CONTACT US

Contact Form

    Santa Ana News

    Lady Claypoole closes from last for 11-1 upset at Santa Anita
    • March 16, 2025

    Trainer Richard Baltas’ fifth win in the past eight runnings of the Santa Ana Stakes was a surprise as Lady Claypoole and jockey Tiago Pereira rallied from last on the far outside to win at 11-1 odds Saturday at Santa Anita.

    A 5-year-old mare bred in Ireland, Lady Claypoole ($25.40) won her third race in a row and first at the stakes level, taking the $100,000, Grade III Santa Ana by 2 1/2 lengths over Mrs. Astor, with Starry Heavens third and heavy favorite Kathynmarissa fading to fifth in a field of seven fillies and mares.

    The 1 1/4-mile race, starting on the turf hillside, was clocked in 2:01.40, the slowest of six runnings of the Santa Ana at this distance.

    Baltas won the Santa Ana with favorites Goodyearforroses in 2017, Madam Dancealot in 2018 and Elysea’s World in 2019 and second betting choice Going to Vegas in 2021. The Santa Ana wasn’t run in 2020.

    “She has been getting good,” Baltas said of Lady Claypoole in a TV interview. “(Pereira) gets her to settle. He’s (given) three perfect rides. You have to give a lot of credit to him.”

    The upset helped to produce a two-day carryover in the Santa Anita pick-six, adding more than $218,000 to the Sunday pool.

    ​ Orange County Register 

    Read More
    Los Alamitos baseball scores three runs in sixth to beat Long Beach Wilson
    • March 16, 2025

    LOS ALAMITOS – The Los Alamitos baseball team scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to propel the Griffins to a 5-3 win over Long Beach Wilson in a nonleague game Saturday afternoon.

    The Griffins, who improved their record to 7-0-2, did not play a particularly sharp game. They committed four defensive errors that led to three runs for Wilson and left numerous runners on base.

    Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Griffins put together a rally against Bruins left-handed reliever Cooper George. Los Alamitos loaded the bases with two walks and a single with one out.

    Los Alamitos designated hitter Sutton Dennino, who struck out in his two previous at-bats, stepped up and ripped a single into center field that brought in James Reveles and Devin Porch from third and second, respectively, giving the Griffins a 4-3 lead.

    Dennino, a senior, spoke about his approach during that pivotal at-bat.

    “It was huge,” Dennino said of his clutch hit. “These guys (Wilson) came at it today, they were battling. All I was doing was going up there, get a good pitch to hit, stay confident, not stress too much, and drive it the other way. Luckily, I did that and got the team a big hit.”

    RELATED: Press-Telegram baseball Top 10 rankings

    Los Alamitos added another run later in the inning. Senior outfielder Wyatt Joyce hit a triple down the left-field line that drove in pinch-runner Logan Wyler from first base, giving the Griffins a 5-3 lead.

    The Bruins (5-5) tried to put together a rally in the seventh inning. They got two hits off relief pitcher Logan Anderson, but the right-hander struck out George to end the game with the potential tying run at first base. Anderson earned a save for the Griffins.

    Los Alamitos coach Scott Talanoa wasn’t thrilled with how his team played at times, especially the errors and leaving many runners on base, but thought it was a good test.

    “I think it’s a good builder for us right now,” Talanoa said. “We’ve played some good competition and we’ve been behind before, and the guys all know we need to get that next guy to the plate. We left nine guys on base, in scoring position with less than two outs, so it’s going to be a topic of conversation we’re going to have on Monday.

    “We’ve been doing really well all year; I’d rather have this game now than have it in a league (game).”

    The Bruins never retired the top two batters in the Griffins lineup. Porch went 1 for 1 with three walks, two stolen bases, and two runs scored, and junior Rowan Shelley walked in all four of his plate appearances and scored a run.

    Los Alamitos senior right-hander Jack Lorenz pitched five innings with five strikeouts, allowed three runs (0 earned) on five hits.

