After 20 years at the top of chess, Magnus Carlsen is making his next move

• October 26, 2024

By MARK LEWIS

STAVANGER, Norway (AP) — Few chess players enjoy Magnus Carlsen’s celebrity status.

A grand master at 13, refusing to play an American dogged by allegations of cheating, and venturing into the world of online chess gaming all made Norway’s Carlsen a household name.

Few chess players have produced the magical commodity that separates Norway’s Magnus Carlsen from any of his peers: celebrity.

Only legends like Russia’s Garry Kasparov and American Bobby Fischer can match his name recognition and Carlsen is arguably an even more dominant player. Last month, he beat both men to be named the International Chess Federation’s greatest ever.

But his motivation to rack up professional titles is on the wane. Carlsen, 33, now wants to leverage his fame to help turn the game he loves into a spectator sport.

“I am in a different stage in my career,” he told The Associated Press. “I am not as ambitious when it comes to professional chess. I still want to play, but I don’t necessarily have that hunger. I play for the love of the game.”

FILE – Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, left, of SG Alpine Warriors plays against Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Chingari Gulf Titans during Global Chess League in Dubai United Arab Emirates, on July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)

Offering a new way to interact with the game, Carlsen on Friday launched his application, Take Take Take, which will follow live games and players, explaining matches in an accessible way that, Carlsen says, is sometimes missing from streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch. “It will be a chiller vibe,” he says.

Carlsen intends to use his experience to provide recaps and analysis on his new app, starting with November’s World Chess Championship tournament between China’s Ding Liren and India’s Gukesh Dommaraju. He won’t be competing himself because he voluntarily ceded the title in 2023.

Carlsen is no novice when it comes to chess apps. The Play Magnus game, which he started in 2014, gave online users the chance to play against a chess engine modeled against his own gameplay. The company ballooned into a suite of applications and was bought for around $80 million in 2022 by Chess.com, the world’s largest chess website.

Carlsen and Mats Andre Kristiansen, the chief executive of his company, Fantasy Chess, are betting that a chess game where users can follow individual players and pieces, filters for explaining different elements of each game, and light touch analysis will scoop up causal viewers put off by chess’s sometimes rarefied air. The free app was launched in a bid to build the user base ahead of trying to monetizing it. “That will come later, maybe with advertisements or deeper analysis,” says Kristiansen.

While Take Take Take offers a different prospect with its streaming services, it is still being launched into a crowded market with Chess.com, which has more than 100 million users, YouTube, Twitch, and the website of FIDE the International Chess Federation. World Chess was worth around $54 million when it got listed on the London Stock Exchange.

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The accessibility of chess engines that can beat any human means cheating has never been easier. However, they can still be used to shortcut thousands of hours of book-bound research, and hone skills that would be impossible against human opponents.

“I think the games today are of higher quality because preparation is becoming deeper and deeper and artificial intelligence is helping us play. It is reshaping the way we evaluate the games,” especially for the new generation of players, says Carlsen.

At the same time, he admits that two decades after becoming a grand master, his mind doesn’t quite compute at the tornado speed it once did. “Most people have less energy when they get older. The brain gets slower. I have already felt that for a few years. The younger players’ processing power is just faster.”

Even so, he intends to be the world’s best for many years to come.

“My mind is a bit slower, and I maybe don’t have as much energy. But chess is about the coming together of energy, computing power and experience. I am still closer to my peak than decline,” he said.

Chess has been cresting a popularity wave begun by Carlsen himself.

He became the world’s top-ranked player in 2011. In 2013, he won the first of his five World Championships. In 2014, he achieved the highest-ever chess rating of 2882, and he has remained the undisputed world number one for the last 13 years.

Off the table, chess influencers, like the world No. 2, Hikaru Nakamura, are using social media to bring the game to a wider audience. The Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit” burnished chess’ unlikely cerebral sex appeal when it became one of the streamer’s biggest hits in 2020.

And in 2022 Carlsen’s refusal to play against Hans Niemann, an American grand master, who admitted to using technology to cheat in online games in the past, created a rare edge in the usually sedate world of chess. There is no evidence Niemann ever cheated in live games but the feud between the pair propelled the game even further into public consciousness.

