Angel City FC holds on for tie with Portland

• March 22, 2025

PORTLAND, Ore. — Kennedy Fuller scored early, and goalkeeper Angelina Anderson denied a late threat as Angel City FC held on for a 1-1 tie with the Portland Thorns in an NWSL game on Friday night.

Fuller scored in the ninth minute to give Angel City an early lead, but Reilyn Turner scored her first regular-season NWSL goal, tapping in a bouncing corner kick in the 30th minute to pull the Thorns even in their home opener.

Anderson leaped to push Hina Sugita’s strike from distance up and over the crossbar in the 83rd minute, preserving the deadlock.

Angel City played to a 1-1 draw at home against San Diego in its opener last weekend. The team is without forward Sydney Leroux, who announced that she is taking time off to focus on her mental health.

The Thorns were routed, 4-1, in their season opener last weekend against the Kansas City Current.

Portland is missing its biggest playmaker, Olympian Sophia Wilson, who is on maternity leave. Wilson, whose maiden name is Smith, was married in the offseason and took her husband’s name.

Angel City defender Sarah Gorden reached 10,000 career regular-season minutes during the match.

​ Orange County Register 

Clippers use big 2nd half to race past Grizzlies for 5th straight win

• March 22, 2025

INGLEWOOD — This wasn’t as much fun.

In the Clippers’ victory against one of the NBA’s best teams earlier in the week, they were healthy, locked in and more importantly having fun.

You could sense it in the way Kawhi Leonard scored, how James Harden did his thing, the times when Ivica Zubac dominated inside against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the rest of the team reacted on the bench that night.

“One of the things that we’ve emphasized is finding joy in the game. We want to continue that. We want ’em to have fun,” assistant coach Brian Shaw said.

Finding that kind of joy against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night was a bit more difficult. This game had more of a business-like feel, the team taking on a more serious approach in facing another high-level Western Conference foe.

But seriousness turned to fun following halftime as the Clippers scored 68 points in the second half on their way to a 128-108 victory at the Intuit Dome, their fifth straight and eighth in nine games.

James Harden finished with 30 points and nine assists and Kawhi Leonard added 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting and 10 rebounds as six Clippers scored in double figures.

“(Having fun) is the most important thing. If you don’t have joy for yourself and for each other, it’s not going to work and that’s what we have been communicating and talking about,” said Harden, who shot 8 for 14 from the field (5 for 10 from 3-point range) and made nine of his 10 free throws. “You can see our swagger is different for sure.”

Their new-found bounce comes from inching up in the standings. The Clippers (40-30) are in seventh place in the West, a few percentage points ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves (41-31) and one game behind the red-hot Golden State Warriors (41-29) as they try to climb into the top six and avoid the Play-In Tournament (seeds 7-10).

“We can’t control what anybody else is doing so we have to control what we are doing as best as possible,” Shaw said. “Everybody else keeps winning that we are jockeying with, trying to get to that No. 6 spot so we have to keep winning, too.

“We’re just finding a way.”

The Clippers took charge of the game in the third quarter, opening the period on a 19-5 run and outscoring the fifth-place Grizzlies (43-28) by 36-16 to take a 96-82 lead into the fourth. Harden scored 12 points in the third and the Clippers cruised to victory from there, improving to 3-0 against Memphis this season.

Shaw, who has coached six games in Tyronn Lue’s absence, said the key to beating the top teams is simple.

“If we are just emphasizing and focusing, taking care of what we do and imposing our will on the other team and just staying focused on that as opposed to what anybody else is doing,” said Shaw, who has guided the team to a 5-1 record.

Lue continues to be bothered by a sore back and his status for Sunday’s home game against league-leading Oklahoma City (58-12) is unclear. He has improved, according to team officials, but he stayed home Friday.

Like their victory over the Cavaliers, nearly everyone who played had a hand in this win.

Zubac had another double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 16 points and five assists while shooting 4 for 5 from 3-point range.

In his third game back from a hamstring injury, Norman Powell scored 14 points and had three rebounds, three assists and two steals, and Kris Dunn contributed 11 points.

The Clippers struggled to garner much traction early against the Grizzlies, who led by as many as eight in the first half. Memphis went on a 9-4 run to take a 66-60 lead into intermission.

