UCLA football at Washington: Who has the edge?

• November 15, 2024

UCLA (4-5 overall, 3-4 Big Ten) at Washington (5-5, 3-4)

When: Friday, 6 p.m.

Where: Husky Stadium, Seattle

TV/radio: Fox (Ch. 11)/570 AM

Line: Washington by 4

What’s at stake? These are two teams trending in opposite directions with UCLA winning three in a row and Washington dropping three out of its past four games. A victory would bring the Bruins to a .500 record after a 1-5 start, erasing the negative energy that clouded the team during the first half of the season. The Huskies need a win to become bowl eligible.

Who’s better? Both teams have an identical conference record, but Washington lost to Rutgers and Iowa, two teams UCLA defeated. In addition, Washington’s offense started the season hot but has cooled off of late. The Huskies average 398.8 yards of offense per game, but that has dropped to 295.3 total yards in their last three games. It’s been the inverse for the Bruins, whose offense is on an upward trajectory. UCLA has averaged 417.7 total yards during its three-game winning streak, compared to its season average of 321.1.

Matchup to watch: UCLA’s defense will face senior quarterback Will Rogers, who hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in three games and has three interceptions in that span. Rogers has been significantly better at home, throwing nine of his 13 touchdown passes at Husky Stadium, one of the reasons UW is unbeaten at home. UCLA’s defense has five interceptions in its last three games, and the Bruins will need to force Rogers into turnovers to overcome Washington’s home-field advantage.

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UCLA wins if: The Bruins’ running game can set the tone early. UCLA has struggled rushing the ball this season, but the problem finally came to a head last week against Iowa. T.J. Harden had his best statistical game of the season with 125 rushing yards on 20 attempts, with the team rushing for 211 yards. The team’s previous season high was 139 yards against Nebraska. Washington’s defense has played well against the pass this year but has struggled against the run, allowing 163.1 rushing yards per game (84th in the nation).

Prediction: UCLA 31, Washington 23. UCLA is playing its best football of the season and riding a wave of momentum, while Washington is backpedaling. UCLA’s ground game is coming together at last and that plays into Washington’s weakness. Harden, Keegan Jones and Jalen Berger should be able to operate in between the tackles and find the end zone multiple times.

​ Orange County Register 

Election 2024: Michelle Steel still leads Derek Tran, narrowly, in California’s 45th congressional race

• November 15, 2024

More than a week after Election Day, Rep. Michelle Steel is still holding onto her razor-thin lead over Derek Tran in the race for California’s 45th congressional district, as of the latest vote tally posted by the secretary of state Thursday, Nov. 14.

But Tran has further cut into her lead in the nailbiter race. Wednesday’s tally had Steel up by 349 votes. On Thursday, her lead shrunk to just 236.

The Southern California race is currently the closest in the state that has yet to be called.

Of the votes tallied Thursday, Tran, a Democrat, clinched 62% of the results from Los Angeles County, which makes up a small part of the district, while 53% of those results on Thursday from Orange County swung in his favor.

Steel, the Republican incumbent seeking a third term, was leading by more than 11,000 votes the day after Election Day, but a steady stream of blue ballots counted since that earlier tally has allowed Tran to slash away at her lead.

As of Thursday evening, the Orange County registrar of voters said it had counted more than 1.3 million ballots and estimated that there were more than 74,000 ballots left to process countywide. In Los Angeles County, an estimated 99,400 ballots need to be processed still, according to its elections official.

The race has been trending in Tran’s favor, and it’s likely he could flip the district by a narrow margin, said Christian Grose, a pollster and professor of political science at USC.

However, the margin is tight enough that Steel could still pull off a win, he added.

Both campaigns have prepared for the possibility of a recount in the race, soliciting donations to legal funds from their supporters in recent days. Secretary of State Shirley Weber said if there is a recount — and it yields a different outcome — then local elections officials in both Orange and Los Angeles counties would be required to recertify their results.

Tran is in Washington, D.C., this week for new member orientation, despite not clinching a congressional victory as of yet. If elected, he would become the first Vietnamese American to represent Orange County’s Little Saigon in Congress.

Neither Steel’s nor Tran’s campaigns commented on the latest vote tallies Thursday evening.