Whether chess can continue to grow without the full professional participation of its biggest celebrity remains to be seen.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange and black — and pink and purple. Some twists for creative Halloween parties

• October 26, 2024

By KIM COOK

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers,” says the heroine in L.M. Montgomery’s book “Anne of Green Gables.”

All we autumn aficionados feel the same, right? The season usually takes its star turn in October, with peak leaves, sweater-worthy days, and the heady aromas of spice, apples, pumpkin and woodfire.

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And for many people, stirring Halloween into that mix just makes it yummier.

Throwing your own Halloween party is a great outlet for getting creative with the season, and it doesn’t have to be all monsters and mayhem (though that’s fun). There are themes that bring a party mood and style to the table and the room, while still evoking Halloween’s mystery.

You don’t need to go all out on a home full of décor. I do a simple mantelscape in my living room that’s just a few décor pieces in autumn colors, a string of festive lights and a banner with a seasonal message. The vibe’s just enough Halloween for me, and when it’s over I can easily edit the elements for Thanksgiving.

Some party and decor trends:

Whimsigoth and pinkowe’en

Claire Brito, House Beautiful’s social media editor, says she’s seeing people leaning into a flirtier, more feminine interpretation of the darker goth aesthetic.

It’s a nod to pop culture’s TV witches of the ’90s — Buffy, Sabrina, et al — and to the lifestyle vibe of cottagecore with its boho, natural, nostalgic vibe. Brought together, you’ve got “whimsigoth.” The look leans into moody purples and dusty pinks as well as vintage florals and plaids.

This photo provided by Olive & Cocoa shows a pink skeleton in an entryway. ‘Whimsigoth’, and ‘pinkowe’en’ are two of this year’s hot Halloween holiday décor trends. (Olive & Cocoa via AP)

Another seasonal decor look with a goofy nickname: Say boo! to decor’s “pinkowe’en.”

Brito says it echoes the trends of biophilia and the Year of Pink, with blush-toned pumpkins, lacy tableware and mismatched glassware. Adding indoor plants inside Mason jars and making stacks of books will create an “old greenhouse” and “romantic library” mood – both ideal for a Halloween gathering.

Macabre mysteries

House Beautiful’s deputy managing editor, Olivia Hosken, likes a good old-fashioned murder mystery, and recommends games that get everyone teamed up.

Masters of Mystery’s game kits set the crime in different eras and environments — among them, the Wild West, Broadway, a palace, a pirate ship and the 1920s. There are also mysteries themed around “Bridgerton,” “Rocky Horror,” James Bond or outer space.

The game maker suggests how to set the scene for your murder mystery, including décor, menus, music and costumes.

For the Roaring Twenties, for instance, use a black-and-gold color scheme, with cocktail glasses filled with gold beads, strands of pearls, and black feathers for decorative elements. Era-popular deviled eggs, shrimp cocktail and icebox cake could be on the menu.

Victorian vibes

Author Lesley Bannatyne, who writes often about Halloween, says it was the Victorians who began turning Halloween into a celebration. Jack-o’-lanterns on porches, blazing community bonfires, and doors hung with cornhusks and apples welcomed guests to the party.

Queen Victoria’s obsession with the supernatural fed a fascination with mystics and fortune tellers.

This image provided by Joni Cohen shows a white Capiz skull and pumpkins handmade using pearl shells. East Coast designer Joanna Buchanan suggests creating ‘a dark and stormy table by candlelight.’ (John Bessler/Joni Cohen via AP)

Try creating a 19th century look for your Halloween party. Think tarot cards, palmistry, astrology and astronomy art; glass jars filled with curiosities like toy critters, paper butterflies, silk flowers; black or gold painted twigs; cobwebs made of chunky yarn or cheesecloth.

Get the family candlesticks out, and set them with black taper candles.

“Light them an hour before the party starts, so they’re extra drippy,” Hosken says.

Add dark purple or deep red flowers, and Spanish moss. When the party’s over, most of these items can be repurposed.

Toasting time

Some bottles ideal for the Halloween party table:

19 Crimes is an Aussie brand named for the number of crimes it took for 18th century British convicts to be shipped off to Australia. The wines are named after colorful real-life rebels, with vintage photos on the labels. Scan the QR code on the back of the bottle to watch an augmented reality clip of the character’s story.

