Santa Margarita boys basketball earns needed victory over La Mirada in Open Division playoffs

• February 22, 2025

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – Everything was at stake. Two winless teams in the CIF-SS boys basketball playoff pool met Friday desperately needing to win a game. Didn’t matter how, just as long as it was a victory. And though baskets were difficult to come by for Santa Margarita in the high-intensity environment, they were even harder to come by for La Mirada.

Getting good defense and a balanced offense, fourth-seeded Santa Margarita took a step back toward normality with a 68-61 Open Division victory over ninth-seeded La Mirada in the third game of play in Pool A.

Santa Margarita improved to 23-7 overall and 1-2 in the pool, while the Matadores fell to 25-7 and 0-3.

Although winning a section title is not an option after fifth-seeded Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (4-0) beat top-seeded Harvard-Westlake (2-1) to guarantee a spot in the section final, the victory should go a long way toward guaranteeing Santa Margarita a berth in the state playoffs where everyone gets a reset.

The Eagles play at Harvard-Westlake on Tuesday. La Mirada will play at eighth-seeded JSerra (1-2).

Falling behind by 11 points in the first quarter and 12 in the second, La Mirada came out of halftime trailing 36-26 and needing a spark. They got it from Jarrett Cole, who made two 3-point baskets as part of a 12-5 run to get within three points, 41-38, with 3 minutes 51 seconds left in the third quarter.

But Rodney Westmoreland and Kaiden Bailey answered the Matadores. Bailey drove the lane for a 3-point play, and Westmoreland scored a couple of difficult layups in transition. Bailey drove again, and with 42 seconds left in the third, the Margarita lead was back to 12 points, 50-38.

“Compliments to them, they made good plays when they had to,” La Mirada coach Randy Oronoz said. “We cut the lead and got close, but we just didn’t make those couple of shots we needed to get over the hump.”

Westmoreland finished with only 7 points, but his timing couldn’t have been better.

“I thought when he got those points it was really, really big, a really crucial time for us,” Eagles coach Justin Bell said.

Bailey was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points. His five points in the third quarter came in a span of 2:09 sandwiched around Westmoreland’s heroics.

“It’s a game of runs,” Bailey said. “They were on a run and we gathered ourselves and said that’s what we’ve got to do. It starts with defense.”

The first of Westmoreland’s layups came after a blocked shot on the other end, and the next came 20 seconds later after a missed 3-pointer.

Trailing 50-40 going into the fourth quarter, La Mirada scored the first two baskets of the fourth to pull to withing 50-44. And though Cole had another 3-pointer in him at 5:01 to pull withing 54-49 with 5:01 to play, Bailey scored the next four points to push the lead back to nine, 58-49.

The closest La Mirada got after that was seven points on Gomez’s 3-pointer in the waning seconds.

“When the game gets tight at the end, that’s when I feel my best,” Bailey said. “How can I make plays? The guys on the team trust me, the coaches trust me to go score. That’s my role here.”

It’s a role he excels at. Complementing Bailey were Bryden Kyman with 15 points, Dallas Washington 14, and Drew Anderson with 10 to go with his 13 rebounds.

Gene Roebuck scored 17 for La Mirada before fouling out with 51 seconds remaining, and Julien Gomez scored 16, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Cole and M.J. Smith had 9 apiece.

Bailey said his team’s improved performance began at Wednesday morning’s practice following Tuesday night’s 67-59 loss to Notre Dame. The Eagles worked hard, and it finally paid off with a playoff victory.

“I think we play in the toughest league in the nation and this is the toughest tournament,” said Bell, whose team shared the Trinity League title with St. John Bosco. “The honest truth is that the Trinity League is very tough, there are no bye weeks. You play everyone two times. You’ve got to be locked in for five weeks straight. When it’s over, I think the natural tendency is to take a little breath. In the Open Division, you don’t get to take a breath. We’re now getting closer to our standards of what we want to do.”

And if the Eagles return to normal and get a berth in the state playoffs, they might have a chance to really spread their wings.

