Hoping to avoid closure of Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, LA County adds another layer of bureaucracy

• October 24, 2024

A week after learning that Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall must close, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted to hire a “compliance officer” to independently ensure the Probation Department is properly following state laws and court-ordered mandates from the California Department of Justice.

The motion by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Lindsey Horvath describes the position as a supporting role, similar to ones created to oversee the Sheriff’s Department’s compliance with federal consent decrees involving the county’s jails. The new compliance officer, expected to be hired within 30 days, would answer directly to the county’s chief executive officer, rather than to the chief probation officer, according to the board’s motion.

“We need to do everything we can to ensure that our Probation Department comes into compliance with state standards at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall,” Hahn said in a statement. “We are on the clock now and it is necessary to have a dedicated compliance officer from outside the department who can oversee their work and has the ability to convene multiple departments who can help.”

The Board of State and Community Corrections, the regulatory body overseeing California’s jails and juvenile halls, declared Los Padrinos “unsuitable” for the confinement of youth on Oct. 14 and ordered the county to come back into compliance, or to empty the facility, by Dec. 12.

It’s the second time in a year that Los Padrinos has been declared unsuitable due to a persistent staffing shortage. The Probation Department narrowly managed to avoid closure in April by redeploying more than 100 officers from the field to stabilize the juvenile hall. That proved to be short lived and, by July, dozens of officers failed to show up daily and nearly 20% of the shifts at Los Padrinos were unable to meet staffing minimums.

Corrective plan late

This time, the department failed to request technical assistance from the BSCC prior to submitting a corrective action plan, which details how it would address the staffing crisis, according to Hahn and Horvath. The plan was turned in at the last minute. The BSCC rejected it the same day because it did not “adequately outline how the Department plans to correct” the issues, nor did it provide “reasonable timeframes for resolution of the staffing defiencies.”

Probation Department officials tried to submit a revised version two days later, but it was rejected outright because the deadline had passed.

The department, in an Oct. 15 statement expressing its disappointment, stated it has increased staffing levels at Los Padrinos by “actively recruiting new personnel, conducting training academies, reallocating officers from field assignments and utilizing overtime.”

“We are committed to transforming our juvenile institution into a safe and nurturing environment for the youth entrusted in our care while we endeavor to demonstrate unequivocally to the BSCC that we are meeting all statutory requirements,” the statement reads.

Under the new structure, the Probation Department would be required to submit “all current and future corrective action plan drafts and any related documents” to the compliance officer no later than 20 days before the due date. The new watchdog also would have the authority to coordinate with other departments to ensure probation is receiving all the help it can get.

“Appointing a compliance officer to support the Probation Department will align all County departments in the important work of getting and keeping facilities in compliance with state standards,” Horvath said. “With the many issues the department faces, this additional support will help ensure plans result in action at all levels of the County. Accountability is critical, especially when the well being of our young people is at stake. This is a critical step necessary for lasting change.”

Critics skeptical

Critics, however, are skeptical of the new layer of bureaucracy. The Probation Department already is monitored by the Probation Oversight Commission, the county Office of Inspector General, the BSCC and the state Department of Justice. The issues in the department are well-documented at this point, said Aditi Sherikar, a senior policy associate with the Children’s Defense Fund California.

“The facilities have been in and out of compliance for two years now,” she said. “All this does is give them another scapegoat that is not Probation for the issues that will inevitably come up.”

It is unlikely a compliance officer could be selected, brought on board and make any meaningful difference before the Dec. 12 deadline, she said.

The supervisors should order Probation Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa to explain publicly how he plans to address staffing in such a short time and what he will do if Los Padrinos is closed, she said. There are parents who do not know what is going to happen to their children after the December deadline, she added.

Earlier this year, the Probation Department announced it had no plan for possibility of a closure in April, even as the possibility loomed. If Los Padrinos does close, youth inside the facility would likely need to be transferred to other counties, but such arrangements would take time.

“If they don’t come up with a plan, it is the young people who will suffer, as they always do,” Sherikar said.

Root cause of problems persist

Probation Oversight Commission Chair Eduardo Mundo isn’t convinced another set of eyes will make any difference either. The POC has flagged areas of noncompliance to the department in the past, but those same problems remained unfixed when the BSCC showed up to inspect weeks or months later. The commission also has offered to review corrective action plans in advance, much in the same way that a compliance officer would, but probation officials haven’t accepted.