This photo provided by The Prisoner Wine Company shows a bottle from their ‘Unshackled’ line of reds and roses, with metallic labels evoking a vintage combination lock. (Prisoner Wine Co via AP)

And California’s The Prisoner Wine Company has released an “Unshackled” line of reds and rose, with metallic labels evoking a vintage combination lock.

New York-based writer Kim Cook covers design and decor topics regularly for The Associated Press. Follow her on Instagram at @kimcookhome.

​ Orange County Register 

‘I probably wouldn’t even be here.’ At 28, she learned she had breast cancer. Then came the biggest decisions of her life

• October 26, 2024

When 28-year-old Candace Frederick felt a bump under her armpit, she thought it was an ingrown hair.

Not long after, though, a bit of blood discharged from her nipple.

Frederick didn’t know what to make of her experiences, but she knew something wasn’t right.

She arrived at an imaging center to get a mammogram, but the staff told her that because she was so young, they would give her an ultrasound.

“They said if we see anything, then you will get a mammogram,” she said. “And then they called me back in to do a mammogram.”

From the ultrasound, mammogram, and eventual biopsy, Frederick learned she had calcifications on one side and a tumor on the other. She received a dual diagnosis: Stage 3, invasive cancer, in one breast and Stage 0, an early form of cancer, in the other. An oncologist came up with a treatment plan: the removal of her lump and some radiation.

But then, something happened that changed everything: Frederick underwent genetic testing.

Cancer survivor Candace Frederick, right, dances at her remission party in her Miramar, Florida, backyard on Saturday. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

The role of genetic testing

Genetic testing is done with blood, saliva, or cheek swabs and analyzes a person’s DNA for gene mutations that increase the risk of developing diseases. The past decade has seen a rapid expansion of genetic tests that also inform patients about their risk of breast cancer and recurrence and guide their treatment. Anyone over 18, especially someone with a family history of breast cancer, is eligible. Newer panel genetic tests now look at a dozen or more genes, including seven mutations with risk factors for breast cancer.

“It’s a simple test, but the results can alter someone’s life plan,” said Memorial Regional Healthcare geneticist Tammy Adar.

Frederick had a family history of breast cancer on her father’s side. Her test results revealed she is one of 400 people with a BRCA1/BRCA2 gene mutation. Usually, BRCA genes prevent breast cancer by helping to repair DNA breaks that can lead to cancer and tumor growth. When those genes don’t work correctly, it is called a mutation. People with BRCA mutations carry a higher risk of getting breast cancer.

Having a BRCA gene mutation has various implications:

You are more likely to develop breast cancer and more likely to develop cancer at a younger age.
You are more likely to develop cancer in the opposite breast in the future.
You are at risk of developing ovarian cancer as well.

Gene mutations can be passed onto and through men and women, Adar said. If a man has a BRCA mutation, he becomes more at risk for pancreatic, breast and prostate cancer. Adar said that genetic information can help guide screenings and treatment.

Facing big decisions

After receiving her results, Frederick needed to make some choices that would affect everything from her treatment plan to her timeline to have children, to whether to do genetic testing of her future embryo, to which family members should get tested.

With a cancer diagnosis and the knowledge she had a BRCA mutation, the 28-year-old revised her treatment plan, opting for chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and then radiation. She also needed to consider family planning. The gene mutation puts her at a higher risk for ovarian cancer, so she needs to consider future surgery. Frederick had been in a one-year relationship and faced decisions on her fertility timeline.

“For someone with the BRCA mutation, it’s recommended to have your ovaries and fallopian tubes removed between ages 40 and 45,” Adar said.  “There are no good screening tools for ovarian cancer, and it usually arrives in the fallopian tubes.”

Frederick wants to have a family before that type of surgery and recognizes the childbirth process for her is more complicated and the timeline shorter. She takes three hormone therapy pills daily to prevent cancer recurrence and gets a monthly shot.

“I know I will have to stop my medication regimen that I am on and coordinate with my oncologist, fertility specialist and my gynecologist. We all have to coordinate to figure out how to make a baby,” she said.

