Corona del Mar, Fountain Valley and Los Alamitos tie for Sunset League girls basketball title

• February 5, 2025

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The Sunset League’s girls basketball race proved to be exciting to the final buzzer.

Corona del Mar defeated Battle of the Bay rival Newport Harbor 55-27 on Tuesday night to finish in a three-way tie for the league championship with Fountain Valley and Los Alamitos.

Corona del Mar (17-10 overall), Fountain Valley (18-9) and Los Alamitos (19-8) each finished with matching records of 9-3 in league.

Senior forward Kayly Honig paced Corona del Mar with 14 points and eight rebounds. Senior guard Alexa Rokos added nine points and six steals.

On Monday, Fountain Valley edged Los Alamitos 43-40 behind 11 points apiece from forwards Avery Jones and Karley Waite.

In another testament to the league’s competitiveness, Marina (17-11, 8-4) finished fourth with a record of 8-4, one game out of first place.

The top-four finishers from the seven-team league earned automatic playoff berths.

Fifth-place Huntington Beach (16-12, 5-7) looks like a candidate for an at-large playoff berth.

In the Freeway League:

Villa Park 69, Cypress 39: The Spartans (24-4, 8-0) won at Santiago Canyon College to finish as the undefeated league champion.

In the Trinity League:

JSerra 66, Santa Margarita 53: Vivian Grenald scored 24 points and Kayla Rice added 18 on Monday as the Lions (17-10. 4-2) placed second behind Mater Dei.

In the Crestview League:

Crean Lutheran 62, Canyon 49: Vanguard-bound Micaela Hanning scored 16 points as the Saints (22-5, 7-1) won the league title.

In the North Hills League:

Brea Olinda 58, Pacifica 19:

Liz Han scored 23 points, including seven 3-pointers, as the Ladycats (17-10, 8-0) claimed the league title.

​ Orange County Register 

Sunny Hills boys basketball wins league title with thrilling rally against Esperanza

• February 5, 2025

ANAHEIM — With a “winner takes all” scenario in the North Hills League finale, the Sunny Hills boys basketball team was on the verge of losing as it trailed by five points with less than a minute left to play.

The Lancers responded by scoring six points in the final moments to win the league title in dramatic fashion.

A 3-point play by ZeBrien Watkins with 0.8 seconds left gave the Raiders a victory over Esperanza 38-37 at Esperanza High.

“When we were down five with under a minute (left), I have to tell you, it looked like we weren’t going to have enough time,” Sunny Hills coach Joe Ok said, “and luckily we were able to do what we did at the end there.”

Aztecs freshman Jackson Fries made a 3-pointer while being fouled but was unable to convert the four-point play that would have extend his team’s lead to six points.

Then the Lancers (19-9, 6-2) went to work against the Aztecs (17-9, 5-3).

Nathan Johnson drilled a 3-pointer to bring the Lancers within two points, 37-35, with 40 seconds left to play.

“We hit a big 3 and called a timeout which set up the last sequence,” Ok said.

Sunny Hills got the ball back by forcing a shot-clock violation on Esperanza and snatched the victory on its final possession.

Ryan Chang took the inbound pass from Pierrce Sandle and got the ball into the hands of Watkins near midcourt. Watkins took a few dribbles, gathered and finished with his left hand while drawing a foul, setting the scene for a go-ahead free throw.

“We had Nate (Johnson) in the corner and Ze straight down the middle,” Ok explained about the final possession, “and either one of those two guys was going to be the option. And he (Chang) found Ze streaking and thankfully he finished and hit the free throw afterwards.”

Watkins, who scored a game-high 22 points, stepped to the free throw line with an opportunity to give Sunny Hills its first league title since 2012.

The senior forward did not disappoint, as he calmly sank the free throw and silenced the home crowd.

“I knew I was going to make it,” Watkins said. “I missed some of those in the beginning of the season, but I knew my moment was coming up again.”

