for the Diablos and Jojo Reed had an interception on the final play of the game.

Mission Viejo has a bye week before opening Alpha League play at home against Edison on Oct. 2.

In other games Friday:

Orange 35, Etiwanda 28: Star Thomas III threw for 273 yards with three touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns for Orange.

KJ Woodbury had 180 yards receiving with two touchdowns for Orange. Malahki Allen added a touchdown reception for Orange, which is 5-0 for the first time since 2017.

Pacifica 35, Aliso Niguel 24: Zack Dickison ran for two touchdowns, returned an interception for a touchdown and forced a fumble for Pacifica.

Dickison has 12 touchdowns on the season for Pacifica (5-0) who is 5-0 for the first time since 2021. Jack Starr added a touchdown run for the Mariners and so did Joseph Pham-Ngoy.

Aiden Sidenstecker threw two touchdown passes to Tate Fettig for Aliso Niguel (1-4). Sidenstecker also ran for a touchdown and Asher Youderian made a field goal.

Dana Hills 70, Mayfair 7: Dana Hills scored 35 points in the first half on just 11 offensive plays in a rout of Mayfair.

Jack Norman caught four passes for 118 yards with three touchdowns for Dana Hills (5-0). Enzo Gallo had three tushing touchdowns and Chase Rasmussen added a touchdown run. Carter Anderson threw for 217 yards on just eight completions with three touchdowns.

Eduardo Castellano led the defense with 13 tackles and a sack. Ryan Blake blocked a punt that Stephen Reda returned for a touchdown and London Getz added an interception. The 70 points are a school-record for Dana Hills and Enzo Carpino made a school-record 10 extra points.

San Juan Hills 63, Mira Costa 21: Eiler King threw for a career-high 345 yards with five touchdowns for San Juan Hills in a dominant win.

Luke Frith had 165 yards receiving with two touchdowns and Cooper Chila had two touchdown catches. Chila also had two interceptions and Ethan Falcinella added two sacks.

Chayden Cadam had a touchdown reception for San Juan Hills (4-1) and Max Burke added one. Parker Armstrong threw a touchdown pass and John Pintar ran for a touchdown from the quarterback position.

Newport Harbor 42, Colony 0: Jordan Spigarelli completed 15 of 17 passes for 448 yards with four touchdowns for Newport Harbor.

Shane McKibbin had 182 yards receiving with three touchdowns and Ryan Palmer had a touchdown catch. Pepe Tena ran for 109 yards for Newport Harbor (3-2) and Jackson Stremick added a touchdown run.

Stremich had an interception on defense and Jett Blauwkamp forced a fumble that Cameron Hatfield recovered.

Capistrano Valley 40, Venice 0: Talon Spencer threw two touchdown passes to Colin Hooper in Capistrano Valley’s fifth consecutive win.

Capo Valley (5-0) jumped to a 33-0 lead in the first half. Spencer also ran for a touchdown and Zadyn Hall had two touchdown runs. Cade Epstein returned a punt for a touchdown in the second half.

St. Margaret’s 49, Capistrano Valley Christian 14: Sam Orellana had six touchdowns for St. Margaret’s in a home win over Capistrano Valley Christian.

Orellana had five touchdown runs and a touchdown catch. Kai Letcher threw two touchdown passes for St. Margaret’s (4-0) and Jack Kleinhanzl had a touchdown reception. Sam Ludlum had a fumble recovery for the Tartans, who are 4-0 for the first time since 2019.

Gavin Gizzi had a kick return for a touchdown for Capo Valley Christian (3-2) and Ben Mannion had a touchdown run.

Tesoro 35, Redlands East Valley 27: Tesoro had four rushing touchdowns in its first win of the season.

Morgan Beach had two rushing touchdowns for Tesoro (1-4). Emmett Owens added a rushing touchdown along with Owen Stirrat. Stirrat also caught a touchdown pass from Jayden Hansen.

Tesoro has a bye week before opening Epsilon League play against Aliso Niguel.

Woodbridge 29, University 22: Waylon Stone ran for the go-ahead touchdown for Woodbridge with 14 seconds left in the game.

