Jayden Daniels’ buzzer-beating Hail Mary TD beats Bears, Caleb Williams

• October 28, 2024

By STEPHEN WHYNO

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Jayden Daniels connected with Noah Brown on a 52-yard Hail Mary as time expired to give the Washington Commanders an 18-15 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Daniels scrambled for several seconds before heaving the ball from the Commanders 35-yard line. It was deflected about 3 yards short of the goal line and fell into the arms of Brown, who was standing alone in the end zone.

Chicago had taken its first lead with 23 seconds left in the game, going ahead 15-12 on a 1-yard TD run by Roschon Johnson after a pass-interference penalty on the Commanders (6-2). The Bears (4-3) had their winning streak snapped at three after falling behind 12-0 and giving up the Daniels-to-Brown play that sent players and fans in the stands into a frenzy.

The unlikely TD was Daniels’ 21st completion on 38 attempts while playing through a rib injury that left his status uncertain until hours before kickoff. In the NFL’s sixth matchup of rookie quarterbacks taken with the top two picks in the draft, Daniels threw for 326 yards and ran for 52.

The unexpected ending ruined a turnaround for No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams from USC, who engineered a late 62-yard scoring drive after starting the game completing just four of his first 16 passes. Williams finished 10 of 24 for 131 yards, and D’Andre Swift ran for a TD as part of his 129-yard performance.

In this often ragged matchup of dynamic rookies, it was Daniels, taken one spot after Williams in the NFL draft, who came out on top.

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​ Orange County Register 

AVP League: Nitro secures first place and a battle remains for championship berth

• October 28, 2024

ANAHEIM — The New York Nitro secured a share of first place in the AVP league after splitting its matches on Sunday. Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes bounced back from a loss on Saturday to beat the Austin Aces’ female pairing.

The Aces men, though, came through with a three-set victory over the Nitro to retain a one-game advantage over the San Diego Smash for the final spot in the Championship.

The Smash were in last place heading into Weekend 7 at the Honda Center, but went 3-1 — their only loss coming in three sets to the Palm Beach Passion women — to keep their postseason hopes alive.

The fight for fourth place between the Smash, Aces and LA Launch will be decided next weekend in Dallas.

Match 1: San Diego Smash vs. Palm Beach Passion (Women)

The Smash built a 14-10 lead in the third set, but dropped four consecutive match points. Melissa Humana-Paredes’s kill tied the score at 14, forcing a win-by-two scenario.

“I think Melissa just made a decision that she was going to take over that game,” Brandie Wilkerson, Paredes’s teammate, said.

That may be true, but it was Wilkerson’s words that gave Paredes the confidence to come through with another kill to set up their own match point.

Just before they went on that run, Paredes looked at Wilkerson and said, “Nothing is working, what do we do?”

“Just ball out,” Wilkerson replied, smoothly.

The next shot from Wilkerson decided the outcome as they beat the Smash (15-10, 12-15, 16-14).

Match 2: San Diego Smash vs. Palm Beach Passion (Men)

Chase Budinger and Miles Evans stayed focused throughout the longest set of the season, outlasting the Palm Beach Passion men 21-19 in the first frame. Tied at 19, Budinger’s shot nestled into the left side of the court. He, then, produced an ace on a soft serve that died in front of Phil Dalhausser’s feet.

The second set wasn’t nearly as long as the Smash jumped out to a 9-3 lead. They held set point at 14-8, when Dalhausser met Budinger at the net, blocking his shot. It was originally called out, but on replay the ball skimmed the line.

“Thankfully, we had a couple-point lead,” Evans said. “We were pretty relaxed out there.”

The Smash regrouped to win the match on the following point. The victory (21-19, 15-10) kept them alive in the race for the fourth spot in the championship.

Match 3: New York Nitro vs. Austin Aces (women)

A smile crept onto Kelly Cheng’s face. She couldn’t erase it if she tried. Not after she had put perfect spin on the ball, nor placed it so precisely. In the second set, Cheng returned an Aces’ hit that traversed the entire court, laying it just inside the opposite boundary from which it came from.