All of the other five congressional races that touch Orange County have already been called. If Tran does unseat Steel, Rep. Young Kim, R-Anaheim Hills, would be the only Republican House member to represent an Orange County district.

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​ Orange County Register 

Irvine’s new space-themed playground is universal in more ways than one

• November 15, 2024

Irvine introduced its first “universal” playground Thursday, Nov. 14, at Sweet Shade Neighborhood Park.

The wheelchair-accessible play area is designed as an inclusive space for all residents, regardless of ability.

Among its unique features, the outer space-themed playground includes adaptive swings, a sensory garden and Bankshot basketball, which the brand describes as mini golf but with a basketball. The Bankshot court features an array of creatively angled backboards of various shapes and sizes.

State Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris secured $2.8 million in state funding to improve the playground by adding equipment inclusive to people of all abilities and constructing adjacent park features for parents and caregivers, such as a new family restroom with an adult changing area.

The 7.9-acre park is home to the Sweet Shade Ability Center, where Irvine’s City Disability Services program offers activities for individuals with sensory, physical or cognitive disabilities, and their family members.

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​ Orange County Register 

Police officers take down street takeover near Temecula – with infant reportedly a passenger in 1 car

• November 15, 2024

Law enforcement officers, responding to complaints from residents about illegal street takeovers in the community of De Luz west of Temecula, impounded four cars and wrote 11 citations after busting up a recent sideshow. An infant was a passenger in one of the cars, the California Highway Patrol said.

The residents said the reckless driving, including spinouts and cars doing doughnuts, has been happening for weeks, particularly on weekend nights, according to a CHP news release.

So the CHP and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department teamed up to conduct surveillance on Nov. 8. Around 11:15 p.m., they moved in when a large group of motorists arrived. The 12 drivers and spectators were detained, the release said.

All were ages 17 to 24 years old.

Citation charges included exhibition of speed, reckless driving, driving unlicensed, child endangerment – because of the infant in one car, being an underage person in possession of alcohol, having modified emissions systems and excessive exhaust noise.

“The CHP would like to remind the motoring public that sideshows — often involving street racing, car stunts,and large crowds — may seem exciting, but they pose serious risks to participants, bystanders, and communities. These events typically lack the safety precautions of regulated environments, leading toaccidents, injuries, and even fatalities,” the release said.

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​ Orange County Register 

USC QB Jayden Maiava is an ‘inspiration for the people of Hawaii’

• November 15, 2024

LOS ANGELES — On a dot of green in the middle of the North Pacific, 13-year-old Nehemiah Gavino-Veneri trains across the blooming fields of O’ahu, hoping one day for a shot on the mainland.

Since his son first threw a football at 3 years old, Mark Veneri said, all Nehemiah can talk about is becoming a quarterback. He is a product of this generation of Polynesian dreamers, same as USC’s Jayden Maiava. Young quarterbacks, suddenly, are blossoming in Hawaii, a region of islands once pigeonholed for line-of-scrimmage talent and galvanized by the stories of “Throwin’ Samoan” Jack Thompson and Tua Tagavailoa and Marcus Mariota.

When Nehemiah was 8, then-USC linebacker and O’ahu native Maninoa Tufono hosted the boy and his father in Southern California for a private tour of the Trojans’ facilities. He showed them around the practice field. He showed them around the locker room. It was a far-away fantasy, tucked amid rows of cardinal-and-gold uniforms.

Not five years later, Maiava was named USC’s starting quarterback. Mark told his son, in excitement, when he’d heard. This was a Polynesian kid. A kid who’d grown up in government housing in Palolo Valley in Honolulu.

“He’s just like, ‘That’s USC,’” Veneri remembered Nehemiah saying. “And I’m like, ‘Yeah. That’s it. That’s the goal.’”

The goal is a little more real now, because Nehemiah knows Maiava. He was the kid, back in group training sessions at Kailua District Park, who’d step to the front of the line in drills with local trainer Keli’i Tilton. He was the older mentor, then playing high school ball, who’d give 6-year-old Nehemiah pointers on his footwork. And word has spread across the coasts back home in O’ahu, as Maiava isn’t just set to start for USC but is set to play against another Polynesian quarterback in Dylan Raiola, the texts pinging across Tilton’s phone – “Coach, is that true? Jayden’s going to start?” – from young clients.