The Aztecs were able to get a good look at a possible game-winning shot on the final play. Vincent Garza (14 points) threw a full-court pass to freshman Brody Reeds. He jumped up, secured the ball and attempted a hook shot that was defended by Kamron Tonga, but when the shot fell short the Lancers began to celebrate their victory.

“I thought we did a great job executing,” Esperanza coach Jojo Ballesteros said. “We got a look at it, believe it or not, that’s a shot that’s in that kids’ arsenal, an old-school skyhook. It didn’t drop for him but the game’s not won or lost on one possession.”

Ok was thrilled to finally lead his team to a league championship, his first since taking over in the 2015-16 season.

“A lot of emotions going through our minds right now,” Ok said. “Our guys are very excited but now we’re just going to get ready for the playoffs.”

Fries came off the bench to finish with nine points, all in the second half and all on three 3-pointers. The final one gave the Aztecs a 37-32 lead in the final minute.

The Aztecs finished the regular season tied for second place with Brea Olinda. The top three teams in the standings get an automatic bid for the postseason.

Fourth-place Pacifica (18-10, 4-4) is expected to apply for an at-large bid.

​ Orange County Register 

Super Bowl: Chiefs GM Brett Veach keeps Kansas City humming

• February 5, 2025

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid first met Brett Veach after he’d been recommended for an internship with his Philadelphia Eagles.

One of Veach’s many tasks? Running out for the occasional lunch order.

Cheeseburgers were common.

All these years later, Veach is still delivering the goods for Reid, only now as the general manager of a Chiefs franchise that is chasing an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title. Veach is the one who Reid freely credits with rebuilding the roster each year, and whose collection of players will face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night in New Orleans.

“You could see right from the get-go his energy and how smart he was,” Reid told The Associated Press. “Then his passion for the players side of it. Those guys that came in, I gave them the opportunity to either go personnel or to the football side, and he was so passionate about digging in with it and finding guys.”

Veach did his time as a coaching intern, spending most of four years in the role. He learned not only the nuances of identifying prospects – something Reid largely handled himself in Philly – but also what Big Red valued in players on his team.

That would become invaluable as the years went by.

Veach was promoted to a coaching assistant, then moved into a scouting role, and helped to identify DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Fletcher Cox, all players who were significant contributors to the Eagles’ success while Reid was the coach.

“All those guys, he’s throwing those guys on my desk saying, ‘You have to get these guys,’” Reid recalled with a smile. “He just had an eye and a knack for it and that hasn’t changed.”

That track record is why Reid brought Veach along with him to Kansas City in 2013, hiring the former Delaware wide receiver – and teammate of Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy – as a pro and college personnel analyst.

Two years later, Veach was promoted to co-director of player personnel. And when the Chiefs moved on from John Dorsey, they gave the GM job to Veach, making him one of the youngest in the NFL at the time.

The final draft with Dorsey in charge became famous in large part because of Veach: He stood up in the draft room that night and lobbied – insisted, even – that Kansas City trade up to select a gunslinging quarterback from Texas Tech.

Veach had delivered Reid his franchise quarterback in Patrick Mahomes.

“With Brett, it starts early in the offseason, and what an amazing job he does in putting this team together,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said. “It’s an amazing achievement to keep turning over the roster every year.”

Indeed, the Chiefs that won their first Super Bowl title in five decades in the 2019 season are much different than the Chiefs going for a historic three-peat this season. They have lavished massive contracts on Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, defensive tackle Chris Jones and others, and yet they’ve managed to massage the salary cap in such a way as to keep plugging their biggest holes.

It might be signing wide receiver Marquise Brown to a club-friendly contract. Or running back Kareem Hunt off the couch when nobody else wanted him. Or it might be through the draft, where Veach’s hit rate on everyone from cornerback Trent McDuffie to pass rusher George Karlaftis to speedy wide receiver Xavier Worthy is virtually unmatched across the league.

“He and his crew there in the personnel department – he’s done an exceptional job,” Reid said Tuesday. “He’s done it since he’s been in that position and no more than this year.”

