Cutter Gauthier’s 1st NHL goal helps Ducks rally past Red Wings

• November 16, 2024

ANAHEIM — The Ducks conjured memories of last season’s wagon-circling magic as they rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Detroit Red Wings, 6-4, on Friday night at Honda Center.

It was the Ducks’ highest offensive output of the season and their first comeback win in a game when they trailed by multiple goals. Last year, they were the first team in NHL history to record six come-from-behind wins in the first 15 contests of the campaign.

Rookie Cutter Gauthier’s first career goal factored significantly into this comeback.

“We have a highly skilled young team who can make plays like that night in and night out. I think it’s just the confidence to do it consistently, just having faith in your skill,” Gauthier said. “As we build more and more confidence through games like these, the more we’re going to grow and the better we’ll be moving forward.”

Gauthier’s goal had storybook qualities as he spent much of his youth in Michigan playing for Honey Baked Hockey and it was set up by two fellow Boston College alumni, Drew Helleson and Brian Dumoulin.

“It was a dream come true, against my hometown team, Detroit, it was a surreal moment, and I’m just so pumped,” Gauthier said.

“B.C. blood, once an Eagle, always an Eagle,” he added when the B.C. connection was called to his attention.

Olen Zellweger scored a goal and picked up the primary assists on tallies by Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry. Leo Carlsson and Dumoulin each chipped in two assists, as did Helleson in his first NHL game since 2022-23. Gauthier, Ross Johnston and Ryan Strome joined Terry as third-period scorers while John Gibson moved to 2-0-0 this season by making 21 saves.

Marco Kasper also scored his first NHL goal and assisted on Jonatan Berggren’s goal. Mason Raymond and Alex DeBrincat each matched Kasper’s output with a goal and an assist. Moritz Seider had two helpers and Alex Lyon stopped 23 of 28 shots in defeat.

DeBrincat made the finish more compelling by scoring Detroit’s third power-play goal of the night with 3:44 to play, only to see Strome ice the game with 24 seconds showing on the clock.

The hosts had seized control with two goals in a 38-second spurt between the 11:09 and 11:47 marks of the third period.

Johnston finished a rush by tipping in Jansen Harkins’ shot for his first goal and what stood as the game-winner.

That came on the heels of the first goal of Gauthier’s career off a shot he blasted to the far side following a smooth blue line-to-blue line feed from Helleson.

“Everyone was just super excited for [Gauthier],” Zellweger said. “It was a huge goal for him, and for the team, too, it was really timely.”

Less than four minutes into the third period, the Ducks made it a new game at 3-3 while simultaneously tying the power-play goal tally, 2-2. Zellweger dished to Terry atop the left faceoff circle, where he loaded the puck into a shooting position but sold a pass by redirecting his gaze before punishing Lyon for moving off his angle by scoring his sixth goal of the season.

The Ducks had pulled within a goal and nearly came up with a second-period equalizer after they scored on the power play with 2:16 left before drawing another penalty 28 seconds later.

They gained new life with a man-advantage goal by Zegras set up by the brilliance of Zellweger. He carried the puck from behind his own net to the offensive blue line, where he executed a give-and-go play with Alex Killorn before finding the trailing Zegras, who drove the net to snap the puck past Lyon. It was the second goal of the season for Zegras, who scored an empty-netter in the season opener on Oct. 12.

“When we don’t get any chances on the power play, the crowd boos us, it gets deflating and guys are frustrated on the bench,” Coach Greg Cronin said. “It worked the other way in the second, we were getting chances and that lifted us offensively.”

Detroit threatened to pull away just 65 seconds into the middle frame off a transition sequence that was both keyed and finished by Raymond.

He knocked the puck off Pavel Mintykuov’s stick in the defensive zone, where it was collected by DeBrincat. His pass off the right-wing wall sprung Raymond for a short-side shot from the right dot. He nearly scored a second goal, only to be denied when the puck stood on the handle of Gibson’s stick as if it were a spatula.