Stone threw for 135 yards with a touchdown for Woodbridge (1-4) and Joey Coykendall had a touchdown reception. Keyasunn Stinson added a rushing touchdown for the Warriors.

Dylan Elmer threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Moises Keith-Chavez for University (2-3) with under four minutes remaining in the game to take a lead.

Marina 42, Cabrillo 21: Ben Ramos had three rushing touchdowns for Marina in its second consecutive win.

Maverick Covick threw two touchdown passes to Carson Hunnicutt and one to Nathan Kirk for Marina (2-3).

Rancho Alamitos 48, Santiago 6: Erick Garcia had three touchdowns and Ethan Garcia added two for Rancho Alamitos.

Mason Hernandez ran for a touchdown for Rancho Alamitos (4-0) and Osvaldo Ramos threw a touchdown pass to Zach Black.

Jacob Artaega had a long touchdown run for Santiago (1-3).

In the Tango League:

Bolsa Grande 42, Century 0: Micheal Nguyen completed 18 of 21 passes for 247 yards with three touchdowns for Bolsa Grande.

Slater Espinoza had 116 yards receiving with a touchdown for Bolsa Grande (3-2, 2-1). Tyler Le and Anthony Diaz added touchdown receptions. Bolsa Grande held Century to just 33 yards of total offense.

Jackson Espinoza, Slater Espinoza and Diaz each had interceptions for the Matadors.

— Michael Huntley

Sonora 14, Sunny Hills 0: Jeremiah Dempsey-Frost returned an interception for a touchdown, one of four turnovers the Raiders forced as they moved their record to 5-0.

Running back Gabriel Burgos ran for Sonora’s other touchdown.

Safeties Matthew Shaw and James Kalpakoff and linebacker Noah Vorick were among the other defensive standouts for Sonora.

The Raiders have a bye next week. They play Fountain Valley on Oct. 2 in a Lambda League opener at La Habra High.

Foothill 21, Cypress 7: Ford Wooton had two of the Knights’ four interceptions and scored on a touchdown reception to hand Cypress (4-1) its first loss of the season.

Running back Aidan Faraj quarterback Fysher Jamieson scored Foothill’s other two touchdowns on running plays.

The Knights (2-3) take their bye week next week. They play Oct. 2 at Newport Harbor in their Epsilon League opener.

Irvine 48, Kennedy 7: Will Bowman threw three touchdown passes for the Vaqueros.

Irvine (4-1) has won four in a row.

Two of Bowman’s three touchdown passes were caught by Enzo Cahoon. Jonathan Black scored on a 60-yard run for Irvine.

The Vaqueros do not play next week. They play their Foxtrot League opener at Segerstrom on Oct. 2.

La Habra 36, Orange Vista 7: The Highlanders completed the nonleague portion of their schedule with another win to improve to 5-0.

DJ Mitchell threw touchdown passes to Ethan Raphiel and Blake Rogers. Mitchell also ran for a touchdown and the Highlanders jumped to a 36-0 lead. CJ Dickerson had a rushing touchdown and returned a kick for a touchdown.

La Habra does not play next week. The Highlanders play their Bravo League opener Oct. 2 at Capistrano Valley (5-0).

— Steve Fryer

​ Orange County Register 

Car fans honor a century of Route 66

• September 19, 2026

Route 66 is iconic, legendary, and historic; but it’s the journey, not the destination, that draws people to it.

The cross-country highway route, from Chicago to the Santa Monica Pier, is also synonymous with car culture.

“It just goes right to the classic cars,” said David Dunlap, chairman of Route 66 Inland Empire California, who spends some of his time in Rancho Cucamonga at the Cucamonga Service Station on Foothill Boulevard, which is also Route 66.

Route 66 turns 100 in November. The highway was designated in 1926 when the nation launched the federal highway system. The route became a patchwork of state, local, and city roads connected and those connections brought travels.

Billed as the shortest and most scenic route to the West, Route 66 grew popular, according to the National Park Service. The road has been celebrated through the years as a pop culture icon, bringing the nation together by car and inspiring a lasting legacy of car culture and appreciation.

Now 100 years later, the celebration of “The Mother Road” continues.