Veach is too humble to take all the credit. But he acknowledges being part of a team effort that has kept Kansas City on top.

“It goes back to the leadership of Clark. Clark does a great job of keeping – I’m super aggressive and that can be dangerous. Having Clark’s leadership and guidance has been a blessing,” Veach said.

“It’s a great balance where he gives me the green light when he feels like it’s appropriate, but at the same time, we try to be smart and very decisive in what we do.

“At the same time,” Veach continued, “we have a good group here. We plan to be successful for a long time. We just have to be smart. It’s a delicate balance of being disciplined and aggressive. There is a fine balance, and it’s a complete group effort between my staff and Clark and the coaching staff.”

​ Orange County Register 

UCLA edges No. 9 Michigan State on Eric Dailey’s late basket

• February 5, 2025

LOS ANGELES — With his nose fully healed, Eric Dailey Jr. was able to shed his protective mask last week.

On Tuesday night, he traded it for a cape, as he saved the UCLA men’s basketball team with a game-winning floater with seven seconds left in a 63-61 victory over ninth-ranked Michigan State.

Dailey had been averaging 15 points over the last five games, but he was uncharacteristically hesitant and cold. Mick Cronin still called his number on the final possession and he answered.

With 24 seconds left and the score tied at 61-all, Skyy Clark dribbled the air out of the ball before passing it to Dailey, who drove and converted a go-ahead floater. Spartans guard Jaden Akins then saw his 3-point shot bounce off the front of the rim as time expired, as UCLA escaped with its sixth win in a row and its fifth of the season against a ranked team.

Over its recent winning streak, UCLA’s offense had sprung to life, scoring 78 points or more four times. On Tuesday, points became a premium as the Bruins seemingly grinded for open looks time and again.

The Bruins (17-6 overall, 8-4 Big Ten) extended their winning streak to six games as they handed the Spartans (18-4, 9-2) their second consecutive loss. Clark led the Bruins with 14 points, while Dailey finished with nine, his struggles seemingly exemplifying UCLA’s larger offensive issues.

Throughout much of the season, Clark has played the role of a consummate point guard. He controls UCLA’s pace, defends each opponent’s best guard and identifies and finds teammates for open shots. Throughout the first half on Tuesday, he was hunting them.

He was fouled on his first 3-point attempt and hit all three free throws. He dribbled into two more in the first half, a pull-up from the right wing and a step-back on the left side. His willingness to look for his own shot opened up passing lanes. He hit Lazar Stefanovic for a corner 3-pointer that gave UCLA a 25-24 lead. Two possessions later, he drove into the paint and acted as if he was going for a layup, but instead threw a lob to Aday Mara.

Clark’s second 3-pointer gave UCLA an eight-point advantage, its largest of the first half, with 1:18 left.

UCLA had deployed a man-to-man press on many occasions, but on Tuesday it fluctuated between a 2-2-1 and a 2-1-2 look. The Bruins’ press didn’t lead directly to many turnovers, but it sped up the Spartans’ offense and disrupted their sets.

In fact, it was their ball-screen defense that was especially effective. UCLA’s big men hedged and jumped ball-handlers, eliminating pocket passes and allowing the guards to recover. The wings oscillated from providing help to anticipating swing passes. The Bruins were plus-13 in the turnover margin and scored 19 points of 16 turnovers.

The Bruins stretched their lead into the double digits after six straight points from Tyler Bilodeau and a 3-pointer from Dylan Andrews. The Spartans answered with a slew of drives that drew contact and earned them trips to the free-throw line. With the margin cut to 48-42, Sebastian Mack drove and hung in the air for an and-1 layup.

After a hot start to the second half, Michigan State’s defense locked in and UCLA struggled. With the Spartans getting stops, the Bruins couldn’t set their defense and openings began to form. The Spartans tied the score at 54 after five straight points from Jaden Akins and a pair of free throws from Carson Cooper.