​ Orange County Register 

Santiago boys basketball defeats Pacifica in semifinals, advances to finals for first time

• February 22, 2025

GARDEN GROVE — The Santiago boys basketball team earned a monumental victory Friday night as it defeated crosstown rival Pacifica 50-43 in the CIF-SS Division 4AA semifinals.

By winning, the Cavaliers punched their ticket to the championship game, the first in program history.

Jorden De La Mora scored 13 of his game-high 25 points in the final quarter for Santiago (21-11), which will face Ramona in the final next week at a site to be determined.

Santiago coach Matt Moorhouse was overcome with emotion after the game, while he also relished the moment — earning a spot in the CIF championships on the team’s home court and surrounded by the team’s fans.

“That made it perfect,” he said. “I mean, that’s why I was so emotional, because I wanted to do something for this school ever since I got here eight years ago.”

The Mariners (21-11), who were led by Myles Salas’ team-high 13 points, trailed 33-29 as they entered the fourth quarter. They soon found themselves down by seven after a 3-pointer from De La Mora.

Pacifica, the No. 2 seed in the division, went on a 7-0 run tie the score. They got a basket from Luke Thompson, a 3-pointer from Mateo Angel and a shot from Anthony Smith.

De La Mora responded with back-to-back 3s, one from well beyond the arc and another from the corner as he got free thanks to a screen. He finished the game with five 3-pointers.

Pacifica coach David Friedman was proud of the heart and effort from his team and felt like they had their opportunity to win. He also tipped his cap to De La Mora.

“Turnovers and missed layups absolutely cost us tonight,” Friedman said, “but the other big thing was their kid, De La Mora, hit some big-time shots. “He had 13 points in the fourth quarter, and as they say, ‘players make plays’ and he took over. You gotta hand it to the kid.”

“That’s Jorden, it wasn’t unexpected or anything new,” Moorhouse said. “He’s been our most consistent player, but everybody helped in the game.”

Jayden Baude scored 10 points, Jerell Guidry added six points while Diego Bracamontes chipped in with five points in the second quarter. Anthony Bermudez provided great defense for the Cavaliers.

Tustin coach Ringo Bossenmeyer was in the crowd to lend support for Santiago. Moorhouse credits Bossenmeyer with teaching him how to run a program.

Moorhouse hinted at the possibility of this being his final season at Santiago, and he would like nothing more than to bring home the school’s first CIF championship before it’s all said and done.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen after this year, if I’m going to stay or go,” he said, “but this is my goal. This is a great way to cap it all off if this is it.”

As for Pacifica, it will have a 12-day layoff before the CIF SoCal Regional playoffs begin. Friedman is looking to continue the postseason with more memories.

Friedman earned his 400th career victory in the first round and witnessed Myles Salas hit a last-second, go-ahead shot over Tarbut V’Torah in the second round.

“I’ve enjoyed every moment of it and not taking it for granted, yet, not nervous, just really feeling like we belong here,” he said.

​ Orange County Register 

CIF-SS boys basketball playoffs: Orange County scores from Friday’s semifinals

• February 22, 2025

The scores for the Orange County teams in Friday’s CIF-SS boys basketball semifinals.

CIF-SS BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

FRIDAY’S SCORES

Open Division 

Third round of pool play

Pool A: Santa Margarita 68, La Mirada 61

SEMIFINALS

Division 1

Los Alamitos 82, Crean Lutheran 57

Division 2AA

Pacifica Christian 84, Corona Centennial 80 (2OT)

Fairmont Prep 53, Riverside Poly 45

Division 2A

St. Bonaventure 66, Irvine 60 (OT)

Division 3AA

San Gabriel Academy at Sage Hill, Saturday, 7 p.m.

DIVISION 4AA

Santiago 50, Pacifica 43

DIVISION 5A

Arroyo 60, Saddleback 58

​ Orange County Register 

Gov. Gavin Newsom asks Congress for $40 billion in wildfire aid

• February 22, 2025

Gov. Gavin Newsom officially requested nearly $40 billion in disaster relief aid to help with recovery efforts after massive fires tore through the Los Angeles area earlier this year.