Friday night, the two-day 13th annual Route 66 Cruisin’ Reunion kicked off, bringing more than 1,000 classic cars, hot rods and cruisers to downtown Ontario.

“It’s such a good feeling about the cars and everything about the culture with Route 66,” said Marco Santiago, who brought his 1968 Dodge D100, to the show, his first time there. “My car has such good memories in it, and I have always wondered if it was on that road back in the day.”

His car has been in the family for more than 40 years, he bought it from his father, and it’s had many trips to and from Tijuana, Mexico, he said.

The famed 2,448-mile highway road enters California in the San Bernardino County desert town of Needles – 315 of those miles are in Southern California. It crosses through Barstow and Newberry Springs — you just might see tumbleweeds along the way. The road continues through the High Desert and the Cajon Pass and into the Inland Empire. From there the route heads west, along a parallel route with today’s 210 Freeway, into the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County before dipping slightly south toward the coastal community of Santa Monica.

Time capsules sit all along the highway and one Southern California stop, the historic Cucamonga Service Station, managed by the Route 66 Inland Empire California nonprofit, draws visitors from all over.

The preserved service station was originally a Richfield station built in 1915. It served as a rest stop for weary travelers and more-recently a local hangout.

Dunlap says the highway has reached beyond our borders and has developed an international following. Many visitors from all over stop in to the Rancho Cucamonga landmark to talk, he said on a recent Monday afternoon.

“I always ask, ‘What makes you so interested in Route 66?’ And they tell us we want to come to America, and that’s kind of what they think about. It’s iconic. Traveling on Route 66,” Dunlap said. “We get folks from other countries all the time. Yeah wow. 
Nearly 20% a month are from other countries.”

Dunlap said a few of the visitors were from international Route 66 associations who met up at the service station by chance.

“I was working here one day, and I had a couple from France come in. They were from the French Route 66 Association,” he said. “As I’m talking to them, this Japanese guy walks in, and they hugged him; he’s from the Japanese Route 66 Association, and they had both met as they were traveling the route.”

He said the road is linked with car culture and the days gone by.

The draw to California was born from necessity as much as leisure, Dunlap said.

“California has agriculture, and they used Route 66 to come out here (for work). So that was one of the big things that made Route 66 so popular. California was growing like crazy,” he said. “Then we went into the whole bit about the freeways being built in the ’50s and ’60s. You had a big motoring public. They had cars like you’ve got out front here, and they wanted someplace nice to drive them.”

John Steinbeck’s classic “The Grapes of Wrath” added a layer of interest in the road too, highlighting the struggles of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl in the Midwest, affecting farmers as they were in search of new opportunities out West.

The road has undergone major changes, as it was paved, widened, straightened, and generally modernized over the years, history columnist Nick Cataldo wrote in a recent column. Millions of Americans used the route as their path to the West, especially during the Dust Bowl era from about 1930 to 1940.

Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985 after modern interstates and highways bypassed major sections of the route.

Even today, the entire route isn’t fully drivable. The Route 66/National Trails Highway Bridge Replacement Project is underway now in San Bernardino County.

The project spans 130 miles “and involves repairing and replacing dozens of aging wooden bridges …,” Amy Ledbetter, communications officer at the San Bernardino County Public Works Department, told columnist Amy Bentley in June. There are 63 bridge structures of 133 that are “active county projects,” and two had been repaired.

But that hasn’t stopped those coming to visit and drive the nostalgic route.

Southern California car culture often pays homage to the “Mother Road” with shows, like this weekend’s in Ontario. A key part of that is to see and be seen.

Since 2013, the Ontario show has been one of the largest, featuring vehicles from every era.

Danny Tercero brought his cherry red 1947 Chrysler Windsor Highlander on Friday afternoon to downtown Ontario and was admiring other rides as they cruised by.

“Route 66’s 100th birthday for me means smiles,” Tercero said. “It’s having fun and relaxing, enjoying the ride as you cruise.”

Next to Tercero was Mark Gomez, who brought his black convertible 1941 Chevy, he bought from his late father.

“It is a good feeling to have this car I got from my dad during the Route 66 anniversary,” Gomez said. “During the pandemic, I actually drove the entire Route 66 with my daughter. It’s such a great memory.”