    Wilson took advantage of Los Alamitos’ fielding mistakes.

    Trailing 2-1 in the fifth inning, the Bruins scored twice on a throwing error by first baseman Shelley. The errant throw allowed Gram Ludwig and Cade Miller to score from third and second, respectively, to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead/

    Wilson coach Andy Hall spoke about the loss and how his team gave itself a chance to win.

    “Los Al was not crisp defensively,” Hall said, “they gave us a few runs. I think we were opportunistic in getting those runs. Then a couple of miscues on defense that led to a couple of big innings for them…We told the kids, we’re going to win a lot more games where you don’t beat yourself, than when the other team comes out and beats you.”

    Ludwig went 2 for 3 with a run scored and Miller went 1 for 3 with a run scored. Rudy Carlos Jr. went 1 for 3 with a double and a run scored for Wilson.

    Wilson starter Ben Howard pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowed two runs (0 earned) on two hits, five walks and two strikeouts.

    George pitched 2 1/3 innings and surrendered three earned runs on three hits, four walks and two strikeouts.

     Orange County Register 

    Read More
    Clippers hope momentum takes them higher in the standings
    • March 15, 2025

    Clippers veteran point guard James Harden has never missed the postseason in his 16 years and currently has the fourth-longest streak in NBA history at 15, and he is not about to break that run.

    “We don’t plan on it,” Harden said of the team’s chances of missing this season’s playoffs.

    Yet, at their No. 8 standing in the Western Conference, the Play-In Tournament seems to be their destiny.

    While the top six teams automatically qualify for the playoffs, teams 7-10 compete for the last two playoff spots in the Play-In Tournament.

    Still, the Clippers could get a shot if they play more like the team that beat the Atlanta Hawks on Friday than the one that lost to the 18-win New Orleans Pelicans in the first game of its three-game trip this past week.

    “We got 15 games left, so every game is important,” Harden told reporters after the Clippers’ 121-98 victory over the Hawks in Atlanta.

    The Clippers (37-30) remain ensconced in eighth and the chances of moving ahead of No. 6 Golden State Warriors and No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves, both 1½ games ahead of the Clippers as of Saturday, seem slim.

    The Warriors, 38-28 going into Saturday night’s game against the New York Knicks, have won six straight and nine of their last 10. The Timberwolves (39-29) have won seven in a row.

    The Clippers’ upcoming schedule will make the task even more difficult.

    They return home to face the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday followed by games against the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the top team in the Western Conference.

    They can ill-afford another three-game losing streak, something they have done six times this season.

    The Clippers, however, are encouraged by their recent play that has resulted in them winning five of their past six.

    The Clippers rebounded after a disappointing loss to the Pelicans to post victories against the Miami Heat and Hawks. They displayed a renewed effort on defense, especially in transition, that had been missing lately.

    “I think we did a good job,” Coach Tyronn Lue said. “I thought KD (Kris Dunn) did a good job setting the tone, not just for the game, but that third quarter. We came out defensively and we were all locked in.”

    The Clippers had 14 steals and five blocked shots and limited the Hawks to 42% shooting from the field and 27.3% (9 for 33) from 3-point range.

    As successful as the trip ended, Harden urged his teammates not to get ahead of themselves and keep checking the standings.

    “The trip was good, could have been better,” Harden said. “Can’t look ahead, we have to take it one game at a time and focus on the next opponent.”

    SIMMONS RETURNS

    In six games with the Clippers, Ben Simmons has posted an eye-catching 29 assists with two turnovers. In his first game back after missing seven games because of a sore left knee, he had four assists, two steals and no turnovers against the Hawks.

    His play hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates.

    “I have to learn something from Ben,” said Harden, who had six turnovers in the first half Friday but none in the second.

