L.A. deputy happens to walk into a robbery at Carson store, makes 4 arrests

• January 13, 2024

A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy’s trip to a Carson convenience store led to a surprise foiled robbery early Saturday morning, as the deputy discovered a group of suspects in the midst of an apparent hold-up.

As the deputy walked into the store as a customer, he saw two masked men behind the counter, one with a knife and the other holding what appeared to be a firearm, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officials said.

The deputy reportedly drew his gun, radioed for other deputies and took four suspects into custody.

It turned out that one of the men behind the counter had been holding a replica that looked like an actual firearm, authorities said.

The attempted robbery occurred in the early morning hours at a store at the intersection of Victoria Street and Avalon Boulevard.

Surveillance footage obtained by KTLA showed the would-be robbers enter the store and immediately hop over the counter into the area where the clerk was standing.

​ Orange County Register 

Neo is a typical boxer: playful and full of fun

• January 13, 2024

Breed: Boxer

Age: 3 years

Sex: Neutered male

Neo’s story: Unusual for a boxer, sweet Neo has heterochromia, a lack of pigmentation in one eye. That’s why he has one blue and one brown eye. Although often associated with a lack of sight and/or hearing, in Neo’s case heterochromia has no bearing on either – he sees and hears just fine! Other than his eyes, Neo is a typical boxer who loves to play and go on walks.

Adoption cost: The center’s nonprofit arm, Dedicated Animal Welfare Group, is sponsoring Neo’s adoption, so his approved adopter will pay just $20 for his microchip.

Adoption procedure: Application and screening of potential adopters is required to ensure they are the right fit for Neo. Visit him at the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center, 28095 Hillcrest, Mission Viejo; call 949-470-3045; or email ask-shelter@cityofmissionviejo.org. More information on Neo and other dogs in need of homes can be found online.

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​ Orange County Register 

Meet Penny the dachshund, the snuggle queen

• January 13, 2024

Breed: Dachshund mix

Age: 1 year

Sex: Spayed female

Size: 20 pounds

Penny’s story: Penny is happiest when she’s snuggling with a person. Following closely are her beloved walks. She’s playful, always leading the chase and zooming around the yard. But she’s also content to curl up in your officer while you work, waiting for her chance for some cuddling. Penny is house- and crate-trained and willing to learn lots more – just bring some yummy treats and she’s an eager student. Penny gets along with cats and other dog. And did we mention she loves to snuggle?

Adoption cost: $375

Adoption procedure: Complete the required adoption application online or contact I.C.A.R.E. Dog Rescue at rescue@icaredogrescue.org.

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​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Saturday, Jan. 13

• January 13, 2024

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Scores and stats from Orange County games on Saturday, Jan. 13

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

The deadline for submitting information is 10:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday.

SATURDAY’S SCORES

GIRLS WATER POLO

SANTA BARBARA TOC

Orange Lutheran 11, Mater Dei 9

Goals: (OLu) Cohen 2, Kim 2, Umeda 2, Robinson 2, Sloman 2

Saves: Pranajaya (OLu) 14

Other TOC scores

Laguna Beach 14, Oaks Christian 11

TROY WARRIORS WINTER CLASSIC

Mission Viejo 14, San Bernardino 1

Costa Mesa 14, Tesoro 8

JSerra 14, La Serna 6

WOLFPACK TOURNAMENT

Marlborough 9, Buena Park 6

ARLINGTON TOURNAMENT

Woodbridge 11, Ventura 10

OXNARD TOURNAMENT

El Dorado 8, Thousand Oaks 7

El Dorado 9, Rio Mesa 8

​ Orange County Register 

Rams at Detroit Lions: Who has the edge in the NFC wild-card game?