They all grew up idolizing Mariota, the Heisman Trophy winner whose No. 8 Oregon jersey hangs from Nehemiah’s bedroom wall in the town of Aiea. They grew up idolizing Tagovailoa, who first exploded onto the scene at Saint Louis School in Honolulu. Maiava was one of them, once. Now he’s the model, the first Polynesian starting quarterback in USC history, for a group of kids who have rarely seen their identities represented behind center.

“I think it inspires a lot of Polynesian kids to play QB,” USC safety Akili Arnold said, also of Polynesian descent, “and not shy away from being that guy.”

Maiava played on the same fields. He threw, for many, with the same coach. He grew from the same soil.

So the dreamers of O’ahu will follow Maiava.

“Jayden is a source of inspiration,” Veneri said, “for the people of Hawaii.”

In Tua’s footsteps

These days, as the 6-foot-4 Maiava prepares for his long-awaited shot in the limelight, his USC receivers gush over his physical tools. A playmaker, sophomore Duce Robinson called him. He’s “got an arm,” senior Kyle Ford said.

But the UNLV transfer, like so many Polynesian kids before him, didn’t start out a quarterback. Maiava started as a linebacker in flag and middle-school ball in O’ahu, before his father and uncle pushed him to try quarterback. He played some receiver, too, and was “unbelievable,” said Tagavailoa’s father Galu, who coached a young Maiava with his youth program Ewa Beach Sabers.

“At first, I didn’t even want to play the position,” Maiava reflected Tuesday, “because I was just – I didn’t think I had what it took to play the position, obviously.”

That simply hasn’t been the standard, for decades. Polynesians have become well represented in the NFL, but have long been known as linemen, as Polynesian Pro Football Hall of Fame founder Jesse Sapolu said.

“When I was playing, you play quarterback – people look at you like you’re crazy,” said Sapolu, who was a longtime offensive lineman with the San Francisco 49ers.

Even Tagavailoa didn’t start out as a quarterback. Galu hoped his son could emulate the late Junior Seau, the hard-hitting linebacker for USC and the San Diego Chargers. It was only until Tagavailoa’s third-grade year of flag football, when his team’s quarterback got hurt, that Galu began training his son as a quarterback out of necessity. And Tagavailoa’s rapid ascent quickly helped start the “birth of a lot of kids wanting to play quarterback here in Hawaii,” as Tilton recalled, premier 7-on-7 tournaments and a wealth of quarterback trainers quickly expanding to the islands.

Maiava was influenced, too, by Tagavailoa’s journey, even catching passes from him when the former Alabama standout would return home for some throwing sessions with the Sabers. Nebraska’s Railoa looked up to him, too, a former 5-star recruit who spent his youth flying back and forth between the mainland and school in O’ahu.

In 2020, Railoa’s father Dominic, a former center for the NFL’s Detroit Lions, was inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. At the ceremony, they ran into Galu Tagavailoa.

“I’m gonna play quarterback,” Galu remembered a young Raiola telling him. “I want to be like Tua some day, and play in the national championship.”

Galu looked at the precocious youngster, now a highly touted freshman with the Cornhuskers.

“You can,” Galu told him.

Maiava and Railoa have followed in Tagavailoa’s footsteps. And both – Maiava calling it a “privilege” Tuesday to be the first Polynesian quarterback for USC – are well aware of Saturday’s significance to their community.

“Now you get to look across,” Railoa’s father Dominic told the Southern California News Group, “and the other quarterback is from the same speck on the map as you.”

‘Stepping stone for our community’

On Saturday, the watch parties will span oceans and paved roads, several island communities gathering for watch parties.

There’ll be a group of about 10 people in Kailua-Kona, tucked on the west coast of the Big Island of Hawai’i, one resident told the Southern California News Group. There’ll be a group of about 15-20 in Pearl City, O’ahu, too. And 10 to 15 more in Tagavailoa’s hometown of Ewa Beach.

“To me, it’s a stepping stone for our community to see this,” former 49er Sapolu said.

“We’re only going to get to this point more often,” he continued. “And I’m proud of Jayden and Raiola for pushing through, and making this possible for us.”

Hawaii, ultimately, is small, trainer Tilton affirmed. Everybody knows everybody. And everybody knows Maiava, the kid who grew up one of eight siblings in Palolo Valley, where Galu Tagavailoa once grew up with Maiava’s father. It was hard to survive, a rough stretch of housing projects where gangs were rampant, Galu reflected.