    Simmons, who signed a one-year deal with the Clippers on Feb. 10, told reporters in Atlanta that his playmaking is “just a feel in creating those reads and pushing the ball and guys are just getting to their spots. They make it easy for me.”

    CHARLOTTE AT CLIPPERS

    When: Sunday, 4 p.m.

    Where: Intuit Dome

    TV/radio: FDSN SoCal/570 AM

    ​ Orange County Register 

    Read More
    Orange County track and field: Aliso Niguel’s Jaslene Massey throwing herself into her new love
    • March 15, 2025

    Figure skating and throwing the shot put do not seem to have much in common.

    Aliso Niguel junior Jaslene Massey is proving otherwise.

    She threw the shot put 48 feet, 7 inches at the Irvine Invitational track and field meet March 8. That is the fourth-best mark in Orange County history.

    That’s better than the 44-7.5 she threw at last year’s CIF State Championships for a third-place finish.

    Not only did she win the shot put at the Irvine Invitational, she also won the discus competition with a mark of 143 feet, 11 inches. Last month she threw the discus a personal-best 146-8 in the Eagle Invitational at Santa Margarita.

    Pretty good for a former figure skater.

    Aliso Niguel's Jaslene Massey makes her first shot put throw during 104th CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the campus of Buchanan High School in Clovis on Friday, May 24 2024. (Photo by Joseph Vasquez, Contributing Photographer)
    Aliso Niguel’s Jaslene Massey makes her first shot put throw during 104th CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the campus of Buchanan High School in Clovis on Friday, May 24 2024. (Photo by Joseph Vasquez, Contributing Photographer)

    Massey got into figure skating as a first-grader and competed in the sport until she entered high school. Her first events in high school were the high jump and the long jump; she qualified for the CIF-SS finals in the high jump as a freshman.

    During her freshman year at Aliso Niguel, where Massey quickly established herself as a star volleyball player, Aliso athletic director Andrew Mashburn suggested that Massey would be a natural as a shot put and discus thrower.

    The 5-foot-9 Massey qualified for the CIF-SS finals in the shot put her freshman year, followed by a third-place finish in last year’s CIF State meet.

    She loves the shot put and the discus for a variety of reasons.

    “There’s so much that goes into it,” Massey said. “The more I learn, the more I love it.”

    Just above Massey on the Orange County girls shot put list is the 48-11.5 mark of Villa Park’s Susie Ray in 1980. The country girls record in the event is the 53-7.75  set in 1983 by Natalie Kaaiawahia of Fullerton High.

    Aliso Niguel girls track and field coach Patricia Lusar is continuously impressed.

    “Jaslene’s success comes from a lot of things,” Lusar said. “The part we sometimes forget is the straight amount of work she puts in. Between volleyball and track and lifting, she’s doing something all the time.

    “Some people have the talent but not the drive. She has both.”

    As for how figure skating relates to the shot put and discus …

    “I love spinning,” Massey said, “so there’s a lot of that in both. It keeps the essence of skating going.”

    NOTES

    Servite’s 4×100 relay time of 40.98 seconds, recorded at the Redondo Track Festival on March 8, set an Orange County record. The previous record was 41.24 set by Trabuco Hills in 2018. …

    Rosary’s 4×100 relay team produced a time of 46.82 seconds in a meet at Los Alamitos High for the third-best time in California this season and third best in Orange County all-time. …

    The Orange County Championships are at Mission Viejo High on March 29. …

    The Arcadia Invitational is April 11-12 at Arcadia High. …

    The Mt. SAC Relays are April 18-19 at Mt. San Antonio College. …

    CIF Southern Section championship competition begins with preliminaries in four divisions on May 10, including the Division 1 prelims at Trabuco Hills High and the Division 3 prelims at Yorba Linda High. CIF-SS divisional finals are at Moorpark High on May 17, the CIF-SS Masters Meet is May 17 at Moorpark High and the CIF State meet is May 30-31 at Buchanan High in Clovis.