Though the Ducks struck first, Detroit’s two power-play goals gave them a 2-1 lead at the first intermission.

Late in the frame, Helleson and Radko Gudas took penalties three seconds apart from each other. With 44 seconds left in the period, Vladimir Tarasenko’s seam pass across the bottoms of both circles found Berggren for a sharp-angle one-timer and a five-on-three goal.

After trailing early, Kasper nearly knotted the score when Strome’s saucer pass out of the corner of the defensive zone almost became the primary assist on a Detroit goal. Gibson gloved Kasper’s point-blank bid but couldn’t come up with a save on his perfectly placed wrister from the left hash mark at 7:59.

The Ducks got the crowd going a mere 72 seconds into the match. Strome won an offensive zone faceoff before Carlsson found Jackson LaCombe, whose D-to-D pass set up Zellweger’s one-timer through traffic, his third goal of 2024-25.

Cronin said his club was disheartened by the five-on-three goal it gave up, when his eye in the sky, assistant coach Tim Army, burst forth with some reinforcement for the team’s performance and persistence alike.

“He was really adamant about saying, ‘Hey, we had a heck of a period,’ and he shared that with the players,” Cronin said. “We were getting pucks deep, we were hunting pucks down and we were getting quality chances.”

​ Orange County Register 

Yorba Linda football tops Serra in quarterfinals with two huge takeaways at the end

• November 16, 2024

YORBA LINDA — The Yorba Linda football team has played in its share of the down-to-the wire games this season, but none were bigger than the 24-20 victory over Serra of Gardena in a CIF-SS Division 2 quarterfinal playoff game Friday at Yorba Linda High School.

The Mustangs (11-1), who are ranked No. 10 in Orange County, had two huge takeaways in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

Serra (8-4) was driving with a minute remaining in the game when Mustangs safety Logan Saucedo recovered a fumble caused by an errant snap at the Yorba Linda 33-yard line.

Minutes earlier, the Cavaliers fumbled on a first-and-goal from the 1 and the ball was recovered by Yorba Linda linebacker Santiago Salas.

“They play disciplined football and they’re in the right spots all the time,” Yorba Linda coach Jeff Bailey said of his defense. “It helps us out to be in the right spots to get those plays. The heart of this group … They never give up. Every game has been like this. It just doesn’t matter what the situation is. They fight their butts off. It’s awesome.”

Yorba Linda will play undefeated Newbury Park in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 22, at Newbury Park. The Panthers defeated San Clemente, 24-13, in another quarterfinal on Friday.

The Mustangs did a decent job containing Serra quarterback Jimmy Butler, who came into the contest with 2,545 yards passing and 18 touchdowns this season.

Butler completed 16 of 23 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns but was also pressured and forced to throw the ball out of bounds on several plays

He was also sacked three times, twice by defensive end Blake Thorpe.

“I was watching the film (and) their tackle liked to step in a little bit,” Thorpe said. “I saw that so I was thinking maybe a little push-pull, maybe a shimmy might work and I stuck to that. … and here we are.”

The Mustangs held the Cavaliers scoreless in the second and fourth quarters.

Both teams scored on long drives in the game’s first two possessions.

Daylawn Reed scored for the Cavaliers on a 2-yard run on the game’s first possession.

Yorba Linda responded with a 72-yard drive scoring drive, capped by Cole Nerio’s 7-yard touchdown run, giving the Mustangs a 7-6 lead.

Leading 14-13 in the second quarter, the Mustangs started a drive at their 8-yard line with four minutes, 47 seconds remaining.

Yorba Linda was about to face a fourth-and-6 from their 11 and having to punt the ball back to the Cavaliers with plenty of time remaining.

But a personal foul penalty against Serra on third down, gave the Mustangs a first down at their 26.

From there, the Mustangs drove to the Serra 8, setting up a 25-yard field goal from Cayden Eilers as time expired and Yorba Linda took a 17-13 lead into the half.