Another complication may force choices, too. She has a 50% chance of passing the BRCA gene mutation to her children. If Frederick’s spouse or partner also has a BRCA mutation, their children have a higher chance of a genetic disorder called Fanconi anaemia. This can lead to shorter growth, a smaller head, and underdeveloped thumbs. It also puts the child at higher risk for early childhood cancers.

Again, she would have to make decisions.

“She could use IVF and have the embryos checked for a gene mutation,” Adar explained. “An embryo that does not have the gene mutation could be transferred to the womb, and the pregnancy continues as usual.”

Candace Frederick had shirts made for the guests at her remission party. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Should everyone do genetic testing?

Adar says everyone should learn their family medical history. “Filling in gaps in knowledge can be critical,” she said.

If someone’s family history reveals cancer in first-degree relatives, it could be a reason to get genetic testing.  As a genetic counselor, Adar uses test results to guide patients on whether to notify other family members to pursue genetic testing, too.

Frederick says she has become passionate about urging others to listen to their instincts about their health.

Her primary care doctor had put her on a long wait list for an appointment, so she had asked her gynecologist to order her first mammogram.

“By the time it was caught, it was already stage three for me, and so if I waited until when I could get into my primary care doctor, what would my life have been like?” she said. “I probably wouldn’t even be here because the cancer had already spread so fast.”

Now, at 30, Frederick celebrated a year of remission by throwing herself a party. A behavioral health therapist, she credits her mental strength as the biggest contributor to her survivorship, even as the youngest patient in waiting rooms for her breast cancer treatment.

Her message to others is, “Don’t take no for an answer. Don’t let your age be why you don’t get your screening. Really advocate for yourself.”

​ Orange County Register 

Switching jobs? There’s more to do with your 401(k) than just rolling it over

• October 26, 2024

By STAN CHOE

Job hopping is one of the best ways workers have to increase their pay, and a surprisingly solid job market means they still have opportunities. That’s great news for workers, but remember: Make sure you’re setting aside as much into your new 401(k) plan as your old one.

When a worker moves to a new job, they have to take the extra step of signing up for their new employer’s 401(k) plan and deciding how much of their paycheck to contribute. Otherwise, if they’re lucky, they’ll end up getting automatically enrolled into the plan and contributing whatever the employer decided as the default percentage of pay.

At nearly half of the 401(k) plans with automatic enrollment that Vanguard keeps records for, that default is 3% or 4%.

For first-time workers just starting their careers, that kind of contribution might make some sense, even if the rule of thumb is to save 10% to 15% of your pay. Many 401(k) plans will also automatically increase that savings percentage by 1 percentage point per year.

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But for a worker in the 10th or 20th year of their career, that could mean they’re suddenly contributing just 3% or 4% of their pay instead of the 15% they had been in their prior job. Even worse, for workers whose new jobs don’t automatically enroll them in the retirement savings plan, they could see their contributions drop all the way to zero unless they sign up.

The total hit to a worker’s nest egg could amount to $300,000. That’s according to a recent study by Vanguard, which estimated what a retirement savings slowdown could mean for a worker earning $60,000 at the start of their career who switched jobs eight times across employers. That’s enough to fund an estimated six additional years of spending in retirement.

The Vanguard researchers found that the typical U.S. worker has nine employers over the course of their career. Each switch sees a median 10% increase in pay but a drop of 0.7 percentage point in their retirement saving rate.

“The current design of many 401(k) plans does not account for repeated job switches,” the researchers wrote in their report.

How many people is this affecting? A little more than 3 million U.S. workers quit their jobs during August, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. government. Those are generally workers who wanted to leave their employer, and a big number is seen as a sign that workers are feeling comfortable enough to switch to another job.

It’s been trending down since hitting a peak above 4.5 million two years ago, but it remains well above its bottom of 2 million reached during the pandemic. The next update on how many U.S. workers are quitting their jobs will arrive on Tuesday.

A little more than half of all U.S. households have a 401(k) or similar plan or an individual retirement account, as of 2022, according to Congressional Research Service.

​ Orange County Register 

Newport Harbor among four O.C. teams seeded first for CIF-SS boys water polo playoffs

• October 26, 2024

Newport Harbor’s undefeated boys water polo team is seeded first in a new-look Open Division for the CIF-SS playoffs.