Newsom’s request, made Friday evening, comes as top officials in the Trump administration continue to say they want to attach some sort of conditions to any disaster aid package for California, an unprecedented move.

“It’s all-hands-on-deck to support our fellow Americans and get them back on their feet to begin rebuilding as soon as possible,” Newsom said in a social media post about his request.

In his letter, Newsom said more than 16,200 structures were destroyed in the catastrophic wildfires in early January and more than 16,000 personnel worked to extinguish the flames in a disaster made even worse by hurricane-force winds. At least 29 people died in the fires.

It will take years for the total impact on California’s economy to be fully realized, Newsom said, but the nearly $40 billion requested would support immediate and long-term recovery work.

The request includes about $16.8 billion in fire response costs, debris removal and infrastructure repair, including roads, public buildings and utilities, according to the Washington Post. Nearly $10 billion would be for housing costs and other infrastructure, $2 billion for low-income housing tax credits over the next 10 years and more than $4 billion for economic development grants to help businesses restart in fire-affected areas.

Newsom’s letter was addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana; Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York; House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma; and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut.

Both of California’s U.S. senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, said Friday they fully support the governor’s request. The pair and Newsom are all Democrats.

And Rep. Brad Sherman, a Democrat whose district includes the Pacific Palisades, where one of the worst fires erupted on Jan. 7, applauded the funding ask, “which my constituents urgently need in order to rebuild their homes and their lives,” he said.

President Donald Trump, Johnson and other Republicans have suggested disaster relief for California should come with certain strings attached.

Trump previously said — just ahead of his visit to the fire-damaged Palisades area last month — that federal aid may only be given if California establishes a voter ID law and changes its water management strategies.

Earlier Friday, Ric Grenell, a top Trump administration aide with ties to Southern California, suggested cutting funding from the California Coastal Commission, a state agency that regulates land use and public access along the coast. Supporters consider the agency a key environmental watchdog, while critics say its strict rules block development.

Notably, not all Republicans are on board with attaching conditions to disaster aid, particularly those who represent districts in Southern California.

Rep. Young Kim’s district last year saw the Airport fire, which spread across more than 23,500 acres for 26 days in Orange and Riverside counties, destroying 160 structures and damaging another 34, according to Cal Fire’s estimate. She said setting conditions now would set a “bad precedent” for future disaster relief requests.

Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, is also a no on conditions for aid, his spokesperson, Jason Gagnon, previously told the Southern California News Group.

​ Orange County Register 

Probation officers indicted over alleged ‘fight club’ at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall

• February 22, 2025

A Los Angeles County grand jury has indicted more than a dozen county probation officers following a state Department of Justice investigation into an alleged “fight club” at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Few details about the indictments were available Friday, Feb. 21. However, the Los Angeles County Deputy Probation Officers’ Union acknowledged in a statement that “several of our members have received notices from the California Department of Justice (DOJ) requiring them to appear in criminal court.”

The blog 2UrbanGirls first published a copy of one such letter on its Instagram account. The letter, signed by Deputy Attorney General Paul Seo, orders the recipient to appear March 3 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center and to “have an indictment bond prepared for yourself prior to your arrival in court.”

In the union’s statement, President Stacy Ford stressed that “every American is innocent until proven guilty.”

“Our members deserve to be treated with fairness and due process, just as they provide to those in their custody,” Ford stated. “We do not condone any unlawful behavior, and we will do everything in our power to support our members as they navigate this difficult situation.”

Last year, the L.A. County Probation Department placed 14 officers on leave for standing by during — and potentially orchestrating — fights between youth at Los Padrinos. Probation Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa, amid a restructuring of the department’s internal affairs unit, asked the Department of Justice to take up the investigation instead.

A recording of the first-known incident in December 2023, obtained by the Los Angeles Times, showed youth consecutively entering a day room in Los Padrinos and then attacking a 17-year-old, one at a time, before calmly sitting down to eat their meals. At least four officers stood by during the assaults, while two others halfheartedly attempted to break up the fights. Officers could be seen laughing and even shaking hands with the attackers at various points.

Probation Department spokesperson Vicky Waters referred questions about “any potential or ongoing investigations” to the DOJ.