Serra took a 20-17 third quarter lead on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Butler to Malachi Holt.

Yorba Linda came back on the ensuing possession and took the lead for good on Nerio’s second rushing touchdown of the game, this one for eight yards.

The touchdown was set up by a 57-yard pass from Holden Nagin one play earlier.

​ Orange County Register 

Big plays a big part of Mater Dei football’s victory over Sierra Canyon in Division 1 quarterfinals

• November 16, 2024

SANTA ANA — The big play. There’s nothing quite like it. A missed tackle. A blown coverage. Speed to burn. Anyway you get it, however it happens, it can change the tenor of a game in a heartbeat.

Three big plays by Mater Dei in the first half of its quarterfinal game on Friday were the difference as the top-seeded Monarchs scored a 33-13 quarterfinal victory over Sierra Canyon at Santa Ana Stadium.

Big moments? There was sophomore tight end Mark Bowman, who slipped behind the secondary to haul in a Dash Beierly pass and carry into the end zone for a 43-yard score and a 6-3 lead. And there was Bowman again, who found some space in a seam and took a relatively short pass 60 yards for a 20-3 lead.

Sandwiched in-between, there was Oregon-bound Jordon Davison, who took a handoff and sprinted 77 yards out of the backfield untouched.

The hits kept on coming in the second half. After a relatively benign 2-yard score from Beierly that capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive to open the third quarter, the ensuing possession for Sierra Canyon ended with another Mater Dei touchdown.

Freshman Troy Bishop blocked Ashton Zamani’s punt and freshman Mykel Ramos returned it 32 yards for a 33-10 lead.

Take away the big plays and it’s a much closer game. But it’s Mater Dei (11-0), the No. 1 team in the country. They do what they do.

Mater Dei will play next week in the semifinals at Centennial of Corona.

It ended the season for Sierra Canyon (9-3), which went into the game No. 12 in the CalPreps national power ratings, but it was the clear underdog.

“They’re the No. 1 team in the nation for a reason,” said Sierra Canyon coach Jon Ellinghouse, who started only five seniors – two on defense – against the Monarchs. “We’re a young school, second year in Division 1, we’re climbing the ladder. In the last 12 months we’ve played every team from the Trinity League. Our goal is to win games like this. This is where we want to be.

“We learned some lessons.”

The Trailblazers actually led in the first quarter. Madden Riordan’s interception of Beierly on Mater Dei’s first play – the first pick Beierly has thrown this season – gave them possession at the Monarch 35. They eventually had first-and-goal at the 10, but Mater Dei’s defense rose to the occasion and the Trailblazers settled for Zamani’s 21-yard field goal.

In a moral victory, Zamani added a 33-yard field goal with 4:59 remaining for the game’s final score.

Sierra Canyon drove 80 yards in the first half on 10 plays to pull to within 20-10 on Dane Dunn’s 12-yard run.

Dunn carried 15 times for 62 yards. Wyatt Baker finished the game with 15 carries for 72 yards, and he completed 12 of 32 passes for 100 yards and an interception. The defense sacked Breierly three times, with Mikhal Johnson, Ronen Zamorano, and the tandem of Jonah Nadley and Richard Wesley doing the honors.

The numbers were better for Mater Dei. Beierly completed 11 of 21 passes for 194 yards, an interception and touchdowns of 43 and 60 yards to Bowman.

Bowman caught five passes for 121 yards, Davison ran seven times for 111. Davison spent the second half with his ribs wrapped. Coach Raul Lara said it was precautionary.

​ Orange County Register 

21 migrants in 34-foot boat intercepted by Coast Guard off Newport Beach

• November 16, 2024

U.S. Coast Guard officials intercepted a boat carrying 21 migrants off the coast of Newport Beach, authorities said Friday, Nov. 15.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Narwhal spotted the 34-foot boat Thursday evening outside Newport Harbor, and determined it was “operating suspiciously,” according to the Coast Guard.