The Sailors (27-0) top a 12-team Open Division that features four, three-team pools. The winners of each pool advance to the semifinals.

The 12-team field in the Open Division represents four more entries than the previous Open playoffs, which followed a bracket-style tournament.

The Open Division debuted in 2021. The previous eight-team size followed the Division 1 format that had shifted to eight teams in 2017.

The changes arrives in the first year that the section used the Massey power ratings to help construct the brackets.

The larger field in the Open grabbed most of the top teams in Orange County: defending champion and No. 2 seed JSerra (23-3), Corona del Mar (23-5), Mater Dei (17-8), Santa Margarita (16-8), Foothill (19-8) and San Clemente (20-7).

All the county teams were ranked in the top-11 in the final Massey ratings.

The Open Division begins on Tuesday.

Westlake and Long Beach Wilson fell just outside the top-12 and claimed the top-two seeds in Division 1. San Juan Hills (19-7) is seeded fourth.

Division 1 begins on Thursday.

One of the top matches pits Laguna Beach against Los Alamitos.

Three other O.C. teams earned top seeds. Trabuco Hills (Division 3), Santa Ana (Division 4) and Garden Grove (Division 5) are seeded No. 1 in their respective divisions.

Divisions 1-6 feature bracket play. All the section finals will be played at Mt. SAC in Walnut on Nov. 16.

The Open Division semifinals are Nov. 9. The semifinals in the other divisions will be Nov. 12.

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​ Orange County Register 

OCVarsity football wrap-up: Friday’s stories, scores, photos and more from Week 9

• October 26, 2024

This is the place to find all of OCVarsity’s coverage of the Week 9 high school football games Friday, Oct. 25.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

SCORES

High school football: All of the scores from Friday’s Week 9 games

PHOTOS & VIDEO

High school football: Top photos from Friday’s biggest games, Oct. 25

Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco video recap, highlights, scores from Friday’s games

GAME STORIES

Mater Dei football shows its strength with dominate victory over St. John Bosco

Fryer: Mater Dei’s fast, physical defense a difference-maker in win over St. John Bosco

Mission Viejo football stays motivated, rolls to win over Edison

Strong all-around effort carries Orange Lutheran football to victory over Servite

Laguna Beach football makes stunning comeback to beat Dana Hills

Brea Olinda football clinches share of Kappa League title with win over Segerstrom

Anaheim football makes big plays to beat Bolsa Grande, earn share of league title

THURSDAY’S GAMES

High school football: Scores from Thursday’s Week 9 games

San Juan Hills football stays unbeaten in Bravo League with big win over Villa Park

Los Alamitos football blocks PAT in final seconds to secure victory over San Clemente

JSerra football stops Santa Margarita in final seconds for first Trinity League win

Troy football claims share of Iota League title with victory over Irvine

Did you see this?

Fryer: Division 1 championship football game deserves better location

Woodbridge football coach Aaron Craver suspended for remainder of season after game isn’t completed

Orange County football season stat leaders through Oct. 19

Orange County football Top 25: Edison and La Habra ascend in Week 9 poll

Dan Albano’s Orange County football Top 35 rankings, Oct. 23

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​ Orange County Register 

Fryer: Mater Dei’s fast, physical defense a difference-maker in win over St. John Bosco

• October 26, 2024

SANTA ANA – It did not take long for Mater Dei’s defense to make its mark in Friday night’s game with St. John Bosco.

On the game’s third play, St. John Bosco’s Daniel Odom caught a pass and one step later Mater Dei strong safety CJ Lavender blasted into Odom, causing a fumble recovered by Monarchs cornerback Daryus Dixson who made a short return to the St. John Bosco 35-yard line.

Mater Dei’s first play from there: a touchdown pass from Monarchs quarterback Dash Beierly to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for a touchdown.

The Monarchs never trailed from there on the way to a 59-14 win.

That Monarchs defense created three turnovers that led to 22 points for Mater Dei … all in the first 16 minutes of the game.

Lavender made an interception that led to Beierly’s 40-yard touchdown run. Aaryn Washington returned an interception 45 yards for a Mater Dei touchdown that spread the Monarchs lead to 31-0.

