Lakers get another look at potential starting lineup in loss to Warriors

• October 14, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Lakers coach Darvin Ham still hasn’t revealed who the team’s fifth starter will be when the regular season starts in 1½ weeks, but Friday night’s 129-125 preseason home loss to the Golden State Warriors provided another look at two potential groups.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves, who were back in the lineup after sitting out Wednesday’s victory over the Sacramento Kings, started alongside D’Angelo Russell and Taurean Prince.

James, Davis, Reaves and Russell are already known starters, with the final spot remaining a mystery. But Prince was once again the fifth starter like he was in Monday’s win against the Brooklyn Nets in Las Vegas – the only other time all four known starters have been available, with Friday being James’ second preseason game.

Prince had a team-high 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including a 4-for-5 showing from 3-point range in 20 minutes.

The plan is for James (12 points, five assists in 18 first-half minutes) to play in at least half of the team’s preseason games – so he’ll likely play in either Sunday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Crypto.com Arena or Thursday’s preseason finale against the Phoenix Suns at Acrisure Arena near Palm Springs.

When asked pregame if he planned to use any of the preseason games as an actual dress rehearsal, Ham responded “somewhat.”

“I mean, we came in with an initial plan before any of these games got started and we’re trying to stick to it,” Ham added. “It’s been kind of difficult to get everyone there at the same time. But we’ve been able to get some great stuff done at practice and our scrimmaging and doing different breakdown work with our main guys.

“We feel like we’re in a good place continuity-wise and so just sticking to a plan that was already set up before we got into the actual preseason gameplay. I feel good about where it’s headed. Probably by the last one, we’ll be able to get close to seeing – well, we’ll be able to see what we plan to do as we go forward into the regular season.”

Davis had 13 points, six rebounds and four assists in a preseason-high 22 minutes. Russell finished with 12 points, six assists and four rebounds in 26 minutes. Christian Wood added 13 points and seven rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench.

Either Prince, Rui Hachimura or Jarred Vanderbilt is expected to claim the last starting spot. The Lakers also got a look at Hachimura alongside the other four starters to close the second quarter.

Vanderbilt, a starter during the Lakers’ run to the Western Conference finals last spring, was sidelined for the third consecutive game because of left heel soreness. Ham previously said he doesn’t expect the injury to force Vanderbilt to miss the start of the regular season.

Cam Reddish also missed his third consecutive game because of right ankle soreness. Gabe Vincent sat because of back tightness, with Ham saying “it’s just precautionary.”

“We just wanted to let it calm down a little bit,” Ham added. “When you play deep into June, those things are going to happen a little bit – those soft tissue issues. But he’s good. It’s just something we wanted to be proactive about and allow him to rest it for the night.”

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Friday was also Reaves’ second preseason game. The Lakers have been easing Reaves into the group after he played for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup, with the Americans’ last game being on Sept. 10.

“I feel great,” Reaves said. “Anytime I can get out there and play I’m happy. But I’ll stick to the script and I know I had a long summer playing with the USA team and had to trust the process of sitting down and relaxing a little bit.”

Reaves said he wasn’t completely sure how many more preseason games he’ll play in after Friday.

“We’ll just sit down every day and talk as a collective group,” he added. “We have a plan, but there are obviously, depending on how I feel and what we’re doing as a team, we’ll make those decisions. But we have a plan right now and we’ll see if stick to that, if we do a little more, a little less. It just depends on a lot of stuff that happens in-game, whatever, minutes, et cetera.”

​ Orange County Register 

Southern California News Group Boys Athlete of the Week: Jason Hong, San Marino

• October 14, 2023

San Marino football player Jason Hong is the Southern California News Group’s High School Boys Athlete of the Week for Oct. 2-8 after he received 66.88% of the vote at the deadline Thursday.

Edison’s Julius Gillick (football) finished second with 26.11% of the vote, and Aguinas’ Jusyis Solis (football) finished third (2.55%).

Congratulations to all of the candidates for this week’s honor.

To read more about Jason, click here.

The SCNG Athlete of the Week winners are announced online each Friday morning during the school year.

About the poll: The Southern California News Group includes the Orange County Register, L.A. Daily News, Press-Enterprise, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Whittier Daily News, Pasadena-Star News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, The Daily Breeze, San Bernardino Sun, Daily Bulletin and Redlands Daily Facts.