The big shows aren’t the only way local car enthusiasts still meet up. Smaller events and even monthly meetups are still very popular.

“Car culture, man, it’s just about family,” said “Lace,” a member of the Viejitos San Bernardino Car Club, who was at a recent Fontana meetup. “Hanging out with your kids and good people hanging out, talking about cars,” he said in an interview. “No trouble, just having a good time. That’s all it is.”

Another Viejiitos car club member Robert Delgado said he is proud of his ride he revived from the dead into his Frankenstein masterpiece.

“When I go down Route 66, I get all thumbs up, and a lot of people really like it when I am cruising down the road,” he said in an interview. “It’s an attention-getter. People pull up beside me, and I know they are looking at the car.”

Eating along Route 66

• Desert spots keep traces of diner culture alive

• Enchiladas, prime rib and pastrami in the San Gabriel Valley

• Burgers and breakfast in Eagle Rock and Silver Lake

• Chow mein, chili and rock stars in West Hollywood

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Saturday, Sept. 19

• September 19, 2026

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Scores and stats from Orange County games on Saturday, Sept. 19

Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register.

The deadline for submitting information is 10:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday.

BOYS WATER POLO

SOUTH COAST TOURNAMENT

Foothill 13, St. Mark’s 5

JSerra 14, Harvard-Westlake 7

Newport Harbor 16, Cathedral Catholic 15

TROY WARRIOR TOURNAMENT

St. John Bosco 16, Canyon Crest Academy 15

GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL

MISSION VIEJO TOURNAMENT

University 12, Capistrano Valley 0

Mission Viejo 30, Ramona 6

Tesoro 21, Santa Margarita 19

Ramona 20, Dana Hills 12

Huntington Beach 28, El Toro 6

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

DURANGO FALL CLASSIC

CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING ROUNDS

At Silverado HS

Mater Dei def. Harvard-Westlake, 25-21, 25-19

BRONZE QUALIFYING ROUNDS

At Coronado HS

Newport Harbor def. Marin Catholic, 25-20, 25-21

Redondo Union def. Los Alamitos, 17-25, 25-11, 25-20

CLASSIC QUALIFYING ROUNDS

At Desert Oasis HS

Lone Peak def. Foothill 25-22, 25-17

Huntington Beach def. South Torrance, 25-14, 25-15

​ Orange County Register 

Sean McVay: Rams WR Puka Nacua is ‘questionable’ with hip injury for Monday

• September 19, 2026

LOS ANGELES — Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua did not practice for the second consecutive day with a hip injury and will be questionable for Monday’s home opener against the New York Giants, coach Sean McVay said Saturday morning.

Nacua’s hip injury is unrelated to the psoas (core/lower back) issue that the 25-year-old wideout dealt with through the latter stages of the preseason following the Rams’ joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 11, which Nacua left early.

“He’s got a little bit of soreness in that groin,” McVay said. “(We’re) being smart with him as a skill player. Whether or not he plays is to be determined. So we’ll see how he’s feeling. But he won’t practice today (Saturday).”

Nacua felt good coming out of practice on Thursday, McVay said, but didn’t feel totally comfortable opening up at full speed. During last week’s 27-7 trouncing defeat against the San Francisco 49ers, Nacua tallied 74 receiving yards on five receptions to mark a rare positive in the Rams’ Week 1 trek to Melbourne, Australia.

Coming off a career-high 1,715 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns, when healthy, Nacua is expected to be quarterback Matthew Stafford’s prime target along with veteran wide receiver Davante Adams.

Combined with his groin soreness, McVay added that they’re keeping a watchful eye over their All-Pro receiver. Nacua’s direct backup, Jordan Whittington, is also not practicing on Saturday and is doubtful for Monday’s game with a quadriceps injury.

Should Nacua and Whittington be unable to play against the Giants on Monday, the Rams could dive deeper into their depth with the likes of Xavier Smith, Tutu Atwell and rookie CJ Daniels getting opportunities to break into playing time.

Tight end Terrance Ferguson, although he was targeted just once against the 49ers and didn’t record a reception, is also a end-zone target for Stafford – especially if Nacua is off the table.