    TOP ATHLETES TO WATCH

    Los Alamitos junior sprinter Devin Bragg has been named the Press-Telegram Boys Athlete of the Week after winning the 100 and 200 at the CIF-SS Division 1 Track Finals on May 11.(Photo by: John W. Davis, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
    Los Alamitos junior sprinter Devin Bragg has been named the Press-Telegram Boys Athlete of the Week after winning the 100 and 200 at the CIF-SS Division 1 Track Finals on May 11.(Photo by John W. Davis, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

    BOYS

    Devin Bragg, Los Alamitos, Sr.: Bragg was a CIF Southern Section champion in the 100 last season and finished sixth in the 100 at the CIF State meet. He ran a wind-aided 10.37 last year in the 100 and finished eighth in the 200 at the CIF State meet (21.97).

    Max Douglass, Corona del Mar, Sr.: He established personal records in the 800 (1:56.48) and the 1,600 at the Irvine Invitational. Douglass finished third in cross country’s CIF State Championships.

    Leo Francis, Santa Margarita, Sr.: He finished second in the 100 in the Mustang Round-Up with a personal-record of 10.76 and was first in the 200 (personal-record 21.51). He won the 300 hurdles at the Eagle Invitational in 38.54.

    Alden Morales, JSerra, Jr.: His 800 time last season (1:49.91) is the sixth-best time in Orange County history. He has the ability to thrive in the 1,600, too.

    Brandon Gorski, Mater Dei, Sr.: He cleared 6 feet, 8 inches in the high jump in the Mater Dei Invitational last month and went 23-8 in the long jump. He was a CIF-SS champion last year in the high jump with a mark of 6-6.

    Benjamin Harris, Servite, So.: His 10.38 wind-aided time as a freshman at last season’s Arcadia Invitational grabbed everyone’s attention. Harris then finished fifth in the CIF State meet in the 100.

    Jaelen Hunter, Servite, Fr.: Hunter ran the 400 in 46.84 seconds this past summer in the National Junior Olympics. If that was a high school meet, Hunter’s time would be the third-fastest 400 in Orange County history.

    Dylan Jubak, Trabuco Hills, Sr.: Jubak is coming off of a cross country season in which he finished seventh at the CIF State Championships and logged a third-place finish at the Orange County Championships and a second-place finish in the CIF Southern Section finals.

    Griffen Kushen of Tesoro won the Division 2 race and had the fastest time among all divisions (14:38.5) at the CIF-SS Championships on Saturday, Nov. 23, at Mt. San Antonio College. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)
    Griffen Kushen of Tesoro won the Division 2 race and had the fastest time among all divisions (14:38.5) at the CIF-SS Championships on Saturday, Nov. 23, at Mt. San Antonio College. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)

    Griffin Kushen, Tesoro, Sr.: His cross country season had several highlights, including first-place finishes at the Orange County Championships and in the CIF Southern Section finals, all of which could lead to an outstanding track and field season.

    Evan Noonan, Dana Hills, Sr.: Noonan was the CIF State cross country champion this past fall, finished fifth at the Nike Nationals cross country event. Last track season he was a CIF-SS champion in the 1,600 and the state champ in the 3,200.

    GIRLS

    Holly Barker, Trabuco Hills, Sr.: Barker, who signed with Colorado, won the CIF-SS Division 1 cross country championship this past fall. Last track season she finished second in the 3,200 at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational.

    Olivia Bettinger, Los Alamitos, Sr.: She qualified for the CIF State Championships in the pole vault last season, has a career-best clearance of 12 feet, 9 inches. She entered this weekend with a top clearance of 12-3.

    Maliya Collins, Rosary, Fr.: Collins finished second in the Eagle Invitational’s 100 with a time of 11.93 and second in the 200 (24.48).

    Jaslene Massey, Aliso Niguel, Jr.: Her shot put mark of 48-7 at the Irvine Invitational leads the state this season and is fourth-best in Orange County history.