“The first half wasn’t pretty, it was a chess game going on,” Shaw said. “They didn’t start (Zach) Edey and then every time we took Zu out they came in with him and Jaren Jackson (Jr.) or him and (Jay) Huff and they stayed big when we had our small (lineup), so I didn’t want to tip my hand too early.

“So, in the first half I said, well, I just feel it out and keep seeing how they’re attacking us with their two bigs.”

The gamble paid off. Shaw started Bogdanovic instead of Dunn to begin the second half and that enabled them to cut down their turnovers after allowing Memphis to score 21 points off eight turnovers before halftime.

Memphis made a surge at the end of the first half. With the score tied at 53-all, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Santi Aldama drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to get Memphis rolling. Leonard answered with a pull up jumper, but Pippen buried another 3-pointer to give the Grizzlies a 62-55 lead with 1:07 left in the half.

After Leonard completed a three-point play, the Grizzlies scored two quick baskets to extend their lead to 66-58. A pair of free throws by Harden closed out the half.

Jackson scored 23 points to lead the Grizzlies, who lost their third straight. Aldama finished with 16 points and Luke Kennard and Pippen each had 15 points.

Grizzlies star Ja Morant, who has been averaging 22.3 points and 4.1 rebounds. missed his fourth consecutive game while dealing with a hamstring injury. Memphis also was without Brandon Clarke, who left Wednesday’s loss because of a right knee injury.

​ Orange County Register 

Baseball roundup: University’s Andrew Shean tosses no-hitter; Cypress tops JSerra again

• March 22, 2025

Andrew Shean pitched a no-hitter and had 10 strikeouts for University in a 9-0 rout of St. Margaret’s on Friday in a Pacific Coast League game at University High.

Shean has not allowed a run in 14 consecutive innings pitched and has allowed just one run this season. He has 20 strikeouts in 15⅓ innings pitched and has allowed just seven hits.

The junior also went 2 for 4 at the plate with a double and two runs scored. David Wu had two hits with a double, a stolen base and two RBIs for University (6-3, 2-1) and Chase Nguyen had two hits with two RBIs.

University had nine stolen bases. Sean Maher led the Trojans with three stolen bases and Nguyen added two.

Also in the Pacific Coast League:

Portola 6, Sage Hill 5: Jack Wang hit a two-run, walk-off single to Portola in a win over Sage Hill.

Portola (5-6, 3-0) led 4-1 entering the seventh inning and Sage Hill (4-4, 1-3) scored four runs in the top half of the inning to take the lead. The Bulldogs hit three consecutive singles to set up the walk-off hit by Wang.

Ashton Wood had two hits with a RBI for Portola and Brendan Villanueva had a triple and two RBIs.

Sophomore Evan Stroner had two hits and two RBIs for Sage Hill and pitched 5⅔ innings.

Irvine 4, Northwood 1: Adam Valencia pitched a one hit shutout for Irvine in a road win over Northwood.

Valencia had seven strikeouts for Irvine (6-7, 2-3) and went 2 for 3 at the plate. Alex Cho had a hit with two RBIs and Ethan Kim had a RBI.

Carter Liu had seven strikeouts in six innings pitched for University (4-6-1, 1-2).

In the Sunset League:

Los Alamitos 16, Edison 1: Los Alamitos scored 13 runs in the final two innings of a road win over Edison.

Tyler Smith and Damon Valdez each had two hits and three RBIs for Los Alamitos (9-1-2, 2-1). Wyatt Joyce added three hits with a RBI.

UC San Diego signee Jack Lorenz allowed one run in 4⅔ innings and struck out four.

Edison scored its lone run in the first inning. Mason Gerhardt led the inning off with a triple and scored on a single by Shane Timmons.

Huntington Beach 4, Marina 2: University of San Diego signee Jayton Greer hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning to help keep Huntington Beach’s undefeated season intact.

CJ Weinstein had two RBIs for Huntington Beach (6-0, 5-0) and Ethan Porter added two hits. Jake Frohn allowed one run in four innings with six strikeouts.

Luke Pratali hit a home run for Marina (7-5, 0-3).

In the Golden West League:

Costa Mesa 2, Kennedy 1: Wylan Rottschafer drove in the game-winning run and got the win on the mound for Costa Mesa (6-5, 2-1).

Rottschafer hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning and pitched two perfect innings of relief. Costa Mesa got a good start from Will Clark who allowed zero earned runs in five innings with five strikeouts. Aiden Comte had a RBI for the Mustangs.