Coast Guard officials boarded the vessel around 7 p.m. and found 21 migrants aboard and took them into custody. They were later transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

According to the Coast Guard, 18 of the migrants were Mexican, two were of Uzbek nationality and one was Russian.

​ Orange County Register 

Alexander: Yes, the Angels will be back on cable … but what happens down the road?

• November 16, 2024

The world according to Jim:

• At last, the Angels have a TV destination for 2025. Diamond Sports Group, whose TV contracts with a bunch of major league teams were in jeopardy, has escaped bankruptcy, and all is right with the world again.

Right? Right??? …

• Actually, the world of televised sports is transforming rapidly around us, and it’s not a bad idea to begin preparing now. And it’s not just junk events, like the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul “fight” with which Netflix broke the seal on its foray into live sports Friday night.

There’s cable. There’s streaming. There’s over-the-air TV. And you just know there will be future platforms or ways of consuming sports media that haven’t been invented yet, or that we wouldn’t even come up with in our wildest fantasies. …

• We’ve written about this before, of course. Cord-cutting, and the reaction to it, is transforming the ways we watch our games. Often it’s confused the issue, as we ask ourselves: “OK, which events are streaming-only? Which ones are on linear TV, and if so what station? Does anyone still watch cable?”

(To that last, the columnist sheepishly raises his hand.) …

• It’s hard to dispute this point, though: When cable was ascendant, it was an absolute boon to the sports viewer, who in most cases was getting the benefit from lots of viewers who cared not a whit for athletic pursuits but whose cable bills were puffed up by subscriber fees for ESPN, FS1, TNT, TBS and the rest. …

• For all of those who rebelled against that concept … well, you had a point, but there was a counterpoint. If you were subsidizing sports programming you weren’t watching, who’s to say sports fans’ cable bills weren’t helping subsidize programming that they didn’t watch but you did? …

• Here’s where it stands now: If you have shed one humongous cable bill, how many streaming services do you have to subscribe to in order to see all of the programming that interests you? Just with sports alone, Amazon Prime, with NFL Thursday nights and the NBA starting next season, is essential. Apple TV+ has Friday night baseball – always exclusive to the streaming service, even if your hometown team is playing – and Major League Soccer, whose dedicated area on that service should be known as the Messi Channel (and how will they ever cope now that Inter Miami has been eliminated from the playoffs).

You’ve got the Premier League, the Big Ten and more NFL on Peacock, still more NFL and a variety of European soccer on Paramount+, and NHL games plus a variety of college conferences on ESPN+. I’m sure there are streaming services that I’m missing. …

• And I’m guessing we will soon reach the point where the MLB.TV streaming option will not be limited to just out-of-market games as it is now, with its crazy quilt of blacked out territories. As of this year, the Angels’ deal with Diamond – under, now, the brand name of FanDuel Sports – will include a direct streaming component which will also be offered through Amazon Prime. …

• This likely will be, no pun intended, the bottom line (since broadcasting rights money is so critical to so many franchises): Five years from now, being a sports fan could be more expensive than it’s ever been, especially in this crowded market.

• Some teams in some places are returning to over-the-air TV – including the Ducks, who are airing the majority of their games on Channel 13 as well as through the new Victory+ streaming service, and the Kings (with seven games scheduled on KCAL/Ch. 9). But with eight different SoCal teams desiring or needing air time (Dodgers, Angels, Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Ducks, Sparks, Rugby FC LA), there’s not enough channel capacity to accommodate everybody.

(And that count doesn’t include the Rams and Chargers, who are under the national NFL contract; USC and UCLA, tied to Big Ten media contracts as well as the Big Ten Network, and LAFC and the Galaxy, wedded to Apple TV+). …

• The Dodgers’ and Lakers’ long-term deals with Spectrum would seem to be bulletproof, but what happens down the road?

