UCLA’s ‘creatures’ giving opposing offenses nightmares

• October 10, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Washington State coach Jake Dickert had a vivid reaction when faced with UCLA’s defense Saturday afternoon.

“They just have waves of these guys coming in and they’re creatures,” Dickert said during a postgame press conference. “And I don’t say that in a bad way. They’re big, long, they can rush the passer, they have aggressive schemes. And when you know you gotta pass, I think that’s when they pinned their ears back.”

The Bruins defense allowed just 216 yards and only 12 on the ground in a 25-17 win over the Cougars. It was also the fourth consecutive game in which UCLA (4-1, 1-1), now ranked 18th in the country, gave up less than 300 yards of total offense. The defense has multiple tried-and-true pieces, but transfers are adding to the unit’s capabilities as well.

Oluwafemi Oladejo and Jordan Anderson each forced turnovers against Washington State, which was ranked 13th in the country, with an interception and two forced fumbles, respectively.

“I almost dropped it, but thank god we got it,” Oladejo said of his interception.

Oladejo, a linebacker who transferred from California, and Anderson, a defensive back who transferred from Bowling Green, shared feelings after practice Tuesday of having to prove themselves.

“Everybody wants to get the opportunity to do it,” Anderson said. “When the opportunity is called, you know you’ve got to make the best of it. But we’re a family. So once everybody is doing everything good for the defense, we’re all cheering for each other so when that time is called, we’re going to make our time shine.”

UCLA’s defense is ranked in the top 10 in the nation in team sacks (tied for eighth with 18), tackles for loss per game (fifth with 8.8) and total defense (fifth with 254.2 yards per game).

As if Oladejo’s 17 tackles for Cal in last year’s 35-28 UCLA victory weren’t enough, redshirt senior linebacker Darius Muasau was won over by Oladejo shortly after he arrived from Berkeley.

“’Femi earned my respect,” said Muasau, who leads the Bruins with 26 total tackles and is second with four sacks. “He’s a hard-working dude. He comes in every day ready to work. He puts in the work in the weight room and on the field. He’s a great young man. I love to watch his growth as he progresses.”

The linebacker drills are completed with enthusiastic aggression each morning, and although he’s not leading off the drills, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Oladejo embodies the UCLA defense. His feet are quick and each hit seems to land with a pop rather than a thud.

UCLA faces No. 15 Oregon State (5-1, 2-1) on Saturday in Corvallis. The Beavers average 205.5 rushing yards per game. Oladejo said, as a linebacker, these are the games that get him excited.

“Play fast, hit, get aggressive, trigger,” the junior said. “It’s going to be fun.”

Matavao feeling confident

Oregon transfer Moliki Matavao had his most productive game of the season Saturday when the 6-foot-6 tight end caught three passes for 76 yards.

“I thought (Matavao) was huge,” coach Chip Kelly said after the Washington State game. “He came up really big.”

Matavao, a redshirt sophomore, spoke to media after practice Tuesday and said his confidence has grown as he’s adjusted to UCLA’s offense and become more fluid in his route running. He’s still maintaining a level head ahead of Oregon State.

“We just had a good game, but we can’t be too high, can’t be too low,” he said. “I’ve gotta be steady and focused and it’s on to the next week.”

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Schedule changes

UCLA football announced updates to its 2024 and 2032 schedules Tuesday morning.

The Bruins will now play Fresno State on Nov. 30, 2024, instead of the originally slated date of Sept. 14, 2024. UCLA will also travel to Fresno State’s Valley Children’s Stadium for the first time for a game Sept. 4, 2032.

UCLA is 6-4 all-time against the Bulldogs, with nine of the contests held at the Rose Bowl.

​ Orange County Register 

With motorists looking on, 116-foot-long rocket engines roll toward LA for reunion with shuttle

• October 10, 2023

Two mammoth space-age Solid Rocket Motors started their journey on Tuesday, Oct. 10 to a high-profile — and eventually vertical — reunion with the Space Shuttle Endeavour in Los Angeles’ Exposition Park.

