Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. If all goes as expected, Matt Logan of Corona Centennial will earn career victory No. 300 on Thursday night, becoming the 15th coach in state history to achieve that mark, according to CalHiSports.com records.
The Logan way
Corona Centennial coach Matt Logan is in his 29th season.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
It’s going to be party time in Corona on Thursday night when Centennial hosts Eastvale Roosevelt. Centennial will be a heavy favorite to deliver win No. 300 for coach Matt Logan, who has made his program one of Southern California’s most consistent and perhaps the top public school football program in his 29th season.
Centennial is the last team to win the Southern Section title in 2015 other than St. John Bosco and Mater Dei. His teams have won 10 Southern Section titles and a state title in 2018. His influence has been immense.
Twenty-two former Centennial players have reached the NFL, including five on current rosters. More than 250 players have reached the college ranks. He became a trendsetter with his quick tempo, no-huddle offense that required officials to be in good shape because of the speed in which the Huskies would snap the ball after the whistle had been blown. He became the coach not afraid to play anyone, scheduling home and away games with Mater Dei, playing Florida’s IMG Academy and playing three Trinity League opponents this season.
Through the years, any time there was an opening at a top private school, Logan’s name got mentioned as a candidate. But the Norco High graduate was never going to leave the community he grew up in.
“I don’t think our school district and our area would be recognized without him,” said Anthony Catalano, a former quarterback and current assistant coach. “It changed the outlook of our community and kept a lot of people home. It set the standard for what our expectations are.”
I’ve seen some of Logan’s greatest wins and some of his toughest losses through the years. There was the 62-52 triumph over St. John Bosco in the 2015 Pac-5 championship game. There was the 68-64 playoff victory over Gardena Serra in 2014 that was called “offensive madness.” There was the Division 1 semifinal playoff loss to St. John Bosco 49-47 in 2016.
One moment that is always most memorable comes at the end of the final game or final practice. The whole team lines up to salute every senior. Logan gives a hug to each senior offering words of appreciation and encouragement. That embrace to a teenager preparing to become an adult makes them Matt Logan fans for life.
Quarterback Taylor Lee of Oxnard Pacifica had four touchdown passes in 42-14 win over Hamilton.
(Craig Weston)
The Trinity League begins football action this week. Get ready for a five-week grind that ends on Halloween, with St. John Bosco hosting Mater Dei. On Friday, St. John Bosco is at JSerra, Mater Dei is playing Orange Lutheran at Orange Coast College and Santa Margarita is playing Servite at Santa Ana Stadium.
All six teams remain in contention for the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. The key will be how many teams are chosen for Division 1. Corona Centennial, Mission Viejo and Sierra Canyon are certain selections. If the Southern Section only goes with eight teams, then one Trinity League team won’t make it. Last season there were 10 teams selected. Los Alamitos is 7-0 and a contender going into its three league games against Edison, San Clemente and Mission Viejo. The rankings are done by hsratings.com.
Monrovia has lost sophomore quarterback Jesse Saucedo for the rest of the season after a knee injury.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame unveiled 6-foot-8 basketball star Tyran Stokes at receiver. Here’s the report.
Los Alamitos earned a long-deserved break after improving to 7-0 with a win over Calabasas. The surprising Griffins don’t play again until their league opener on Oct. 16. They can become a Division 1 playoff team by beating Edison, San Clemente and Mission Viejo over their final three games. Quarterback Colin Creason was 17 of 19 passing for 296 yards and three touchdowns against Calabasas. Talented tight end Beckham Hogland had seven catches for 140 yards.
Taylor Lee of Oxnard Pacifica has 19 touchdowns in his last three games after a 42-14 win over Hamilton. Here’s the report.
Here’s the top performances from last week.
Here’s the top 25 rankings by The Times.
Here’s this week complete schedule of games.
The City Section is closing in on booking L.A. Southwest College to host its Open Division championship game on Nov. 29. Birmingham would host championship games on Nov. 28.
Last week, L.A. Jordan (0-6) forfeited its game to Fremont because of lack of healthy players and first-year coach James Boyd is out. Boyd was a former Jordan standout. Leonard McConico was named interim coach. Also Dymally has officially canceled its season.
Carson had a breakthrough nonleague win over St. Pius X-St. Matthias. Sophomore defensive end Kingston Sula had four sacks.