The score was tied three times in the final seven minutes. With 2:50 left, Clark found a wide-open Lazar Stefanovic for a right-wing 3-pointer that put UCLA ahead, 61-59. Tied at 61-all, Michigan State’s Jaxon Kohler missed in the lane, rebounded his own miss and got called for traveling with 23 seconds left, setting the stage for Dailey to rescue UCLA.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

San Clemente beats San Juan Hills to win second straight South Coast League boys basketball championship

• February 5, 2025

SAN CLEMENTE – It is difficult to win two consecutive championships in any Orange County boys basketball league.

It is especially so in a league as consistently challenging as the South Coast League.

San Clemente made it happen Tuesday with a 52-45 win over San Juan Hills at San Clemente High.

San Juan Hills and San Clemente went into the game tied for first place. With their win the Tritons won the South Coast League boys basketball title for the second year in a row.

San Clemente finished 7-1 in league games in the five-team league. San Juan Hills went 6-2 in league games.

Both will be in the CIF Southern Section playoffs that begin Feb. 14. San Clemente, 23-5, is No. 39 in the latest ratings that will determine which teams will play in which playoff divisions. If San Clemente stays at or above No. 39 the Tritons appears destined for Division 1 which, after the elite Open Division, will be the Southern Section’s second-highest division.

San Juan Hills (19-9) is No. 54 in this week’s CIF-SS ratings, so a placement in Division 2AA or 2A is likely.

CIF Southern Section boys and girls basketball playoff brackets will be released Sunday at noon.

Porter Hansen was expected to score plenty of points for San Clemente, and he did with 18 points. Christian Fernandez made his usual offensive contribution with 10 points and fine passing.

But when the Tritons needed clutch scoring in the final moments of the fourth quarter, they got them from reserve senior forward Jack Loper in their biggest game of the season with the South Coast League championship at stake.

Loper scored on a bank-shot power move inside with just over one minute remaining, then tossed in a one-handed 4-footer in the lane with 44 seconds left to give San Clemente a cushion it needed.

Reserve senior guard Davis Blake scored 11 points including three 3-point baskets.

Fernandez and Hansen were South Coast League co-MVPs last season. Hansen on Tuesday led San Clemente with 18 points. Hansen, a sharpshooting 6-3 senior guard, went into the game averaging 19 points a game. Fernandez took an average of 22 points a game into this week.

The San Clemente gym, which according to plans is to be torn down as early as this summer, was warm and it was loud. The old wooden bleachers were filled on one side, 70 percent full on the other.

The Tritons took their first lead at 8-6 in the first quarter and never trailed from there. They led 15-11 at the end of the first quarter and 31-21 at halftime. Blake made a buzzer-beating 3 at the end of the third quarter to give San Clemente a 43-35 lead going into the final quarter.

San Juan Hills 6-7 senior forward Mason Hodges scored 22 points, two below his average. He scored 38 points when the Stallions defeated San Clemente 77-66 on Jan. 22.

San Clemente senior Kai Van Olst’s defense on Hodges made Hodges work for those 22 points on 21 shots. Tritons senior Carter Christensen was assigned to cover Hodges when Van Olst took a break.

“We controlled the pace really well,” Fernandez said. “We didn’t let Mason get too hot and that was really the key to the game.”

Hansen was happy with the outcome Tuesday, although a few missed free throws in the late fourth quarter bugged him.

“We played hard,” Hansen said. “We grinded it out.”

​ Orange County Register 

Lakers thrash Clippers with Luka Doncic watching from the bench

• February 5, 2025

INGLEWOOD — Three days after losing one of their best players in a trade, the Lakers played as though nothing had changed.

They played as though they didn’t miss 10-time big man All-Star Anthony Davis, who was sent to the Dallas Mavericks as part of the stunning trade that brought Luka Doncic to the Lakers. They played as though they didn’t lose two starters in what some have deemed the biggest trade in NBA history.