Heavy-duty big rigs pulled the massive engines — donated by Northrop Grumman — from hangars where they’d been stored at the Mojave Air and Space Port north of Lancaster and set out on the road to L.A. Motorists got an eyeful as the motors, each measuring 116 feet long and more than 12 feet in diameter, rolled toward the city. Each one weighs 104,000 pounds.

The public is being invited to view the arrival as the motors are hauled off the Harbor (110) Freeway and driven along Figueroa Street and into the California Science Center on Wednesday morning.

Beginning at 7:30 a.m. the rocket motors will be hauled north on Figueroa Street from 43rd Place to 39th Street. When the motors reach Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at 8 a.m., they will pause for an extended photo opportunity before officially moving to the Science Center at 9 a.m. The Science Center will open early at 9 a.m. Wednesday for the arrival celebration.

The arrival of the motors will occur 11 years to the day that  Endeavour began its captivating cross-town journey from LAX to the Science Center.

The rocket motors are the major components of the twin Solid Rocket Boosters that were used to propel the shuttles into space, using fuel from a connected massive external tank. All of the launch components — the shuttle, rocket boosters and fuel tank — will be included in the vertical display of Endeavour at its new home in the $400 million, 200,000-square-foot Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

When completed, the display will be the only vertical, launch-ready configuration of a  shuttle in the world.

The California Science Center artist rending of what the new space gallery will look like at the official ground breaking for its new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, which will become the permanent home of NASA’s retired space shuttle Endeavour Los Angeles CA, Wednesday, June 1, 2022.(Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

Endeavour has been on display horizontally at the Science Center for 11 years. The massive external fuel tank is already at the Science Center, awaiting its upright positioning in the new display.

Delivery of the Solid Rocket Motors is one of the last major components needed for the arrangement. CSC officials in July officially began the process of creating the vertical display, in what they have dubbed a “Go for Stack” process.

The six-month process began in July with the installation of the rocket booster aft skirts. The next phase will be the move of the rocket motors and other components of the Solid Rocket Boosters into vertical position, followed by the placement of the External Fuel Tank, known as ET-94, into place.

The final component will be the delicate move of the shuttle itself across Exposition Park and the use of a crane to lift it into its vertical display, which will tower 200 feet into the air. The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center that will house the display will then be constructed around it, with opening planned in 2025.

Related links

52-ton space shuttle rocket motors will roll through LA Wednesday to reunite with Endeavour
Shuttle Endeavour gets to be the first shuttle flipped vertically, without NASA
California Science Center to start complex process to display space shuttle Endeavour vertically

City News Service contributed to this report. 

​ Orange County Register 

Three Orange County girls volleyball teams appear set for CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs

• October 10, 2023

The penultimate polls for CIF Southern Section girls volleyball that were released Tuesday  might reveal which eight teams will be selected to play in the Division 1 playoffs.

The top eight teams in the combined Divisions 1 and 2 poll, in order: 1. Mater Dei; 2. Mira Costa; 3. Huntington Beach; 4. Sierra Canyon; 5. Marymount; 6. Alemany; 7. Los Alamitos; 8. Palos Verdes. The CIF Southern Section places its Divisions 1 and 2 teams together in its rankings, then extracts the top eight teams at the end of the season to place them in the eight-team Division 1 playoff group.

Among the tams ranked 9-16 in the Divisions 1 and 2 poll are Trinity League teams JSerra, Orange Lutheran and Santa Margarita. Because only the top three finishers in a six-team league like the Trinity League, the league’s No. 4 team would have to qualify for the Division 2 playoffs as an at-large team.