Regardless, no amount of eyes on the problem will matter until the department can stabilize its staffing, Mundo said. The staffing crisis is behind nearly every issue at Los Padrinos and, until that is fixed, the facility will continue to fail inspections, he said.

“They’re trying on a daily basis to get staff to come to work,” he said. “What technical support can you get for that? This is such a unique problem.”

Mundo compared the problem to the “chicken and the egg.” Officers call out sick, or take medical leaves, because they fear for their safety in the juvenile hall or because they don’t want to be held over for excessively long shifts. Those call-outs then make the juvenile hall less safe, causing more people to call out. Meanwhile, officers redeployed from the field have had their lives disrupted to fill in for the missing detention officers and it has created animosity, Mundo said.

“Until you get the staff back, nothing is going to go forward, because we’re going to keep falling out of compliance,” he said.

Related links

Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall declared ‘unsuitable,’ must shut down in 60 days due to low staffing
Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall declared ‘unsuitable,’ must shut down in 60 days due to low staffing
LA County’s troubled juvenile halls allowed to remain open
Nearly 20% of shifts at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall did not meet staffing minimums in July
Probation officers accuse LA County of unfair labor practices over forced redeployments

Reduce juvenile hall population?

Mundo and others have pushed for the department to reduce the population at Los Padrinos to “right-size” it to the available staff. The hope is that through the use of home detentions and community alternatives, the department can limit Los Padrinos to holding only those who could not be safely assigned elsewhere.

The department’s most recently rejected corrective action plan described similar efforts, but the work didn’t start until Oct. 1, less than two weeks before the BSCC’s deadline, and the plan did not include any timeline for its implementation, which BSCC noted in its rejection letter.

The BSCC launched a “comprehensive inspection” at Los Padrinos on the same day that it rejected the most recent corrective action plan. That inspection will be even more thorough than others in the last year.

The Probation Department is expected to present its plans for addressing the potential closure of Los Padrinos at the Oversight Commission’s Nov. 14 meeting.

​ Orange County Register 

Five Dodgers relievers bring home Game 1 victory

• October 6, 2024

LOS ANGELES — Everyone knew that starting pitching might be the Dodgers weakness this October, but they expected to be able to overcome any starter issues with a deep bullpen.

So far, so good.

After starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto got knocked around to the tune of five runs in three innings, five Dodgers relievers shut down the Padres over the next six innings in their 7-5 victory in Game 1 of the Division Series on Saturday night.

The relievers gave up just two hits to a lineup that had five hits in the first three innings against Yamamoto.

“The whole bullpen pitched really well,” catcher Will Smith said. “That’s why we won the game.”

This was a formula the Dodgers figured they might need to use, based on the way the regular season went. The Dodgers ranked fourth in the majors with a 3.53 bullpen ERA, which helped them manage the best record in the majors despite their rotation having a 4.23 ERA, which ranked 19th.

The Dodgers trailed, 5-3, when Yamamoto threw his final pitch of the night in the third inning. Then the bullpen door began to swing open. Only one reliever was ineffective, and his brief hiccup wasn’t costly because the subsequent reliever bailed him out.

Right-hander Ryan Brasier picked up the first five outs, working around a double. Left-hander Alex Vesia then retired all three hitters he faced. Right-hander Evan Phillips retired four straight.

The only weak link in the chain was right-hander Michael Kopech, who has been practically unhittable for most of the time since the Dodgers got him in a deadline deal from the Chicago White Sox. Kopech entered in the eighth with a two-run lead and walked two of the three batters he faced, Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill.

Right-hander Blake Treinen rescued him.

Treinen entered, with the potential tying run on base, and he got Xander Bogaerts on a popup into shallow left — with shortstop Miguel Rojas making a nice over the shoulder catch — and then he struck out Jake Cronenworth.

Treinen remained in the game to work the ninth, pitching around a single and a walk. He struck out Machado to end it.

Treinen had just one save in 50 games during the regular season, and he never recorded more than four outs. His use in the ninth on Saturday was a demonstration of the Dodgers’ bullpen versatility as they’ve used different relievers to finish games since Phillips struggled earlier this season.