Instead, the Lakers looked like a team confident in moving forward without Davis and guard Max Christie, who was included in the trade for Doncic, and ran over the Clippers, 122-97, on Tuesday night in the latest edition of their crosstown rivalry at the Intuit Dome.

The Lakers played their first game since Saturday night’s trade as if they had something to prove not only to themselves but the rest of the league. While Davis’ presence will be missed, the Lakers can still dominate teams and they fought and worked on defense in a way they will likely have to without him.

The Clippers (28-22) found that out the hard way.

With Doncic watching approvingly from the bench, LeBron James had a game-high 26 points, eight rebounds and nine assists to lead the Lakers (29-19) their seventh victory in their past eight games. James and Doncic, who is close to a return from a strained calf that has sidelined him since late December, sat next to each other and talked and laughed at times.

Forward Rui Hachimura picked up the scoring slack left by Davis, posting 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting (four 3-pointers) and grabbing six rebounds. Point guard Austin Reaves added 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including three 3-pointers.

The Clippers’ second-ranked defense was helpless against the Lakers’ attack, especially inside, where they scored 46 points.

And the Clippers’ offense wasn’t any better. The Lakers outshot their regional rivals 54.9% to 37.8% and shot 48.6% from 3-point range (18 for 37).

Speaking before the game, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said he thought both the Lakers and Mavericks got better after exchanging their star players.

“A.D. is a hell of a player on both sides of the basketball. And Luka is a hell of a player who’s given me nightmares in the playoffs for a long time. So, they’re both great players,” Lue said.

Lue had to be happy Doncic wasn’t on the court for this game. The outcome might have been worse.

The Lakers dominated the Clippers from start to finish, leading by as many as 31 points, controlling the paint and limiting James Harden to seven points (on 2-of-12 shooting) and Ivica Zubac to eight points and 10 rebounds. Norman Powell led the Clippers with 20 points and Derrick Jones Jr. added 17.

“We could beat any team,” Lue said. “We also, if we don’t play the right way, we can lose to any team.”

This was the latter.

A technical foul called on Lakers coach JJ Redick, who argued extensively about a call, with 8:23 left in the third quarter gave the Clippers a momentary lift. They scored seven consecutive points, five by Jones Jr., to trim the Lakers’ lead to 13 (79-66) at the 7:21 mark.

But 33 seconds later, the Lakers had pushed their lead back to 20 points, deflating the Clippers’ hopes of turning the game around.

The Clippers came out sluggish and without much energy against a short-handed yet spirited Lakers lineup. The Lakers led 73-50 at halftime and that didn’t tell the whole story.

The Lakers led by as many as 24 in the first half, turned the ball over just four times in the first 24 minutes and shot 60.9% from the field and 57.9% from 3-point range.

The Clippers couldn’t match the Lakers’ intensity and struggled at every turn. They shot 39.1% from the field and failed to get inside for easy layups.

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard sat out the fourth quarter of the blowout and finished with 11 points, six rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes.

Lue had hoped to see more progress from Leonard in his 12th game of the season, giving him reason to extend his minutes. Leonard has been restricted to 24 minutes per game since returning to the lineup last month because of issues with his surgically repaired knee.

“I would like to get him around 36 (minutes) if I could. That would be ideal for me,” Lue said. “Once we are able to get Kawhi’s minutes to where we need to get him to, and he’s a hundred percent – meaning timing, meaning just condition-wise – we can make a run (at his minutes).”

The Clippers’ new players, Patty Mills and Drew Eubanks, both acquired in a trade with the Utah Jazz on Saturday, saw action in the final six minutes of the game.

Lakers rookie Bronny James hit his first NBA 3-pointer while playing the final six minutes.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

Playing without Desmond Claude, USC falls to Northwestern in final seconds

• February 5, 2025

EVANSTON, Ill. — The USC men’s basketball team is getting a crash course in the ups and downs of life in the Big Ten Conference, going from the high of a Top-10 upset to the low of a heartbreaking defeat in a matter of days.