“She’s just unstoppable,” Sara Hughes said about Cheng, her teammate. “It’s one of those feelings where you could just put up anything, and you know she’s gonna hit it.”

Cheng had all the tricks on Sunday. Her shot to win the first set was too quick for Taryn Kloth’s instincts. She had a kill that broke a 9-9 tie in the second set. She followed that up with a shot that landed out of Kristen Nuss’s reach. Another kill from Cheng set up match point, before her ace won the match for the Nitro (15-10, 15-11).

Match 4: New York Nitro vs. Austin Aces (men)

Nitro’s Taylor Sander and Taylor Crabb had the Aces looking silly during the first set. They switched between fastballs and soft lobs, changing serve tactics constantly. Then, for set point, Sander launched a sky-ball, which Paul Lotman returned, but right into Crabb’s block.

“They were firing on all cylinders,” Billy Allen of the Aces, said. “We couldn’t really touch them.”

Matters got worse, it seemed, when Lotman “heard a pop in his knee.” Play stopped for five minutes before Lotman returned.

“I think it helped us in a way,” Lotman said, “like an extended timeout just to kind of center myself.”

The Aces went on to win the third set 15-13, a kill from Lotman sealing it. (7-15, 15-11, 15-13).

Although the Aces’ women’s duo lost to the Nitro, the men’s win means they control their destiny heading into the final weekend of matches.

The Aces won’t face the Smash in Dallas, but if they take care of business in games against the Dallas Dream and the LA Launch, they’ll earn a trip to the Championship, which will be held Nov. 9-10 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson.

​ Orange County Register 

USWNT comes from behind to earn win over Iceland

• October 28, 2024

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lynn Williams and Lindsey Horan scored minutes apart in the second half and the United States rallied to beat Iceland 3-1 on Sunday.

Forward Emma Sears made her debut for the United States as a second-half substitute and scored in stoppage time. She also had an assist, becoming the first player with a goal and an assist in her first national team game.

“We don’t want to lose, we don’t like losing. The U.S. mentality is we’re going to bring it, we’re going to claw, we’re going to fight, we’re going to come back,” Williams said. “So yes we were down, but I believe in us, we all believe in ourselves, and that’s what it takes to win.”

The United States also defeated Iceland 3-1 on Thursday in Austin in the first of the three matches on home soil. The Americans play Argentina on Wednesday in Louisville, Kentucky.

The matches are the first for the United States since the team won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics this past summer.

Karolína Lea Vilhjalmsdottir scored on a corner kick to give Iceland the lead in the 31st minute. U.S. goalkeeper Casey Murphy leaped to get her fingertips on the ball, but it got past her and bounced into the goal after hitting the far post.

It was the first time the United States had trailed in 12 games under coach Emma Hayes.

The Americans had a good chance in the 62nd minute but Iceland goalkeeper Cecilía Ran Runarsdottir dove to push away Horan’s free kick. But Williams broke through in the 72nd minute to tie the game before Horan’s goal 3:45 later.

“It’s honestly hard to find the words right now,” Sears said about her goal to cap the scoring. “This feels super surreal to not only be surrounded by such amazing people but also players that I’ve looked up to for so many years. I super honored to have been invited to this camp and to learn and grow in this environment.”

The United States recognized defender Kelley O’Hara with a halftime ceremony. O’Hara announced earlier this year that she was retiring. Her final professional season with Gotham FC in the National Women’s Soccer League this year was cut short by injury.

The team also honored Mallory Swanson before the game for her 100th appearance for the United States. Her husband, Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, was on hand for the ceremony.

Swanson’s 100th game was the gold-medal match against Brazil at the Olympics. Swanson scored the lone goal in the 1-0 victory.

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Among those missing from the U.S. squad for the three matches was Trinity Rodman, who was recovering from a back injury, and Crystal Dunn, who was absent for a personal commitment.

The U.S. will close out the year with a pair of matches in Europe. They play England at Wembley on Nov. 30 before facing the Netherlands in the Hague on Dec. 3.

