Sports by Haddock

Following the Te'o trail to Palmdale

2013-01-24T11:19:00.000-08:00

It wasn’t until I received a Facebook message from a friend of a friend asking if I could help cover a story for USA Today that I started giving Lennay Kekua any more than a passing thought.

Of course Lennay doesn’t exist. She is the fake girlfriend of Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te’o. She made for a great story though, becoming the tragic love interest of one of the most popular college football players in the country.

But instead of living happily ever after, like in all good fairy tales, she wound up in a car accident, then contracted leukemia and died. Te’o told Sports Illustrated and ESPN, among other reputable media outlets, about his girlfriend’s tragic demise. They all bought it, never once stopping to ask if she had any family members, friends or classmates who were grieving as passionately as Te’o.

Te’o claimed he was duped. Writers and editors at Sports Illustrated claimed they were duped. Reporters and producers at ESPN claimed they were duped. As the hoax unraveled, a trail led to Palmdale, where the suspected creator of the fake girlfriend lived.

Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, a once promising football player at Antelope Valley and Paraclete high schools, was fingered as the perpetrator of the preposterous. I drove up the Antelope Valley Freeway in the middle of the night in search of Tuiasosopo with the hopes he would say something to explain why he created a fake girlfriend for Te’o, what was his motivation, and why did he carry on with the charade for as long as he did.

I wasn’t the only one on the hunt either.

When I arrived on the cozy cul-de-sac in Palmdale where Tuiasosopo’s family lived, a reporter from the Daily Mail in England greeted me. From a quiet car parked on the street, I heard the subtle whispers, “Mate, mate, do you live here?”

Well no, I was there to see if Tuiasosopo lived at one of the houses at the end of the cul-de-sac. The Daily Mail reporter was staking out the house for a few hours. There was an old lady in the house who answered the door when he knocked. She told him to leave and the family had no comment.

TV news vans and a reporter from the Associated Press arrived later that night. None of us had any luck finding Tuiasosopo. The next day even more media members were camping out on the street. Reporters from ESPN, Reuters, Good Morning America as well as the usual suspects spent the day outside the Tuiasosopo house.

Whoever was tweeting from Kekua’s Twitter account promised a statement at 11 a.m. That proved to be another joke in the same vein as the original hoax of creating a fake girlfriend.

After two days of waiting for Tuiasosopo to offer any comment about Te’o, Kekua or the relationship between the two, I was ready to move on. It was clear the person or people orchestrating the hoax had no interest in coming clean.

All we have left is to speculate on the motivation. Money? Te’o hasn’t said he was asked for money or extorted in any way. All he has said is that he is a victim, 100 percent, and had no role in creating the fake girlfriend. That’s hard to believe.

Could it be that Tuiasosopo is some 20-something year old kid with no job, no college and too much time on his hands? He and his friends, because it appears there was more than one person pretending to be Kekua, still have way too much time on their hands. No one from the family is talking, even the father, Titus Tuiasosopo, a pastor at a church in the Antelope Valley. Ronaiah Tuiasosopo has almost completely disappeared. Te’o told ESPN that he talked to Ronaiah and he apologized. But how can anyone believe anything Te’o says at this point?

…

Another liar whose pants are on fire is Lance Armstrong. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, he admitted to doping during his seven Tour de France victories. He was the cheatiest of the cheaters in cycling. But it wasn’t so much he lied about doping that is so offensive. It is that he bullied and threatened anyone who questioned his claims of racing clean.

Teammates, sponsors, even cycling officials and organizers experienced Armstrong’s furor. He sued people who accused him of cheating. He won million-dollar settlements from people and newspapers he sued for libel and defamation. It looks like all those people are vindicated, but still had to pay for being whistleblowers.

Armstrong told Oprah he was sorry for cheating. It sounded like a desperate plea from an athlete at the end of this career. His Live Strong campaign is dying. He is losing supporters quicker than Mitt Romney on Election Day.

Armstrong has plenty to be sorry for. But again, who is going to believe his sincerity at this point?

…

Now for some good news. The Master’s College women’s basketball team is having one of the best seasons in school history. The Lady Mustangs won their first 17 games and are ranked No. 8 in the NAIA.

