Lukas Dostal’s 25 saves not enough in Ducks’ 2-1 loss to Coyotes

• October 22, 2023

TEMPE, Ariz. — Lukas Dostal made 25 saves in his second start of the season but it wasn’t enough as the Ducks fell 2-1 to the Arizona Coyotes in a Saturday matinee at 5,000-seat Mullett Arena on the Arizona State University campus.

The Ducks’ Frank Vatrano tipped in a cross-ice pass from Jakob Silfverberg for his fourth goal of the season on a power play to cut the Coyotes’ lead to 2-1 at 7:47 of the third period.

Pulling Dostal with two minutes remaining proved fruitless for the Ducks (1-3), who could not score again in a contentious game that included 14 penalties – eight by the Ducks – and a fight between Coyotes forward Liam O’Brien and Ducks forward Ross Johnston that knocked the goal off its moorings midway through the second period. Both were given five-minute fighting penalties.

Playing in their home opener, the Coyotes (3-2) have won three of their first five games for the first time since the 2015-16 season when they won their first three, and they won their home opener for the first time since 2016-17.

Clayton Keller and Jason Zucker scored in the victory and Karel Vejmelka made 29 saves.

Keller gave the Coyotes a 2-0 lead with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle at 14:01 of the second period. The Coyotes spent almost a minute working the puck around in their offensive zone before Keller’s score following a delayed penalty call.

Just nine seconds into a power play, Zucker opened the scoring with a quick wrist shot from the top of the right circle that squeaked under Dostal’s glove with 2:19 remaining in the first period.

Dostal saved two shots from Nick Schmaltz from point-blank range minutes earlier on the first of the Coyotes’ two power plays.

The most consistent pressure from the Ducks on Vejmelka came during a power play early in the second period. Vejmelka turned aside three shots, two by Trevor Zegras, and the defense blocked three others in the first 80 seconds.

Center Adam Henrique, who missed the previous game with an illness, returned for the Ducks, who were without forward Brock McGinn (lower body), center Alex Kilorn (broken finger) and defenseman Jamie Drysdale (lower body).

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The Ducks have six rookies on the roster, the most in the league, and also have the most players who are 19 and under (three), 20 and under (four), and 22 and under (seven). Leo Carlsson, at 18 years and 297 days, is the third-youngest player in the league and the third-youngest player in Ducks’ history.

The Ducks return home for a 5:30 p.m. clash Sunday the Boston Bruins at Honda Center.

​ Orange County Register 

Caleb Williams, USC football live updates vs. Utah

• October 22, 2023

Follow along for live updates from USC football reporter Luca Evans before, during and after the Trojans’ game against Utah

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USC safety Bryson Shaw (#27) exited last week’s game with injury — he’s warming up with the rest of the secondary pregame for USC-Utah. pic.twitter.com/102f0YVsqJ

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) October 21, 2023

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​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Saturday, Oct. 21

• October 22, 2023

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

Scores and stats from Orange County games on Saturday, Oct. 21

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

SATURDAY’S SCORES

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS

Second round

DIVISION 6

Moorpark def. Costa Mesa, 25-19, 25-10, 25-23

Linfield Christian def. Calvary Chapel, 25-12, 25-14, 18-25, 25-7

GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL

CRESTVIEW LEAGUE

Esperanza 34, El Dorado 6

Esperanza 26, Villa Park 0

BOYS WATER POLO

STEVE PAL TOURNAMENT

Damien 14, Beckman 8

Westlake 14, San Juan Hills 9

Northwood 13, Yucaipa 10

Dos Pueblos 12, Irvine 10

Servite 11, Riverside Poly 9

Costa Mesa 14, Redlands 9

Tesoro 16, Arlington 8

Villa Park 11, Dana Hills 7

Costa Mesa 12, Tesoro 11

Crespi 11, Dana Hills 8

Esperanza 12, Valley View 10

Beckman 11, Torrey Pines 7

GARDEN GROVE TOURNAMENT

El Segundo 16, Woodbridge 7

Mission Viejo 16, Estancia 10

Capistrano Valley 12, Etiwanda 11

Yorba Linda 16, Segerstrom 6

Mission Viejo 13, St. John Bosco 9

Woodbridge 10, Etiwanda 6

SANTA ANA VALLEY TOURNAMENT

Paramount 18, Santa Ana Valley 8

Anaheim 16, Paramount 7

MEMORIAL CUP (SAN JOSE)