• January 13, 2024

Rams (10-7) at Lions (12-5)

When: 5 p.m. PT Sunday

Where: Ford Field, Detroit

TV/Radio: NBC/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 228, 225

Line: Lions by 3

Notable injury designations

Rams: QUESTIONABLE: S Jordan Fuller (ankle), RG Kevin Dotson (shoulder), TE Tyler Higbee (shoulder), OL Joe Noteboom (foot), NT Bobby Brown III (illness), LB Troy Reeder (knee).

Lions: OUT: WR Kalif Raymond (knee), CB Jerry Jacobs (thigh/knee), LB James Houston (ankle), TE James Mitchell (hand); QUESTIONABLE: TE Sam LaPorta (knee), DE John Cominsky (illness).

What’s at stake? It’s opening weekend of the playoffs: Loser goes home, winner continues on to the divisional round with the dream of a Super Bowl still alive. There are some legacy questions on the line between Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford returning to Detroit and Rams head coach Sean McVay and Lions quarterback Jared Goff facing off three years after Goff was traded from the Rams. But it’s the playoffs. Nothing else matters.

Who’s better? The Rams are entering the playoffs as hot as any team in the league, while the Lions have been one of the most consistent performers in the league, so it’s a pretty even pairing. But the Rams do match up well with the Lions in certain areas. The Rams are fourth in red-zone scoring rate this season (63.64%), while the Lions are 29th in red-zone defense (66.04%). The Rams are fourth in fourth-down conversion rate (61.90%), and the Lions are 27th in fourth-down defense (57.69%). Those two areas could be critical to this game given the Rams’ struggles in the kick game this year.

Matchup to watch: Stafford vs. Goff. No, quarterbacks don’t step foot on the field at the same time. But this is a matchup between quarterbacks traded for each other, and the first playoff showdown between quarterbacks facing their former teams. The outcome will further shape the narrative of a trade that has already changed the fates of both franchises for the better, and will be heavily dissected.

Rams win if: They withstand the noise early in the game and finish the first quarter tied or with a lead to take a little air out of the Detroit crowd. … The Rams’ special teams doesn’t give up any big plays, especially against a Lions team that loves a good fake punt. … The Rams put pressure on Goff and record at least four sacks.

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Fantasy sleeper: RB Kyren Williams. Yes, Williams was the second-highest scorer at running back in half-PPR formats this season, all while missing four games. But the Lions defense is No. 2 in the NFL this season in limiting opponents to 88.8 rushing yards per game this season. The Rams know the run game is a key ingredient in their offense and will likely get creative to find ways to utilize Williams on Sunday.

Prediction: Rams 31, Lions 24. Beat reporter’s record: 10-4 for the season; 8-6 against the spread.

​ Orange County Register 

UCLA men’s basketball vs. Washington: What you need to know

• January 13, 2024

LOS ANGELES — The UCLA men’s basketball team is on a four-game losing streak in Pac-12 play and has lost eight of their last nine games, heading into Sunday’s game against Washington.

The Bruins, who have an all-time 107-43 record against the Huskies, have an eight-game winning streak against Washington, including a 70-61 win at Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 2, 2023.

Here’s what you need to know about the Pac-12 matchup:

UCLA VS. WASHINGTON

When: 4 p.m. Sunday

Where: Pauley Pavilion

TV/Radio: Pac-12 Network/1150 AM

Records: UCLA is 6-10, 1-4 Pac-12, Washington is 10-6, 2-3

UCLA’s latest result: The Bruins are coming off a 90-44 loss at Utah on Thursday, in which they were outscored 57-21 in the second half. Sophomore guard Dylan Andrews led UCLA with 9 points but the Bruins could not stop Utah during their 25-2 run in the second half. Junior guard Lazar Stefanovic and freshman guard Sebastian Mack each had eight points.

“It’s terrible,” Stefanovic said after Thursday’s 46-point loss. “We’re going to watch, we’re going to learn from it. We’ve got to play tougher and rebound the ball, but effort has to be better, it has to be better in every aspect. We can’t let that happen.”