Their most recent victory, over Biola 59-53 on Saturday, was their fourth in a row in Golden State Athletic Conference play.

The Master’s College women led 35-9 at halftime. But Biola made a furious charge in the second half, outscoring the Lady Mustangs, 44-24.

Still The Master’s College women held on and won by six points.

…

It didn’t take long for hockey fans to forgive the NHL for the 113-day lockout that postponed the start of the NHL season for nearly three months.

The shortened season opened to sold-out arena across North America on Saturday. Staples Center was one of those sold-out arenas. Kings fans, players, coaches and staff celebrated raising the first Stanley Cup championship banner to the rafters.

Then the party quickly soured as the Kings lost to the visiting Chicago Blackhawks, 5-2, and trailed 3-0 after the first period.

Well, at least it’s a long season. Oh wait, no it’s not. Better pick it up Kings.

Tim Haddock is the sports director for KHTS AM 1220. He writes for USA Today, the Team USA website, Ventura County Star, the SCV Beacon, The Santa Clarita Gazette and SB Nation. He can be reached by e-mail at tim@hometownstation.com. Follow him on Twitter @thaddock.

The West Ranch Beacon – News & Commentary for the Santa Clarita Valley » Tim Haddock’s SCV Sports Roundup

2013-01-12T10:37:00.001-08:00

The West Ranch Beacon – News & Commentary for the Santa Clarita Valley » Tim Haddock’s SCV Sports Roundup

The West Ranch boys basketball team won its Foothill League opener against Hart, 70-63. Hart entered the game with an undefeated 16-0 record and ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section Division 3AAA poll.
The Saugus girls soccer team ran its unbeaten streak to 16 games with a scoreless draw against Valencia.
The Master's College women's basketball team moved into the top 10 in the NAIA national rankings and stayed undefeated at 14-0.

Hart boys basketball team extends undefeated streak to 13

2012-12-27T22:41:00.002-08:00

The Hart boys basketball team blew out its second team in as many nights in the Holiday Classic tournament.
The Indians beat Reseda, 92-70, and won their 13th game in a row to start the season. Hart is undefeated and has won its first two games in the Hart Holiday Classic tournament.
Lewis Stallworth led the Indians in scoring with 19 points. He had four 3-pointers. Four Hart players scored in double figures and the team made 13 3-pointers in the game.
Hart plays South Bakersfield in the third round of pool play in the tournament on Friday.

Photo: The Hart boys basketball team improved to 13-0 with a 92-70 win over Reseda in the Holiday Classic tournament. (Credit: Tim Haddock)

Runners rise to the top of Santa Clarita sports in 2012

2012-12-27T09:47:00.001-08:00

Runners took center stage in the Santa Clarita sports world in 2012. From the Summer Olympics in London to Central Park in Saugus, cross country and track runners were celebrated. Allyson Felix won three gold medals in London. The Saugus girls cross country team won their seventh CIF state championship in a row. Chris Low from College of the Canyons won a state title in track. John Gilbertson from The Master’s College won a national championship in cross country.

But cross country and track and field were not the only sports that athletes from the Santa Clarita Valley excelled. A receiver from Canyon High broke two state football records. A golfer from Valencia High qualified for her third US Women’s Open. The fire captain at Station 76 in Valencia won an IHRA drag racing event.

Here is a look at the top sports stories of the year:

1. Santa Clarita’s Allyson Felix won three gold medals at the Sumner Olympics in London. She won gold in the 200 and was on the gold-medal winning 4x400 and 4x100 relay teams. The 4x100 team broke the world record in London winning the race in 40.82 seconds.

Felix won silver medals in the Olympics in the 200 in 2008 in Beijing and 2004 in Athens. Finally winning gold in the 200 was a milestone achievement.

“It is unbelievable,” Felix said shortly after winning her third gold medal in the 4x400 relay. “I think about how I ended in Beijing and kind of feeling discouraged there and now four years later to have all of this happen and to really accomplish every goal that I set out, is just such a blessing. London is very special to me.”

The United States track and field team won nine gold medals in the Summer Olympics in London. Felix won a third of them.

2. The Saugus girls cross country team won its seventh straight CIF State championship at Woodward Park in Fresno in November.