Mater Dei is No. 1 in most of the national rankings, including those for MaxPreps, which this week also had St. John Bosco at No. 2 in the nation.

Nasir Wyatt #31 of Mater Dei causes Koa Malau’ulu #12 of St. John Bosco to fumble in the second half on Oct. 25, 2024 in Santa Anna CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

A major reason the Monarchs are No. 1 is their defense that has college-bound players plugged into just about every position.

Dominic Sesay is in his first season as Mater Dei’s defensive coordinator. He was a defensive backs coach last season under then-head coach Frank McManus.

Sesay’s predecessor at defensive coordinator was Eric Johnson, who held the position for many years, most of them under Monarchs former head coach Bruce Rollinson and last year McManus. Johnson had long planned for either 2023 to be his final season with Mater Dei, and then Marina head coach Charlie TeGantvoort talked Johnson into working as defensive coordinator this season at Marina.

Sesay, 29 years old and also an assistant coach at Golden West College, likes the assortment of top-grade tools in the Mater Dei tool box.

“We talk about ‘FBI’ which means ‘Football Intelligence.’” said Sesay who played at Gahr High in Cerritos, at Golden West and at Colorado State-Pueblo. “There are a lot of new schemes, and these guys have been open to the new things. They know we’re going to coach them up and they know we’re going to play fast.”

Monarchs junior linebacker Shaun Scott said speed is the group’s chief asset.

“We run and we hit,” Scott said. “We play fast, we play physical. We’re just an all-around great defense.”

The Monarchs were ready to play fast and play physical Friday.

“We had a great week of preparation,” Scott said. “We just read our keys and our keys took us to the plays every time.”

One of the changes Sesay brought to the defense is how junior nose tackle Tomu Topui is used. Topui (6-3, 315) said last year his role mostly was to tie up two blockers to allow linebackers to, as he said, “run wild.”

That worked fine. Mater Dei won CIF Southern Section and CIF State championships last year.

Daryus Dixson #8 of Mater Dei recovers a fumble in the first half of a game against St. John Bosco on Oct. 25, 2024 in Santa Anna CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Now Topui lines up where there is an opening, a chance for him to meet a running back at the point of attack or for Topui to pressure the quarterback or get his hands up on a pass attempt.

“This new gap scheme has me lining up in the gap,” Topui said. “It makes the offense give me a one-on-one against an offensive lineman. I’m still comfortable being in a two-on-one, but if it’s one-on-one then it’s over with.”

The defensive guys even got involved in the offense. Defensive lineman Semi Taulanga (5-11, either 335 or 300 pounds depending on where you look) caught a short pass from Beierly for the Monarchs’ final touchdown of the first half that ended with Mater Dei ahead by the ridiculous score of 45-0.

Taulanga,who sometimes goes on offense to line up outside in a short-yardage situation, was asked to recall the last time he scored in a football game.

“Youth football,” he said. “Eight years old? Nine? Ten?”

The touchdown pass to Taulanga was not a designed play.

“I didn’t think Dash was going to throw the ball to me,” he said. “When I saw the it in the air I said ‘I gotta grab it.’”

The 59-14 win was the biggest margin of victory for Mater Dei against St. John Bosco. There was a 41-7 win over Bosco in 2000, but this one surpassed that.

And this Monarchs defense had much to do with that. Mater Dei forced two fumbles, both recovered by Mater Dei, and had the two interceptions.

“It all comes from being relentless and fast,” Sesay said. “We want to be an opportunistic defense.”

That they were.