Donald to play, other injuries for the Rams

In response to star defensive tackle Aaron Donald saying Friday that the plan was for him to make his return from retirement on Monday against the Giants, McVay had a quick response.

“If he said it, he’s going,” McVay said Saturday morning of Donald, who rested during Saturday’s practice ahead of Monday’s game. “Whatever Aaron says, I support.”

McVay said that although it is a “bummer” that edge rusher Myles Garrett will be out for at least four weeks after undergoing knee surgery on Monday, Donald has looked “really good” and that they’re excited for him to play.

“In the meantime, to be able to add a veteran presence, a guy that just shows what it looks like, doesn’t have to say much, when he speaks everybody listens,” McVay said. “But more importantly, like I was mentioning earlier, he just models the way, and he’s definitely provided a spark for us. And you can see there’s a lot of love that his teammates have for him and a lot of respect and admiration just by how he carries himself.”

Safety Kam Curl (ankle) and linebacker Nate Landman (shoulder) were limited for the Rams’ Saturday practice. Safety Kam Kinchens (hamstring) did not practice Saturday and is out for Monday’s game, while linebacker Omar Speights practiced in full Saturday.

​ Orange County Register 

Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor opens 13th season at Long Beach haunted ship

• September 19, 2026

Now in its 13th season, the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor opened the doors to the afterlife on Friday, Sept. 18, as fans of horror swarmed the ship and its surrounding area.

Those who attended opening night walked, screamed and ran for their lives through several mazes held on and off the ship, which has long been rumored to be haunted. The ghosts and creatures who allegedly still inhabit the legendary vessel have inspired its walk-through mazes.

The six mazes include “Lullaby: Teddy’s Revenge,” where the sinisterly playful ghost of Scary Mary rises to accost passengers in the ship’s pool area. There’s also “Infirmary: The Siren Song.” This is where sadistic surgeon Dr. Edwin Masters and his accomplice Graceful Gale torment the living. And for more terror fun, there’s “Big Top Terror: Carnival of Chaos,” which takes a Halloween carnival and turns it into a deadly night of clown mayhem.

Making its Dark Harbor debut this year is “Shipwrecked: Brace for Impact,” a maze that takes place during a blackout voyage that led to the ship’s most chilling collision as drowned sailorsreturn from the depths to haunt the vessel. Besides mazes, people also jumped on carnival rides, played games and hunted for hidden speakeasies.

Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor: First look inside new Shipwrecked maze

The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor

Where: The Queen Mary,  1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach

Information: Tickets start at $50.99. To purchase tickets go to darkharborhalloween.com

​ Orange County Register 

Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders: Who has the edge?

• September 19, 2026

CHARGERS (0-1) vs. RAIDERS (1-0)

When: 1:05 p.m. Sunday

Where: SoFi Stadium

TV/Radio: Ch. 2; 640 AM/103.9/89.3 FM (Spanish)

Line: Chargers by 6½

Notable injury designations

Chargers: OUT: S Elijah Molden (hamstring), OL Trey Pipkins III (knee); QUESTIONABLE: CB Deane Leonard (abdomen), WR Ladd McConkey (rib).

Raiders: OUT: CB Darien Porter (foot); DOUBTFUL: TE Brock Bowers (knee); QUESTIONABLE: QB Aidan O’Connell (personal).

What’s at stake: The Chargers’ season could be at stake if they don’t play a crisper, cleaner game against the Raiders than they did in their season-opening loss to the Arizona Cardinals. A loss to the Raiders would drop the Chargers to 0-2 with games against NFL elites in the coming weeks. After hosting the Raiders, the Chargers hit the road to play the Buffalo Bills and then the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. They return home to play the AFC West champion Denver Broncos in Week 5 before facing the Chiefs in Week 6 in Kansas City. At that point, the Chargers’ bye week couldn’t come soon enough.

Who’s better: Last week, the Chargers looked like the better team on paper until the Cardinals outplayed and outmaneuvered them in every way possible. The same might happen this week against the Raiders, too. The Chargers have better players at almost every position, including quarterback in the form of Justin Herbert. But there’s no guarantee Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins won’t slice and dice them the way he did in throwing for three touchdowns in Las Vegas’ victory last week over the Miami Dolphins, topping 300 TD passes for his NFL career.