Jesuit 11, San Clemente 5

Foothill 12, Campolindo 6

Wilson 11, Orange Lutheran 10

Los Alamitos 12, St. Francis 11

Valley Christian 13, San Clemente 9

Semifinal

Corona del Mar 7, De La Salle 5

Fifth place

Davis 9, Foothill 8

Seventh place

Campolindo 13, Archie Williams 12

Ninth place

Los Alamitos 14, Wilson 8

11th place

St. Francis 12, Orange Lutheran 9

CENTRAL OC TOURNAMENT

Sage Hill 8, Peninsula 5

VALHALLA TOURNAMENT

Steele Canyon 11, Saddleback 7

Bonita Vista 10, Saddleback 5

SAN DIEGO OPEN TOURNAMENT

Canyon 11, Lake Oswego 8

AYALA TOURNAMENT

Great Oak 9, Fullerton 8

​ Orange County Register 

Los Alamitos exercise rider dies in horse training incident

• October 22, 2023

CYPRESS — A 53-year-old exercise rider died Saturday in a training incident at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Alfredo Luevano was riding the 2-year-old filly Fly From The Fire on the backstretch during morning training hours at the Cypress track when the incident occurred, according to Los Alamitos Race Course publicity director Orlando Gutierrez.

Luevano was on the ground when assistance arrived, then taken to Long Beach Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, Gutierrez said.

There have been no eyewitness accounts with any precise details on the incident, according to Gutierrez.

Fly From The Fire ran off under her power and was not injured. The quarter horse was entered in Saturday’s seventh race but scratched as a precaution, Gutierrez said.

Luevano was born in Luis Moya in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. He had 33 mounts as a jockey, mostly in Mexico and Colorado.

Luevano was issued an exercise rider license by the California Horse Racing Board this year.

Luevano is survived by his wife, Marisela Martinez; their children, Lisbet, Alfredo Jr., Alex, Aldo, and Camila; six grandchildren; and his father, Augustine.

A moment of silence will be held in Luevano’s memory before Sunday’s race card at Los Alamitos.

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“On behalf of the Los Alamitos Race Course family, we express our deepest condolences to Mr. Luevano’s family members and friends,” Gutierrez said.

Fly From The Fire has run in five races in her career, all at Los Alamitos. A second-place finish in a handicap race July 30 was the only time she has finished in the money.

​ Orange County Register 

FivePoint Amphitheatre will close permanently after Saturday’s show

• October 22, 2023

FivePoint Amphitheatre, which opened in 2017 as a temporary bridge between the demolished Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre and a permanent venue to be built in the Irvine Great Park, will close permanently after tonight’s concert by the Zac Brown Band, concert promoter Live Nation announced Saturday, Oct. 21.

Live Nation had been in discussions with the city of Irvine to built a permanent venue in the heart of the Great Park, but the city ended its partnership with the promoter in July after residents and council members expressed concern about the size of the proposed amphitheater and its potential noise impacts on surrounding areas.

“Our venue was always planned to be a temporary location to keep live music in Irvine until a new permanent venue could be developed with the city,” Live Nation said in a statement released Saturday afternoon. “However, this doesn’t make saying goodbye any easier. Due to FivePoint residential development, there will no longer be road access or parking for the venue, making fan and production logistics unfeasible.”

Sir Sly performs during opening night at FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine on Thursday, October 5, 2017. (Photo by Matt Masin, Orange County Register, SCNG)

Live Nation had proposed building a 14,000-seat amphitheater that it would operate. Concerts could last until 11 p.m. and Live Nation would retain the ability to sell naming rights for the complex. Councilman Larry Agran raised concerns that concert patrons would drive drunk through the city while leaving the venue; he also described Live Nation’s retention of naming rights as “one-sided.”

Related links

Irvine ends partnership with Live Nation for Great Park amphitheater
Irvine and Live Nation to hash out Great Park concert venue plans
Irvine’s partnership with Live Nation for Great Park concert venue could be in jeopardy
A permanent amphitheater at Irvine’s Great Park would look like this

Instead of a Live Nation-run venue, city officials have proposed a 10,000-seat amphitheater that would be operated by a third party.

Live Nation contends that a larger venue is a more viable proposal for several reasons.

“The 14,000 cap venue would be similar to Irvine Meadows and FivePoint — which many fans in the community have expressed support for,” the promoter said in a statement. “It’s also important to note that a smaller venue could result in less economic revenue for the city, will likely attract less big-name talent, and has less infrastructure for noise buffering.”

In its statement, Live Nation said it remains open to working with Irvine.