JSerra, in second place with a 4-3 league record through Monday, third-place Orange Lutheran (4-4) and Santa Margarita (3-4) all have the .500-or-better overall record requited for at-large berth candidacy. Orange Lutheran was the Trinity League No. 4 team last year and was selected to the Division 2 32-team bracket that had more than enough openings for at-large teams and did have some first-round byes because the division lacked 32 qualifying teams.

Beckman is No. 1 in the Division 1 top 10 that has South Coast League leader Dana Hills at No. 5. Capistrano Valley Christian is No. 1 in Division 4.

CIF-SS girls volleyball playoff brackets for its nine divisions will be released Saturday morning. The playoffs begin Oct. 17 for Division 2-9 with wild card-round games in divisions that need the wild-card round to reduce their fields to 32 teams for the first round. First round is Oct. 19 for Division 2-9.

Division 1 pool play begins Oct. 18 and continues Oct. 24 and 28. CIF-SS finals for all divisions are Nov. 4. The Division 1 final is at Cerritos College. Sites for other divisions will be announced after semifinals are completed Oct. 28.

CIF Southern California Regional girls volleyball is Nov. 7-14. CIF State finals are Nov. 17 and 18.

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​ Orange County Register 

Orange County boys athlete of the week: Julius Gillick, Huntington Beach

• October 10, 2023

The Orange County boys athlete of the week:

Name: Julius Gillick

School: Edison

Sport: Football

Year: Junior

Noteworthy: Gillick rushed for 312 yards in the Chargers’ 47-20 win over Huntington Beach, breaking the school’s record for rushing yards in a single game. Gillick (5-11, 200) surpassed the mark of 308 yards set by Shane Sherman in 1989. Gillick also rushed for five touchdowns in the win. This season he has rushed for 1,039 yards and 13 touchdowns and is averaging 148 yards per game and 8 yards a carry. Gillick also is 6 for 6 on extra-point kicks and is 2 for 2 on field goals.

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​ Orange County Register 

Santa Ana city manager steps down

• October 10, 2023

After four years leading Santa Ana City Hall, City Manager Kristine Ridge stepped down Monday, Oct. 9.

“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve the great city of Santa Ana,” Ridge said in a statement. “I wish nothing but continued success for the city and all its dedicated employees.”

In a six-to-one vote, with Councilmember Jessie Lopez voting no, the City Council agreed to accept her resignation and approved a severance and release agreement. Before joining the city in 2019, Ridge previously served as Laguna Niguel’s city manager in 2018 and Anaheim’s assistant city manager between 2014 and 2018.

“I would like to thank Kristine Ridge for her dedication and commitment to the city of Santa Ana and the many accomplishments she helped us achieve over the last few years,” Councilmember David Penaloza said. “Santa Ana is a better place to live, work and play because of her wonderful leadership and she will be missed greatly.”

In a post on LinkedIn, Ridge said she is “happy to share that I have retired from full-time city management,” but is still interested in temporary assignments to “assist local governments in the myriad of challenges they face.”

Mayor Valerie Amezcua said finding a replacement will be a top priority for the council moving forward.

“Ridge served this city very well,” Amezcua said in a statement, “and we are particularly appreciative of her leadership to the city and community during her tenure as city manager.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Happy 20th birthday, Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte

• October 10, 2023

Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte turns 20 today, Oct. 10, and the Seattle based coffee chain is marking the occasion just the way you’d expect it to, with an Ashanti video on TikTok and free temporary tattoos with purchase while supplies last.

Starbucks is also pushing a commemorative Team PSL varsity jacket from KidSuper Studios. The wool garment costs $295 and will ship in December.

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Although Starbucks says that Oct. 10, 2003 was the date Pumpkin Spice Latte debuted in stores, several publications noted the anniversary around Aug. 24, the date Starbucks rolled out its 2023 fall menu.

The occasion rated a Smithsonian Magazine article.

The wildly popular flavor taps into a vein of nostalgia and is particularly popular with millennials, according to a 2021 Business Insider article.