Tyler Onofre pitched a complete game for Kennedy (6-6, 1-2).

Katella 8, Segerstrom 2: Kevin Reyes Mejia hit a 3-run home run for Katella in the second inning.

Julian Bustos had two RBIs for Katella (7-3, 1-1) and Ben Villela allowed just one run in 5⅔ innings pitched.

Jullian Hernandez and Zack Bretza each had RBIs for Segerstrom (5-5, 2-1).

In the Empire League:

Ocean View 2, Laguna Hills 1: Ocean View scored two runs in the final two innings to beat Laguna Hills.

Evan Simonds and Sam Arredondo each had RBIs for Ocean View (5-7, 1-1). Austin Aldous pitched four scoreless innings of relief to earn the win.

Kyler FitzPatrick had seven strikeouts in 6⅔ innings for Laguna Hills (7-3, 1-1) and had seven strikeouts. Christian Sigaty drove in the lone run for Laguna Hills. The Hawks had a 7-game winning streak entering Friday.

In the Orange League:

Saddleback 5, Santiago 3: Diego Enriquez and Andy Aguilar combined to allow just four hits in a win over Santiago.

Ruben Gutierrez went 3 for 3 with a double, stolen base and a RBI for Saddleback (5-5-1, 1-0. Ricardo Marquez had two hits and a RBI.

Magnolia 3, Santa Ana Valley 0: Blake Jaques pitched a shutout for Magnolia with just three hits allowed and six strikeouts.

Joseph Mendoza had two stolen bases and scored a run for Magnolia (4-3, 2-0). Santi Cortez had a hit and scored a run.

In the Coast League:

Estancia 11, Orange 10 (9 innings): Jake Humphries was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded which scored the game-winning run for Estancia in the ninth inning against Orange.

Nico Viramontes had a double with three RBIs for Estancia (6-5, 1-1). Sawyer Atkinson had two hits with a double, two stolen bases and a RBI. Ramon Perez had two hits, walked four times and scored three runs.

Gogh Nakagawa had two hits with three RBIs for Orange (5-5-1, 0-2). Dylan Norwalk had three hits and scored two runs.

In nonleague games:

Cypress 4, JSerra 3: The Centurions, ranked No. 6 in the county, swept this week’s two-game series against the No. 4 Lions by winning Friday’s game at JSerra.

Greg Prophet III drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning to lead Cypress to the win.

Nick Johnson and Connor Artasere each had two hits for Cypress (6-4), which beat JSerra 7-4 Wednesday at Cypress.

Wyatt Rosales got the win on the mound with two scoreless innings of relief.

Carter Meza, Owen Capron and Jordan Marian each had two hits for JSerra (3-3).

San Clemente 14, Murrieta Valley 0: Kaden Raymond had a career-game for San Clemente in a rout of Murrieta Valley.

Raymond went 4 for 4 with a home run, a double and seven RBIs for San Clemente (5-7). Stanford signee Mike Erspamer pitched four no-hit innings and had 10 strikeouts. Cade Cerone had two hits with a RBI.

Villa Park 3, Capistrano Valley 1: Nate Lewis and Pepperdine signee Shawn Romero each had RBIs for Villa Park in a win over Capistrano Valley.

Dominic Gutierrez had two hits for Villa Park (8-3, 1-2) and Owen Smith earned the win on the mound.

Reed Hitzler had two hits with a stolen base for Capistrano Valley (6-5) and Carter Micallef had a RBI.

Garden Grove 2, South El Monte 0: Manny Martinez pitched a one-hit shutout for Garden Grove (7-5).

Jose Fernandez and Andrew Rodriguez each had RBIs for Garden Grove and Fernandez hit a double.

In the San Joaquin League:

Pacifica Christian 13, Webb 1: Scout Escobedo had a home run for Pacifica Christian in a rout of Webb.

Rowen Gale and John Peterson each had three RBIs for Pacifica Christian (5-4, 3-0) and Peterson had a triple.

In the Anaheim Lions Tournament:

San Juan Hills 15, Canyon Springs 2: San Juan Hills scored runs in six of seven innings in a blowout win over Canyon Springs.

Ethan Meeker and Tanner Kessler each had three hits for San Juan Hills (6-5). Garrett Gandolfo had a stolen base and three RBIs.