“For our part, we have placed several officers on leave as a result of troubling incidents and allegations at Los Padrinos,” she said. “We have and will continue to work and cooperate with our law enforcement partners.”

The department has zero tolerance for the “misconduct of any peace officers” and is committed to “ensuring our juvenile facilities uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and rehabilitation,” Waters said.

The California Attorney General’s Office declined to comment on the indictments.

“To protect its integrity, we are unable to comment on, even to confirm or deny, a potential or ongoing investigation,” a spokesperson said.

County Supervisor Janice Hahn, whose district includes Los Padrinos, described the indictments as “disturbing.”

“It breaks my heart that probation officers the County entrusted with this responsibility would use their power to abuse these kids,” Hahn stated. “This is only further proof that the culture of our probation department needs to change dramatically.”

Probation Oversight Commission Chair Eduardo Mundo said he had heard the rumors, but noted that the commission had not been notified formally of the indictments as of Friday.

“It is a terrible thing that we had those situations occur in a place where kids are supposed to be protected,” Mundo said. “Not knowing all the details, it’s difficult to fathom what led to those indictments, what kind of behavior it was.”

The Probation Department and Los Padrinos, in particular, have faced scrutiny for more than a year due to the substandard conditions at the county’s largest juvenile facility. Last year, the Board of State and Community Corrections, the regulatory body overseeing California’s juvenile halls, declared Los Padrinos “unsuitable” for the confinement of youth as a result of a severe staffing shortage. The dangerously low staffing led to sharp increases in violence and impeded access to services required for the youth in custody.

The facility was supposed to shut down in December, but county officials have refused to comply so far, arguing in court that there is no alternative available. The Board of Supervisors declared Los Padrinos a “local emergency” that same month and granted the department access to powers typically reserved for natural disasters to avoid “extreme peril.”

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Miguel Espinoza took up the question of the legality of the facility’s continued operation as part of a juvenile murder case and is currently weighing whether to force its closure.

The county, which sought to overturn the BSCC’s suitability ruling, was recently notified that its appeal was rejected. A separate reinspection of the facility remains ongoing.

Probation officials, the District Attorney’s Office and the public defender are due back in Espinoza’s courtroom in April.

​ Orange County Register 

Man gets nearly 300 years in prison for molesting 7 Orange County boys

• February 22, 2025

A 58-year-old man was sentenced Friday, Feb. 21 to 293 years to life in prison for molesting seven sons of Orange County families who believed him to be a friend.

Alex Mauricio Padilla Beltran had been convicted Nov. 19 of 23 felony charges related to sexual assaults on the seven boys. In total, prosecutors allege 11 victims, but some of those claims were used in the trial to show a pattern of abuse.

In 2023, Orange County agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle a claim that the OC Social Services Agency failed to report a 2011 child abuse complaint about Beltran to police, a failure the lawsuit said allowed alleged abuse to continue for six years. The payout came more than a decade after a county social worker discounted a mother’s allegation that her two children, then 5 and 1 year old, were being abused by Beltran, a family friend.

After Friday’s sentencing hearing in the criminal case against Beltran, a woman whose son and nephew were among the victims said she was “very grateful he’ll be in prison for the rest of his life and never be able to hurt another child.”

She added that she “feels relief. It’s finally over,” but said, “I don’t think we’ll have any type of full closure for the boys.” She said her son and nephew have struggled with alcohol and drug issues because of the crimes.

Beltran tried to get a new attorney substituted on the case right before the hearing but Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard King denied the request. Beltran argued with King about wanting to make his case at sentencing that he was innocent.

“The conduct of the District Attorney has taken eight years of my life and I’m in debt” for about $500,000, Beltran said. “If I have to take it to the Supreme Court, I will do it.”

Beltran referred to Justice Department investigations of the District Attorney’s Office in recent years as he accused Deputy District Attorney Tara Meath of dishonesty. “She lies, she coached, she fabricated evidence,” he said.

Meath denied the claims.

“This is not a case of fabricated evidence,” Meath told King. “These very brave boys … came forward at different points in time.”