Palisades receiver Go Moriya makes a sliding catch in the second half of Friday night’s 35-28 intersectional win.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Palisades improved to 5-0 by rallying to beat Mary Star 35-28. Here’s the report.
Birmingham begins West Valley League play this week against El Camino Real and has a 49-game winning streak against City Section opponents.
Crenshaw hosts Dorsey on Friday night in a big Coliseum League game that will decide the main challenger to King/Drew.
Marshall is 6-0 after a 42-18 win over Jefferson. Junior quarterback Nathaniel Cadet has been a key player for the Barristers. Marshall will find out where it stands in a Northern League opener against Eagle Rock on Friday night.
Here’s the City Section top 10 rankings.
Marquez big man on campus
Elyjah Staples is a star junior defensive end for Marquez and also straight-A student.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
It’s a tradition for the Marquez High football team to raise a black Gladiators flag up the stadium pole after each victory.
Imagine how often that flag could be raised each time Elyjah Staples, the school’s star outside linebacker, earned an A on his report card? That’s the only grade he’s gotten in three years of classes, no matter taking Chemistry, Algebra 2 or advance placement U.S. History.
He seems to be in a personal competition to keep getting A’s along with sacks at the Huntington Park school. Here’s a profile of a junior with a Stanford offer.
Midseason report
Senior running back Darnell Miller of Santee leads the City Section in rushing with 1,159 yards and 13 touchdowns.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Halfway through the high school football season, Darnell Miller of Santee is leading the City Section in rushing with 1,159 yards.
He has quite a story to tell. A profile and also a look at MVP candidates in Southern California.
It’s the game of the year in high school flag football.
On Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. at Orange Lutheran, the unbeaten Lancers (18-0) take on unbeaten JSerra (19-0) in a game that should attract a large crowd and produce a memorable matchup.
Orange Lutheran and quarterback Makena Cook are the defending Division 1 flag football champions. JSerra, bolstered by a group of talented freshmen, have been surging and preparing for this showdown. Freshman quarterback Katie Meier and freshman receiver Ava Irwin get to test themselves on a big stage.
LIONS POSTGAME: Junior G.G. Szczuka produced five catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns, while freshman quarterback Kate Meier threw for two touchdowns and ran for another score, as the JSerra Girls Flag Football team improved to 19-0 on the season with a 34-19 victory over… pic.twitter.com/QKUaOyreon
— JSerraAthletics (@JSerraAthletics) September 26, 2025
Girls volleyball
Venice continues to be a City Section title contender in girls volleyball, handing Palisades its first defeat in Western League play, 25-23, 22-25, 12-25, 25-21, 15-9.
Mira Costa came through with a win over rival Redondo Union to go to 4-0 in the Bay League and 14-7 overall.
Marymount hosts Sierra Canyon on Monday night in the first of two Mission League matches.
Here’s the latest Southern Section power rankings.
Girls Volleyball: @CIFLACS Matches To Watch
Mon: 9/29
Cleveland At Chatsworth
ECR At Taft
Grant At Poly
University At Venice
Wed: 10/1
Eagle Rock At Marshall
Cleveland At Taft
Roosevelt At South Gate
Fri: 10/3
GHC At Chatsworth
University At Palisades#RepTheCity
— Rene Lopez (@renelopez19) September 29, 2025
Another day, another life saved
San Clemente athletic trainer Amber Anaya helped save a soccer assistant coach who went into cardiac arrest.
(San Clemente HS)
For those high schools in California that still don’t have an athletic trainer, what happened at San Clemente High was another reason why they are so valuable for the safety reasons. And also proven was the requirement that coaches be certified in CPR every two years.
Here’s the report.
Guitar national anthem
Calabasas senior Elie Samouhi took out his electric guitar and played the national anthem before the Calabasas-Los Alamitos football game last week. What a performance. You can hear it here.
Basketball
Fall basketball is picking up steam more than a month away from the official start of the season.
Former St. John Bosco guard Brandon McCoy made his fall debut for Sierra Canyon, which has a number of transfer students that still need to be cleared by the school and Southern Section.
In fact, most of the Mission League is loaded with transfers, and if they’re eligible, it will be quite a league season ahead.
Freshman Nico Mecilli should be a contributor for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame basketball.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame might start a little slow with several players on the football team, including standout Tyran Stokes, but that will only give the newcomers the opportunity to play, such as 6-foot-5 Bishop Gorman transfer Ilan Nikolov and 6-5 freshman Nico Mecilli.