Whittier Christian 8, Marshall 0: Alex Valencia did it all for Whittier Christian in a shutout win over Marshall.

Valencia pitched a complete game, allowed just two hits and had 10 strikeouts and hit a home run. Aiden Van Essen and Eli Echavarria each had RBIs for Whittier Christian (6-4).

​ Orange County Register 

Katelynn Mathews leads Fullerton softball past No. 4 Mater Dei for big ‘program’ win

• March 22, 2025

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FOUNTAIN VALLEY — If there’s an early theme to the Orange County softball season, it might be parity.

Lower ranked teams have defeated lofty rivals in the O.C. Top 25 to prompt excitement that wide-spread competitiveness exists.

Fullerton fueled the concept Friday by defeating No. 4 Mater Dei 4-0 behind a breakout performance by pitcher Katelynn Mathews at Fountain Valley Sports Park.

Mathews, a sophomore, allowed three hits and struck out eight in six shutout innings to lead the No. 11 Indians (8-4) to their biggest win of the young season.

“Very big win for our program,” fourth-year Fullerton coach Trevor Holton said. “We have come a long way in three years. The kids are really buying in and laying the foundation.”

Fullerton reemerged on the county softball landscape in 2023 with the arrival of touted freshman Malaya Majam-Finch. She led the Indians to a CIF SoCal Regional Division III title that season and has since committed to four-time defending NCAA champion Oklahoma.

But in another nod to parity, it was Mathews who dominated Mater Dei (7-6-1), which earlier this month reached the semifinals of the Dave Kops Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City, Ariz.

The Monarchs’ hits off Mathews came on an infield single, bunt single and a flare that narrowly escaped second baseman Analise Barrios. The Trinity League squad went 0 for 6 against Mathews with runners in scoring position.

“She spun it really well,” Mater Dei coach Nicole Thomas said of Mathews. “She hit both in and out, and up. As much as we had a plan, her stuff was good. … Our players are strong. It’s hard to get our hitters off balance.”

Mathews said she leaned on her curveball, riseball, screwball and backdoor curve in her battery with catcher Abby Lee.

“I did well hitting my spots,” said Mathews, who was replaced by Majam-Finch for the seventh inning. “And when I was ahead of the count, (I) shut the batters down. … I’ve improved hitting my spots a lot.”

Holton held Mathews in high regard as a freshman but believes she has raised her level.

“She is all business,” he said. “Never gets too up, never gets too down. (She) buckles down even more in pressure situations.”

“(She’s) not an unknown any more,” the coach added.

Fullerton supported Mathews by scoring four runs — two unearned — off Penn commit Sienna Acosta.

No. 9 batter Kaylyn Yi, a freshman center fielder, laced an opposite-field double to left with one out in the third inning and scored on a groundout by Andrea Montes De Oca.

In the fourth inning, Yi drove in two runs with a two-out double to right.

Yi and leadoff batter Hayley Brock (Utah Valley) each went 2 for 3 for Fullerton.

Barrios capped the scoring with a two-out RBI single in the fifth.

“We want to win the (Empire) League and advance as far as we can in the playoffs,” Holton said. “We’re going to keep grinding.”

Mater Dei dropped its second straight game but had Thomas back on the field after she served a one-game suspension for her ejection in the third-place game in Bullhead City.

Speedy No. 9 batter Mikayla Macisaac had two of the Monarchs’ three hits.

“Once the girls gain confidence back and play the way we’ve all seen, we’ll be good,” said Thomas, whose team begins the Dugard Classic on Saturday. “(The Trinity) is going to be a really tough league.”

​ Orange County Register 

Top-seeded UCLA women crush Southern in NCAA Tournament opener

• March 22, 2025

LOS ANGELES — The UCLA women’s basketball team kicked off its quest for the program’s first Final Four appearance by routing Southern, 84-46, in an NCAA Tournament first-round game on Friday night at Pauley Pavilion.

Lauren Betts had 14 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots, and Londynn Jones scored 11 points for the Bruins (31-2), who are the tournament’s top overall seed. Janiah Barker provided a spark off the bench with 10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks, while Kiki Rice finished with 10 points and seven assists and Gabriela Jaquez added 10 points.

