Orange County girls volleyball Top 10, Oct. 9

• October 10, 2023

ORANGE COUNTY GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TOP 10

(Records through Oct. 8)

1. Mater Dei 33-2: Monarchs beat JSerra, have clinched another outright Trinity League championship, remain No. 1 in MaxPreps.com national rankings.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Huntington Beach 27-6: Oilers clinched the Surf League championship with league wins over Los Alamitos, Newport Harbor.

Previous ranking: 2

3. Beckman 26-5: Patriots, No. 1 in latest CIF Southern Section Division 3 rankings, moved Pacific Coast League record to 5-0 with league wins over Sage Hill, Northwood.

Previous ranking: 3

4. Los Alamitos 27-4: Griffins played Huntington Beach to five sets in close Surf League loss, advanced to semifinals of Redondo tournament.

Previous ranking: 4

5. JSerra: 24-10: Lions lost to Mater Dei in four sets by these scores – 21-25, 23-25, 25-23, 23-25.

Previous ranking: 6

6. Santa Margarita: Eagles beat Orange Lutheran, lost to JSerra in Trinity League matches.

Previous ranking: 7

7. Orange Lutheran 25-12: Lancers lost to Santa Margarita, defeated Rosary in Trinity League play.

Previous ranking: 5

8. Dana Hills 18-4: South Coast League-leading Dolphins got two big league wins last week over San Clemente, Tesoro.

Previous ranking: 10

9. San Clemente 14-11: Tritons beat San Juan Hills, lost to San Clemente in South Coast League.

Previous ranking: 9

10. San Juan Hills 11-10: Stallions in a three-way tie with Aliso Niguel, San Clemente for second place in the South Coast League.

Previous ranking: 8

Others considered: Aliso Niguel 11-11; Canyon 15-3; Capistrano Valley Christian 26-3; Corona del Mar 15-10; Edison 13-12.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

No agreement at SAG-AFTRA talks Monday; union, studios return to bargaining Wednesday

• October 10, 2023

Representatives for the striking SAG-AFTRA actors union and the major studios met Monday, Oct. 9, for the fourth time in eight days, but were unable to reach agreement on a new contract, the union announced.

Bargaining will resume on Wednesday, with the parties working independently on Tuesday, according to the union.

Representatives of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers also met last Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the first time the sides sat down with each other since the strike began July 14.

SAG-AFTRA demands include general wage increases, protections against the use of actor images through artificial intelligence, boosts in compensation for successful streaming programs and improvements in health and retirement benefits.

Monday’s scheduled talks came on the day that members of the Writers Guild of America overwhelmingly ratified their tentative labor deal, which brought the nearly five-month writers strike to an end.

Of those who cast ballots in a ratification vote that began last Monday, 99% voted in favor of the new pact, WGA leaders wrote in a message to union members. According to the message, 8,525 votes were cast, and 8,435 were in favor, with only 90 no votes.

The new pact will be in place through May 1, 2026.

But the boards of the WGA East and West branches both endorsed the tentative deal, and ratification was expected.

A resolution of the actors strike is the last remaining hurdle toward getting the film and TV industries back in business. Hollywood has been virtually crippled since the writers struck on May 2 and the actors followed on July 14 over many of the same issues.

SAG-AFTRA demands include general wage increases, protections against the use of actor images through artificial intelligence, boosts in compensation for successful streaming programs and improvements in health and retirement benefits.