“Super proud,” Phillips said. “I think we take a lot of pride in being available for our team like that. We’ve had situations throughout this season and in previous seasons where we’ve been asked to take on a big workload. And I think we take a lot of pride in preparing our bodies and taking a plan out there to get guys out. We just pass it on, one to another. That tells the story the most about how the ‘pen is. We don’t care what inning it is. Up, down however many runs, just pass the torch to the next guy, and just continue to try to stack up those outs and give our offense, which is fantastic, a chance to bounce back and then keep us in the game.”

The bullpen was particularly good at handling more “up-downs” than usual. Typically, relievers start with a clean inning and pitch only that inning, but four of the five relievers the Dodgers used were asked to finish one inning, sit down, and then come back to work a part of the next inning.

“We haven’t done a lot of that this year,” Treinen said. “Sometimes we have for matchups, but the way it was shaping up, it was just going to kind of be, get your guy, get a couple other guys. The next guy comes in and gets the last out, rolls to the next inning. It is what it is. I don’t really put too much thought into it, man.”

Phillips said the relievers typically have an idea going into the game which pocket of hitters they are likely to face, so it’s not as much of a jumble as it may seem.

“A lot of it’s match-up based for what stretch of hitters we’re going to be facing that night,” Phillips said. “When’s the last time we faced those guys, and how tuned in are those hitters to us. Things like that all go into it. That’s really well communicated here. We’re given plenty of notice before the game, before the series, whatever it may be, to basically be ready for whatever situation we’re called upon.”

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Treinen said that’s all helped them work together efficiently as a group, not merely a collection of individuals.

“Once the phone rings, we just lock it in, and we just pay attention to what we’re supposed to do,” Treinen said. “And I think that’s a beautiful thing. There’s no egos. There’s no, Why am I here? Why am I not there? When our name is called, we get our lanes, we go execute. We’re a tight knit group that’s very fortunate to have a lot of guys that are pulling on the same rope. I don’t think every team is that way. I’m sure there’s a lot of teams that are still that way, but this organization does a good job putting good pieces together.”

​ Orange County Register 

UFC 307: Alex Pereira beats Khalil Rountree Jr. to retain light heavyweight crown

• October 6, 2024

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Alex Pereira retained the UFC light heavyweight crown by beating Khalil Rountree Jr. by TKO with 28 seconds left in the fourth round at UFC 307 on Saturday night.

It was the fourth straight title bout for Pereira (12-2) and his third consecutive successful title defense.

“You knew it was going to be a badass fight,” UFC CEO Dana White said.

Rountree (14-6) showcased his speed early and delivered several hard strikes. At one point, in the second round, he ducked under a roundhouse kick and countered with a strong hook to the face. But Pereira showed more accuracy and consistency in landing blows during the early rounds.

Stamina favored Pereira in the fourth round. He found his range and timing and put Rountree on his heels. Pereira forced him to repeatedly cover his face to block strikes and eventually backed him against the fence. He rained blows on Rountree and dropped him to his knees, leading the referee to stop the fight.

“When (Pereira) started calf kicking him, he was destroying that leg,” White said. “He was having trouble putting pressure on it and he was having trouble with his punching power, his movement, everything. He systematically just started picking him apart.”

Pereira’s victory headlined five main card fights on Saturday night.

Julianna Peña defeated Raquel Pennington via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) to reclaim the women’s bantamweight crown in a bout billed as the co-main event. Peña originally held the crown after defeating Amanda Nunes at UFC 269 in 2021 and then lost it to Nunes in a rematch at UFC 277 in 2022.

Peña (13-5) fought her first UFC bout in two years. She was originally scheduled to challenge Nunes for the title again at UFC 289 but pulled out a month before the fight after suffering broken ribs during training. The loss snapped a five-fight winning streak for Pennington (16-10) extending back to 2020.

“I am the true Ultimate Fighter,” said Peña, referencing how both fighters competed on Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter TV show earlier in their careers. “I am the last woman standing.”

Peña dominated the early rounds. She dragged Pennington to the canvas in the second and scored a repeat takedown after sweeping her leg in the third. Both times, Pennington struggled to free herself from her grasp.

Pennington briefly shifted momentum with a fourth-round knockdown off a vicious right hook. She was the better striker through five rounds, but it wasn’t enough to prevail.

“I know that I am tough,” Peña said. “I know that I am durable, and I know that I’m never out of the fight. I’m never going to give up on myself, so you’re literally going to have to kill me in there to get me to stop.”

