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Notes and observations as USC and Texas prepare for a game that can’t possibly match their 2006 encounter ... LOS ANGELES >> You might be surprised to hear which USC coach was in tears in the locker room immediately after the Trojans lost to Texas, 41-38, in the BCS title game. Was it Pete Carroll? Steve Sarkisian? Ed Orgeron? No, someone who has a less-emotional image: Lane Kiffin. Perhaps ...

(Games at 7 p.m. Friday unless noted.) Poly (2-0) vs. Mission Viejo (3-0) at Veterans Memorial Stadium Two undefeated, nationally ranked teams will take the field in Long Beach tonight as the No. 10 Jackrabbits host the No. 25 Diablos (per MaxPreps’ rankings). Mission Viejo beat Poly 42-14 last year and is ranked ahead of the Jackrabbits in the CIF Southe Section’s Division 1 poll this week. “It...

LAGUNA HILLS >> Mayfair kept it close for as long as it could against Santa Margarita on Thursday night at Laguna Hills High. Eventually, the Eagles took over in the trenches and ran away for a 49-3 nonleague victory. Santa Margarita (4-0) rushed for 328 yards and six touchdowns as a team. The Eagles are ranked No. 9 in CIF Southe Section Division 1, and No. 13 in Califoia according to M...

VIDEO: Is something wrong with St. John Bosco football offense? We discuss why the St. John Bosco football offense isn’t putting up the big numbers that helped the Braves win the CIF-SS and CIF State titles last season. Advertisement Click here to subscribe to Digital & Home Delivery - 50% off About the Author JJ Fiddler is a sportswriter and videographer who has been coveri...

At the conclusion of an NFL debut week defined by stifling defense and overmatched offenses, Philip Rivers cocked his right arm and fired a deep pass into the Denver night sky. Seven minutes remained in the AFC West’s Monday night tete-a-tete, and the Chargers, fresh off forcing their second tuover of the fourth quarter, still trailed by two scores as Rivers’ throw soared toward a streaking Trav...

St. John Bosco 31, Chaminade 17 St. Anthony 14, Wilson 6 Mayfair 21, Lakewood 18 Banning 25, Millikan 21 St. Margaret 32, Valley Christian 22 Paramount 56, Jordan 6 Gahr 48, Cerritos 0 Mater Dei 42, La Mirada 0 Downey 35, Burbank 7 San Pedro 42, Cabrillo 0 Compton 43, Santa Monica 22 Norwalk 34, Bell Gardens 20 Cathedral 63, Lynwood 0 Glenn 41, Bosco Tech 0 Dominguez 42, Los Angeles 0 Advertisement ...

For the first time since 2006, the “Milk Bucket” is headed back to Mayfair as the Monsoons (3-0) beat Lakewood (0-3), 21-18, at Ron Yary Stadium. “This is the biggest win in 30 years,” Mayfair coach Derek Bedell told the team. “We have a lot of things to work on but we are going to celebrate first.” It was a back-and-forth game in the first half as both teams had multiple miscues and penalties, wi...

TORRANCE >> In a showdown of nationally-ranked programs, St. John Bosco wore down Chaminade in the second half for a 31-17 victory over the Eagles. “They’re a good football team, that was a quarterfinalist last year,” said Bosco coach Jason Negro. “I didn’t think we’d play so poorly offensively; we should’ve been up by more at halftime.” The first half was all about the defenses, though, as ...

LONG BEACH >> Deshaun Harvey was the spark St. Anthony needed on Friday against Wilson, with the quarterback picking up a crucial third down in the fourth quarter before throwing the winning touchdown in a 14-6 victory at Clark Field. The Saints (2-0) have won 13 consecutive games at home, and this is their first victory over the Bruins (1-2) in more than 25 years. The local rivalry wasn’t p...

LOS ANGELES >> Scott Quessenberry’s phone blew up with congratulatory messages after UCLA pulled off the second-biggest comeback in NCAA history on Sunday night. It took the better part of two days for the UCLA center to respond to every text and tweet. He didn’t finish until Tuesday. When he finally did, it was just in time for practice. The Bruins (1-0) are trying to move past the euphoria...