SAG-AFTRA represents about 160,000 actors.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Monday, Oct. 9

• October 10, 2023

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

Scores and stats from Orange County games on Monday, Oct. 9

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

MONDAY’S SCORES

GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL

SUNSET LEAGUE

Newport Harbor 13, Los Alamitos 0

Corona Del Mar 45, Laguna Beach 0

SOUTH COAST LEAGUE

Aliso Niguel 14, San Juan Hills 0

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Beckman 25, University 19

NONLEAGUE

El Toro 24, El Modena 16

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

EMPIRE LEAGUE

Kennedy def. Valencia, 25-11, 25-14, 25-17

La Quinta def. Rancho Alamitos, 3-2

SAN JOAQUIN LEAGUE

Capistrano Valley Christian def. Pacifica Christian, 25-14, 25-18, 25-15

PC: Wondercheck 14 kills, Dion 15 digs, Bone 3 aces

NONLEAGUE

Estancia def. Hawthorne, 25-8, 25-15

​ Orange County Register 

Braves rally past Phillies in Game 2 to pull even in NLDS

• October 10, 2023

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA — After being held hitless into the sixth inning, the Atlanta Braves rallied for an improbable 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on two-run homers by Travis d’Arnaud and Austin Riley and a game-ending double play for the ages to even the National League Division Series at one win apiece Monday night.

D’Arnaud, who started at catcher over slumping Sean Murphy, gave the Braves hope with his shot into the left field seats in the seventh, cutting Philadelphia’s lead to 4-3.

It was Atlanta’s first extra-base hit of the series.

Riley provided the second, driving a 3-and-2 pitch from Jeff Hoffman (0-1) into the Phillies’ bullpen with two outs in the eighth to put the Braves ahead for the first time in the best-of-five series. Ronald Acuña Jr. scored ahead of Riley after being plunked on the left arm by Hoffman’s first pitch coming in from the bullpen.

It ended in equally stunning fashion. With Bryce Harper aboard, Nick Castellanos drove one to the fence in deep right-center, only to be robbed on a great leaping catch by Michael Harris II.

Harper had rounded second base when Harris made the catch. He backtracked desperately, and the throw back to the infield skidded past second baseman Ozzie Albies. But Riley alertly backed up the play and zipped a throw to first that completed the double play.

Just like that, the series was tied. Game 3 is Wednesday at Philadelphia.

A.J. Minter (1-0) earned the win and Raisel Iglesias claimed his first save of this postseason.

With Zack Wheeler dominating a lineup that led the majors in runs and tied a major league record with 307 homers, the Phillies built a 4-0 lead. J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run drive in the third off Max Fried, sandwiched between Alec Bohm’s run-scoring single and Bryson Stott’s sacrifice fly.

Wheeler, who was born and raised not far from Truist Park, was one strike away from making it through the sixth without allowing a hit. But he walked Acuña after getting ahead 1-and-2 in the count, and Albies lined a single to right.

Acuña was holding up at third, but he took off for home when the throw back to the infield ricocheted off Trea Turner’s glove for the shortstop’s second error of the night.

Wheeler fanned the side in each of the first two innings, with the Braves making contact on just 12 of 26 strikes. Matt Olson was the lone baserunner, reaching when Turner bobbled a routine grounder to shortstop.

Through the first four innings, the home team didn’t even get one of the infield – unless you count the Hammer, Brush, Paint Can and Drill racing around the warning track as part of the Home Depot Tool Race.

Finally, on Atlanta’s 13th batter of the night, Marcell Ozuna lifted one to center field. It was caught by Johan Rojas, but that seemed like progress the way the Braves were struggling.

Atlanta was shut out 3-0 in Game 1 and started the series with 14 straight scoreless innings – its longest drought of the season – before finally breaking through with an assist from Turner’s glove.

Fried, who went on the injured list late in the season with a recurring blister issue, labored through four innings. He surrendered three runs and six hits and was lucky to leave the game trailing only 3-0.

Bryson Stott grounded out with the bases loaded to end the first, and the Phillies stranded two more runners in the fourth.

In all, the Phillies left 11 runners on base.

FAMILIAR LINEUP

After juggling the batting order for the series opener, and catching some heat when the Braves were shut out at home for the first time all season, Manager Brian Snitker returned to a more familiar lineup card.

Related Articles

Albies was back in the second slot after batting cleanup in Game 1, followed by Riley and Olson.

The Braves did make the change at catcher, which paid off big time.