Initially, the victims were not believed, Meath said.

“He had such a strong bond and friendship (with the parents), they believed him over their own children,” Meath said. “This defendant in this case has shown no remorse or accountability. He’s a danger to the community. He’s been molesting children for over a decade.”

King pointed out to Beltran that the sentencing hearing was not the appropriate time to “relitigate” the case.

“Why didn’t you let me finish what I had to say?” Beltran asked King after he sentenced him.

“I’m not going to relitigate the guilt in this case,” King responded.

When King told Beltran, “You have a right to appeal the judgment,” Beltran responded, “I will.” When King noted a public defender will be appointed to represent him, Beltran replied, “Good. That will save a lot of money.”

King said Beltran deserved the punishment due to “the seriousness of the offenses and the multiplicity of victims. There were at least three groups of individuals who didn’t know each other who came up with serious conduct in this case.”

The judge added it showed “the predatory nature” of the defendant.

Beltran was friends with the families of three groups of victims, Meath said.

“Everybody loved him,” Meath said in her closing argument of the trial. “He bought ice cream, toys. … He’s Uncle Alex.”

Beltran was “constantly touching these underage kids,” Meath said in her opening statement. “To the extent they would push him away.”

The defendant “took every opportunity he could” to molest the boys, the prosecutor said.

The first case was reported in 2003 to Orange County sheriff’s deputies, Meath said.

The boy said he was touched inappropriately whenever he visited his aunt’s home in Mission Viejo, and it started when he was 11, Meath said. It happened so often he lost count, but estimated about 15 times, according to the prosecutor.

The boy also said the defendant gave him $20 and told him not to tell anyone, Meath said.

“Not much came from that investigation,” the prosecutor said.

The next report of abuse happened in 2009 in Las Vegas, where the defendant was renovating a house, Meath said.

Two brothers said the defendant molested them in September of that year when they went to the house to visit their father, who was working on the house, Meath said.

In court papers, Meath said Beltran pleaded guilty to a felony count of coercion and a misdemeanor count of conspiracy, and was placed on probation.

Another case was reported in January 2015, when one boy said he was molested at his father’s home in Orange County, Meath said. He said the abuse began when he was 6 to 8 years old. The boy’s brother also accused the defendant of molesting him. They were cousins of the first accuser.

In September, 2017, another boy came forward with allegations, Meath said.

In April 2017, yet another boy came forward to Anaheim police after being drug-tested by a doctor as a result of getting in trouble for ditching classes at school, the prosecutor said. The boy told the physician about the abuse that started when he was about 10.

In May 2017, still another boy accused his Beltran — his godfather —of molesting him, Meath said. The boy said he was concerned that the defendant also molested two of his cousins.

Another boy told investigators in May of that year he, too, was molested by the defendant, Meath said.

When Beltran bailed out after being charged with molesting the victims, he nevertheless went out and kept attacking the boys, Meath said.

In legal terms, a sentence of 293 years to life means someone would not even get a chance at parole until serving 293 years.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Friday, Feb. 21

• February 22, 2025

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Scores and stats from Orange County games on Friday, Feb. 21

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.

FRIDAY’S SCORES

BASEBALL

LOARA TOURNAMENT

Pool 1

Los Alamitos 6, Narbonne 0

San Clemente 15, Rowland 0

Pool 3

Redondo Union 5, Yorba Linda 2

Pool 4

Pacifica 2, Murrieta Valley 1

Pool 5

Villa Park 16, Citrus Valley 3

Pool 6

Aliso Niguel 8, Lakewood 1

AN: Schaff (W, 3.2IP 1H 0R 5K). Sabol 2-4, 2 3B, 2RBI. Etnire 2-3, 2B, RBI. Flemming 1-4, 2RBI.

El Dorado 9, Liberty/Winchester 0

Pool 7

La Habra 10, Capistrano Valley Christian 0

LaHab: Moreno (W, 6IP 0R 4K).

LB Wilson 2, El Modena 1

NONLEAGUE

Santa Margarita 8, Sierra Canyon 3

SM: Schumaker 2-3, 2RBI. Bauer (W, 4IP 4K). George (Sv, 3IP, 5K).