Kayla Harrison defeated Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in the other women’s bantamweight bout. Harrison (18-1) made a big statement while outlasting Vieira (14-4), who entered the bout as the No. 2 ranked bantamweight fighter. She bulldozed Vieira to the canvas in the first round and again in the third and kept her shoulders pinned to the floor in the third round until the final horn.

The win opens a door for Harrison, ranked No. 3 before the bout, to challenge Peña for the title. She has made a steady climb since becoming an MMA fighter after winning a pair of Olympic gold medals in judo for Team USA in 2012 and 2016.

Roman Dolidze (14-3) beat Kevin Holland by TKO in the middleweight bout, his sixth victory in eight bouts. Holland (26-12) bowed out before the start of the second round after suffering a rib injury and walked away with a loss for the third time in his last four bouts.

Mario Bautista (15-2) prevailed over Jose Aldo by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) in the men’s bantamweight bout to earn his seventh straight victory. Bautista pressured Aldo (32-9) with relentless attacks over three rounds. But he also pinned the former UFC featherweight champ against the cage for long stretches and the split decision favoring Bautista earned boos from the Delta Center crowd.

White heavily criticized the judging in multiple bouts.

“I thought the judging tonight was atrocious,” White said. “It was like I was in a boxing match in Ireland tonight.”

Carla Esparza lost a unanimous decision to Tecia Pennington, 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 and announced her retirement after the match, while expressing that she didn’t agree with the judges.

UFC reported a live gate of $5 million, second highest grossing event at the Delta Center trailing only UFC 291 in 2023. The event drew 17,487 fans.

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UFC 307: Carla Esparza has something to prove in retirement fight

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​ Orange County Register 

Swanson: There’s real upside for the Dodgers at the bottom of order

• October 6, 2024

LOS ANGELES – Buttom’s up, Dodger fans.

You have something to celebrate! A playoff win.

Saturday’s 7-5 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of the National League Division Series snapped a six-game playoff losing streak and put the Dodgers back in the postseason win column for the first time since Oct. 11, 2022.

For that, you can thank Shohei Ohtani. And Will Smith, Gavin Lux, Tommy Edman and Miguel Rojas.

Together, those guys at the bottom of the Dodgers’ order ran the club’s most effective play: Put runners on base for Ohtani, L.A.’s leadoff man.

“Everybody really contributed today,” said Ohtani, the Dodgers’ $700 million 50/50 man, who went 2 for 5, scored twice and drove in three runs on a second-inning screamer into the right-field pavilion.

The runners he drove in: No. 6 hitter Smith (who’d walked) and No. 7 Lux (who’d singled).

“The entire team,” Ohtani stressed, “including the bullpen, especially.”

And sure, Shohei, the Dodgers’ relay team of relievers deserve praise for keeping the Padres’ potent offense off the board from the fourth inning on.

Everyone would be having a much different conversation – like, “Can you believe the Dodgers are paying Yoshinobu Yamamoto $325 million to give up five earned runs in three innings in his first playoff start? In this economy?!’ – if the Dodgers pitchers behind him hadn’t penned such a successful response.

And also if the bottom of the order hadn’t come through at the plate like they did, combining to score four of the Dodgers’ runs and reaching base in 6 of their 16 plate appearances.

It felt like a game that was, in recent NBA parlance, akin to “The Lonnie Walker Game,” or the Lakers’ Game 4 win against the Golden State Warriors a couple years ago, when a reserve guard exploded for 15 incredibly meaningful fourth-quarter points to help the Lakers take a 3-1 lead in their second-round Western Conference playoff series.

Great teams don’t waste those sorts of efforts, those clutch and necessary performances from unlikely heroes. Those big games that take some pressure off of the superstars who carry so much of the burden at the top of the order.

To beat San Diego on Saturday, the Dodgers didn’t need fireworks from Mookie Betts, who went 0-2 but was gifted a pair of intentional walks, including a curious free pass with the count 2-and-2.

They didn’t need Freddie Freeman to strain his sprained ankle any more than he already was in a willful 2-for-5 outing.

Because it was Smith, Lux, Edman and Rojas applying the pressure.

They worked Padres starter Dylan Cease for 22 pitches before Ohtani came up in the second inning. And Edman caught the Padres unaware with a bunt single in the fourth, when he’d scored on a wild pitch. And Lux did it in the field too, snagging Luis Arráez’s liner at second base to help the Dodgers preserve a two-run lead in the top of the ninth.