“We talked about our team not being a team that plays not to lose, but go to win and take possessions,” head coach Cori Close said after the game. “And I think when we’re physical, we’re anticipatory, when we’re talking early, when we’re taking things away – that’s when we’re at our best.”

The Bruins will face eighth-seeded Richmond (28-6) on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion for a berth in the Sweet Sixteen. The Spiders routed Georgia Tech, 74-49, for their program’s first NCAA Tournament victory behind 30 points and 15 rebounds from Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Maggie Doogan.

The 6-foot-4 Barker was an important part of a 9-0 UCLA run to begin the second half, and she embraced the moment, blowing a kiss to the crowd as the Bruins took control.

“Sometimes (the crowd) just be heckling, so I blew them a kiss,” Barker told reporters. “My confidence is at an all-time high always, so I think I was just happy in that moment. It’s fun to be fun when you’re out there on the court. When we’re having a fun time, we play the best.”

Barker blocked a shot almost immediately after coming off the bench, kicking off a sequence that ended in a Jaquez layup. Thirty seconds later, Barker grabbed an offensive rebound and bumped a defender off her before passing to Rice, who was waiting on the perimeter.

Rice sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key to extend what had been a 12-point halftime lead to 47-26.

The 5-foot-11 point guard had zero turnovers against a Jaguars team that has used its physicality to force 19.91 turnovers per game this season.

“We did a lot of prep this week on handling pressure,” Rice said. “That’s something that teams have done to me in the past is pressure me and get the ball out of my hands, and I’ve just got to be able to take care of the ball and find my teammates. That’s my job.”

Aniya Gourdine had 10 points to lead 16th-seeded Southern (21-15), which beat UC San Diego in the First Four on Wednesday for the program’s first NCAA Tournament win.

“A lot of people underestimate HBCU’s,” Gourdine said. “They don’t really believe that we belong here. It’s huge to put us in the bracket for all those girls who might want to go to an HBCU.”

Back on the same court 48 hours later, the SWAC regular-season and tournament champions had trouble penetrating UCLA’s perimeter defense from the outset.

UCLA held Southern to 11 points in the first quarter and opened a 12-point lead. Rice kept feeding her teammates throughout the first half, and the Bruins shot 5 for 9 from 3-point range before halftime.

The Jaguars regrouped and played the Bruins even in the second quarter, going on a 6-0 scoring run late in the second quarter after a series of calls went in their favor. Taniya Lawson pulled up for a jumper that cut UCLA’s lead to 36-24 in the final minute, then Betts and Southern’s Sky Castro traded layups to keep it a 12-point margin at the intermission.

The Bruins leveraged the early momentum of the third quarter and outscored the Jaguars 21-7 in the period for a 59-33 lead, and the big cushion allowed Coach Cori Close to monitor her starters’ minutes the rest of the night. UCLA outrebounded Southern 44-23, and eight Bruins finished with at least nine points.

“I love how we responded in the third quarter defensively,” Close said. “I think that’s really where we’ve got to have urgency all the time. No matter what the game plan is, be counted on to do your job. I thought in the second quarter we lost track of that a little bit, but I was proud of how they responded.”

UCLA is in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season and the ninth time in 13 tournaments under Close, but the Bruins have made just one regional final in those first eight appearances. They spent 13 weeks atop the AP Top 25 this season and won the Big Ten Tournament last week by knocking off rival and fellow No. 1 seed USC in the title game.

​ Orange County Register 

George Foreman, 2-time heavyweight champion, dies at 76

• March 22, 2025

George Foreman, the fearsome heavyweight who lost the “Rumble in the Jungle” to Muhammad Ali before his inspiring second act as a 45-year-old champion and a successful businessman, died Friday night. He was 76.

Foreman’s family announced his death on social media.

“A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose,” his family wrote. “A humanitarian, an Olympian and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, he was deeply respected. A force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name — for his family.”

A native Texan, Foreman began his boxing career as an Olympic gold medalist who inspired fear as he climbed to the peak of the heavyweight division by stopping Joe Frazier in 1973. His formidable aura evaporated only a year later when Ali pulled off one of the most audacious victories in boxing history in Zaire, baiting and taunting Foreman into losing his belt in one of the greatest fights ever staged.

Foreman left the sport a few years later, but returned after a 10-year absence and a self-described religious awakening.