NOTES

The difference in the time of possession was striking. Mater Dei had the ball for 30 minutes and 11 seconds. St. John Bosco’s offense had the ball for 17:49. …

Mater Dei went into the game averaging 107 yards in penalties a game. The Monarchs were flagged 12 times Friday for 132 yards. As usual, the penalty yardage did no damage to the result. …

Maybe Mater Dei’s best offensive play came early in the third quarter. With the Monarchs at their 16-yard line, Beierly dropped back, squeezed out of one tackle attempt and with another defender’s arms around his waist the quarterback flicked a pass to Marcus Harris for 12 yards and a Mater Dei first down. …

Estimated attendance: 8,000. Santa Ana Stadium capacity is 9,000, so 8,000 is good for a game that was televised live on the Fan Duel channel (that used to be Bally Sports channel). The St. John Bosco half of the stadium was not as populated when the third quarter started, and the score 45-7, compared to when the game began. …

Friday’s results had significant effect on the Calpreps.com ratings that will determine the CIF-SS playoff divisions and the seedings for each division. St. John Bosco remains No. 2 behind Mater Dei. Orange Lutheran moved up to No. 3 and Mission Viejo went from No. 3 to No. 5 with Centennial of Corona in between them at No. 4.

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​ Orange County Register 

Mission Viejo football stays motivated, rolls to win over Edison

• October 26, 2024

MISSION VIEJO — Mission Viejo clinched a share of the inaugural Alpha League football championship Friday by beating Edison 49-24 at Mission Viejo High.

The Diablos won 12 league championships in the last 15 years while the team played in the South Coast League. Mission Viejo (9-0, 2-0) can clinch an outright league championship with a win over Los Alamitos next Friday, Nov. 1.

Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson said he is proud of his team for not getting complacent after winning the CIF-SS Division 2 championship last season.

“Sometimes when you win a championship, there’s a hangover, and you really don’t work the same way,” Johnson said, “After a championship season, we got back to work, grinded, and are having a great season.”

Mission Viejo’s offense was well-balanced with four passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns. Hinesward Lilomaiava ran for 114 yards with three touchdowns.

Both quarterbacks played well for the Diablos. Luke Fahey completed 9 of 10 passes for 144 yards with two touchdowns. Draiden Trudeau threw for 75 yards with two touchdowns.

“When we have games like this, as a defensive coordinator, what do you do?” Johnson said. “I think we are hard to stop.”

Edison senior quarterback Save Niumata was in uniform Friday but did not play due to an injury he suffered last week in a win over Los Alamitos. Sophomore Sam Thomson started at quarterback for the Chargers (6-3, 1-1) and threw for 207 yards.

Chargers running back Julius Gillick is the second leading rusher in Orange County this season and had not been held under 100 yards entering Friday. Gillick still had a good game with two touchdown runs, but ran for 95 yards on 24 carries.

“He’s the best running back we have played so far and he had a good game, but we held him down a little bit,” Mission Viejo senior Dijon Lee said. “First year in this league and we wanted to start it out with a bang and we have.”

Edison opened the game with a scoring drive that took nearly 9 minutes off the clock. Nico Bammer made a 34-yard field goal to give the Chargers a 3-0 lead.

The first quarter was the first time Mission Viejo had trailed in a game since Sept. 20 against Basha of Arizona.

Mission Viejo’s Dijon Lee returned a kick 56 yards and had an interception in the Diablos’ 49-24 win over Edison on Friday, Oct. 25. (Photo by Michael Huntley)

Lee, an Alabama commit, returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards for Mission Viejo. After four rushing attempts from the 1-yard line, Lilomaiava ran for a 1-yard touchdown to give the Diablos a 7-3 lead.

Gillick ran for a 6-yard touchdown for Edison to give the Chargers a 10-7 lead.

Mission Viejo scored two touchdowns before halftime to give the Diablos a 21-10 lead. Lilomaiava ran for a 9-yard score with 5:32 remaining in the half.

After a 41-yard interception return by Lee, Fahey threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Cash Semonza with 28 seconds left in the second quarter.

Trudeau threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Bell to open the second half and Lilomaiava scored his third touchdown after the Diablos got the ball at Edison’s 5-yard line when Edison’s punter fumbled a snap.

Fahey connected with Semonza for another touchdown in the fourth quarter and Trudeau threw a touchdown pass to Vance Spafford.

Spafford led the Diablos with 88 yards receiving and Semonza added 65 yards with two touchdowns.

Thomson threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to Aidan Brown in the third quarter. Brown had 87 yards receiving for Edison and Ayden Degiacomo had 86 on seven catches.

Edison plays San Clemente next Friday on the road. The Chargers can clinch a share of the league championship with a win and a Mission Viejo loss next week.

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​ Orange County Register