Matchup to watch: Can the Chargers block well enough against Maxx Crosby and the Raiders to ensure Herbert has time to throw and Omarion Hampton has room to run? Herbert was sacked three times in Week 1, but he seemed flustered at times, which has been a concerning development when he’s under pressure in recent seasons. Hampton had several good runs in Week 1, but ultimately, as the Chargers fell behind, they turned to the pass and away from the run.

Chargers win if: Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has preached conviction over perfection since his hiring in January. In light of the Chargers’ sloppy fourth-quarter showing against the Cardinals, maybe he should turn around that phrase. The Chargers could use a little more perfection when facing the Raiders or any other hungry team looking to feast on the Chargers’ mistakes. Herbert threw one interception and Hampton fumbled once against Arizona. The Chargers were penalized seven times for 64 yards, including false starts on back-to-back snaps in the fourth quarter. A repeat performance would be like handing over the game to the Raiders on a silver platter. Cleaning up their act must be the Chargers’ No. 1 priority.

Fantasy sleeper: Coach Jim Harbaugh decided against giving Cameron Dicker a chance at a chip-shot field goal in the closing moments of the first half against Arizona, and Dicker wasn’t called upon to try a field goal at all in Week 1. Strange, right? He is, after all, the most accurate field-goal kicker in NFL history with a 93.5% success rate (minimum of 100 attempts). Look for the Chargers to get Dicker on the field more often if their drives stall in Week 2.

Prediction: Again, it’s difficult to pick against the Chargers, especially with the oddsmakers making them touchdown favorites over the Raiders. And again, the Chargers appear to have the better, deeper and more experienced team. Realistically, there’s nowhere for them to go but up after laying an egg in their Week 1 loss to the Cardinals. Chargers 30, Raiders 24.

​ Orange County Register 

Southern California job market hits record high in August

• September 19, 2026

Southern California bosses grew their staffs to record levels this summer, even though job creation is running at almost half the pace we’ve seen in the past.

My trusty spreadsheet looked at state job counts released Friday, Sept. 18, and found there were 10 million jobs in August across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura and Imperial counties. These stats are adjusted for seasonal hiring swings.

August is a perfect example of an economy that’s sending many mixed messages.

The month marked the region’s third record-high job count so far this year. But the 47,000 workers added over 12 months is far slower than the 80,400 annual growth rate Southern California has averaged during the past 10 years.

Yes, there have never been more jobs in Southern California. But the caveat to the good news is that local bosses are adding jobs at a pace that’s 42% below average – and that’s bad news for job seekers.

Locally speaking

Let’s look at this mixed message at the local level.

Across the region’s six job markets, five saw an increase in workers in August, and one was unchanged. Yet, job creation trailed 10-year norms in four of the six markets.

The Inland Empire was the farthest below par. Its 1.72 million jobs were up 7,300 in a year. But historically speaking, 31,500 jobs were added yearly since 2016. So, the region’s job creation is running 77% below average.

Next weakest was Orange County. It had 1.69 million jobs, up 6,300 in a year compared to its historical average of 10,400 jobs created per year. So, O.C.’s pace is 39% below its 10-year norm.

Los Angeles County had 4.62 million workers, up 17,400 in a year. But its 10-year pace has been 21,000 added yearly, leaving August 17% below par.

In Ventura County, its 319,000 jobs remained flat over the year. Since 2016, however, 1,900 jobs have been created annually.

Who’s above par?

San Diego County had 1.58 million jobs, up 14,800 in a year. That topped its 10-year pace of 14,600 added yearly.

Then there’s Imperial County. Its 60,900 jobs were up 1,200 in a year. Job creation ran 900 yearly, so that’s 33% above average.

California dreaming

Statewide employment also crawls ahead.

There were a record 18.2 million jobs across California in August – up 138,500 workers in a year. Compare that to 164,600 jobs added each year over the past decade.

So, Golden State job creation is running 16% below the state’s 10-year norm.

Geographically speaking, the north had a better employment picture as artificial intelligence investments boost the Bay Area economy.