​ Orange County Register 

Clippers hold off Warriors to spoil home opener for Golden State

• October 28, 2024

SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry left midway through the fourth quarter with a left ankle injury as Ivica Zubac and the Clippers spoiled the Golden State Warriors’ home opener with a 112-104 win Sunday night.

Zubac had 23 points and 18 rebounds.

Andrew Wiggins scored 29 points with a 3-pointer at the 3:47 mark of the fourth that made it a one-point game, Curry added 18 with six assists but left for good at the 7:55 mark. He tweaked his ankle late in the third then briefly tried to return with 8:08 left in the game before sitting down for good.

James Harden contributed 23 points and 11 assists, making all nine of his free throws for a Clippers team missing Kawhi Leonard as the star forward is sidelined with a right knee injury.

Before introductions and the national anthem, a moment of silence was held for Hall of Famer Al Attles, the former Warriors player, coach, general manager and ambassador who died at his East Bay home on Aug. 20 at age 87. A video tribute showed during a first-quarter timeout.

The Clippers forced 21 Warriors turnovers leading to 21 points but also committed 18.

For the Warriors, Buddy Hield went 3 for 14 — 1 of 9 from 3-point range — for eight points coming off the bench in his home debut for Golden State.

The Clippers return home to host Portland on Wednesday, kicking off a five-game homestand.

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​ Orange County Register 

Endorsement: Tanner Douthit for Tustin City Council

• October 28, 2024

Voters in Tustin’s District 1 have their pick of two candidates to represent them on the City Council.

Candidate Lee Fink recently made headlines after a disturbing video was released showing Fink swearing at and shoving a man during a home tour without provocation. We believe his conduct is disqualifying. Anyone willing to physically bully someone should not be trusted with political power.

By contrast, Tanner Douthit, a local businessman who serves as a member of the planning commission, is a thoughtful and serious candidate. His priorities are straightforward: support public safety, streamline the development process and cleaning up city streets and parks.

“I’d like to streamline our processes to make it fast, easy and affordable for new businesses to come to Tustin,” he explains. “I want to plant a flag that tells the world, Tustin is open for business by cutting business fees and promoting our Tustin businesses for Southern California and the world to see.”

With his planning commission experience in his back pocket, he is well-suited to help promote housing construction. “Our city does not have enough housing,” he argues. “During my tenure on the planning commission, we have been strategic in adding to our housing inventory while maintaining the character of what makes Tustin great.”

He opposes rent control, has vowed not to raise sales taxes in the city and he will be reliable voice for fiscal responsibility on the council.

It’s an easy decision: Elect Tanner Douthit to the Tustin City Council.

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​ Orange County Register 

Chargers grind out win over Saints, handing them 6th straight loss

• October 28, 2024

INGLEWOOD — The Chargers ended not one but two touchdown droughts, their defense limited the New Orleans Saints to two field goals and they seized a 26-8 victory Sunday at SoFi Stadium. It was a grinding, unspectacular victory, but it sent the reeling Saints to their sixth consecutive defeat.

The Chargers improved to 4-3; the Saints fell to 2-6.

Wide receiver Ladd McConkey’s 60-yard catch and run through the Saints’ secondary for a touchdown was the Chargers’ first second-half TD since their season-opening victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 8. It also gave them a 16-5 lead with 8:48 remaining in the third quarter.

What’s more, it was quarterback Justin Herbert’s first touchdown pass since connecting with running back Kimani Vidal on a 38-yard catch and run during the Chargers’ 23-16 victory Oct. 13 over the Denver Broncos. Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals in a 17-15 loss last Monday night to the Arizona Cardinals.

Dicker kicked two field goals Sunday.

Herbert also threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to McConkey in the closing minutes. Herbert completed 20 of 32 passes for 279 yards and also ran four times for 49 yards. McConkey caught six passes for 111 yards, becoming the first Chargers rookie with 100 yards or more receiving since Keenan Allen in the 2013 season.