UP NEXT

Aaron Nola, who pitched seven scoreless innings against Miami during the wild-card round, will go for the Phillies in Game 3. The right-hander made three appearances against the Braves during the regular season, posting a 3.50 ERA while failing to pick up a decision.

Atlanta has yet to name its starter for Game 3, though the Phillies are expecting to see either Bryce Elder or AJ Smith-Shawver, a 20-year-old rookie. “You kind of prepare for both of them and just be ready to go,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said.

​ Orange County Register 

Dodgers to give Lance Lynn the ball in Game 3 of NLDS

• October 10, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― Lance Lynn has started three postseason games against the Dodgers in his 12-year major league career.

Wednesday, he is likely to make his first postseason start for the Dodgers in Game 3 of the National League Division Series in Phoenix.

“I don’t see it being anyone outside of Lance,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before Game 2 of their best-of-five series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday. “And so we’ll see how tonight goes, but I think that’s a pretty safe bet.”

Lynn turned around what had been a disastrous season after joining the Dodgers in a July trade, along with reliever Joe Kelly, that sent outfielder Trayce Thompson and two prospects to the Chicago White Sox.

In 21 starts prior to the trade, Lynn was 6-9 with a 6.47 ERA. In 11 starts after the trade, he went 7-2 with a 4.36 ERA.

Lynn threw to teammates in an intrasquad scrimmage on Thursday. Prior to that, his last competitive outing was Sept. 29 in San Francisco, when he allowed two hits and two runs in six innings of the Dodgers’ 6-2 victory over the Giants.

The right-hander has not faced the Diamondbacks since July 29, 2020.

“I think for us it’s a guy that’s been there before and really just kind of trusting the fact that he’s going to be there and pitch well and to have a group of arms behind him,” Roberts said of Lynn. “I don’t know what that start’s going to look like, but I feel very confident. And that’s why we got him – to come here and pitch big innings for us.”

Lynn’s postseason resume is long. He earned a World Series ring as a rookie reliever with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011. He made his first postseason starts the following year, both in the NL Championship Series against the eventual champion Giants.

In 2013, Lynn pitched two scoreless innings to complete the Cardinals’ 13-inning victory over the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS. Four days later, he started Game 4 and pitched 5⅓ innings to earn the victory in another Cardinals win.

Although he pitched six strong innings in Game 2 of the 2014 NLDS in Los Angeles, Lynn did not factor into the decision in the Dodgers’ 3-2 win.

This year Lynn led the major leagues in home runs allowed by a pitcher, including 16 in his 11 starts with the Dodgers. Only three Dodger pitchers allowed more home runs this season.

Right-hander Ryan Pepiot will figure into the pitching plan for Game 3 too, Roberts said. Pepiot started three games for the Dodgers after missing most of the season with an intercostal muscle injury. He pitched “bulk innings” out of the bullpen in another five games, averaging more than five innings per appearance overall.

Pepiot, who faced teammates in an intrasquad setting Friday, went 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA overall. Coincidentally, the 36-year-old Lynn and 26-year-old Pepiot are among only four active major league players born in Indianapolis.

The Diamondbacks are expected to counter with right-hander Brandon Pfaadt in Game 3. Manager Torey Lovullo declined to officially name Pfaadt.

TIPPING POINT

Dodgers pitching Mark Prior said he thought Clayton Kershaw’s “stuff was fine” despite his poor results in Game 1.

“It probably ticked up a little,” Prior said. “But I think it was standard-type stuff where he’s been over the last month or so.”

The Diamondbacks were all over that stuff, swinging at 24 of the 25 pitches Kershaw put in the strike zone while facing eight hitters and retiring just one in the worst start of his career.

Could the Diamondbacks have known something – through pitch-tipping, perhaps – that allowed them to be so aggressive and successful against Kershaw?

“Those are always factors. It’s kind of hard to say,” Prior said. “Sometimes it’s hit or miss on those things.