“When you see a guy like (starting pitcher Dylan) Cease, who has really big stuff, to be able to grind at-bats, that’s the hard part,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “To be able to take walks, we did that all night. Got the pitch count up, got him out of the game, got looks at some guys – that’s a credit to our guys.”

And maybe we ought to give those guys deep in the order more credit?

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In the Dodgers’ last two regular-season victories over the Padres, the batters hitting in the final four spots combined to collect eight hits, three walks and to score eight runs.

If those guys at the bottom of the order can keep feeding, can keep feasting, well … all the Dodgers’ starting pitching problems wouldn’t seem quite so stark. And all their stressing and pressing star hitters won’t have to set the tone, but just join in on the fun.

Talk about upside.

​ Orange County Register 

High school football: Orange County’s Week 6 stat leaders and top performers

• October 6, 2024

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

The top performances from the Orange County high school football games in Week 6.

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

WEEK 6 LEADERS

Passing yards

Alex Lundsberg, Canyon                 491

Tommy Acosta, Capistrano Valley   390

Tank Britton, Bolsa Grande              275

Jack McKelvy, El Toro                     267

Cash O’Byrne, Tesoro                     261

Jake Meer, Newport Harbor            239

Cullen Doyle, Brea Olinda               231

Noah Nam, Beckman                      229

Jackson Kollock, Laguna Beach     226

Xzavior Guess, El Modena              224

D. D’epifanio, Crean Lutheran         206

Carter Vestermark, Aliso Niguel      203

TJ Lateef, Orange Lutheran            202

Rudy Alcala, Troy                            188

Nate Richie, Capo Valley Christian  188

Brady Edmunds, Huntington Bch    174

Timmy Herr, San Juan Hills             167

Vanden Dugger, Dana Hills              163

Hopkins, JSerra                               162

Tristan Zale, Trabuco Hills               156

Annett, Corona del Mar                    138

Aiden Gomez, Loara                        134

Beierly, Mater Dei                             130

Fahey, Mission Viejo                         118

John Gazzaniga, Santa Margarita    110

Trudeau, Mission Viejo                     106

Andrew Waiss, Costa Mesa               97

Landon Pompey, Trabuco Hills          86

Nash Luper, Portola                           86

James Gonzalez, Santiago                79

K. Edmundson, Cypress                    70

Rushing yards

Makya Chee, El Toro                           383

Quaid Carr, Servite                              184

Jeff Brown, Estancia                            180

Ethan Mundt, Troy                               173

Noah Tagaloa, Segerstrom                  172

Taurian Nash, Crean Lutheran             170

Lilomaiava, Mission Viejo                     170

Davison, Mater Dei                              155

Elijah Ayala, San Juan Hills                 145

Chavez, Orange Lutheran                   128

Nathan Aeves, Brea Olinda                 124

Mario Carbajal, Santiago                     120

Carter Vestermark, Aliso Niguel           115

Nic Brubaker, Tesoro                            112

Curtis, Mission Viejo                             109

Xzavior Guess, El Modena                  108

Joseph Torres, Saddleback                 100

Redley Geiss, Dana Hills                       95

Gouvion, Foothill                                    92

Diego Reyna, Portola                             85

M. Czaykowski, Beckman                      81

Brodie Hitchens, El Modena                  76

Andrew Waiss, Costa Mesa                  75

James Gonzalez, Santiago                   73

TJ Lateef, Orange Lutheran                  69

Gavin Gutierrez, Servite                        67

Cade Miller, Brea Olinda                       65

Logan Rosales, Segerstrom                  64

Aidan Tran, Beckman                            63

Fahey, Mission Viejo                             60

Receiving yards

Alex Kiernan, Trabuco Hills                 173

Luke Doyle, El Toro                             173

Marc Navarro, Bolsa Grande               155

Max Krosky, Capo Valley Christian      135

Hudson Campbell, Capistrano Valley  128

Troy Foster, Huntington Beach            127

K. Rommelfanger, Canyon                   126

Noah Czaykowski, Beckman               125

Hayden Salyards, Canyon                   122

Drew Deese, Crean Lutheran              120

Vander Ploog, Troy                              108

C. Schamel, Tesoro                             103

Talon Spencer, Capistrano Valley        102

Steel Kurtz, Huntington Beach               98