Counties outside of Southern California account for only 45% of all jobs statewide. But those counties accounted for 66% of California’s employment growth over the last 12 months.

Top the nation

Despite some sluggishness, California’s overall job creation outpaced the nation in August.

American bosses employed a record 159 million, up 603,000 workers in a year. Since 2016, U.S. jobs have averaged 1.44 million per year of growth. So, U.S. job creation is 58% below its 10-year norm.

Ponder California’s slice of the U.S. job market. The state represented 11% of all American employment in August – but created 23% of all new U.S. jobs in the past year.

Or contemplate California’s outperformance by eyeballing one-year rates of change. Southern California jobs are up 0.5%. Statewide employment grew 0.8%. But the nation? It’s up only 0.3%.

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com

• Try Jonathan Lansner’s Substack collection of economic trends. CLICK HERE!

August’s most popular Southern California real estate stories …

No. 1: Where is OC’s hottest homebuying neighborhood?

No. 2: 338-unit affordable housing complex breaks ground in Tustin

No. 3: Peek inside this Newport Coast estate that sold for $39M

No. 4: Enderle Center sold, Campo on 17th moves ahead in Tustin

No. 5: Rents rise in just 22% of SoCal. See which cities got hikes

No. 6: Home prices dip in 38% of OC. How did your ZIP do?

No. 7: LA-OC’s worst-paying jobs: Can those wages pay the rent?

No. 8: A-OC homes still ‘unaffordable’ even with a 0% mortgage

No. 9: Corona del Mar retail center trades hands, a first in 80 years

No. 10: California housing is frozen, but not underwater

​ Orange County Register 

What’s next for Jeff Burum, the Inland Empire’s real estate investment king?

• September 19, 2026

Inland Empire real estate developer Jeff Burum once thought he would be a foreign affairs diplomat with the U.S. State Department.

With a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a minor in Chinese history from Claremont McKenna College, his career path started with a summer internship in Taiwan with the Taipei Language Institute.

In his senior year in 1985, he wrote his thesis on the reunification of mainland China and the self-ruled island of Taiwan. “It was looking like China was going to be a big growth market,” Burum said.

Without political connections, Burum said he refocused his career ambitions when he couldn’t land a job. After briefly selling life insurance, he took out the Yellow pages and found a job in real estate development.

Today, the boy who grew up poor in a divorced family and left his troubled home at 15 now runs a portfolio of companies called Diversified Pacific Development Group. Founded by Burum in Rancho Cucamonga in 1990, it has $5 billion in assets under management.

Burum also created several nonprofits aimed at developing low-income housing, including Southern California Housing Development Corp., which he founded in 1992 with homebuilder Andrew Wright. That nonprofit merged in 2006 with National Housing Development Corp., also founded by Burum in 1999 to help the organization grow outside of California. The two nonprofits have since rebranded as National Community Renaissance, also known as National CORE.

Today, National CORE is one of the largest nonprofit affordable housing developers in the U.S. with a presence in California, Texas and Florida. It has bought, sold, rehabbed or built close to 21,000 units over its 35-year history, and managed through housing authorities and other nonprofits another 6,000 units.

“Part of the motivation to start National CORE, was to help people like my mom,” Burum said.

His mother struggled to raise her family of four, working multiple jobs to pay their rent. “Single moms certainly have a place in my heart,” he said. “I see moms out there struggling on their own without supportive fathers.”

National CORE recently began work on more than 200 affordable homes at the former MacLaren Children’s Center in El Monte.

Burum’s other projects include at least four that center on local Opportunity Zones. The federal designation promotes investment and growth in low-income and economically disadvantaged communities.

Congress originally established opportunity zones through the Tax Cuts and Job Act of 2017 during President Donald Trump’s first term in office. Several improvements were made in the program, which was extended permanently as part of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law on July 4, 2025. The changes are effective in 2027.

Burum hasn’t always had the Midas touch with real estate.

In 1997, his real estate investment partnership Colonies Partners invested in Colonies Crossroads, a 434-acre commercial and residential project in Upland.