But Galu made it, and his son made it, too, from Ewa Beach. Maiava made it, from O’ahu to Vegas and back again and back again, all the way to USC. That meant something, Tilton reflected, to the kids who’d trained with him on the island and seen Maiava’s journey firsthand.

“It’s very inspirational,” 13-year-old Nehemiah said, “to push me, to be on the same level.”

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Veneri and Nehemiah live in a two-bedroom townhome in Aiea, a small town just down the road from Pearl City on O’ahu. They live comfortably. But opportunity in Hawaii doesn’t come often, as Veneri said. And Nehemiah’s dream lies across the ocean, back on the same USC turf he visited when he was 8 years old.

“Even though we’re on a tiny rock,” Veneri reflected, “the dreams and aspirations of athletes are out there to get.”

So Veneri has told his son the story of Tua Tagavailoa, the kid from Ewa Beach. He’s told his son the story of Mariota, the kid from Honolulu.

And he can tell him, now, the story of Maiava, the kid from Palolo Valley making history at USC.

​ Orange County Register 

Lakers begin quest for 2nd NBA Cup with matchup against Spurs

• November 15, 2024

LOS ANGELES — Nearly one year after winning the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament and the sluggish play that followed, it’s become common to question what the Lakers’ approach would be in their quest to win the NBA Cup again.

And if they would have similar motivations as last year.

So far, it appears they do.

“We want the money,” forward Rui Hachimura said after the team’s home win against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. “Last year, we were very motivated. We have the big prize. This tournament did kind of motivate us to kind of get in [to a] different level.”

The “big prize” Hachimura is referring to is the $500,000 bonus each Lakers player took home as their monetary reward for winning the inaugural NBA Cup.

The prize money has increased to $514,971 for players on the team that wins the NBA Cup, with the runner-up, semifinal participants and quarterfinal participants also being rewarded financially.

The Lakers went undefeated in last season’s Tournament Group Play games before beating the Phoenix Suns in the quarterfinals, the New Orleans Pelicans in the semifinals and the Indiana Pacers in the final.

They’ll play the first of their four Group Play games this year against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night at Frost Bank Center. As part of West Group B, the Lakers will also host the Utah Jazz (Tuesday), play at the Suns (Nov. 26) and host the Oklahoma City Thunder (Nov. 29) in group-stage games.

Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is coming off the first 50-point game of his career in Wednesday’s victory over the Washington Wizards.

“One game at a time,” Anthony Davis said. “I know it kind of was the hype around us last year, but we’re approaching each game – regular-season game or Cup game – as the same. I don’t think just because it’s a Cup game that we should change how we approach it. We should approach each game the same way and that’s how we’re going to approach it.”

Including last year’s NBA Cup final and the regular-season games sandwiched around the group-stage matchups, the Lakers went 12-4 during a month-long period when it was clear their focus was raised to a different level.

But the Lakers lost 10 of their next 13 games after winning the tournament – a stretch of disappointing play that was a factor in previous coach Darvin Ham being fired shortly after the regular season ended.

New coach JJ Redick doesn’t expect the Lakers’ approach to change for Cup games.

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“I expect our guys to be highly competitive,” Redick said. “Said this a number of times last year, you don’t need to give a reason to competitive people to compete. They wake up in the morning, they wanna compete. And the games count for the regular season. We all recognize how difficult the Western Conference is. And every game is gonna matter.”

LeBron James, who was last year’s tournament MVP, had Spurs coach Gregg Popovich on his mind before the team traveled to San Antonio on Thursday. The Spurs announced on Wednesday that Popovich suffered a mild stroke at their home arena on Nov. 2, adding that the Hall of Famer has already started a rehabilitation program and is expected to make a full recovery.

“There’s much bigger news out of San Antonio right now and that’s my dear friend Coach Pop,” James said. “I’ll be thinking heavily about him as I travel there. And I’m wishing him the best of health. And hopefully, I see him soon. It doesn’t even have to be on the sidelines. Hopefully I’ll just see him soon. That’s most important for me.”

LAKERS AT SPURS

When: Friday, 4:30 p.m.