​ Orange County Register 

Southern California News Group Girls Athlete of the Week: Julia Klenk, St. Anthony

• October 14, 2023

St. Anthony golfer Julia Klenk is the Southern California News Group’s High School Girls Athlete of the Week for Oct. 2-8 after she received 62.03% of the vote at the deadline Thursday.

Glendora’s Hailey Heflin (volleyball) received 27.94% of the vote to finish in second place. Sierra Canyon’s Lauren Lynch (volleyball) finished third at 5.61%.

Congratulations to all of the candidates for this week’s honor.

To read more about Julia, click here.

The SCNG Athlete of the Week winners are announced online each Friday morning during the school year.

About the poll: The Southern California News Group includes the Orange County Register, L.A. Daily News, Press-Enterprise, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Whittier Daily News, Pasadena-Star News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, The Daily Breeze, San Bernardino Sun, Daily Bulletin and Redlands Daily Facts.

​ Orange County Register 

High school football: Early list of scores from Friday’s games

• October 14, 2023

Take a look at the early list of scores from the high school football games played Friday, Oct. 13.

A complete list of scores for the CIF Southern Section and L.A. City Section will be published at the end of the night.

FRIDAY’S SCORES

St. John Bosco 28, Mater Dei 0

San Clemente 20, Mission Viejo 10

Tesoro 37, Capistrano Valley 22

Orange Lutheran 36, Servite 33

Santa Margarita 34, JSerra 31

Tustin 21, Crean Lutheran 0

Sonora 43, Fullerton 36

Dana Hills 21, Laguna Hills 20

Los Alamitos 69, Corona del Mar 14

Yorba Linda 58, Brea Olinda 7

La Habra 45, Sunny Hills 0

Diamond Ranch 14, Los Altos 7

Serra 48, Bishop Amat 28

Chino 38, Covina 25

Ayala 29, Bonita 26

Rancho Cucamonga 49, Chino Hills 0

Glendora 32, Los Osos 25

Upland 42, Etiwanda 28

St. Paul 40, Paraclete 28

La Serna 42, Newbury Park 14

St. Francis 41, Cathedral 25

Chaminade 35, Notre Dame 28

Thousand Oaks 36, Moorpark 23

Hart 41, Canyon 7

Oaks Christian 45, Westlake 14

San Fernando 35, Panorama 15

Granada Hills Kennedy 36, Sylmar 28

Granada Hills Charter 64, Taft 22

Warren 28, Downey 21

Long Beach Jordan 49, Wilson 43

Bellflower 32, Paramount 14

Mayfair 28, Dominguez 14

La Mirada 34, Norwalk 13

Palos Verdes 42, Redondo 0

Banning 27, Gardena 26

North Torrance 20, Torrance 10

Mira Costa 28, Santa Monica 21

Hawthorne at Inglewood

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​ Orange County Register 

Car crashes into Huntington Beach Kohl’s store; 3 people hospitalized

• October 14, 2023

A car crashed into a Kohl’s store in Huntington Beach late Friday, sending three people to a hospital, authorities said.

The Huntington Beach Police Department responded to the Kohl’s store inside the Bella Terra shopping center, located in the 7700 block of Edinger Avenue, at around 8 p.m. after reports of a car crashing into the store, according to HBPD representative Jessica Cuchilla.

Officers found three people with non-life-threatening injuries, who were all transported to a hospital. The store was open at the time of the crash, according to its posted hours. It is unclear if those injured were shoppers, employees, or bystanders outside.

The suspect fled the scene and was apprehended by officers at the 16000 block of Beach Boulevard after a short pursuit.

The suspect, described as a 54-year-old Asian man, is in custody. He was transported to a hospital as a precautionary measure but is not severely injured.

Police believe that drugs or alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.

Social media footage recorded at the scene shows a completely shattered storefront and a large police presence.

An investigation is underway.

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​ Orange County Register 

Mater Dei football stumbles in stunning shutout loss to St. John Bosco

• October 14, 2023

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BELLFLOWER — Mater Dei’s quest to redeem a painful loss last season continued Friday against the rival who spoiled its storybook ending.

The Monarchs’ football team will need to regroup after their trip to St. John Bosco on Friday.

Before a sellout crowd of about 9,000, the Braves defeated Mater Dei 28-0 to grab sole possession of first place in the Trinity League and take a huge step toward securing the top seed for the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.

Mater Dei (7-1, 2-1) entered with a No. 1 ranking in several rational polls while St. John Bosco (7-1, 3-0) was ranked ninth nationally by MaxPreps.