The Lakers offer a subscription streaming option for their SportsNet channel, either monthly or through the season, and access remains free for those who are Spectrum broadband/mobile subscribers. As of yet, the Dodgers’ SportsNet LA channel only offers free streaming for Spectrum subscribers, but we’ll see if that changes before the 2025 season begins. …

• As for those who care about the teams but whose budgets are strapped? There’s still radio. It’s free – for now. …

• Get well, Gregg Popovich. The longtime San Antonio Spurs coach is recovering from a recent stroke, and while it would be wonderful to see him back on the sideline at some point, his health matters most.

Beyond that, it’s always been enjoyable to watch his expression brighten any time anyone brings up Pomona-Pitzer, among his early stops in this business. (Fact: I covered a game when he coached the Sagehens all those years ago. I don’t remember a lot about our conversation afterward, but neither one of us was as sarcastic then as we are now.) …

• Brusdar Graterol undergoes labrum surgery, and is expected to miss the first part of the 2025 season. And while Dodger fans are bemoaning this news, I’m guessing there’s also this thought in lots of their minds: “Please, just be ready for October.”

jalexander@scng.com

​ Orange County Register 

CalOptima audits Andrew Do’s tenure with the agency following corruption plea

• November 16, 2024

CalOptima Health, the multibillion-dollar health provider for Orange County’s low-income residents, has hired an outside auditor to review disgraced former county Supervisor Andrew Do’s tenure on the agency’s board of directors.

CalOptima spokesperson Janis Rizzuto would not provide any details, but a source with the agency who requested anonymity said the independent audit is likely to be completed in January.

Do, 62, pleaded guilty last month to a federal bribery charge for his role in an embezzlement scheme involving millions of dollars in COVID-relief funds following an investigation by the FBI, Orange County District Attorney’s Office, IRS and other federal agencies. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

As part of his plea deal, Do also resigned from the county Board of Supervisors and agreed to forfeit any pension accrued since the start of the scheme and properties purchased with the funds. He confessed to accepting at least $550,000 in bribes.

Do directed, through his First District discretionary fund, about $9.3 million in federal pandemic relief funds to the upstart charity, Viet America Society, to provide meals to the elderly and people with disabilities. Of that, only an estimated $1.4 million was actually spent on the meals, according to the plea agreement. Another $1 million in taxpayer money was awarded to the group to build a Vietnam War memorial that has not been completed.

In his plea agreement, Do admitted he received kickbacks totaling more than $550,000 beginning in 2020 to direct millions in COVID-related funds to Viet America Society, which later employed Do’s daughter as a leader of the organization. Part of the money Rhiannon Do received was used to buy a $1,035,000 house in North Tustin, the agreement said. His other daughter, Irene, received $100,000, Do admitted.

Rhiannon Do, a 23-year-old, third-year student at UC Irvine School of Law, was given court diversion, meaning she will not be criminally charged but must undergo three years of probation, provide restitution and continue her education.

An investigation is continuing into leaders and associates of Viet America Society.

Andrew Do served on the CalOptima board from 2015 to 2023, a period marked by controversy.

In 2022, the California Fair Political Practices Commission found that Do used his leadership role at CalOptima to steer contracts to lobbyists who previously donated to his campaigns. The commission ordered Do to pay an administrative penalty of $12,000. The FPPC also concluded that Do failed to issue timely reports related to campaign donors who gave money toward building statues at Mile Square Park. The commission said those donations could be used to win political favor with Do.

In February 2023, Do resigned from his role as chairman of CalOptima after a state investigation questioned his pay practices. He previously had been criticized for supporting huge salary hikes for some CalOptima executives and for hiring one of his aides, Veronica Carpenter, to a newly created, $282,000-a-year job as CalOptima chief of staff. That move raised questions, in part, because Carpenter had less than a year of experience in hospital administration.

Under Do’s board chairmanship, CalOptima CEO Michael Hunn’s pay was increased by about 50% in 2022 to $841,500 a year.