Where: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio

TV/radio: ESPN, Spectrum SportsNet/710 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Six Flags to spend $1 billion on 11 coasters over next 2 years

• November 15, 2024

Six Flags is going on a billion-dollar spending spree to add new roller coasters, thrill rides and water slides to its playlands across North America that doesn’t even include the $1 billion being spent on a new Six Flags park in Saudi Arabia.

Six Flags plans to spend $1 billion on new rides, kids play areas, seasonal events and other amenities at its 42 amusement parks and water parks in North America over the next two years.

ALSO SEE: Six Flags Magic Mountain plans 21st roller coaster for 2026

The new attractions coming to Six Flags parks in 2025 and 2026 include 11 roller coasters plus water rides, themed lands and water park upgrades.

Six Flags and Cedar Fair merged during the summer in an $8 billion deal that created a combined portfolio of 27 amusement parks and 15 water parks in the United States, Canada and Mexico that attract 48 million visitors a year.

ALSO SEE: How Disneyland’s $400 Premier Pass compares to other line-skipping perks

The Six Flags 2025 lineup includes seven coasters — at Illinois’ Six Flags Great America (Wrath of Rakshasa), Canada’s Wonderland (AlpenFury), Massachusetts’ Six Flags New England (Quantum Accelerator), Virginia’s Kings Dominion (Rapterra), North Carolina’s Carowinds (Snoopy’s Racing Railway), Six Flags Over Georgia (Georgia Surfer) and New Jersey’s Six Flags Great Adventure (Flash: Vertical Velocity).

Three other parks — Valencia’s Six Flags Magic Mountain, Ohio’s Kings Island and Six Flags Over Texas — will get water park upgrades in 2025.

ALSO SEE: Six Flags has no plans to close any theme parks

The 2026 lineup includes four more coasters — at Valencia’s Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Great Adventure, Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Mexico.

Great Adventure will get a launch coaster and Over Texas will get a dive coaster — both record breakers. Magic Mountain’s new coaster will be a first-of-its-kind ride in North America. Six Flags Mexico will get a family thrill boomerang coaster.

ALSO SEE: Knott’s and Magic Mountain to offer season pass combo in 2025

The rest of the new 2026 attraction lineup includes water rides at Carowinds and Canada’s Wonderland, a family thrill ride at Kings Island, a themed kids area at Six Flags Great America and water park upgrades at Buena Park’s Knott’s Berry Farm.

None of those tallies include the eight roller coasters coming in 2025 to the new $1 billion Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia — including Falcon’s Flight, which will become the fastest (155 mph) and tallest (640 feet) coaster in the world.

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​ Orange County Register 

Knott’s Soak City will get a little TLC in 2026

• November 15, 2024

Knott’s Soak City will get a little TLC when the 15-acre water park with two dozen slides, a lazy river and wave pool undergoes a major refurbishment for the first time in nearly a decade.

Knott’s Soak City water park in Buena Park will be refreshed and enhanced in 2026, according to Knott’s Berry Farm officials.

ALSO SEE: Six Flags Magic Mountain plans 21st roller coaster for 2026

The Soak City refurbishment is part of Six Flags’ plan to spend $1 billion on new rides, themed areas, seasonal events and other amenities at its 42 amusement parks and water parks over the next two years.

Additional details about the Knott’s Soak City upgrade will be announced in summer 2025.

ALSO SEE: Knott’s and Magic Mountain to offer season pass combo in 2025

Knott’s Soak City has made minor upgrades over the past few years to the areas around the wave pool, lazy river and a few food and beverage locations.

The last major refurbishment of Knott’s Soak City was in 2017.

Back then, Soak City got the Shore Break six-slide tower and the Wedge family raft slide along with a remodel of Longboard’s Grill and cabana seating areas.

ALSO SEE: Six Flags has no plans to close any theme parks

Don’t expect anything quite as elaborate for 2026. Water park enhancements tend to involve fresh paint, new landscaping and more shade.

Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags Magic Mountain will undergo a major refurbishment in 2025 that will upgrade food and beverage options, expand shaded seating and cabana areas and install new landscaping.

Other Six Flags parks are getting bigger water park upgrades in 2025 — including a new water coaster and kids play area at Ohio’s Kings Island and a kids slide tower and splash play area at Six Flags Over Texas.

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​ Orange County Register