Sports

The Classic at Damien’s Platinum Division Championship played more like a heavyweight bout than a basketball game between two elite teams seemingly bound for the Southern Section Open Division. Each punch, each blow mattered. St. John Bosco forward Christian Collins slammed an alley-oop dunk to begin the game — enough for half of the Braves’…

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, the Rose Bowl was something Ohio State senior receiver Emeka Egbuka dreamed of. It’s the game he and his childhood friends would imagine themselves in whenever they would play in the backyard. “There’s just something about it,” Egbuka said. “Something in the air down there in Pasadena. It’s just…

The Rams did not play Sunday, but they still won the NFC West. A victory on Saturday over the Arizona Cardinals positioned the Rams to capture the division title via the NFL’s strength of victory tiebreaking metric. The Cincinnati Bengals’ victory over the Denver Broncos on Saturday, plus the Buffalo Bills’ victory over the New…

Except for JuJu Watkins, USC’s players were struggling to find their shot. A 10-point USC lead turned into a deficit during the third quarter. With Kiki Iriafen stuck on the bench in foul trouble, the Trojans needed someone to spark a rally. Enter the all-too-reliable Rayah Marshall, the longest-tenured starter on the team. She isn’t…

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 6. Rk. School (Rec.); Comment; ranking last week 1. ST. JOHN BOSCO (14-0); Faces No. 2 Roosevelt on Monday in the Classic at Damien final; 1 2. EASTVALE ROOSEVELT (14-1); Issac Williamson made 10 threes in the semifinals; 2 3….

Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon (4) runs up the sideline in celebration after his game-clinching interception against the Cardinals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) After playing for the Rams in 2023, veteran cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was an unsigned free agent at the start of the season. In September, with Tre’Davious White struggling and Darious Williams…

UCLA has landed its likely successor to quarterback Ethan Garbers. His name is Joey Aguilar, and he’s put up prolific numbers the last two seasons at Appalachian State while leading the Mountaineers to a bowl victory, not to mention a triumph over the coach who will be his offensive coordinator with the Bruins. Aguilar, who…

Shohei Ohtani announced Saturday that he and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, are expecting their first child. “Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” Ohtani, 30, wrote in a post on Instagram, along with a picture of baby clothes, an ultrasound and the couple’s dog, Dekopin. The announcement comes about 10 months…

FRIDAY’S RESULTS BOYS AGBU 48, Mary Star of the Sea 44 Agoura 79, St. Francis 77 Alemany 54, Palisades 52 Aliso Niguel 79, Simi Valley 61 Alta Loma 50, Shadow Hills 42 Anaheim Canyon 80, Inglewood 70 Arlington 59, Long Beach Cabrillo 57 Atascadero 60, Montclair 46 Averroes 44, Bassett 36 Bakersfield Christian 84, Santa…

Lincoln Riley was beaming. The USC coach said he saw it when his team came back from an 17-point deficit against Texas A&M to claim a 35-31 victory in the Las Vegas Bowl. He said he could feel it in the locker room. “There’s a toughness and a hardness that’s developing within this program right…