Cade Fegel, Newport Harbor                 98

Dane Malloy, Aliso Niguel                      96

Sammy Stremick, Newport Harbor        91

Garrett, Corona del Mar                        90

Samuel Jackett, El Modena                   89

Kaden Hunter, Capistrano Valley           86

Luke Jolley, Laguna Beach                    85

Ia, Orange Lutheran                               83

Larry Bravo, Santiago                            78

Bell, Mission Viejo                                 73

Sean Embree Jr., Santa Margarita        72

Tanner Silber, Tesoro                             71

Deron Taylor, El Modena                        70

Noah McClary, Canyon                          70

Nicholas Cervantes, Segerstrom           69

Flores, Orange Lutheran                        69

Dylan Prochnow, Canyon                       68

Connor Smith, El Modena                      62

Brady Stringham, Laguna Beach           62

M. Schuerger, Canyon                           61

Mekaih Felix, Cypress                            60

Tackles

J. Castner Cortinas, Estancia                 13

Thompson Foulger, Dana Hills               13

Davis Post, Newport Harbor                   13

Carlos Vasquez, Estancia                       12

M. Baya, Bolsa Grande                           12

Tony Glynn, Newport Harbor                   11

Glenn Baranoski, Newport Harbor          11

Onassis Lim, Yorba Linda                       10

Julian Muro, Estancia                              10

Weston Port, San Juan Hills                    10

Caleb Quiroz, Troy                                   10

Anthony Jones, Crean Lutheran               10

Devon Costic, El Toro                               10

Andrew Medina, Loara                              9

Greg Blomdahl, San Juan Hills                  9

Maxwell Mapstone, Portola                        9

Kaden Orosz, Portola                                 9

Isaiah Leilua, Servite                                  9

Tomas Cernius, Servite                              9

M. McCullough, Crean Lutheran                9

Akillies Segura, El Toro                              9

A. Maldonado, Yorba Linda                       8

Raddux Moscoso, Trabuco Hills                8

S. Montes De Oca, Bolsa Grande             8

F. Angeles, Bolsa Grande                          8

J. Hernandez, Bolsa Grande                     8

C. Cortez, Saddleback                               8

Aaron Nicasio, Crean Lutheran                  8

Jaden Williams, Mission Viejo                    8

Jaxon Smith, Newport Harbor                    8

Luke Anderson, Santa Margarita                8

Arlo De La Best, El Toro                             8

​ Orange County Register 

USC falls in grueling Big Ten battle with Minnesota

• October 6, 2024

MINNEAPOLIS – The sun crept beneath the city-line, a natural glow painting a gold-coated crowd of thousands, the Minnesota fans taking up their rallying cry a half-mile from the roar of the Mississippi.

Row! Row! Row! 

And the Golden Gophers swayed to P.J. Fleck’s anthem, took the field stocky and patient, and the pace of USC’s Saturday night Big Ten road battle promptly slowed to a paddle. There were no downfield shots as the clock ticked into the second half, the wind sharp and brittle, USC quarterback Miller Moss sensing a deliberate Minnesota plan to limit his program’s possessions. The days of a freewheeling Pac-12 After Dark were long gone: this was Big Ten Nightmare Hours, a clock-drain-slog in the same type of game USC lost to Michigan two weeks ago.

Of course, if Riley made one thing clear last week after a win over Wisconsin — there was never a day he didn’t feel his program could buck up in the Big Ten.

“Like, we knew we could compete,” Riley said, then. “Now, you gotta go win.”

They lost. Again.

They lost, 24-17, in a brutal late collapse where a much-improved defense was simply run into the ground by the patience of Minnesota running back Darius Taylor. They lost, as Riley, Moss and USC’s offense shot themselves in the foot repeatedly, three drives into opposing territory coming up fruitless. And they lost, just the same as they’d fallen to Michigan, on another late-down stand where a push came just shy and hearts broke on USC’s sideline.

“Came down to just inches, right there at the end,” Riley said postgame. “We’ve had a couple of those. And that’s the frustrating thing for our team right now. I mean, we’re two plays away from probably being 5-0.”

With 57 seconds left in a grueling ballgame tied 17-17, Fleck dumped his chips on the table, sending his offense back onto the field from the 1-yard line on a fourth down rather than opt for a field goal. Quarterback Max Brosmer, who’d snuck his way in for two rushing touchdowns already, took a snap and dove in with a Tush Push behind him, bodies of Minnesota brown and USC white collapsing upon each other.