The Braves snapped a four-year losing streak in league to Mater Dei and handed the Monarchs their shutout loss since 2011 to Orange Lutheran. That score was also 28-0.

St. John Bosco held Mater Dei to 182 yards on offense.

“They played great,” first-year Mater Dei coach Frank McManus said of Braves. “There’s some things we can do, we’ll look at differently. I think the coaches got surprised a little bit and tried to make some adjustments. It just didn’t happen. Great game plan for the home team.”

The schools’ rivalry centers on the Division 1 title and that’s ultimately what senior-led Mater Dei wants, especially after the way last season ended at the Rose Bowl.

Mater Dei quarterback Elijah Brown said before this season that his squad was seeking “redemption” for a 24-22 loss against St. John Bosco in the 2022 Division 1 final in Pasadena. The Stanford-bound senior said his class felt somewhat responsible for the defeat, which marked the final game of legendary Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson.

“The season is not over,” McManus said. “There’s plenty of opportunity for us to grow and get better as a team.”

Mater Dei’s trademark so far under McManus, a defensive back coach under Rollinson, has been defense. The Monarchs entered the showdown having allowed only 29 points on defense.

But St. John Bosco’s defense held the advantage from the start, recording three sacks to help the Braves take a 14-0 lead at intermission.

UCLA committed running back Cameron Jones (138 yards rushing) took care of the early offense for St. John Bosco.

The 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior scored on a 1-yard run on third-and-goal in the middle of the second quarter as the Braves opened a 7-0.

It was the first time Mater Dei trailed on the season.

Jones set up the score by breaking a 37-yard run — the longest play of the opening half — to the Mater Dei 5-yard line.

After St. John Bosco sacked Brown twice on the ensuing possession, Jones capped a 54-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown reception from Caleb Sanchez. Jones lined up at tight end on the play as the Braves led 14-0.

To make matters more grim for Mater Dei, running back Jordon Davison walked off at halftime with the aid of crutches. He finished with one carry.

St. John Bosco extended its lead to 21-0 in the middle of the third as it executed a double-pass. Wide receiver Stacy Dobbins took a lateral from Sanchez and threw to a wide open Tommy Maher for a 28-yard touchdown on the trick play.

The Braves added a 9-yard TD run Chauncey Sylvester and sealed the shutout with a late interception in the end zone by Frankie Edwards III.

Next week, Mater Dei plays on Thursday, Oct. 19 when it takes on Orange Lutheran at Orange Coast College. St. John Bosco travels to JSerra on Oct. 20.

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​ Orange County Register 

San Clemente football knocks off Mission Viejo with strong defense

• October 14, 2023

MISSION VIEJO — San Clemente used its running game and strong defense to upset Mission Viejo 20-10 on Friday and put itself in good position to win the South Coast League championship.

The Tritons (7-1, 1-0) had a 13-10 lead in the final minutes when cornerback Max Gonzales intercepted a pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown to seal the victory.

San Clemente entered the week ranked No. 8 in the Register’s Top 25 poll and Mission Viejo (5-3, 0-1) entered ranked No. 3.

It was the first win for San Clemente over Mission Viejo since the 2021 spring season, which was shortened due to the pandemic. The winner of this rivalry has won the South Coast League championship 15 consecutive seasons.

Junior Matai Tagoa’i had two big sacks for the San Clemente defense and the duo of Puka Fuimaono and Zeke Rubinstein led the Tritons in tackles.

San Clemente running back Aiden Rubin, who broke the school’s single-game rushing record last week against Ayala, ran for 239 yards on 28 carries with a touchdown.

Mission Viejo played good defense for the majority of the game, but multiple personal foul penalties ended drives for the Diablos and put them in bad field position.

Chase Valousky led the Mission Viejo offense with 105 yards on 14 carries. The quarterback duo of Luke Fahey and Draiden Trudeau combined for 133 yards passing.

San Clemente opened the game strong with a 50-yard touchdown run by Rubin on the game’s opening drive to give the Tritons a 7-0 lead.

Michael Salgado-Medina made a 35-yard field goal for the Diablos late in the 1st to cut the lead to 7-3.

Hinesward Lilomaiava ran for a 6-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give Mission Viejo a 10-7 lead entering halftime.

After 56 and 24-yard runs from Rubin, Gonzales made a 23-yard field goal to tie the game at 10 late in the third quarter. San Clemente quarterback Dylan Mills converted a huge fourth down attempt on the drive by rolling to his right and running for a 5-yard gain.