That project led to a years-long legal battle with former California Attorney General Kamala Harris and also involved prominent San Bernardino County officials for their part in an alleged conspiracy in a bribery scheme.

In May 2011, Burum and others were accused of paying bribes (disguised as political action committee contributions) to four local politicians to secure a $102 million litigation settlement in San Bernardino County. The charges stemmed from a settlement approved by the board of supervisors in 2006 with the Colonies project over flood control improvements on the Upland land. Burum said he spent more than $32 million defending himself in court on the 29-count indictment — charges that were ultimately dismissed.

We asked Burum about the challenges today in the real estate world. His answers have been edited for clarity and length.

Q: Is the real estate market softening? 

A: We’ve had an active summer. We’ve sold more real estate this past summer than I’ve sold probably in the last six years.

The market has been a little sluggish. There’s really been no fallout in the market from the increase in interest rates (Rates rose from historic lows in 2020 to roughly 3.50%–3.75% for the federal funds benchmark and around 6.76% for 30-year fixed mortgages this month).

There’s obviously been a slowdown, but it hasn’t been the 30% decline or 40% decline like in 2007 and 2008. I don’t see rates dropping until after the Nov. 3 mid-term elections — maybe in the spring or next summer.

Q: Are you seeing tariffs, labor shortages — some of which have been caused by last year’s L.A. wildfires — impacting the local housing market?

A: Without a doubt. To get everything from plumbing supplies to AC units is tough. It’s crazy. It takes four months to get stuff sent in from overseas. This includes countertops, bar stools, and tables in the kitchens.  It’s all driving up the costs for one project in Ontario. 

Q: How you are participating in the Opportunity Zones 2.0?

A: The governor’s office of every state has to approve the census tracts that are submitted by cities. The last time — with Opportunity Zones 1.0 during Trump’s first term — it was kind of rushed and not done very well.

We have four investments in Opportunities Zones 2.0 that are on the drawing board.

Two of the investments are luxury hotel projects in Ontario: Renovation of the former 10-story Ontario Airport Hotel, which will be reflagged as a 309-room Hyatt Regency along Haven Avenue, and a planned $700 million, 600-room luxury hotel along East Holt Boulevard near the intersection with East Guasti Road — across from the Convention Center.

Another major project taking shape is a proposed $40 million, pharmaceutical manufacturing facility on tribal land in the Inland Empire that could create 200 jobs. (He can’t discuss details because negotiations are ongoing.)

A fourth project is a 3,300-unit master-planned community on the south side of Banning, needing about $230 million in water and sewer lines, reservoirs and other infrastructure improvements.

Q: How many companies do you own?

A:  Real estate development is the core. I really don’t know how many, if I have to be candid.

I own Cayman Construction Inc., which is a construction management entity that does the building. I’m the largest investor in a water filtration company, Advanced Mobile Filtration Services, [a Fort Worth-based company that purifies water], and in Heofon Pharmaceutical, a pharmaceutical company that created a sophisticated engineering process to resolve active pharmaceutical ingredient shortages to keep pace with the rise of peptide therapeutics (such as GLP-1 weight loss medications).

I also have ventures with the broadcasting and digital streaming industries, particularly in Liminal Mirror-Calico, a reality TV production company that has pitched a series, “The Great Ghost Challenge,” to Netflix and others.

Q: Any other investments? 

A: Four years ago, I became the managing partner of the Empire Strykers, an Ontario professional indoor soccer team competing in the Major Arena Soccer League. We’re getting ready to create a league for women, and I’m looking into a real estate investment project to revitalize aging arenas in rustbelt towns like Erie, Pa., and Toledo, Ohio, for these leagues to play.

The women’s league is called the Major Arena Soccer League Women and will have a team locally, called Empire Pulse, which is projected to start playing in January. We’ll have teams from Dallas, Des Moines, Iowa, Kansas City, Milwaukee, San Diego, St. Louis and  Tacoma (Washington).

I think can help create opportunities for women that don’t exist today.

Jeffrey Burum

Age: 63

Co-founder: Diversified Pacific Development Group, and chairman of National CORE.

Headquarters: 9692 Haven Ave., Rancho Cucamonga

Employees: 600-1,000

​ Orange County Register