The ballgame – and, potentially, USC’s (3-2, 1-2 Big Ten) College Football Playoff hopes – froze in time. As referees reviewed the call, two sidelines dueled in body-language.

Minnesota, and a vibrating Fleck, held their hands skywards in a T.

USC, and furiously-gesturing linebackers coach Matt Entz, pointed arms toward the other end zone, far away from doom.

The loudspeaker boomed.

“After review,” a referee proclaimed, “it is a touchdown.”

And the night sky ripped open with red fireworks, and Huntington Bank Stadium shook, and a minute and a last-gasp USC drive later a sea of yellow rushed the Minnesota turf in a massive upset of 11th-ranked USC.

In the postgame presser, a reporter attempted to ask defensive lineman Jamil Muhammad if he felt Minnesota had crossed the plane. As Muhammad scoffed, slightly, Riley threw up his hand, telling the reporter “Don’t ask him that” and “next question.”

“Who cares what he says on that,” Riley continued, throwing up his hands in the middle of said next question. “Like, what, player’s opinion? Let’s ask a more professional question.”

He continued on to shrug, largely, at a later question about how USC would move on to next week against seventh-ranked Penn State, saying, “This is what we do.” But Saturday night will haunt USC, much more deeply than a valiant effort that came up short against Michigan, falling to a now-3-3 Minnesota program (1-2 Big Ten) as the Trojans’ pathway to a College Football Playoff gets squeezed.

Their own mistakes – again, the theme of a season regardless of win or loss – did them in. First came another slow offensive start, USC moving on their first drive only for a Moss third-down ball to hit off wide-open sophomore Zachariah Branch’s helmet. Second came a loose fumble at the end of a 21-yard Quinten Joyner run in the second quarter, USC down 10-7 to Minnesota and moving. Third, and most costly, came in one momentum-killing third-quarter brutality as Miller Moss hit the turf again with another turnover not of his own accord.

USC’s offensive line has seemed a problem area for months, ever since the program did little to add to a thin tackle group after Riley admitted in the spring that USC’s depth there was a slight “concern.” Left tackle Elijah Paige had struggled through growing pains for weeks, and Mason Murphy had shown flashes but was beaten a few too many times by Big Ten defensive ends. And in the fourth quarter up 17-10, with a chance to virtually put the game away on a third-and-four from Minnesota’s 35, Moss dropped back to pass in an another attempt to orchestrate an offense that had converted gutsy third down after gutsy third down.

He cocked. And just as he fired, Minnesota’s Jah Joyner –who’d dusted Murphy off the edge – walloped him, the ball flying from Moss’s hands directly into the arms of Golden Gophers linebacker Devon Williams.

After the game, Riley was asked directly if he still had confidence in the personnel on USC’s offensive line.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Riley responded. “Like, we moved the ball at will tonight. I mean, it was, again, you just can’t have those turnovers down there.”

It gave Minnesota life, and killed USC. Three minutes later, a bending USC defense broke to the continued behind-his-blockers patience of Minnesota’s Darius Taylor, and Brosmer finished off a drive on a keeper to tie the game. USC could manage but a feeble three-and-out to respond. And then came the backbreaker, a second chance at fourth-down redemption ending in a second heartbreak, and USC’s players slunk into the tunnel a few minutes later with a mucky road ahead.

Taylor finished with 144 yards on 25 carries for Minnesota. Marks had 134 yards on 20 carries for USC. Moss finished 23-of-38 for 200 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, one a deep shot to the end zone with 15 seconds left that sealed the game.

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​ Orange County Register 

LAFC shuts out Sporting KC

• October 6, 2024

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Teenage rookie David Martínez scored early, Denis Bouanga had two assists, and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris earned his league-leading 14th clean sheet of the season as Los Angeles FC breezed to a 3-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.

Martínez took a pass from Denis Bouanga in the 14th minute and scored for the fourth time this season to give LAFC (17-8-7) the lead for good. Martínez was making his third start and 15th appearance.

Cristian Olivera found the net for the sixth time, scoring in the first minute of stoppage time to give LAFC a two-goal advantage at halftime. Bouanga notched his career-high 11th assist of the campaign on the goal and Timothy Tillman added his career-best sixth.