Gonzales made another 19-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter to give the Tritons a 13-10 lead.

San Clemente’s special teams made a huge play with just under four minutes remaining in the game. Mission Viejo muffed a punt return and San Clemente junior Xander Rex recovered the fumble in Mission Viejo’s territory.

Sophomore Kane Nolte had two sacks for Mission Viejo and Jonavan Asuncion had an interception.

San Clemente will play Capistrano Valley on the road next week.

Mission Viejo will play Tesoro next week. The Diablos haven’t lost to Tesoro since 2008.

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​ Orange County Register 

Prayers for peace at vigil for Israel in Laguna Woods

• October 14, 2023

“I felt anger. I kept asking myself, ‘For what purpose was this done? Why? What did they hope to accomplish?”

Laguna Woods Shalom Club co-President Paula Kruger’s sentiments was among the furious, exasperated and aggrieved reactions of the Village’s diverse residents upon learning that Hamas terrorists had invaded southern Israel from the Gaza Strip.

More than 3,000 people have been killed on both sides of the border, thousands more have been reported wounded, and around 150 people have been taken hostage by Hamas since the attack began Oct. 7.

Kruger has visited Israel 12 times. She lived with an Israeli citizen for 15 years and served as a volunteer in the Israeli army, so she knows the beleaguered country well, she says.

“I just spoke with someone I consider my Israeli sister and she said, ‘I don’t know anyone who is not going to a funeral.’”

Given the number of Jewish residents in Laguna Woods, some of whom have come from Israel, have family and friends there or who, like Kruger, have visited the Jewish homeland, the shock of the brutal attack reverberated through the community with blunt force.

Nearly 300 residents of varied religious and political persuasions gathered Oct. 9 on the back patio of Clubhouse 1 for a peace vigil organized by Rabbi Joe Mendelsohn of the Reform Temple of Laguna Woods.

“These are not just kids throwing stones … Hamas are terrorists,” Mendelsohn told the gathering. “Hamas murdered Jews across the spectrum – they did not care.”

Mendelsohn made a strong distinction between militants who fight for a political cause and Hamas, who are terrorists.

“Hamas has rejected negotiated settlements with Israel, and they are opposing the Palestinian Authority that would negotiate peace with Israel,” he said. “They are opposed to peace.”

He said this is not a religious war, not a war between Islam and Judaism, and not a war of moral equivalents.

“Yes, there will be noncombatants killed, but it’s not because Israel wants that to happen, but that Israel needs to defend itself,” he said, emphasizing that he did not aim to change anyone’s mind about how Israelis treat Palestinians but to voice a plea for peace.

Rebeca Gilad, founder of the Laguna Woods Community Bridge Builders, offered a prayer for peace and God’s compassion not only for Israel but throughout the world.

“May we see the day when war and bloodshed cease … when the human family will not know war,” she said, tears filling her voice. “Enough is enough. What is happening to the world?”

She told of a cousin who lives in Israel and had planned to attend a family wedding in her native Mexico. “He is now unaccounted for,” she said.

Ami Gilad, an Israeli by birth in 1948, the year of Israel’s founding, also spoke at the vigil.

“This is more a plea than a prayer,” he said. “Bless the land with peace.”

Shelley Rones was born in 1939, when Palestine was under British mandate, and came to the U.S. during World War II. Her younger sister married and moved to Israel and raised six children there.

“By now, 85 percent of my family lives in Israel – uncles, cousins, my sister-in-law, kids and grandkids. My parents are buried there,” she said. “The safety of my family and the land of Israel affects me a lot.

“I feel strongly about Israel’s existence not only because of the pervasive anti-Semitic hate around the world but also because I want our young ones to grow up there.”

Rones has three great-nephews in the Israeli army but is unsure of their whereabouts now.

“Two of my close friends in Israel lost their children – their funeral was today,” she said. “I can relate to the horror Jewish communities must have experienced when Germany invaded Poland and other countries during World War II.”

Born in Israel and with family in Tel Aviv, Nathan Kvetny expressed anger at the inhumanity of the attack.

“I really was shocked – lost for words. I knew how the people (the victims) would be treated – animals would fare better,” he said. “It is human nature, but I was hurt and upset, angry and confused.”

Born in 1935 and bar mitzvahed at age 13 when Israel was founded, Kvetny said: “I am here – we all have circumstances that bring us to other places, but my heart is there, in Israel.”