“Whether it’s sequencing, whether it’s tendencies, whether it’s the game itself – again, they have a good lineup and they’ve seen him a ton of times. So they have some familiarity with him. At the end of the day, it’s hard for me and it’s hard for us in general with all the things we look at, whether it’s tipping, whether it’s analytics stuff or his delivery – for me to say it’s the one thing.

Related Articles

“At the end of the day, it’s performance and they performed better than we did.”

ALSO

Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said the entire team participated in Sunday’s “optional” workout at Dodger Stadium. “Everybody’s attitude was good,” he said. … Lovullo spent Sunday’s off-day with his mother at her home in Westlake Village. “I felt like I was in outer space,” he said. “It was a totally relaxing moment.” … Roberts re-affirmed that Kershaw and right-hander Emmet Sheehan are lined up to pitch in Game 4 of the NLDS, with Kershaw starting and Sheehan coming out of the bullpen. Both pitchers threw bullpen sessions at Dodger Stadium on Monday. … Jake Gelof, the Dodgers’ second-round pick in the 2023 amateur draft, was named California League Player of the Month for September. The Rancho Cucamonga third baseman batted .308/.341/.744 and led the league in home runs (five), RBIs (17), total bases (29) and slugging percentage (.744).

UP NEXT

The Dodgers have a day off Tuesday.

​ Orange County Register 

Esperanza girls flag football soars with blend of multi-sport athletes, and coach

• October 10, 2023

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

The more diverse the student-athlete, the better.

That’s one of the strongest themes that has catapulted Esperanza’s girls flag football team in the national rankings and to an Orange County-best 17-0 record.

The Aztecs’ roster is comprised of several players from the school’s highly-successful softball and girls basketball programs, along with a few others from soccer, water polo and golf.

Coach Jimmy Valverde is best-known as Esperanza girls basketball coach, though he also has coached baseball.

“We’re having a blast,” he said recently of his flag football team. “We have girls from all over the place … and now they’re all friends because of football.”

Esperanza enters the stretch drive of the inaugural flag football season in the CIF Southern Section with a 17-0 record and a No. 3 national rankings by MaxPreps. Newport Harbor and Woodbridge are No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

The Aztecs’ offense features quarterback Madi Lam, who has passed for more than 3,400 yards and 61 touchdowns. In the winter, the sophomore is a standout point guard for Valverde in basketball.

Lam’s top target is senior Bailey Frazier, who has 87 catches for 951 yards and 11 TDs. She plays forward in basketball.

Esperanza’s arsenal of receivers is deep. Frazier’s sister Ellie, a sophomore who also plays basketball, as 55 receptions for 772 yards and a team-high 13 touchdowns.

Alexis Quon, another receiver who plays basketball, has tallied 47 receptions for 609 yards and 10 TDs.

Senior Taylor Shumaker, an All-County center fielder in softball, has hauled in 10 touchdowns in 10 games. She is committed to Florida for softball.

Shumaker is one of six softball players on the flag football team. Mia Sanchez, a standout pitcher in softball, is another one of the Aztecs’ quarterbacks.

“I got athletes, man,” said Valverde, who is assisted by coaches Jim Lam and Chris Fitzgerald. “We’re a fun team to watch.”

On defense, Bailey Frazier leads the team in flags pulled with 61. Sophomore Emma Gribben, who also plays water polo, is second with 58 and also has 40 catches for 428 yards and one score.

Lam and Ellie Frazier have eight and seven interceptions, respectively. Shumaker and junior Daniela Vejar, another softball player, each have five sacks.

Esperanza’s season continues Tuesday at St. Joseph (14-3). But like he has shown in basketball, Valverde isn’t all about the victories.

“We work hard,” he said. “We’re going to win the right way, and we’re going to lose with some class.”

The latter, however, hasn’t yet happened.

Please send flag football news to Dan Albano at [email protected] or @ocvarsityguy on X and Instagram

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Newsom vetoes $1 billion fund for troubled LA County juvenile halls, camps

• October 10, 2023

Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill earmarking up to $1 billion to support infrastructure improvements at Los Angeles County’s embattled juvenile halls and camps.