The Chargers led the Saints by 9-5 by halftime, an usual score befitting an unusual first half. The Chargers were victimized by some uncharacteristic special teams foul-ups. A bad snap from punt formation resulted in a safety and a 2-0 deficit. A missed extra point resulted in nine first-half points instead of 10.

The good news for the Chargers was that they scored their first touchdown since the second quarter of their victory over the Broncos in Week 6. They went seven quarters without a touchdown until J.K. Dobbins scored on a 1-yard run with 1:37 left in the first half against the Saints.

Dicker gave the Chargers a 3-2 lead with a 46-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter. Josh Harris’ poor snap left punter JK Scott chasing after the ball in the end zone. Scott tried to control the ball, but it squirted out of the end zone for a safety for the Saints with 10:20 left in the first quarter.

The Chargers struggled to move the ball in the early going, but finally clicked with a 15-play, 90-yard drive that lasted 8:07 and produced Dobbins’ touchdown run in the closing minutes of the half. Dicker missed the extra point, however, his second miss in 68 career attempts, both coming this season.

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The Saints drove for Blake Grupe’s 40-yard field goal to cut it to 9-5 with five seconds remaining in the half, prompting the clever game operations department to play Dolly Parton’s timeless classic song “9 to 5” on the SoFi Stadium sound system as the teams prepared for the ensuing kickoff.

Saints quarterback Derek Carr couldn’t play because of an oblique injury, so Spencer Rattler got his third consecutive start. Rattler failed to move the offense, so New Orleans turned to Jake Haener, who led a late drive in the third quarter that yielded Grupe’s 43-yard field goal that cut it to 16-8.

Dicker’s 29-yard field goal early in the fourth made it 19-8.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

In Orange County, voting is underway. Here’s how to cast your ballot

• October 28, 2024

Vote centers are now open around Orange County.

Voters, at these locations, can cast their ballot and find other voting-related help, including registration assistance, obtaining a replacement ballot and more.

There are 38 vote centers scattered around the county that are now open, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, Nov. 1.

Another 146 vote centers will open on Saturday, Nov. 2. Then, all vote centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Election Day, when they’ll be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

More than 100 drop box locations, open 24/7, are already open throughout the county.

Various pop-up locations, offering similar services to vote centers, will start opening around the county from now until Election Day. Find one close to you at ocvote.com/pop-up.

Ballots can also be mailed back to elections officials to be counted — no postage required.

If you have questions about what — or who — is on your ballot, check out our 2024 Voter Guide, a one-stop shop where you can find candidates’ platforms, explainers on statewide and local ballot measures, a map showing the nearest ballot drop boxes, our editorial board’s endorsements and more.

Candidates — from the U.S. Senate to Congress, from city councils to school boards, and more — have answered your questions about a variety of topics, ranging from the future of artificial intelligence to border security to meeting housing needs to how schools can contribute to efforts combatting climate change.

You can find the full list of vote centers on the registrar’s website, where you can also find wait times. You can also find a map of places to cast your ballot, including drop boxes, here.

​ Orange County Register 

Solana Beach horse owners have up-close view of this week’s Breeders’ Cup

• October 28, 2024

DEL MAR — If racing close to home mattered, Johannes would have an unbeatable advantage in Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar. The 4-year-old colt’s owners, Debby and Joe McCloskey, live just across Via de la Valle from the racetrack.

But that’s not the unique part of the McCloskeys’ story. They’re not the first, or even the only current owners to live in the vicinity of the track.

What’s unique is Johannes is the first foal of the first horse the McCloskeys bought — at a time when they said they knew “less than zero” about the sport.

Now he’s one of the favorites in one of the biggest races of the year … at the track so close to home that, Joe McCloskey jokes, they can smell the horses.

Back to the beginning: The couple moved to Solana Beach just over a decade ago. They weren’t horse racing fans, but they lived right there, so they almost felt obliged to check out the races. They met some people who owned some of the horses and thought, why not?