Pumpkin spice is now found in all manner of retail items, from other brands’ coffees and pastries to Krispy Kreme’s new Pup’kin Spice Doggie Doughnuts and Hefty trash bags. The Takeout has a rundown of 2023 products.

​ Orange County Register 

CIF-SS boys water polo polls, Oct. 10

• October 10, 2023

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The CIF-SS boys water polo polls released Tuesday, Oct. 10

(Selected by the CIF-SS Boys Water Polo Committee.)

DIVISION 1

1. JSerra

2. Newport Harbor

3. Harvard-Westlake

4. Oaks Christian

5. Corona del Mar

6. Loyola

7. Mater Dei

8. Huntington Beach

9. Santa Margarita

10T. Foothill

10T. Laguna Beach

Others: None

DIVISION 2

1. Ventura

2. San Marcos/Santa Barbara

3. El Dorado

4T. Beckman

4T. Portola

4T. Camarillo

4T. Capistrano Valley

8. Irvine

9. Dos Pueblos

10.  Crean Lutheran

Others: Northwood, Arcadia, Edison

DIVISION 3

1. El Segundo

2. Canyon/Anaheim

3. Murrieta Valley

4. Yucaipa

5. Downey

6. University

7. Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks

8T. Santa Monica

8T. Agoura

10. Pasadena Poly

Others: Etiwanda, San Marino

DIVISION 4

1. Bonita

2. Woodbridge

3. Temecula Valley

4. La Habra

5. Sunny Hills

6. San Dimas

7. Great Oak

8. Trabuco Hills

9. Hoover/Glendale

10. Buena Park

Others: Pacifica/Garden Grove

DIVISION 5

1. Royal

2. Whittier

3. La Salle

4. Beaumont

5. Murrieta Mesa

6. Cabrillo/Long Beach

7. Ayala

8. Paloma Valley

9. Liberty/Winchester

10. Cate

Others: Segerstrom, Culver City, Jurupa Valley

DIVISION 6

1. Summit

2. La Mirada

3. Anaheim

4. Cerritos

5. Edgewood

6. Nogales

7. Chaffey

8. Pioneer

9. Notre Dame/Riverside

10. Patriot

Others: None

​ Orange County Register 

Top 10 U.S. destinations for fall getaways

• October 10, 2023

Falling leaves, pumpkin patches, cider doughnuts — it’s fall all right. If you’re craving an autumn getaway, PureWow, the New York City-based lifestyle site, is offering up plenty of inspiration, including a list of 31 vacation destinations for fall. We don’t know why they chose 31 — perhaps a penchant for prime numbers? —  but it includes hot spots that will appeal to leaf peepers, romance lovers and nature enthusiasts alike.

California scored four shout-outs in all, including Yosemite National Park at No. 6 and Napa Valley at No. 8. Humboldt County’s Redwood National and State Parks landed at No. 11, thanks to its towering redwoods and serene trails. And anyone heading to San Francisco (No. 19), the site says, can “enjoy days filled with farmers markets, street fairs and football games.” (They were so perky about it, we don’t have the heart to tell them the stadium is in Santa Clara, an entirely different city an hour’s drive south.)

Here’s just a peek at the list. Find all 31, along with sightseeing and hotel suggestions, at www.purewow.com/travel/.

The rising sun lights up the fall colors of leaves 06 October 2007 on Route 9 outside of Woodford, Vermont. Fall foliage in the New England region is reaching its peak this week. AFP PHOTO/Stan HONDA (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images)

Pure Wow’s Top 10 Fall Destinations

1 The Poconos, Pennsylvania

2 Acadia, Maine

3 Eastern Shore, Maryland

4 Woodstock, Vermont

5 Sedona, Arizona

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6 Yosemite, California

7 Aspen, Colorado

8 Napa Valley, California

9 North Fork, Long Island

10 Grand Canyon, Arizona

​ Orange County Register