Sophomore Samantha Ortega emerged as the leader of the Saugus girls team. She was the runner-up in the Division II state race completing the course in 17 minutes, 33 seconds.

Five of the Saugus girls finished in the top 50 in the Division II state race. Heidi Hoslet was 21^st in 18 minutes, 32 seconds. Abigail Frankian was 23^rd, Katie Huntington was 35^th and Olivia Altieri was 49^th.

The Saugus girls scored 97 points in the state meet and won by 11 points over La Costa Canyon.

The Centurions earned a spot in the Nike Cross National meet in Portland, Ore., for the seventh year in a row after winning the CIF State title.

3. Canyon receiver Drew Wolitarsky broke two state football records. He caught nine passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns in the first round of the Southern Section Northern Division playoffs against San Luis Obispo to break the state record for career catches. Wolitarsky caught 277 passes in his career at Canyon to break the old mark of 271 set by Steve Smith from Taft High in Woodland Hills. Smith is a receiver with the St. Louis Rams in the NFL.

Wolitarsky broke Smith’s state record for receiving yards with a nine-catch, 149-yard performance against Golden Valley in October. After the game, he had 4,585 career receiving yards, breaking Smith’s record of 4,486 yards. Wolitarsky finished with 5,148 receiving yards in his high school career.

4. Valencia High senior Alison Lee made the cut at the US Women’s Open at the Blackwolf Run golf course in Kohler, Wis., and finished in a tie for 60^th place. She was one of three amateurs to make the cut. Lee was making her third appearance in the US Women’s Open golf tournament.

Later in the summer, Lee won the PING Invitational golf tournament at the Karsten Creek course in Stillwater, Okla. It was her second American Junior Golf Association championship of the year.

She has won six AJGA titles in her career. In her three appearances in the US Women’s Open, Lee has made the cut twice. In her first appearance, before her freshman year in high school, she finished in 26^th place.

5. Canyon High graduate Chuck Osborne, who played football in the NFL and in college at the University of Arizona, died at his home in La Jolla in October. He was 38.

Osborne was a seventh-round draft pick by the St. Louis Rams in 1996. He played with the Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots for a total of 37 games in the NFL.

At the University of Arizona, he was an All-Pac 10 selection in his senior season. His best season was in 1994 when he led the Wildcats in sacks with 11.

He was also an all-state selection in his senior season at Canyon High School.

6. College of the Canyons track coach Lashinda Demus won the silver medal in the 400 meter hurdles at the London Summer Games.

7. College of the Canyons runner Chris Low won the California Community College Athletic Association state championship in the 800. He won the race in 1 minute, 49.16 seconds at the state meet at Cerritos College. He was one of six athletes from COC to earn All-America recognition.

8. Hart’s Tim White won two CIF Southern Section track and field championships. He won the high jump and the triple jump in the Division III meet and became the first athlete from Hart to win two CIF Southern Section titles.

9. The Master’s College’s John Gilbertson won the NAIA national championship in cross country in Vancouver, Wash., in November. He won the race in 23 minutes, 56 seconds and earned NAIA All-American honors.

Teammate Anthony Pizzo, a Canyon High graduate, also earned a spot on the All-America team with a 15^th-place finish at the NAIA national championship meet. The Master’s College men’s cross country was ranked No. 8 in the final NAIA national poll.

10. Johnny Ahten, the captain at Fire Station 76 in Valencia, won the IHRA drag racing event in the Pro Fuel Dragster division at the Nitro Jam at Southwestern International Raceway in Arizona in March.

Tim Haddock is the sports director at KHTS AM 1220. He writes for the Santa Clarita Gazette,Ventura County Star, SB Nation and the Team USA website. He can be reached by e-mail at tim@hometownstation.com. Follow him on Twitter @thaddock.

Hart boys basketball team wins big in Holiday Classic

2012-12-26T23:22:00.000-08:00

The Hart boys basketball team beat Burbank, 81-50, in the opening round of pool play in the Hart Holiday Classic.
Lewis Stallworth led four Indians in double figures. He scored 15 points. Myles Franklin scored 13.
Hart outscored Burbank, 25-8, in the third quarter to take a 22-point lead. The Indians led, 37-32, at halftime.
Hart is 12-0 to start the season. The Indians play Reseda in the second round pool play next.

