Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. It was a historic week in high school football. Corona Centennial became the first Southern Section team other than St. John Bosco to defeat Mater Dei, ending a 10-year streak.
Corona Centennial quarterback Dominick Catalano goes airborne in upset win over No. 1 Mater Dei.
(Craig Weston)
The impact of Corona Centennial’s 43-36 victory over Mater Dei on Friday night is that people are again mentioning the word parity. It’s been 10 years since the days Division 1 football was considered up for grabs. Since 2016, a year after Centennial won the Division 1 title, every championship game has been won by Mater Dei or St. John Bosco.
Centennial led 28-0 after the first quarter, 33-7 at halftime, fell behind 36-33, then won it. Mater Dei had seven turnovers. It was drama and excitement in Corona. Here’s the report. Now Mater Dei heads to Las Vegas to play Bishop Gorman in a game that could decide if the Monarchs are going to be just another good team or back to elite status.
Mission Viejo went to San Diego and knocked off the No. 1 in San Diego team, Lincoln, 34-24. The unbeaten Diablos have played a challenging schedule and won every one. Now they travel to Tennessee for a nonleague game. Defensive lineman JD Hill was in on 15 tackles and had two sacks.
The Diablos are part of a four-team Alpha League with Los Alamitos (5-0), Edison (3-1) and San Clemente. Los Alamitos and Edison have moved their scheduled game to Oct. 16, a Thursday, at SoFi Stadium.
Sierra Canyon’s defense gave up its first points of the season but still routed Downey 49-7 to stay unbeaten. It’s test time for the Trailblazers, who travel to Orange Coast College to face Trinity League representative Orange Lutheran on Friday night. Here’s a look at Sierra Canyon’s “Kaboom Squad” on defense.
Ethan Mundt of Troy had a school-record 329 yards rushing and six touchdowns in win over Foothill.
Freshman quarterback Evan McCalister of Valencia made his first start a winning one, 47-44, over Paraclete. He passed for 303 yards and four touchdown. Starter Brady Bretthauer was sidelined because of concussion protocols.
Transfers keep happening, even during the season. Sophomore quarterback Trey Towns Jr. abruptly left Oaks Christian and is headed to Rancho Cucamonga. Oaks Christian was 1-2 with him as the starter this season.
Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times with a new No. 1 team.
Here’s a list of top performers in the Southland this past week.
Here’s the complete week four schedule.
Jack Thomas throws a touchdown pass.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Palisades and quarterback Jack Thomas continue to roll with three straight wins. Demare Dezeurn had three interceptions in a 49-34 win over Brentwood. Here’s the report. The Western League is looking very competitive, with the Dolphins, Venice (2-2), University (4-0), Hamilton (1-2) and Westchester (2-2).
Seth Solorio threw a school-record five touchdown passes in San Pedro’s 41-10 win over Bell.
Dorsey improved to 2-1 with a 20-14 win over Compton. The Coliseum League’s big three are Dorsey, King/Drew (2-1) and Crenshaw (3-1), which continues to play without head coach Robert Garrett (administrative leave).
Banning stayed unbeaten with a 21-20 win over Garfield, stopping a two-point conversion late in the game. Ceasar Reyes, pressed into playing some quarterback, finished with 292 yards rushing for Garfield.
Here’s this week’s top 10 City Section rankings.
Bishop Montgomery update
The Southern Section has declared 19 transfer players ineligible from Bishop Montgomery for two years following an investigation by the school and Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The school already canceled its season and fired its coach. Here’s the report.
Patrick Lee resigned as president at Bishop Montgomery in the wake of ineligible players in the school’s football program and the decision to end its season.
The Archdiocese released a letter sent to booster Brett Steigh telling him to “cease and desist” supporting any of its sports programs.
Here’s a commentary from several weeks ago arguing that the Bishop Montgomery scandal was preventable.
JSerra is 16-0 after winning the El Toro tournament championship with a 27-6 victory over Newport Harbor.
League rival Orange Lutheran is 16-0. Dos Pueblos is 14-1 with the only loss to Orange Lutheran in overtime. St. Joseph suffered its first defeat, losing to Redondo Union.
Here’s scores from early in the week and Wednesday and Thursday.
In the City Section, Birmingham finally started its season with two wins over Arleta and splitting with Kennedy.
Eagle Rock has started its season with eight straight wins, including a 7-0 victory over defending City champion Banning. Quarterback Nylah Moore, rushers Zuly Abanto and Sion Aquino and linebacker Ivory Gomez have been key contributors.
The journey of Palisades
Pali High JV coach Kelly Loftus huddles his team together after practice at Santa Monica College on July 31, 2025.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Twenty-four days after the worst wildfire in L.A. history burned their stadium, members of the Palisades Charter High School football team stretched and twisted on a middle school field in Santa Monica.
To the north, a sickly orange haze hung along the horizon, a reminder of the inferno that had reduced parts of their school to a ragged tangle of charred masonry, metal and wood. About 10 players had lost their homes in the Palisades fire.
During these confusing, grief-ridden days, those close to the football team — which in 2024 made it to the City Section Division I championship game — questioned whether continuing the program was possible.
Here’s the story of their journey back to playing football.
Girls volleyball
It was a big week for Sierra Canyon and Los Alamitos. Each came through with victories over Redondo Union.
Sierra Canyon needed four sets and Los Alamitos needed five sets. It came in the week the Southern Section power rankings came out with Redondo Union being No. 1.
Prep talk
Crescenta Valley High opened its new stadium last week.