Estancia 6, Bosco Tech 3

Est: Viramontes (W, 5IP 4H 2ER 6K) 2-4, 2RBI. Humphries (Sv, 2IP 3H 1ER 3K). Atkinson 3-3, 3 2B, RBI.

JSerra 3, Loyola 0

JS: Reimers (W, 4.2IP 3H 0R 6K). D’Arcy 1-2, SB. Rutherford 0-2, 2RBI.

Tesoro 8, Woodbridge 3

Tes: Nieto 2-3, 2B, 2R, RBI. Moraga 1-3, 2RBI. Skaff 1-3, R, RBI.

Other nonleague scores

Orange 20, La Quinta 1

Ocean View 5, Sonora 1

Magnolia 10, Whitney 9

Sage Hill 9, Pacifica Christian 1

Garden Grove 20, Santa Ana Valley 0

California 2, Tustin 0

Portola 10, Beaumont 3

Marina 6, Capistrano Valley 2

Laguna Hills 5, Irvine 1

South East 6, Savanna 5

SOFTBALL

NONLEAGUE

Anaheim 12, La Quinta 1

Golden Valley 9, Crean Lutheran 8

Aliso Niguel 10, Liberty 5

Norco 1, JSerra 0

Orange Lutheran 5, Riverside Poly 0

Glenn 21, Century 2

BOYS TENNIS

NONLEAGUE

Marina 13, Whitney 5

Clovis North 14, La Quinta 4

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

TESORO TOURNAMENT

Pool 2

Woodbridge def. San Marino, 25-19, 25-21

Pool 4

Beckman def. Portola, 25-18, 25-15, 25-18

FOOTHILL CLASSIC

Foothill def. Lancaster, 25-5, 25-9

REDONDO TOURNAMENT

Huntington Beach def. Wiseburn-Da Vinci, 25-23, 28-26

EXPRESS LEAGUE

NOVA Academy def. Eastside Christian, 3-0

NONLEAGUE

Bellflower def. Whittier Christian, 25-14, 25-17, 25-13

Orange def. Century, 25-19, 23-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-9

Oxford Academy def. Hawthorne, 25-3, 25-8, 25-11

Anaheim def. Tustin, 25-20, 25-19, 18-25, 25-19

Godinez def. Magnolia, 3-0

Bolsa Grande def. Garden Grove, 3-0

​ Orange County Register 

Panera closing bread-making facility in Ontario, laying off 77

• February 22, 2025

Panera Bread is shuttering a bread-making facility in Ontario, laying off 77 people in April as it shifts the work to another provider elsewhere in California.

The closure and layoffs were noted in a Feb. 13 letter to the state’s Employment Development Department.

The facility at an industrial complex at 1505 Dupont Ave. will “cease operations and close on April 14,” the letter states.

The 77 employees at the facility work in bread-making, logistics, sanitation and operations.

Panera Bread has nearly 200 cafe-bakery locations in California. The company told the Southern California News Group that it’s “shifting the California market to a newer bread-making process.”

“As part of this transition, we had to make the difficult decision to close our Ontario commissary facility,” the company wrote via email on Thursday, Feb. 20. “Any decision that impacts our teams is never made lightly, and we are deeply grateful for the contributions of all impacted team members.”

Employees are getting separation pay, help with COBRA health insurance premiums, outplacement services, and help finding new jobs within or outside of Panera, the company said.

Panera said that its bread-making pivot will now shift to “expert artisan bakery producers.” The bread will be prepared by the unnamed producer and then finished at Panera locations, the company said.

The founder of Panera Bread, Ken Rosenthal, died at his Scottsdale home Feb. 14 from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 81 years old.

The Missouri native and his wife Linda opened St. Louis Bread Co. in 1987. It grew to 18 locations before Rosenthal and his business partners sold it to Au Bon Pain in 1993. Though the national division was subsequently renamed Panera, many of the St. Louis-area cafes are still called by their original name.

The privately-held chain now has 2,230 locations in the United States.

​ Orange County Register