“Nobody feels sorry for them, which I tried to tell them Saturday,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said postgame. “Two straight games we’ve given up 14 offensive rebounds.

“That’s what I told them because that we can control, what we should be able to control, but our mind to your point, one thing affecting the other, our mind is affected, our lack of scoring starts to affect your defense and your rebounding. That’s when you’re in deep trouble and that’s what I was grossly concerned about, knowing how potent this team we were going to play was, knowing that they have a bunch of old guys who can really shoot the ball.”

Washington’s latest result: The Huskies are coming off an 82-67 win at home against Arizona State on Thursday. Washington was led by senior Sahvir Wheeler with 24 points, including 5 of 5 from 3-point range. Junior forward Keion Brooks Jr. finished with 22 points. Senior forward Moses Wood had 15 points and senior center Braxton Meah added a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Matchups to watch: UCLA’s Stefanovic versus Washington’s Brooks, who leads the Huskies with 20.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 43.1% from 3-point range. Stefanovic, who finished with eight points on 30% shooting from the field against his former Utah team, will look to bounce back against a competitive Washington team.

Another pivotal matchup to watch is sophomore forward Adem Bona, who finished with a season-low four points and two rebounds in 18 minutes against Utah, versus Washington’s Wood, a capable forward who is coming off 15 points in the Huskies’ latest win.

“We’ve got no chance if we don’t get Adem playing better,” Cronin said. “I’ve got to get him playing better, starting with his rebounds and then second his scoring.”

UCLA trends to watch: The 46-point loss to Utah was UCLA’s biggest loss since the Bruins were blown out 109-61 at Stanford on Jan. 9, 1997.

The Bruins were outrebounded 50-28 against the Utes, which, paired with shooting 31.5% from the field (17 of 54), caused UCLA to lose their first game by double digits this season.

“My concern is you get into this and it gets more physical, we haven’t met that challenge at all,” Cronin said after Thursday’s blowout loss. “Adem has three rebounds and two rebounds in our last two games.”

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County boys basketball standings: Saturday, Jan. 13

• January 13, 2024

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Standings for the Orange County boys basketball leagues through Friday, Jan. 12.