Newsom sent the bill, AB 695, back to the Assembly without his signature on Sunday, Oct. 8, saying he could not support it for financial reasons.

“New grant programs such as the program proposed in this bill must be considered and evaluated in the annual budget process in the context of all state funding priorities,” Newsom wrote in his veto letter.

This year, the Legislature passed bills outside of the budget process that would have added $19 billion in unaccounted costs if signed, he said.

“With our state facing continuing economic risk and revenue uncertainty, it is important to remain disciplined when considering bills with significant fiscal implications, such as this measure,” Newsom wrote.

Reformers applaud veto

Juvenile justice reform advocates applauded Newsom’s decision, as they see the bill as a waste of taxpayer resources and maintain that problems at the juvenile halls have nothing to do with the physical structures.

In a statement, Milinda Kakani and Aditi Sherikar, senior policy associates for the Children’s Defense Fund California, called on state and local legislators to use the bill’s veto to follow through with promised reforms.

“AB 695 stood in stark contrast to Youth Justice Reimagined, a vision that involves replacing a fundamentally flawed Probation Department with a system rooted in community care and healing,” they stated. “Our hope is that this veto pushes LA County Supervisors and legislators to boldly implement that vision with urgency and fidelity.”

AB 695, introduced by Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, would have authorized the Board of State and Community Corrections — a state agency that recently shuttered two of Los Angeles County’s juvenile halls over poor conditions — to issue grants specifically to L.A. County for improvements such as the construction of new living quarters and modernized spaces for rehabilitative and educational programs.

It did not set a dollar amount, though the Senate Appropriations Committee estimated the hit to the state’s general fund would be in the “high hundreds of millions” of dollars, potentially up to $1 billion, to address the “critical needs of the juvenile facilities in Los Angeles.”

More deadlines loom

The bill passed in the Legislature in September, the same week that the BSCC warned it may be forced to close more of Los Angeles County’s juvenile facilities if the county fails address a series of deficiencies discovered by state inspectors earlier this year.

The Probation Department has until Tuesday, Oct. 10, and Oct. 18, respectively, to submit approved Corrective Action Plans for the Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility in Sylmar and Los Padrinos, the county’s largest juvenile hall, in Downey. If the plans are not approved, those facilities could be declared “unsuitable,” a designation that could force them to shutter within 60 days.

Though all sides agree Los Angeles County needs to do more, AB 695 was divisive, even among county officials.

Three county supervisors supported it, alongside a number of probation and law enforcement unions, as an opportunity to fund renovations and upgrades at Los Angeles County’s aging facilities and to build a new training facility for the Probation Department.

Facility issues

Los Padrinos originally opened in 1957 and, though it underwent significant renovations before it reopened in July, much more work is needed to bring it up to modern standards.

Not long after it reopened, visitors complained of broken air conditioners, moldy smells, and dripping paint.

A youth managed to scale one of the walls during an escape attempt in the first month before he was recaptured in a neighboring golf course.

County officials have discussed building a system of nets around the facility to prevent contraband from being thrown over the walls, installing airport-style body scanners at the entrances and creating separate, self-contained “campuses’ throughout the facility.

‘Reimagining’ youth justice

But juvenile justice reform advocates and the other two supervisors believed the high level of funding through AB 695 would tether the county to its long-troubled Probation Department and stymie efforts to dismantle the current system through Youth Justice Reimagined, a proposal unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2020.

Youth Justice Reimagined proposed placing youth in the custody of the newly created Department of Youth Development and would dedicate resources to diversion and intervention programs, in-home confinement and to the construction of smaller “safe and secure healing centers” spread throughout the county.

The county will, however, need to change state law for that to become a reality, as currently only probation departments and probation officers can oversee the custody of juveniles.