They budgeted $50,000 to buy a yearling — in a sport where some horses go for 10, 20, even 40 times that amount — and they didn’t really know what they were looking for except Debby dreamed that their horse should have a heart marking. After missing out on a couple because the price was too high, another one they picked out had the bidding stop at exactly $50,000.

They named her Cuyathy — an acronym for “Call upon your angels to help you.”

It sure seems like someone was watching out for them.

As a racehorse, Cuyathy was nothing special. She won three races in four years, earned just over $100,000. But her second career has been a different story.

The McCloskeys, who have been married 46 years and have one daughter, were not content to gamble on owning horses, which people not involved in racing told them was a bad idea. They wanted to breed them, too — and as Joe said, “Track people were saying you’re even dumber if you get into breeding horses.”

“I said, Well, let’s give it a shot, because we really like Cuyathy, and she’s our namesake horse (their stable is Cuyathy LLC) so we’re not going to get rid of her,” said Joe, a retired businessman who worked mainly in the meat processing business. “We’ll give it one more shot. We’ll turn the page and see what happens.”

Cuyathy’s Johannes and jockey Umberto Rispoli, center, win the Grade II $200,000 City of Hope Mile.. (Benoit Photo via AP)

What happened was Johannes.

The McCloskeys paid a $40,000 fee to breed Cuyathy to Nyquist. Why Nyquist? Well, he did win the 2016 Kentucky Derby, but the year prior, the couple met him while visiting the barn area at Del Mar, when some of their family members were visiting from … Detroit, where the McCloskeys grew up and where Gustav Nyquist played for the NHL Red Wings.

Cuyathy’s baby was born on Feb. 16, 2020. The colt raced three times on the dirt in 2022 with no success, but on the last day of the year, trainer Tim Yakteen tried him on turf at Santa Anita.

He won by nine lengths.

He hasn’t raced off the turf in seven starts since, and he’s won six (and might have won the seventh if it wasn’t for a troubled trip). This year he is 4-for-4, with all the victories coming in graded stakes races, including the Grade I Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita and the Grade II Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar. He’s earned $510,000 to raise his career total to just shy of $700,000 — an amount that would more than double should he win Saturday (the Mile champion earns $1.04 million).

It hasn’t all been smooth — Johannes didn’t race from May 2023 until this April because of bone bruising — but the McCloskeys’ “glacial patience,” to use Joe’s term, paid off.

More patience is needed this week. As Joe said: “Even to this day, people go, ‘This is great. This is great.’ And they’ll tell me, ‘What do you think?’ And I say, ‘I’ll let you know when the gates open and the horse comes out that I was in the Breeders’ Cup. Until that time, I’m not in the Breeders’ Cup.’ ”

Owner Joe McCloskey celebrates after Johannes and jockey Umberto Rispoli won the Sept. 28 Grade II $200,000 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita. (Benoit Photo)

There’s an outside chance Johannes won’t be their only Breeders’ Cup runner. Among their four horses in training is Sea Runner, another daughter of Cuyathy (by Gun Runner), who recently broke her maiden at Santa Anita. But she would need two other horses to withdraw to make the field for Friday’s Juvenile Fillies Turf.

It all sounds a bit like a dream, but that’s not entirely accurate. As Joe said, “Everything’s more than I would have dreamed at this point.”

Debby McCloskey said she’s feeling “excited nervousness” as the big event approaches.

Debby and Joe McCloskey live across Via de la Valle from Del Mar. (Benoit Photo)

“Seeing Johannes develop over these past four years makes us very proud,” she said. “It’s been a very long journey to get to this point. We have had a lot of ups and downs in this business, but having a horse that we bred running in the Breeders’ Cup makes it all worthwhile. We definitely thank our angels who got us here.”

As part of their gratitude, the McCloskeys are strong supporters of two racing-related charities, Laughing Pony Rescue in Rancho Santa Fe and the Race Track Chaplaincy of California.

“I think there has to be a balance between what you’re creating on the front side of horse racing and what you need to do on the backside,” Joe McCloskey said. “Balance is key, and that’s one way we do it.”

​ Orange County Register