Trinity League
League
Overall

Mater Dei
4-0
19-1

St. John Bosco
3-1
18-3

JSerra
2-2
17-3

Santa Margarita
2-2
15-6

Orange Lutheran
0-3
8-9

Servite
0-3
9-8

South Coast League
League
Overall

San Clemente
2-0
17-5

Capistrano Valley
1-0
11-10

Trabuco Hills
0-0
15-5

San Juan Hills
0-1
12-8

Tesoro
0-2
9-13

Sea View League
League
Overall

Dana Hills
2-0
17-4

El Toro
2-1
7-14

Aliso Niguel
1-2
16-5

Mission Viejo
0-2
8-13

Surf League
League
Overall

Los Alamitos
2-0
17-4

Fountain Valley
1-1
14-8

Edison
1-1
18-4

Newport Harbor
0-2
18-4

Wave League
League
Overall

Corona del Mar
2-0
19-3

Marina
2-0
16-5

Laguna Beach
0-2
11-11

Huntington Beach
0-2
14-8

Crestview League
League
Overall

Foothill
1-0
14-7

Canyon
1-0
16-4

Villa Park
0-1
11-11

Yorba Linda
0-1
14-7

North Hills League
League
Overall

El Dorado
1-0
13-9

El Modena
0-0
9-11

Esperanza
0-0
7-14

Brea Olinda
0-1
7-12

Freeway League
League
Overall

La Habra
3-0
17-4

Sonora
2-0
15-5

Troy
2-1
13-7

Fullerton
1-1
9-11

Sunny Hills
0-3
12-9

Buena Park
0-3
11-10

Orange Coast League
League
Overall

Costa Mesa
6-1
12-11

Estancia
5-2
17-6

Calvary Chapel
5-2
12-10

St. Margaret’s
3-3
9-8

Santa Ana
2-3
8-10

Orange
1-5
2-18

Saddleback
0-6
5-16

San Joaquin League
League
Overall

Pacifica Christian
2-0
13-8

Orangewood Academy
1-0
8-10

San Gabriel Academy
1-1
9-6

Fairmont Prep
0-1
11-8

Capistrano Valley Christian
0-2
8-10

Empire League
League
Overall

Crean Lutheran
2-0
9-8

Cypress
2-0
14-5

Tustin
2-1
13-8

Pacifica
1-2
14-7

Valencia
0-2
9-11

Kennedy
0-2
8-11

Pacific Coast League
League
Overall

Beckman
3-0
12-9

Northwood
3-0
16-5

Woodbridge
2-1
13-7

Sage Hill
2-1
9-12

Irvine
1-2
10-11

University
1-2
7-13

Portola
0-3
4-17

Laguna Hills
0-3
1-18

Garden Grove League
League
Overall

Los Amigos
3-0
13-6

Santiago
3-0
10-11

Loara
2-1
13-7

Rancho Alamitos
1-2
12-9

Bolsa Grande
0-3
3-11

La Quinta
0-3
3-16

Golden West League
League
Overall

Godinez
4-0
16-6

Segerstrom
2-1
6-13

Westminster
2-1
9-8

Ocean View
2-2
13-9

Katella
1-3
6-13

Garden Grove
0-4
8-14

Orange League
League
Overall

Western
3-0
9-12

Savanna
3-0
10-8

Magnolia
1-1
3-15

Anaheim
1-2
5-15

Santa Ana Valley
0-2
8-9

Century
0-3
12-9

Academy League
League
Overall

Western Christian
2-0
15-6

Tarbut V’ Torah
1-1
8-6

Newport Christian
1-2
5-2

The Webb Schools
0-1
5-8

Western League
League
Overall

Samueli Academy
4-0
12-7

Calvary Chapel/Downey
2-0
6-12

Liberty Christian
1-1
2-2

Vista Meridian
1-3
2-9

Magnolia Science Academy
1-3
2-6

Orange County Christian
0-2
0-2

Express League
League
Overall

Acaciawood
3-0
5-9

Southlands Christian
1-0
3-12

Anaheim Discovery Christian
2-1
4-2

Avalon
0-1
0-14

Eastside Christian
0-2
0-10

Bethel Baptist
0-2
0-2

​ Orange County Register 

Young Rams aren’t just ‘happy to be here’ in the playoffs

• January 13, 2024

THOUSAND OAKS — The common narrative when a young team makes the postseason is that the players are just happy to be there. They aren’t supposed to be here, they’re in the playoffs ahead of schedule, so they’ve already overachieved.

So here the Rams are, in the postseason, ahead of schedule after winning 10 games in a year that was supposed to be about developing and rebuilding. Potentially, happy to be here.

But sitting in the middle of the Rams’ locker room as they’ve prepared to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday in the NFC wild-card round has been the Vince Lombardi Trophy from Super Bowl LVI. Los Angeles Rams 23, Cincinnati Bengals 20 etched into its face.

In front of it, a white piece of paper bearing a handwritten message in black ink: “Why not us!”

“It’s very possible, and it’s on us,” running back Kyren Williams said of the message he receives looking at the trophy. “It’s on everybody who’s on this team that they want to buy in to this postseason and go as far as they want to go, it’s on us. Seeing that trophy every day is a reminder that it is possible and if you keep working, if we keep working as a team, as a unit, we’ll be right where we want to be when it’s time to be there.”

Williams is one of 22 second-year and rookie players who were not around to experience the Rams’ championship run following the 2021 season. After last year’s 5-12 campaign, more than 20% of the Rams’ roster has no playoff experience.

But while the Rams are among the youngest teams in the NFL, let alone the playoffs, a championship core still exists from 2021. Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford, Tyler Higbee, Rob Havenstein, Ernest Jones and others were all key contributors to the Rams’ first championship in Los Angeles.