    Newport Harbor Natalie McCarty sprints toward the finish line on her way to winning the 300 hurdles at the Orange County Championships on April 13, 2024 at Mission Viejo High School. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)
    Newport Harbor Natalie McCarty sprints toward the finish line on her way to winning the 300 hurdles at the Orange County Championships on April 13, 2024 at Mission Viejo High School. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)

    Natalie McCarty, Newport Harbor, Jr.: McCarty was a CIF-SS champion last year in the 100 (14.76 seconds) and 300 hurdles (43.84). At the Irvine Invitational on March 8 she was fifth in the 100 hurdles, second in the 300 hurdles and was third in the high jump (5-2).

    Anna Elise Packard, JSerra, Sr.: She won the 800 (2:09.69) in the Redondo Invitational on March 8. It is the second-best time in the state this season.

    Keaton Robar, Newport Harbor, Sr.: Impressively comfortable at a variety of distances. She finished first in the 400 (59.26) at the Eagle Invitational and second in the 1,600 (5:06.48). In cross country this past fall, she finished eighth in the CIF State Championships.

    Julia Teven, Brea Olinda, Jr.: Teven was third in last year’s CIF State meet in the high jump with a clearance of 5-7. She cleared 5-6 to win the high jump at the Irvine Invitational last week. She also is adept at running the hurdles.

    Rosary's Justine Wilson, right, wins the 200 meters at the Orange County Championships on Saturday, April 13. She also won the 400 and was named the girls sprinter of the meet. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)
    Rosary’s Justine Wilson, right, wins the 200 meters at the Orange County Championships on Saturday, April 13. She also won the 400 and was named the girls sprinter of the meet. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)

    Justine Wilson, Rosary, Jr.: Last year she was second in her division in the CIF-SS finals in the 200 (wind-aided time of 24.04) and sixth in the 400 (55.95) in the CIF State Championships. Her times of 11.82 in the 100 and 24.31 in the 200 are second-best in the state this season.

    Summer Wilson, Irvine, Jr.: Wilson finished third in the CIF State Cross Country Championships in the fall. Last spring she was a CIF-SS champion in the 3,200, won that event at the Orange County Championships and finished ninth at that distance in the CIF State meet.

     Orange County Register 

    Read More
    Galaxy’s Isaiah Parente settling into a rhythm with expanded role
    • March 15, 2025

    With multiple injuries in the midfield, the Galaxy have had to get minutes from several unlikely places, including midfielder Isaiah Parente.

    Parente spent the majority of the 2024 season playing with Galaxy II/Ventura County FC. He’s become a valuable fill-in so far with the first team, playing the full 90 minutes in each of the past two games, including Wednesday’s must-win CONCACAF Champions Cup game against Herediano.

    “His previous coach in Columbus sent me a message when we signed him, said I really like this kid and he’s going to help you out,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “I felt like last year in preseason he struggled a little bit just because I felt he was probably trying to show too much. His game is a game of simplicity and just being clean and moving and playing and keeping … a time-giver, a little bit like Mark Delgado was.”

    The Galaxy (0-3) visit the Portland Timbers (1-2, three points) on Sunday.

    “He moves the ball quick, he shows up and he plays. Over the course of last year, he settled in to the group,” Vanney said of Parente. “He was actually training really well at the end of last year and this year he came in and I wanted to see the guys that we brought in and I wasn’t sure exactly Isaiah was in terms of connection, playing forward, managing some of the defensive moments and things like that. In these last couple of games, he’s shown that he’s somebody who can help us, especially because nobody has stepped into that role next to Eddie (Edwin Cerrillo) and said, ‘This is my position and this what I do.’ And he has done that.”

    “He’s a version of what we were getting from Mark (Delgado). He’s a balancer, he’s a guy who plays fast, gives his time to other people. He has a high level of field awareness, which allows him to play fast and find good positions, and he helps sort of the system function a little bit and that’s something we haven’t had in some of the games prior.”