Daphne Davids says she has a cousin who was on Kibbutz Be’eri, near the Gaza Strip, when the tragic events unfolded. More than 100 bodies were found in the kibbutz after the Hamas attack, according to CNN.

“Our families are ‘friends’ on Facebook, and as these events were occurring, we received Facebook messages begging for help,” Davids said via email. “My cousin, her husband and three young children were hiding in the security room in Be’eri. She messaged us that the army was nowhere to be seen and they needed help badly.

“After 19 hours, they were taken by three soldiers to the Dead Sea. Their entire kibbutz had been destroyed. … She is now  recuperating and spending time with her family and friends.”

Shari Horne is a dual Israeli-American citizen. She and her husband have cousins in Israel. Though she says she hasn’t heard directly from them, her brother-in-law heard back and says the family is OK so far.

“This is horrible. It is hard to watch on TV, but impossible to look away,” Horne said in an email. “To know intimately the places being attacked, and to recognize beloved places destroyed is very hard. It is hard to breathe.

“My heart is with all those families whose loved ones were abducted and taken into Gaza. I can only imagine the fear and pain of the children.”

David Shichor and his wife lived in Israel for many years; he was on the faculty of Tel Aviv University. His son and three of his grandchildren live there now, north of Tel Aviv. Shichor has been in contact with them, he said, and they are safe. His youngest granddaughter is finishing her army service this month but is not in a combat unit.

“Our son volunteered to house refugees from the south, and right now he is organizing his home for receiving a family,” Shichor said via email.

Shichor last lived in Israel in 1970-75 and experienced the Yom Kippur War.

“Really, in many aspects, the situation (today) is similar to the 1973 war in which I served,” he said. “Like most of the Israelis, I am completely shocked by the scale of this attack. I can’t understand how Hamas could prepare such a complex attack without being discovered by Israeli intelligence.”

Marina Levitanus was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1978, but her daughter has been married to an Israeli emergency physician for seven years. Levitanus has four grandchildren living between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

“My daughter wants me to be calm, but I feel terrified. She can’t talk to me when the younger children are around,” she said.

Noemi Epstein has family in the Haifa area, where things have been calm, she said. She lived in Israel for three years in the late 1960s and early 70s, also during a time of conflict.

“Because we lived close to the hospital in Tel Hashomer, we saw the horrors of war firsthand with the wounded being transferred to Emergency in helicopters all day and night long,” she recalled. “We had at that time aside from our Israeli family and friends, Palestinian friends and can only imagine how they are feeling now as well.  In my opinion nobody wins.”

Marti Hack, president of the Reform Temple, summed up the community’s stance via email: “As a congregation with many friends and family in Israel, we are devastated by this act of hatred where innocent civilians including babies are massacred and are abducted. We stand by Israel and pray for a swift peace and a desire for peace in the heart of our enemies. Finally, we are sincerely indebted to those who reach out to us in solidarity.”

Rabbi Dennis Linson of Temple Judea in Laguna Woods expressed similar sentiments. The temple also held prayer vigils.

“We expressed our outrage at the brutality of the terrorist murderers killing innocent civilians: infants, children, parents and grandparents,” he said. “Our prayers were intended to provide comfort and strength in this dire moment in the history of the State of Israel and the people of Israel.

“As we read in Ecclesiastes during the holiday, ‘there is a time for war and a time for peace.’ We prayed that we will be delivered from this time of war, and enter a time of peace. Meanwhile, Israel we are with you.”

How to help

The Reform Temple of Laguna Woods sent to its congregants a list of Israeli charities:

israelrescue.org: A community-based volunteer emergency medical services organization committed to providing the fastest response to medical emergencies across Israel even prior to the arrival of ambulances and completely free of charge.

ZAKA: zakaworld.org: Israel’s dominant nongovernmental rescue and recovery organization, with over 3,000 volunteers deployed around the country, on call 24/7 to respond to any terror attack, disaster or accident immediately, professionally and with the necessary equipment.

FIDF: fidf.org: A nonpolitical, nonmilitary organization that works closely with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to provide for the well-being of its soldiers, veterans, and family members.

Hadassah: hadassah.org: Committed to advancing women’s health, supporting a strong Israel and instilling Jewish values in future generations. Hadassah helped to create the medical system in Israel providing new treatments and scientific breakthroughs which are saving lives around the world.

Jewish National Fund: jnf.org: Strategic vision has been and always will be to ensure a strong, secure and prosperous future for the land and people of Israel.

​ Orange County Register