“If the city decides to build a new home for concerts one day, Live Nation will always stand ready to support,” the promoter said. “In the meantime, we are exploring options to bring a new venue to the broader Orange County area.”

​ Orange County Register 

Chargers face Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, prepared for anything and everything

• October 22, 2023

Each and every NFL game is critical, as Chargers coach Brandon Staley explained patiently the other day. But some are more critical than others, and the Chargers’ game Sunday against the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs seems to fit into that category.

Win and the Chargers (2-3) are back to the .500 mark, back to being the team many people believed they could be when the season began and expectations were heightened for the second time in Staley’s three seasons. Lose and the Chargers are, well, in big trouble after only six games.

“I think, especially after a tough loss, you have to respond the right way,” Staley said, referring to the Chargers’ 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night. “I think the way that you do that is staying consistent in your approach and being committed to how you do things.”

One thing the Chargers must do especially well Sunday against the Chiefs (5-1), aside from the usual blocking, tackling, throwing, running and catching, is finding a way to contain Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He is, after all, one of the league’s most inventive playmakers.

“You definitely have to wrap him up,” Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. said. “He can throw it right handed, left handed, with a guy holding him. You just have to get him all the way to the ground. The play is never over with this team. We know that as a defense. We have to strain.”

No question, Mahomes had the Chargers’ attention as they prepared to face their AFC West rivals.

“I mean, he’s stamping himself as one of the greats to play this game,” Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack said. “You see what he’s done in such a short amount of time. The respect level I have for him and what he’s been able to do for that team, yeah, we just know we’re going to have our hands full.

“It’s going to be a big challenge.”

What makes Mahomes so difficult to handle and so different from other QBs?

“Just his ability to improvise outside the pocket,” Mack said. “He can make deep throws down the field. He can dunk the ball over his head. He can flip the ball behind his back. So, you’ve got all those different intangibles from the quarterback position. He’s out there playing free, almost like backyard football, so to speak. But he’s doing it at a high level every Sunday.”

Last season, Mahomes led the NFL with 5,250 yards, directing the Chiefs to the Super Bowl championship. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was second with 4,739 yards, leading his team to a second-place finish in the AFC West behind the Chiefs and its first playoff appearance since the 2018 season.

This season, Mahomes is eighth in the league with 1,593 yards in six games and Herbert is 14th with 1,333 yards in five games. Neither team’s offense is clicking as expected, but the Chargers’ has been especially lackluster in the past six quarters, including during Monday’s loss to Dallas.

First, the Chargers were blanked in the second half of their 24-17 victory Oct. 1 over the Las Vegas Raiders. Herbert fractured the middle finger on his left (non-throwing) hand late in the third quarter, but he didn’t miss a snap. He also didn’t lead a scoring drive, either.

Herbert completed 13 of 24 passes for 167 yards and one touchdown and one interception, his first of the season. Then, playing with his finger padded and protected by a glove against the Cowboys, Herbert connected on 22 of 37 passes for 227 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Like the Chargers’ defense, Herbert and their offense must be at their best Sunday against the Chiefs. Anything less than that will give Mahomes and his teammates an enormous advantage as they attempt to pin another disheartening loss on a team that can’t afford many more.

Must-win game?

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Of course it is. They all are, but this one really is a must-win.

“There’s a sense of urgency regardless of the week,” Herbert said. “Whether it’s Week 1 or whether it’s Week 6 or 7, guys want to win. I think that’s the most important thing, but panicking isn’t going to help anyone. Whether it’s 0-5 or 2-3, panicking won’t help. We’re going to do everything that we can to win this game.”

CHARGERS (2-3) at CHIEFS (5-1)

When: 1:25 p.m. Sunday

Where: Arrowhead Stadium

TV/Radio: Ch. 2; 98.7 FM; 105.5 FM/94.3 FM (Spanish)

​ Orange County Register 

UFC 294: Lightweight champ Makhachev ends Volkanovski rematch early

• October 21, 2023

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev watched featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski enter the Octagon inside Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi to the 1981 hit “Down Under” by Australian band Men At Work.

Moments later, it was Makhachev who went to work at UFC 294.

Makhachev (26-1-0) used a devastating kick with his left leg to the Australian’s right temple, then quickly pounced and used nine hammering blows with his left hand before referee Marc Goddard stopped the fight at the 3:06 mark of the first round Saturday.

“I have a great team. We always did this in the locker room, in the training — pushed me very hard,” Makhachev said. “I showed him a couple of low kicks, couple of body kicks and then changed to head kick. I want to say thank you to this guy (Volkanovski). He’s a real champion.”