    Parente had a pair of assists in the Galaxy’s win over Herediano

    Matheus Nascimento available

    Brazilian forward Matheus Nascimento is in line to make his debut Sunday after recovering from a groin injury.

    Nascimento, 20, joined the Galaxy from Botafogo in Brazil.  Even though he’s been with the team since the early days of preseason, he hasn’t logged much training time with the full group.

    “He hasn’t trained a ton with us,” Vanney said. “He’s done a lot of training on the side, either to get fitness or because he was awaiting his visa, then he got injured and then he’s been recovering. He’s probably been in a total of five, six team training sessions.

    “What I’ve seen? Pretty clean with his feet, he’s a guy who likes to come in and link up with the team. Looks good in the finishing areas. I just want to see as he goes, how dynamic he will be, how much he’s going to look to run behind the opposition. See how he physically covers the ground in an MLS game, things like that, that I’m not sure yet because I just haven’t seen him enough to have some of those ideas.”

    Marco Reus’ availability uncertain

    Reus went 90 minutes in last Sunday’s 3-0 loss against St. Louis City SC and was not available in Wednesday’s win against CS Herediano. His status for Sunday is uncertain, trending toward not being available.

    “I won’t put him into a high-risk situation, for sure,” Vanney said of Sunday’s plan. “If that means limited minutes, maybe. If that means not all, possibly. I would certain rather make sure we’re playing the long game instead of any kind of short game. Good chance that he won’t be involved.”

    More injury updates

    Defender Miki Yamane will be available Sunday. … Vanney said forward Joseph Paintsil “should be coming back in the next week to two weeks.” … Vanney said defender Mauricio Cuevas is still two to three weeks “from getting back into the mix.”

    GALAXY at PORTLAND TIMBERS

    When: 1:45 p.m. Sunday

    Where: Providence Park; Portland, Oregon

    How to watch: FOX (Ch. 11), Apple TV (MLS Season Pass)

    ​ Orange County Register 

    Read More
    Orange County scores and player stats for Saturday, March 15
    • March 15, 2025

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


    Scores and stats from Orange County games on Saturday, March 15

    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.

    SATURDAY’S SCORES

    BASEBALL

    ANAHEIM LIONS SPRING BREAK TOURNAMENT

    Cajon 3, El Toro 2

    CRESTVIEW LEAGUE

    Villa Park 2, El Modena 0

    FREEWAY LEAGUE

    Canyon 9, Crean Lutheran 0

    PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

    Laguna Beach 4, Irvine 0

    NONLEAGUE

    Estancia 5, Colton 3

    Savanna 12, Esperanza 2

    Los Alamitos 5, Long Beach Wilson 3

    Century 3, Calvary Chapel 1

    Torrance 6, Capistrano Valley Christian 1

    Rancho Bernardo 6, Mission Viejo 0

    Trabuco Hills 5, Ontario Christian 0

    Savanna 12, Esperanza 2

    Orange 2, Tustin 1

    GIRLS LACROSSE

    NONLEAGUE

    St. Margaret’s 19, Poway 9

    BOYS VOLLEYBALL

    DOS PUEBLOS SANTA BARBARA TOURNAMENT

    Arroyo Grande def. Mission Viejo, 2-0

    Mission Viejo def. Granada Hills Charter, 2-0

     

     

    ​ Orange County Register 

    Read More
    Whitney girls basketball blitzes Half Moon Bay early to claim first CIF state championship
    • March 15, 2025
    Players and coaches from Whitney High school pose with the trophy after defeating Half Moon Bay 48-40 in a girls CIF State Division IV championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
    Players and coaches from Whitney High School pose with the trophy after defeating Half Moon Bay 48-40 in a girls CIF State Division IV championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

    SACRAMENTO — A team that considers itself one of the hidden gems of the Southern California girls basketball scene stepped onto its biggest stage Saturday morning with a chance to make history.