Responding to the state investigation, CalOptima adopted “anti-corruption” reforms and introduced a one-year cooling-off period for any board member seeking employment at the agency. Additionally, CalOptima — in keeping with a new state law inspired by Do — is prohibiting board members from voting on contracts that could benefit their adult children.

​ Orange County Register 

Edison takes early lead and cruises past undefeated Bonita to reach Division 3 semifinals

• November 16, 2024

LA VERNE – With Bonita’s two-way standout and Texas A&M commit on the sidelines with sweats after bruising his foot last week, the Bearcats were hoping they could find some momentum against fourth-seed Edison in Friday’s CIF Southern Section Division 3 quarterfinals.

But the Chargers had other ideas, scoring on their first three possessions, and the Bearcats (11-1) struggled to find answers the rest of the way, suffering their first loss, 24-0

“They’re a damn good football team and a better team that we were,” Bonita co-head coach Steve Bogan said. “It was one of those nights, but they’re a well coached team and that’s why they won.”

Edison (8-4) advances to play the Cajon-Vista Murrieta winner in next week’s semifinals.

Edison’s Julius Gillick, a Montana commit and the school’s all-time leading rusher, injured his knee in the final moments of the first half, but not before rushing for 79 yards and a touchdown, and helping them build a 17-0 lead. He never returned.

Edison coach Jeff Grady talks about their complete effort in 24-0 win over Bonita to reach the D3 semifinals pic.twitter.com/YKGdHst4cQ

— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻‍💻 (@SGVNSports) November 16, 2024

Edison’s Sam Edmisten got most of the carries in the second half, finishing with 94 yards.

Edison quarterback Sam Thomson was stready throughout, throwing for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

End of the day, the Chargers did what they wanted.

“We just played good team football on both sides of the ball,” Edison coach Jeff Grady said. “When you shut a team ouy like this you’re doing something special on both sides of the ball. We started fast on both sides of the ball and special teams.”

Who knows what Mikhail, a linebacker, running back and receiver, would have done to change the outcome, but it was obvious the Chargers were more physical, holding Bonita’s tough sophomore running back Joseph Lara to just 35 yards. Quarterback Travis Lippert also couldn’t get it going with any consistency, completing 11-of-20 passes for 77 yards with an interception.

“It takes the unit,” Grady said of their defense effort. “We played good team football.”

Bogan said the loss of Mikhail was obvious.

“They came to hit us in the mouth and that’s where he is (Mikhail) to counter back,” Bogan said. “But that’s football. It was a little disappointing getting two drives down the field and not scoring, but it was a hell of a season. We’re not going to let this ruin it.”

Edison came out strong with  Ayden Degiacomo returned the kickoff 60 yards to the Bonita 40. The Chargers got a first down at the 10 and got as close as the four, but had to settle for Nico Bammer’s 23-yard field goal and 3-0 lead.

Gillick showed why he is so valuable with a 74-yard fun that set up his 4-yard TD run for a 10-0 lead with 3:05 left in the first quarter.

Bonita coach Steve Bogan after their 24-0 loss to Edison in the D3 quarterfinals. pic.twitter.com/JHOOc756Sf

— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻‍💻 (@SGVNSports) November 16, 2024

With Bonita continuing to struggle offensively, the Chargers kept adding to their lead.

Thomson delivered a 30-yard touchdown pass over the middle for Jake Minter to extend their cushion to 17-0 just a minute into the second quarter, and it stayed that way until half.

Thomson provided the explamation midway through the third quarter, thowing a 16-yard TD pass to Shea Summers.

​ Orange County Register 

High school football: Top photos from the quarterfinal playoff games Friday, Nov. 15

• November 16, 2024

It was another exciting Friday night for the high school football teams and fans.

Take a look at the best images captured by the Southern California News Group photographers.

To see all of our stories, scores and more from the games, go to the online High School Sports section.

​ Orange County Register