The Russian fighter’s compliment referred to Volkanovski (26-3-0) taking the fight on just 11 days’ notice after Makhachev’s original opponent, former champion Charles Oliveira, withdrew with a cut.

The victory likely brought closure to a rivalry that started when Volkanovski gave Makhachev what might have been the toughest test of his career in their epic 155-pound championship bout at UFC 284 in February.

Makhachev defeated Volkanovski with what many felt was a controversial unanimous decision after five competitive rounds.

On Saturday, Makhachev left no doubt.

“Great setup, good kick,” Volkanovski said. “It’s hard, never like losing. He’s a great champion, what are you going to do? Credit it to him.”

Makhachev’s win ties him for the third-longest win streak in UFC history (13).

Asked who he wanted next, Makhachev replied, “I never choose. (UFC president) Dana (White), give me someone.”

In an action-packed co-main event, Khamzat Chimaev (13-0) remained undefeated with a majority decision over former welterweight king Kamaru Usman (20-4), who took the middleweight bout on short notice, replacing injured opponent Paulo Costa.

“I was a school kid when he was fighting,” Chimaev said of Usman. “This bout to me means big things.”

Judges scored the bout 29-27 twice with a 28-28 on the third card.

In the highly anticipated light heavyweight battle between No. 2 Magomed Ankalaev (18-1-1) and No. 7 Johnny Walker (21-7-0), it was declared a no-contest at 3:13 of the first round. Ankalaev landed what was deemed an unintentional knee while Walker was down and the bout was paused.

After audio replays indicated Walker was dazed and confused during a brief exchange with ringside physician Dr. Garry Hartstein, the bout was stopped.

Walker was visibly upset and had to be held back from charging Ankalaev before UFC CEO Dana White finally entered the ring and was able to simmer down the situation.

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The match was thought to provide a potential title shot for the winner.

In a middleweight battle, Ikram Aliskerov (15-1-0) used a quick jab to wobble Warlley Alves (15-7-0) and then dazed him with a vicious flying knee. Aliskerov then used a barrage of punches to win by TKO at 2:07 of the first round. It was Aliskerov’s seventh consecutive victoryand third in a row in the first round.

Said Nurmagomedov (18-3-0) opened the main card by making quick work of Muin Gafurov (18-6-0), getting the bantamweight win via a guillotine choke at 1:13 of the first round.

​ Orange County Register 

Congress does little good, ever. The House should stay without a speaker as long as possible.

• October 21, 2023

Three weeks after a small group of House Republican rebels led by Matt Gaetz (R-FL)  removed Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as Speaker (with the assistance of a unanimous Democratic caucus), the position remains vacant.

On October 20, Republicans gave up (after three ballots) on Jim Jordan (R-OH). “Moderate” Republicans seem disinclined to either jump ship and support the Democratic pick (New York’s Hakeem Jeffries) or to put forward a “moderate” who might pick up enough Democratic votes to break the Gaetz-led logjam.

All this drama naturally has the American political class in tears. “No legislative function can occur on the House floor until a new speaker is elected,” the Washington Examiner’s Jack Birle explains. “No votes or any other basic functions can occur on the floor of the House until the election has been resolved.”

So … what’s the downside? I’m looking for a cloud around the silver lining, and failing to find one.

Hard as they may work to convince us otherwise, American politicians don’t do anything we couldn’t do for ourselves at lower cost and to a higher standard of quality — and what they do TO us massively outweighs anything they might happen to accidentally do FOR us.

As Mark Twain noted more than a century ago, “it could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.”

They steal our wealth and order us around, and that’s about it — except for the part where they pompously style themselves “public servants.”

Every day the Speaker’s chair remains empty is a day off, a day of victory, for America’s long-suffering, hen-pecked, pick-pocketed, neglected, and abused public. After all, if Congress can’t do anything, Congress can’t do anything stupid, or evil, or both.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end.

Sooner or later, the honorable (snort) members of the House will start worrying.

It will dawn on them that the longer they mess around doing a whole lot of nothing, the more Americans will realize how much we LIKE it.

They’ll panic at the prospect that more of us will notice how useless they are at their best (that is, when they’re doing nothing) and how actively harmful to our peace and prosperity they are in normal times (that is, when they’re doing things).

At some point they’ll choose a Speaker and get back to “work.”

Until then, enjoy this refreshing break.

Thomas L. Knapp (Twitter: @thomaslknapp) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in north central Florida.

​ Orange County Register