Three of the big risers have been 6-7 junior Kevin Keshishyan of Los Altos, 6-9 junior Nick Welch Jr. of Rolling Hills Prep and senior guard Josiah Johnson of Mayfair.
In girls basketball, Etiwanda and Ontario Christian are gearing up to be the top teams again, but watch for big improvement from Troy, where future Hall of Fame coach Kevin Kiernan has returned after being at Mater Dei and not coaching last season. Oak Park could be on the rise with several transfer students.
Transfer warning
Southern Section commissioner Mike West (left) addressed the Southern Section Council on Thursday.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
I’ve been trying to find a way to educate parents, fans, coaches and players about the ongoing crackdown of Southern Section transfer rules, and commissioner Mike West made a brief presentation at the Southern Section Council meeting to provide an update.
Here’s the report.
In the latest development, five Long Beach Poly football players and one volleyball player have been declared ineligible for two years for violating CIF bylaw 202, which involves providing false information. Also Victor Valley lost four football players to two-year punishments. Pacific in San Bernardino lost two football players for one year.
Notes . . .
Chris Huber is the new girls lacrosse coach at Newbury Park. . . .
Tressa Beatty of Bonita has committed to Azusa Pacific for women’s basketball. . . .
Softball standout Mireya Gonzalez of La Mirada has committed to Connecticut. . . .
Emilia Krstevski, a 6-4 center at Sierra Canyon, has committed to play women’s basketball at Oregon. . . .
Rio Hondo Prep and Brentwood have moved their football game to SoFi Stadium on Oct. 16 at 4:30 p.m. . . .
Outfielder James Tronstein of Harvard-Westlake has committed to Vanderbilt. . . .
Junior outfielder/pitcher Carson Richter of Newbury Park has committed to Michigan. . . .
Junior Ivy Burnham of St. Anthony has committed to Stanford softball. . . .
South Hills softball standout Charli Moreno has committed to Washington. . . .
Junior pitcher Andrew Carlson from Trinity Classical Academy has committed to Texas Christian. . . .
Junior pitcher Tate Belfanti of Cypress has committed to Texas Christian. . . .
Pitcher Owen Shannon of Mater Dei has committed to Pittsburgh. . . .
Adam Goldstein, who has been an assistant baseball coach at Agoura, has emerged as the leading candidate for the vacant head coach position. . . .
Former standout offensive line Mark Schroller from Mission Viejo has medically retired from football at UCLA. . . .
Quarterback Wyatt Brown of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame takes off on a touchdown run against Culver City.
(Craig Weston)
Quarterback Wyatt Brown of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has committed to West Virginia. . . .
Linebacker Glenn Baranoski of Newport Harbor has committed to San Diego.
From the archives: Peyton Woodyard
Peyton Woodyard during his St. John Bosco days in 2022.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Freshman safety Peyton Woodyard, a St. John Bosco grad, is making an impact at Oregon.
It’s no surprise, since Woodyard was a key contributor for St. John Bosco over three seasons.
Here’s a story from 2023 explaining how Woodyard treats people with class and respect.
Recommendations
From the Washington Post, a story on a running back and podcaster in high school.
From the Riverside-Press Enterprise, a story on a running back who used to be a YouTube sensation.
From the San Diego Union Tribune, a story on Torrey Pines having the best girls golf team in the nation.
Tweets you might have missed
The next Servite phenom. 6-4 freshman Tetairoa McMillan. Starter in basketball and volleyball. Football coaches drooling over his potential. pic.twitter.com/tOQA2W4Xvi
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) May 15, 2019
I’m so passionate about covering high school sports that I’ve spent 49 years doing it. But some are taking it too seriously. It’s not college, it’s not pros. No matter how angry you get, you can’t change the mission it will always be about _ to prepare teenagers for adulthood.
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) September 24, 2025
@emmaa_ortiz is the PERFECT example of why you train in Track and Field!
2025 Track Marks
Deadlift 310lbs
100 – 12.2
200 – 24.5
4×400 – 56.2
300H – 45.1
One of the best Flag Football Players in the country
Train for SPEED & don’t be surprised when you are the most EXPLOSIVE… pic.twitter.com/0Uwy4jU8OJ
— J.T. Ayers 🇺🇸 (@CoachJTAyers) September 23, 2025
Until next time….
Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.
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