Related links

Bill would give LA County juvenile halls up to $1 billion in funding, if they aren’t shut down first
Teen recaptured after escaping from Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall during brawl with staff
LA County moves first 88 youth detainees to Los Padrinos ahead of state shutdown
ACLU condemns LA County plan to reopen Los Padrinos, assign reserve deputies to troubled juvenile halls
Court will oversee reforms to L.A. County juvenile halls plagued with abuse, unsafe conditions, state A.G. says

​ Orange County Register 

D’Angelo Russell’s playmaking and other takeaways from Lakers’ preseason opener

• October 8, 2023

When it comes to making observations from preseason play – especially the first game – prudence is important to practice.

It’s the first basketball game teams have played in four-to-six months.

Rhythm needs to be reestablished. Rotations and lineups need to be sorted out. And oftentimes, teams’ best players either play limited minutes or don’t play at all. Both were the case for the Lakers in Saturday’s 125-108 loss to the Golden State Warriors: LeBron James and Austin Reaves were healthy scratches, while Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell didn’t play in the second half.

But that doesn’t make the games meaningless.

They offer the first insights into how a team is gelling after the offseason and training camp. Strengths, areas of improvements and players ready for breakout seasons can show themselves.

“Obviously, it’s the preseason, so kinda wanted to let guys get their beak wet a little bit,” coach Darvin Ham said. “But overall, there’s definitely some things we need to clean up. That’s usually the case after a first preseason game. It was good to play against some foreign competition, and a lot of guys get up and down in a game setting.

“Overall, I’m pleased. We definitely have some things we need to clean up a little bit. But I like the makeup of our group.”

Here are three takeaways from the Lakers’ preseason opener, with their next game coming against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday in Las Vegas:

RUSSELL’S PLAYMAKING

If there were any doubts about what Russell could provide after his struggles in last season’s Western Conference finals, Saturday was a quick reminder of how he can help the Lakers – especially on the offensive end.

He finished with 15 points (6-of-10 shooting, 2 for 3 from 3-point range) and five assists in 15 first-half minutes.

But more impressive than Russell’s stat line was the way he toggled between setting up scoring opportunities for his teammates and creating his own looks as a ball handler.

“D-Lo did a great job of being methodical in our middle pick-and-roll,” Ham said.

Entering his ninth NBA season, Russell’s seen pretty much every defensive coverage and can operate in a myriad of ways – off and on the ball.

But Saturday was a reminder of the playmaking he can bring, especially when James and Reaves aren’t on the floor.

CHRISTIE SHINES

Second-year guard Max Christie’s play during summer league made it clear he may be ready for a larger role on the Lakers.

His play in the preseason opener only backed that up.

Christie (15 points on 6-of-10 shooting in 25 minutes) found his rhythm in the third quarter once Russell and Davis were no longer playing.

The muscle he’s added to his frame is evident and it’s helped him become more comfortable attacking off the dribble, either going to his pull-up in the midrange or getting all the way to the rim.

“His ability to score, toughness, defend – he does it all,” Davis said. “Ultimate confidence. There’s a lot of things you can say about Max. He’s putting it together. He knows where to pick his spots on the floor, where he’s going to score, where to make the right plays. And just being aggressive. We’re going to need that from him at some point this season.

AD FROM 3

Davis’ jump shot has come into focus since his 3-point accuracy and 3-point attempts have regressed over the last few seasons.

Consider Saturday a step in the right direction.

Davis (15 points on 6-of-11 shooting to go with five rebounds in 13 minutes) knocked down two of his three 3-point attempts. But the accuracy wasn’t the only encouraging part.

There wasn’t any hesitation in letting it fly from beyond the arc when the Warriors sagged off of him defensively.

“It’s no different [from last season],” Davis said. “The way our spacing is, new plays that we implemented, and I was open. That’s really it. Our guards did a good job of penetrating the defense and finding the right guys. As long as they keep putting pressure on the defense and keep getting downhill, all them types of shots will be open and not just for me but for all our guys.”

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register