Defender Aaron Long found the net in the 69th minute to complete the scoring. It was Long’s first goal since he scored four for the New York Red Bulls in 2022. Fellow defender Eddie Segura snagged his first assist this season and his first since he had two for the club in 2021.

Hugo Lloris totaled four saves in his shutout effort for LAFC.

Tim Melia saved one shot for Sporting KC (8-18-7).

LAFC will travel to play the Vancouver Whitecaps next Saturday before hosting the San Jose Earthquakes for a Decision Day match on Oct. 19 to close out the regular season.

Sporting KC will end its season with a road match against FC Dallas on Oct. 19.

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Verdugo lifts Yankees over Royals in ALDS Game 1

• October 6, 2024

NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Verdugo hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and saved at least one run with a sliding catch along the left-field line, boosting the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Saturday night in their AL Division Series opener.

New York’s Gleyber Torres and Kansas City’s MJ Melendez hit two-run homers in a back-and-forth game in which the Royals wasted leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 5-4 and the Yankees failed to hold 2-1 and 4-3 margins. It was the first postseason game with five lead changes, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Kansas City pitchers tied their season high with eight walks, forcing in a pair of runs in the fifth inning. The Yankees were just 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position before Verdugo lined a single off loser Michael Lorenzen.

Verdugo’s hit scored Jazz Chisholm Jr., who singled leading off and stole second on a play allowed to stand following a video review. Yankees manager Aaron Boone started Verdugo in left over rookie Jasson Domínguez in a defense-influenced decision. Verdugo entered the game in a 2-for-34 skid at the plate

With the Yankees trailing 3-2, Verdugo made a sliding catch on Michael Massey’s fourth-inning fly just inside the line to strand two runners. The ball hit Verdugo’s right wrist just below his glove and bounced off his chest before he grabbed it with his bare left hand.

Chisholm, playing third base this year for the first time after the Yankees acquired him from Miami at the July trade deadline, made three fine defensive plays, two with the help of first baseman Oswaldo Cabrera, starting because of Anthony Rizzo’s fractured fingers.

Four Yankees relievers combined to allow only an unearned run over four innings after ace Gerrit Cole came out, unhappy with his performance. Clay Holmes, dropped from his closer’s job last month, worked 1 2/3 innings for the win. Luke Weaver got four straight outs for the save in his postseason debut.

Yankees star Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, and Royals standout Bobby Witt Jr. was 0 for 5, barking at plate umpire Adam Hamari after a called third strike in the ninth.

Juan Soto went 3 for 5 and threw out Salvador Perez in the second inning trying to score from second on Melendez’s single to right. Kansas City first baseman Yuli Gurriel threw out runners at the plate on grounders in the first and fifth.

After a day off between Games 1 and 2, the series between the AL-best Yankees and wild-card Royals resumes Monday night. These teams met in four playoffs from 1976-80, with the Yankees winning the first three and getting swept in the last.

Cole allowed four runs — three earned — and seven hits in five-plus innings. Royals starter Michael Wacha gave up three runs, four hits and three walks in four-plus innings.

Tommy Pham hit a second-inning sacrifice fly, and Torres put the Yankees ahead 2-1 in the third with a 339-foot home run just over the right-field short porch.

Melendez’s two-run homer in the fourth gave Kansas City a 3-2 lead, but Royals pitchers issued four seven-pitch walks in the fifth, forcing in runs with walks by Angel Zerpa to Austin Wells and by John Schreiber to Anthony Volpe. The Yankees had not gotten a pair of bases-loaded walks in a postseason game since Bullet Joe Bush and Joe Dugan against the New York Giants’ Rosy Ryan in Game 6 of the 1923 World Series.

Volpe’s throwing error at shortstop set up pinch-hitter Garrett Hampson’s two-run, sixth-inning single through a drawn-in infield that put the Royals ahead 5-4. Wells’ two-out RBI single off Lorenzen tied the score in the bottom half.

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UP NEXT

New York’s Carlos Rodón (16-9, 3.96 ERA) starts against the Royals’ Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.14) in a matchup of left-handers. Rodón made a pair of postseason appearances for the Chicago White Sox, in relief against Oakland in 2020 and a start against Houston in 2021 which he pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowing Carlos Correa’s go-ahead, two-run double. Ragans won the Wild Card Series opener at Baltimore on Tuesday with six scoreless innings of four-hit ball.

​ Orange County Register