He then pulled off one of the most spectacular knockouts in boxing history in 1994, flooring Michael Moorer – 19 years his junior – to claim Moorer’s two heavyweight belts. Down on the scorecards, Foreman landed a two-punch combination that laid Moorer down for the count. At age 45 and 299 days, Foreman was the unified heavyweight champion of the world, the oldest man in history to hold boxing’s greatest prize (and also the oldest champion ever, a record that stood for 20 years).

“It happened,” Jim Lampley called on the HBO broadcast. “It happened!”

Foreman’s transformation into an inspirational figure was complete, and he fought only four more times before moving onto his next career as a genial businessman, pitchman and occasional actor.

Foreman had a successful career alongside Lampley as an HBO boxing analyst, but his greatest success following his in-ring career was yet to come.

He was best known as the face of the George Foreman Grill, a simple cooking machine which sold more than 100 million units and made him much wealthier than his sport ever did.

In 1999, he sold the commercial rights to the George Foreman Grill for $138 million.

“George was a great friend to not only myself, but to my entire family,” Top Rank president Bob Arum said. “We’ve lost a family member and are absolutely devastated.”

In the first chapter of his boxing career, Foreman was nothing like the smiling grandfather who hawked his grills on television to great success.

Foreman dabbled in petty crime while growing up in Houston’s Fifth Ward, but changed his life through boxing as a teenager. He made the U.S. Olympic team in 1968 and won gold in Mexico City, stopping a 29-year-old opponent in a star-making performance.

Foreman rose to the pinnacle of the pro game over the next five years, but was perceived as an aloof, unfriendly athlete, both through his demeanor and through the skewed racial lenses of the time. He stopped Frazier in an upset in Jamaica in January 1973 to win the belt, with his knockout inspiring Howard Cosell’s iconic call: “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!”

Foreman defended his belt against Ken Norton before accepting the fight with Ali in the now-immortal bout staged in Africa by promoter Don King. Ali put on a tactical masterclass against Foreman, showing off the “rope-a-dope” strategy that frustrated and infuriated the champion. Foreman was eventually knocked down for the first time in his career, and the fight was stopped in the eighth round.

Exhausted and disillusioned, Foreman stopped fighting in 1977 and largely spent the next decade as a preacher after his religious awakening. He returned to boxing in 1987 in his late 30s, and he racked up a lengthy series of victories before losing to Evander Holyfield in a title fight in 1991.

Three years later, Foreman got in the ring with Moorer in Las Vegas. Moorer appeared to win the first nine rounds rather comfortably, with Foreman unable to land his slower punches. But Foreman came alive in the 10th, hurting Moorer before slipping in the short right hand that sent Moorer to the canvas in spectacular fashion.

Foreman quit the ring for good in 1997, although he occasionally discussed a comeback. He settled into a life as a boxing analyst for HBO and as a pitchman for the grills that grew his fame and fortune. A biographical movie based on his life was released in 2023.

Foreman had 12 children, including five sons who are all famously named George Edward Foreman.

“Legendary boxing champion, life-changing preacher, husband, father, grand- and great-grandfather and the best friend you could have,” WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman wrote on social media. “His memory is now eternal, may Big George rest in peace.”

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

Here’s how to enter the Big Bear bald eagle chick naming contest

• March 22, 2025

Have an idea about what to call the two eaglets that hatched in the nest overlooking Big Bear Lake in recent weeks?

Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that operates two web cams that livestream the nest to the world, announced Friday the naming contest for the chicks is open.

Suggestions are due by 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 28.

The nonprofit maintains the free livestream without advertisements, so it asks for a small donation to enter the chick-naming contest. More contest details are online at friendsofbigbearvalley.org.

After the deadline for entries, a computer will randomly draw a list of finalists that will then be voted on by Big Bear Valley school children. The chicks’ names will be announced April 1.

The nonprofit is accepting names for the two chicks who remain in the nest. Though all three eggs in the clutch hatched, the oldest eaglet died in a recent snowstorm.

“We will be naming that chick ‘Misty,’ in honor of a very dedicated FOBBV volunteer, Kathi Misterly, who was lost to cancer and is still very missed,” the nonprofit announced.

It has been three years since Jackie’s offspring Spirit hatched and soared away.

​ Orange County Register 

Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix gives drivers chance to capitalize on strong starts

• March 22, 2025

THERMAL — Kyle Kirkwood is looking for ways to improve at the Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix and his team used Friday’s practice session at the new road course to move in that direction.