Nick Martinelli scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and his scoop shot with 2.6 seconds left helped Northwestern hold off short-handed USC, 77-75, on Tuesday night.

Martinelli drove the baseline, attracting a double-team before getting a step between the two USC defenders and creating enough space to loft the shot and give Northwestern (13-10 overall, 4-8 Big Ten) the lead in the closing seconds. Out of a timeout, USC (13-9, 5-6) put the ball in the hands of Clark Slajchert, who took a few dribbles before a Wildcats defender knocked it out of bounds and time expired.

Slajchert converted a four-point play on a 3-pointer from the top of the arc and a free throw with 29 seconds left to tie the score at 75-all. With 1:54 left and USC trailing 72-67, Slajchert also drew a foul on Blake Smith from behind the arc but went 1 for 3 from the line.

Northwestern led 33-31 and stretched the margin to 15 points at 59-44 over the first 10 minutes of the second half before USC fought its way back but never took the lead.

Martinelli recorded a career-high 10 offensive rebounds and reserve Justin Mullins scored 14 points for Northwestern.

Slajchert scored 24 points on 9-for-11 shooting to pace USC, which was without Desmond Claude, who leads the team in scoring (16.2 points per game) and assists (4.2). Claude, who suffered a bone bruise in his leg but continued to play in USC’s 70-64 home win against then-No. 7 Michigan State on Saturday, had been listed as questionable before the game.

Slajchert shot 4 for 4 from 3-point range on the way to his best scoring game since posting 32 points for Penn last February.

Wesley Yates III scored 15 points for the Trojans and Chibuzo Agbo added 14. USC got an uneven performance from Saint Thomas, who had eight assists and eight rebounds but scored just four points and committed four turnovers. Rashaun Agee scored seven points before fouling out.

Northwestern, which snapped a three-game losing streak, is adjusting to being without senior Brooks Barnhizer, who was averaging 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists before a foot injury brough an end to his Wildcats career.

UP NEXT

USC plays at No. 7 Purdue on Friday at 4 p.m. PT.

​ Orange County Register 

2026 Rose Parade theme foreshadows wildfire rebuild and recovery efforts

• February 5, 2025

This year on New Year’s Day, Pasadena celebrated its “Best Day Ever,” as optimism took its traditional 5-mile tour down Colorado Boulevard for the 136th Rose Parade.

Only just one week later, thousands experienced their worst day ever, when tragedy intervened forever searing Eaton fire and Palisades fire into our collective consciousness.

But as the Tournament of Roses does annually without fail, there’s little time to spare before officials announce the following year’s theme.

Newly installed Tournament of Roses president Mark Leavens announced “The Magic in Teamwork” as the theme for the 2026 Rose Parade on Feb. 4 at Tournament House, unveiling a colorful poster of patches representing public safety agencies and nonprofit partners.

The brief announcement took place at 8 p.m. sharp just inside the grand front steps of Tournament House in Pasadena. As Tournament members milled around the foyer after attending an officer installation dinner, Leavens took his place at a plexiglass podium in front of a red rose backdrop.

“The Tournament stands ready to share in the teamwork to help our community to recover and rebuild,” Leavens said.

Call it kismet, but Leavens said in an interview before the announcement, he had already conjured the team theme almost a year before the wildfires destroyed entire neighborhoods.

“The greatest achievements we have in life are not done alone,” Leavens said. “I wanted a theme that would recognize those bonds that form when you’re working in a group.’

“The Magic in Teamwork” theme celebrates those collaborations, added Leavens. He said when people unite – such as during the rebuilding and recovery in Altadena and Palisades – great things can happen.

The theme is a tribute to the strength, resilience and connection that arise when a community comes together, proving that the magic in teamwork is not just an idea but a reality we live every day, said a press release.

Leavens had solidified the saying and the artwork in December, he said. Then after the Jan. 7 disasters, with a Jan. 16 theme announcement looming, people started asking if he would pivot and change it because of the wildfires.