The Los Angeles Football Club continues building its roster ahead of its 2018 Major League Soccer debut. LAFC announced the signing of 21-year-old Argentine forward Rodrigo Pacheco, who joins on loan from Club Atletico Lanus in Argentina’s first division. Pacheco will be loaned to Orange County SC, the USL affiliate for LAFC, for the remainder of 2017. He’s expected to join LAFC for training camp ...

GREEN BAY, Wisc. >> Sean McVay’s focus on Sept. 10 almost has been almost obsessive. The Rams’ coach has seemed like an eager child counting down to the days to his birthday. It’s almost here. Much to McVay’s excitement, the preseason ended Thursday night with a 24-10 loss to Green Bay at Lambeau Field, a game filled with backup players, many of whom were fighting for roster spots. McVay’s w...

Rancho Dominguez Prep looked ready to redeem itself from a loss to Legacy early last season in its season opener on Thursday. But that was not the case as the Lobos fell to the Tigers 35-28. The Lobos (0-1) took an early 7-0 lead when senior Tumac Summerville intercepted a pass by Legacy’s quarterback and took it all the way back for a 41-yard touchdown with 8:24 remaining in the first quarter. Bu...

Dog Haus, a Pasadena-based restaurant chain known for its gourmet hot dogs and sausages, is about to unveil a new eatery in the Rose Bowl. Dog Haus and the stadium’s management announced a multiyear partnership Wednesday, making Dog Haus the first restaurant to have a permanent location at the iconic venue. The new location by Tunnel 6 on the stadium’s east side will be up and running Sunday, just...

Ranked No. 4 in the CIF Southe Section’s Division 4 poll, the Downey High football team expected a better start to the season than what it got against Santa Margarita. The Vikings were totally overmatched against a Trinity League opponent in a 56-0 loss last Friday night. Particularly uncharacteristic for the Vikings was an offensive line that struggled to slow down the Eagles’ pass rushers. “Th...

SoCal Prep Legends Boys Athlete of the Week: Matt Corral Name: Matt Corral School: Poly Sport: Football Year: Senior Noteworthy: In his first game as a Jackrabbit, Corral threw for over 400 yards and two touchdowns in Poly’s 28-10 victory over Los Alamitos on Friday. The Florida commit completed 20 of 30 pass attempts, including a 98-yard touchdown to junior Keon Markham in the second quarter. Wha...

In his new position as Pac-12 Network president, Mark Shuken can shake things up. Or, he could simply try to appease those getting a little stir-crazy. The conference-owned media business has achieved measurable success in elevating exposure for the member schools, but when compared to the millions generated by other conference-based networks for their institutions, the Pac-12 may look like it’s c...

Ranking the top 10 sports events Aug. 28 to Sept. 3 you won’t want to miss: NO. 1: COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON OPENERS USC vs. WESTERN MICHIGAN Details/TV: At the Coliseum, Saturday at 2:15 p.m., Pac-12 Network UCLA vs. TEXAS A&M Details/TV: At the Rose Bowl, Sunday at 4:30 p.m., Channel 11 Admire Sam Daold while he’s still in got some Coliseum eligibility and a Heisman campaign. Also keep in mi...

LOS ANGELES >> Is it possible for USC to have any surprise players when the Trojans are ranked No. 4 and one of the most scrutinized programs in the nation? Even in the social media age, it is possible for players to exceed expectations or surprise the public. One of my picks is tight end Cary Angeline, a 6-foot-7 freshman who looks fast enough to be a receiver. Angeline might only make two ...

Here are the Week Zero games for local high school football on Friday. Games at 7 p.m. unless noted. St. John Bosco at St. Thomas Aquinas, 4 p.m. Reigning CIF-Southe Section and CIF State champion Bosco opens the season in Florida against the defending state champion Raiders, and that’s nothing new. Coach Jason Negro has scheduled eight out-of-state opponents in the last six years. The Braves ar...