    Whitney seized its opportunity at the CIF State championships.

    Behind a blistering start and tough rebounding, the undersized Wildcats captured their first state title in any sport by defeating Half Moon Bay 48-40 for an emotional victory in the Division IV final at Golden 1 Center.

    As time expired, veteran assistant Wayne Muramatsu of Whitney held his fists high and hollered “We did it!” as the players rushed onto the court to celebrate the first state basketball title for the ABC Unified School District.

    The secret was finally out on a program known for balancing under-the-radar play with high academics.

    “We have been a hidden gem,” sixth-year Whitney coach Myron Jacobs said, “but we’ve been a decent team for actually the last five to six years. Whitney has always been around. We’re not a big school. We have a lot of girls up here who play volleyball, soccer.”

    “We don’t take (transfers). It’s an academic school first, and the sports go second,” he added. “We’re not the biggest team but we play with a lot of heart. We play fast. We play discipline.”

    Whitney (28-9) scored the first 10 points and never trailed in its first appearance in a state final.

    RELATED: Sierra Canyon boys basketball proud of hard-fought win for state Division I title

    Haylie Wang of Whitney helped seal the victory by driving from the top of the key past three defenders for a layup and 46-40 lead with about two minutes left in the fourth.

    The versatile 5-foot-11 senior, who played in the post, point guard and guarded center Zoey Lemoge, had a team-high 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Alyssa So added 15 points.

    The 6-foot Lemoge finished with 18 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks for Half Moon Bay (23-8).

    The Wildcats were slightly shorter than Half Moon Bay but signaled their intent to hit the offensive glass on the opening possession. Guard Rachel Moyher and forward Sarai Carter (nine rebounds, two blocks) grabbed offensive rebounds before Allie Yamaguchi sank a 3-pointer.

    “Too many times they got the offensive board and got a good look out of it,” said Half Moon Bay coach Megan Smith, whose Cougars outrebounded Whitney 34-32.

    Yamaguchi (eight points) highlighted the third period by banking in a 3-pointer to narrowly beat the shot clock.

    Alyssa So #11 of Whitney Wildcats drives to the basket past Makena Glynn #20 of Half Moon Bay Cougars in the second half of a girls CIF State Division IV championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)
    Alyssa So #11 of Whitney Wildcats drives to the basket past Makena Glynn #20 of Half Moon Bay Cougars in the second half of a girls CIF State Division IV championship basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Photo by Libby Cline-Birmingham, Contributing Photographer)

    Whitney reached its first state final after capturing the 605 League, a group that some consider “sneaky good” with contenders such as Pioneer and Cerritos.

    Whitney was placed in Division 3A for the CIF-SS playoffs, a lower division than Pioneer (Division 2A) and Cerritos (Division 3AA). The Wildcats lost in the semifinals to Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary 41-36 but avenged the loss in the regional final with a 47-42 win.

    Whitney’s program is fed by multiple youth leagues in the tight-knit Cerritos area. But the school’s identity remains academics.

    “Any of our athletics is considered to be a bunch of nerds,” Muramatsu said while fighting back tears. “But what you see here in front of you are students and true athletes.”

     Orange County Register 

    Read More
    Severely burned man rescued from garage fire in Santa Ana
    • March 15, 2025

    A man suffered severe burns after police helped him escape a garage fire early Saturday morning, Mar. 15, authorities said.

    Firefighters responded to the blaze around 2:15 a.m. on the 800 block of South Flower Street, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Sean Doran said.

    Before fire crews arrived, Santa Ana police officers forced open the door of the detached, modified garage, where the fire was burning. Moments later, a man, severely burned, ran out of the structure.

    Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames, preventing the fire from spreading to the house. The victim, whose identity was not released, was in critical condition at the scene, Doran said.

    No updates were available later in the day.

    The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

    ​ Orange County Register 

    Read More