And by putting that trophy in the locker room, head coach Sean McVay wants the younger players to rely on these veterans and their knowledge as they make their playoff debuts Sunday.

“I think it’s really settling for those guys to be able to say, ‘What is it like?’ There’s nothing like that peer-to-peer advice, perspective,” McVay said. “So there’s examples that are on this team, that have really done a great job modeling the way. And then there’s a lot of young guys that they got a lot of confidence to be able to go cut it loose and play. And that’s what I want to see from our team.”

From Stafford to Donald to Kupp to Havenstein, the advice for young guys has been simple: Stick with what has worked for you this year. Don’t make things bigger than they need to be. But don’t shy away from the stakes.

“My message to the defense yesterday was just, we are playing for something, right? It’s win or go home. You got to play every snap like it’s your last, man,” Donald said. “I feel like since the bye, it’s been playoff ball for us. We couldn’t afford to really lose too many games. So every week, every approach was it’s playoff ball, play it like it’s your last game and I think guys have been doing that. So you let them know what’s on stakes and what type of game this is, the urgency is, but overall football is football. You go out there and play.”

And the Lions, first-time winners of the NFC North, present plenty of problems to diagnose.

Former Rams quarterback Jared Goff now leads the offense with creative coordinator Ben Johnson calling the plays. Toward the end of Goff’s Rams tenure, there were questions of whether he was the type of quarterback who could win if everything around him – from play calling to protection to route running – wasn’t in perfect alignment.

But despite being sixth in the NFL in pressured dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus, Goff was ninth in the NFL in passer rating this season while completing a career-high 67.3% of his passes and throwing for 30 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.

But there are still some vulnerabilities the Rams can try to exploit.

“Jared has been able to display that since he’s been there, the mental toughness, the ability to bring people up,” Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said. “If you can get pressure on him and really bother him and frustrate him a little bit, that gives us a better chance for success.”

On the defensive side for Detroit, second-year defensive end Aidan Hutchinson looms. The Michigan product pressured quarterbacks 101 times this season, according to PFF, and won his matchups against blockers 21.3% of the time.

“I think the biggest thing is the effort mixed with the talent that just pops off the film. He’s got a great feel for the game,” Havenstein said. “Usually young guys are a little bit more robotic but that’s what kind of sets him apart right now.”

But Hutchinson was given little support in pass rush, with the Lions ranking 22nd in the league with a 6.52% sack percentage. The Rams have had success in stopping singular pass rushers – take shutting out Myles Garrett against the Browns this season – and will try to replicate that sort of game plan.

One thing the Rams couldn’t truly replicate, try as they might, at practice this week is the atmosphere waiting for them at Ford Field. The Lions will be hosting their first home playoff game in 30 years, and a city that normally turns up in the worst of times will have something to truly be loud about Sunday.

But the Rams are embracing this, too. During a defensive meeting this week, secondary coach Aubrey Pleasant asked whom everyone’s favorite villain was.

“Mine was Scarface. Couple guys picked The Joker,” Morris said. “But it is a cool thing, man, the playoffs and going into hostile environments and you really love that, right? No better feeling in sports than to go in there and be the Darth Vader.”

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And lest the Rams somehow lose sight of what lies in front of them, a sterling silver reminder was present in the locker room all week.

“It tells me that there’s a lot to fight for,” rookie defensive tackle Kobie Turner said. “We’ve been in the playoffs since we’ve come back off of the bye. It’s never been about just getting there. That’s been our mentality the entire time. We’re excited to just take it one step at a time and go win games. We fully expect to win each game that we play. There’s no consolation prizes. It’s about winning it all.”

Rams (10-7) at Detroit (12-5)

What: NFC wild-card playoff game

When: 5 p.m. Sunday

Where: Ford Field, Detroit

How to watch: NBC Ch. 4

​ Orange County Register