It was a sports headline in a local paper — Mirjam Swanson’s column in the Pasadena Star News — that made him resolute: “It’s time for teamwork,” read the headline in the print version above a story about how athletes were responding to the tragedies.

And that’s what did it for him, Leavens said.

“The theme would resonate with what was going on in the community,” Leavens said. “After the fires, it just felt appropriate.”

The teamwork theme marries tiny triumphs and simple struggles with the more massive undertaking of rebuilding whole towns and recovering a sense of stability, according to a Tournament of Roses press release.

“We’ve witnessed firsthand the power of teamwork—neighbors helping neighbors, first responders working tirelessly and volunteers stepping up in extraordinary ways,” according to the statement.

The Rose Parade, known worldwide as America’s favorite New Year’s Day tradition, has always represented buoyant beginnings and sunny outlooks. With bright floral displays, dynamic marching bands and pressing equestrian units filing by, it’s easy to smile, to nod and to have hope for the next calendar year.

As Leavens puts it, with the Rose Parade each year, “Pasadena punches way above its weight when it comes to putting on a world-class event.” A relatively small contingent puts on a show like no other, he said.

And in line with the Tournament’s mission statement, Leavens said, “Each Jan. 1, the world looks to Pasadena to celebrate the joy and the hope of new beginnings.”

And that’s a lot of what the communities of Altadena and Palisades are going to go through, he said, adding that in 2026 it will be the beginning of a likely decade-long process.

Historically, themes for Rose Parades have a general good cheer about them, if not often sanguine.

In 1918 and 1919 – years impacted by World War I – the first recorded Rose Parade themes were Patriotism and Victory, respectively.

There were no parade themes again until 1927, when a decade’s worth of themes sprouted up in earnest. And they were all to do with celebrating floral artistry. Songs in Flowers (1927) Poems in Flowers (1929), History in Flowers (1936).

With the advent of World War II, themes turned patriotic again: America in Flowers (1941), We’re in to Win (1943) and, finally, Victory, Unity and Peace (1946).

The Tournament returned to flower themes again for many parades in the 1950s and 60s, 70s and 80s: Famous Books in Flowers (1954), Adventures in Flowers (1959), Headlines in Flowers (1965), with a brief callback to patriotism a year before the U.S. became fully engaged in the Vietnam War: Symbols of Freedom (1964).

From the 1980s to present day, themes run the gamut, from sports to jubilation (Rejoice! In 1983) to children (Kids’ Laughter and Dreams in 1996) to exploration (Oh, the Places You’ll Go in 2013).

As for parade theme announcements, this is the third consecutive year Tournament of Roses has organized a public unveiling.

Before the event, Leavens said it was important to keep it somber and respectful as many community members are still hurting.

The Tournament itself has not been immune from loss, said Leavens.

Out of 935 volunteers and 35 staffers, he said, about 50 have come forward with “some sort of catastrophic loss.”

As such, the Tournament and its Foundation have established a $200,000 Emergency Relief Fund for direct financial support for volunteers and staffers who were impacted, according to a Jan. 27 press release.

The Tournament also announced last week it is partnering with the Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions Foundation to allocate $1 million in gift cards to help Eaton fire victims.

Up next for Leavens will be his selection of the Rose Parade’s grand marshal. That decision, along with the theme, are two key responsibilities of the Tournament president.

Will he pick a team of first responders?

Leavens said the Tournament team is “absolutely” looking at the list he put together last year to see if that makes sense. Some candidates make total sense for the theme now, and there are “other names that might fit better,” he said.

The process of rebuilding Altadena and Palisades, said Leavens, will take a Herculean effort. And volunteers and community partners who create Pasadena’s annual New Year’s tradition will mark the moment.

“This is going to be a long term thing,” Leavens said about community recovery. “It’s not just about right now, or the parade, but in the coming year and in years and years to come.”

​ Orange County Register