The driver of the No. 27 Andretti Global Honda finished in fifth place in the NTT IndyCar Series season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida. A top-five finish in any IndyCar Series race is impressive, but it didn’t make Kirkwood smile.

“I wouldn’t say I’m happy. I would say I’m satisfied,” Kirkwood said.

Sunday’s inaugural IndyCar Series race at Thermal Club presents an opportunity for Kirkwood to finish better than fifth. But it also presents a set of unfamiliar conditions that will make it difficult to finish the race, let alone win it. Kirkwood said his team is close to taking a checkered flag, and he won’t be happy until it happens.

“It’s close, but it’s just not there. I’m not extremely happy. I should be happy. Top five is really good in IndyCar. Satisfied with the result. Happy? Not really.”

Qualifying for the race is Saturday at 2 p.m. and will be televised on FS1. The race is Sunday at noon and will be televised on FOX (Ch. 11).

Kirkwood’s teammate at Andretti Global, 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson, was right behind Kirkwood at St. Petersburg, finishing sixth.

“Of course, you always want to win. I finished sixth. It’s not the perfect result,” said Ericsson, driver of the No. 28 Andretti Global Honda.

Unlike Kirkwood, Ericsson was pleased with his result. More importantly, he said it was a good momentum builder and confidence booster.

“I felt like I did exactly that,” Ericsson said. “I feel like we had a really solid weekend.”

NEW TRACK TESTS ENGINES

The Thermal Club race is new to the IndyCar Series and the drivers are excited for a new way to test their skills.

However, Ericsson said he likes going to the more traditional tracks with long histories.

“That’s always nice, but also I love a new challenge,” Ericsson said. “It’s a new track, but it’s also a very fun layout, really challenging corners. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Additionally, the IndyCar Series is using a new hybrid engine, which is heavier than the internal combustion engines used by the teams in races last year. The added weight reduces speed, but the new engines are more powerful and forces the drivers to adjust, especially on a technical track like the one at Thermal Club.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Kirkwood said. “I don’t really think it’s doing a whole, whole lot. This track is very hard on tires. It’s a common trait on West Coast tracks. It’s something we have to predict and plan for. We adjust accordingly.”

Kirkwood said the tire wear, heat and track temperatures will be more of a factor for reduced speeds in the cars than the new engines.

“It’s all new. Preparation’s pretty key,” he said.

Not all of the drivers are fans of the new hybrid engines. Andretti Global driver Colton Herta had few flattering words for them.

“It’s much heavier. It’s fine,” said Herta, driver of the No. 26 Andretti Global Honda.

The turns and corners at the track will have more to do with reduced speeds than the new engines, he said.

“It is a track that has a little bit of everything as far as the cornerwise, so the set up is a little bit more open than a lot of the street courses or the road courses that we might race on because you have to cater to a lot more of a different kind of set of corners,” said Herta, who’s from Valencia.

He finished fourth in the Thermal $1 Million Challenge exhibition race last year and has tested on the course over the winter. His team has plenty of data on the track, and he said he is familiar with the layout. It will test the new hybrid engines.

“This track will have a pretty high energy limit so we’ll be able to use it quite a bit,” Herta said. “It will make a more of a difference than at most of the other tracks that we go to. It really adds another kind of level to our driving. It makes it a little more interesting for us inside the cockpit. Outside the cockpit, it really doesn’t change much. The sound is similar. Speed-wise it’s similar. You really don’t see a difference.”

PALOU LEADS PRACTICE SESSION

Alex Palou, driver of the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda and the reigning IndyCar Series champion, posted the fastest lap in practice Friday at 1:40.5486.

The three Andretti Global drivers posted the next three fastest times.

Kirkwood was second at 1:40.6387. Ericsson was third at 1:40.7370. Herta was fourth at 1:40.8439.

“This is a place where we tested and we wanted to start off on the right foot,” Herta said. “If we’re not quick right away after a place you’ve tested at, it’s a little disappointing. You scratch your heads a little bit. To start off that way, it’s a little bit expected because we tested here. It feels good.”

Christian Rasmussen, driver of the No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, had the fifth-fastest time at 1:40.8728.

The first practice session was stopped when Robert Schwartzman’s car caught fire on the track. Schwartzman is a rookie driver for Prema Racing.

​ Orange County Register