(Paul Lopez)
It was a memorable night for opening Crescenta Valley’s new stadium.
Venice football coach Angelo Gasca.
(Craig Weston)
Venice has been relying on defense this season under veteran coach Angelo Gasca.
Glendale has turned to a sophomore running back to provide a lift.
St. Francis parent Kevin Danni, who survived the terrorists attacks at the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001, reflects back on the heroes that day.
Cross-Country
The Woodbridge Classic on Saturday night at the Great Park in Irvine marks the official beginning of the cross-country season. It always serves as a sneak peek for the top boys and girls runners.
Mira Costa’s boys team showed it can be a team contender by winning the Rosemead Invitational.
Trabuco Hills will have one of the top girls teams.
Notes . . .
Notre Dame Sherman Oaks’ Zachary White dunks in the second half of Friday’s Open Division playoff game against Harvard-Westlake on Feb. 21, 2025.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Zachary White, a 6-foot-6 standout basketball player at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame since his freshman season, has committed to San Diego State. He’s the son of former Crespi and Cal running back Russell White. . . .
Standout guard Kaiden Bailey from Santa Margarita has committed to Georgia Tech. . . .
Junior receiver and track star Demare Dezeurn of Palisades has committed to Oklahoma. . . .
Junior pitcher J. Beckett Berg of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has committed to Texas. . . .
Junior shortstop Diego Villarreal of South Hills has committed to St. Mary’s. . . .
Infielder Michael Nonis and pitcher Jacob Torres, both from Corona Centennial, have committed to Nevada. . . .
Nicole Wise is the new softball coach at Mater Dei. . . .
Former Mira Costa and UCLA standout Kyle Karros came to town with the Colorado Rockies and made his first appearance as a pro baseball player at Dodger Stadium. He made it clear in a pregame radio interview on AM 570 how he feels about his home town. “I love Manhattan Beach,” he said. “It’s my home.” When the Rockies’ season ends, he’ll be returning to Manhattan Beach to resume what he enjoys — surfing with his brother, Jared, a pitcher in the Dodgers organization. . . .
Junior pitcher Katelynn Mathews of Fullerton has committed to Cal Baptist softball. . . .
Agoura has made a coaching change in its baseball program. Anthony Chevrier, head coach since 2014, is out. “Going in a different direction,” was the school’s comment. . . .
Junior left-hander Luke Armijo of La Mirada has committed to Texas. . . .
Junior pitcher/outfielder Joaquin Covarrubias of Bonita has committed to USC. . . .
Peter Cuoco of Arcadia has committed to Monmouth baseball. . . .
Here’s a schedule of top boys basketball events for the coming season. . . .
Former Harvard-Westlake forward Isaiah Carroll has committed to Pennsylvania. . . .
THe USA18U national baseball team won the gold medal at a tournament in Japan. Among the players were Brody Schumaker (Santa Margarita), Jared Grindlinger (Huntington Beach), Jaden Jackson (St. John Bosco), James Clark (St. John Bosco) and Anthony Murphy (Corona). . . .
Outfielder Ira Rootman of Harvard-Westlake has committed to Texas.
From the archives: Torey Lovullo
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo.
(Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)
Torey Lovullo continues to be the manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has a long local history, having graduated from the now closed Montclair Prep while also starring playing for UCLA.
Here’s a story from 1988 discussing Montclair Prep’s sports success.
Recommendations
From The562.org, a story on two Long Beach Wilson students trying to combat sudden cardiac arrest.
From the Los Angeles Times, commentary on soccer star Alyssa Thompson moving to Chelsea.
From the Washington Post, a story on how a lottery in Washington D.C. has turned into a high school sports recruiting tool.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on former NBA and Riverside Poly great Reggie Miller finding a new sport _ cycling.
Tweets you might have missed
In case you need a reminder, there’s been endless scandals in high school sports. Remember Derek Sparks, who went from Banning to Montclair Prep to Mater Dei. https://t.co/9vzei4d1W5
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) September 8, 2025
I’m thinking the Alpha League with Los Alamitos (4-0), Mission Viejo (3-0), Edison (2-1) and San Clemente (2-1) might be the most competitive football league in the Southland this season.
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) September 8, 2025
9/5/25 will go down in the history books for Crescenta Valley. First Friday night game in the schools 60+ year history, and it was a good one. Defeated South Pasadena 42-21. More importantly, the community SHOWED UP! Generations of Falcons came to share the moment with the boys… pic.twitter.com/e830fFkiGu
— Coach Studebaker (@Coach_Stude) September 8, 2025
Photo courtesy of Monica Acosta showing dad and son smiling. Rick Curtis and Sean Curtis before Crean Lutheran faced Capistrano Valley last week. Crean won. pic.twitter.com/sZ7Wj1n9o6
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) September 9, 2025
JSerra loses in court trying to compel its former girls basketball coach to arbitration. She is suing for allegation of sexual harassment. pic.twitter.com/TlPf0SSAxW
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) September 12, 2025
The new computer rankings from hsratings has Sierra Canyon No. 1, Mission Viejo No. 2, St. John Bosco No. 3, Corona Centennial No. 4. In the last 10 years, that has never happened.
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) September 13, 2025
When LAUSD teachers get sent home on administrative leave, it can last for months. That’s where Crenshaw coach Robert Garrett is. It used to be called teacher jail when teachers stayed together in a room. Supporters held a rally this past week. LAUSD, you’re on the clock.
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) September 13, 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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