Photo: The Hart boys basketball team won its first game in pool play against Burbank in the Hart Holiday Classic. (Credit: Tim Haddock)

Opening night for Irwindale Event Center set for April 6

2012-12-24T22:46:00.000-08:00

Buried in the release of LoanMart's new partnership with the Irwindale Event Center is the tentative opening night for racing to return to the oval tracks.

LoanMart will have new billboards posted around the track and for the drag strip. The company also reserved on of the suites at the track.

"We couldn't be happier to be associated with the great new Irwindale Event Center," said Colby Estes, LoanMart's Director of Marketing. "Our company loves all forms of motorsports competition and the people who love it. We really can't wait for the stock car season to begin."

... And right now that's set for Saturday April 6, 2013.

Samantha Kenny joins dad, brother in NHRA Super Comps

2012-12-17T14:15:00.002-08:00

Samantha Kenny's dad, Alan, won the NHRA Super Comp national championship.
Her brother, Jason, won a Super Comp race at Las Vegas.
On the final event of the year at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, she was the only one of the three Kenny racers to reach the final day of elimination.
Samantha Kenny says she had one of her best seasons even though she didn't win a national event. She was eliminated in the fifth round at Pomona, but she had her family and supporters rooting her on.
The 30-year-old from Ohio is keeping the family tradition of drag racing alive and will be joining her dad and her brother when the NHRA drag racing season begins in 2013.
Go to the K&N website for more on Samantha Kenny and her drag racing career.

Photo: Samantha Kenny reached the final day of eliminations in the NHRA Super Comp division at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona in November. (Credit: Jegs)

What can UCLA and USC expect in their bowl games?

2012-12-12T15:58:00.001-08:00

The UCLA Bruins football team will play Baylor in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego on Dec. 27. So, who exactly are these Baylor Bears? It might be best to start with who they are not.

They are not Robert Griffin III’s Baylor Bears. The Heisman Trophy winner is the starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins these days. But even though Baylor lost a first-round quarterback to the NFL, the football team was left in two capable sets of hands.

The first pair belongs to receiver Terrance Williams. He is making a variety of All-America teams and breaking even more school records. Williams leads the nation with 1,764 receiving yards and was a finalist for the Fred Belitnekoff Award. (Marqise Lee of USC won the award).

Williams holds the school record for receiving yards and is second in school history in receiving TDs with 12 and receptions with 95. He needs 236 yards in the Holiday Bowl to become only the second player in NCAA football history with 2,000 receiving yards in a season. The way Baylor runs its offense, 236 receiving yards is not out of the question.

Trevor Insley from Nevada is the only college receiver with more than 2,000 receiving yards in a season. He caught 134 passes for 2,060 yards in 1999. Only two receivers have more than 1,900 receiving yards in a season, Michael Crabtree at Texas Tech and Troy Edwards at Louisiana Tech.

Nick Florence, Baylor’s senior quarterback, has more than delivered after RG3 left the team. Florence is 174 yards shy of breaking Griffin’s school record for passing yards in a season. Florence is also six touchdown passes short of breaking Griffin’s school record in that category.

Florence leads the nation with an average of 387.7 yards per game of total offense. He is an academic All-American, the fourth quarterback from Baylor to earn that honor. Of course, the last quarterback to do it was Griffin in 2011.

Suffice it to say Baylor can put up some points. The team can put up points at Oregon Ducks pace. The Bears might have a more potent offense than USC. The Bruins will have their hands full, but then again, USC was supposed to give them a handful, too.

…

Those same USC Trojans are headed to Texas to play Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31. This is a game USC doesn’t want to play, their fans don’t want to watch and cost defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin his job.

Before the season began, Sports Illustrated put USC quarterback Matt Barkley on the cover stating he didn’t come back for his senior season to play in the Holiday Bowl. He certainly didn’t return for a trip to the Sun Bowl.

USC, the Associated Press preseason No. 1 team, had much higher aspirations. Alabama was a much more worthy opponent than Georgia Tech.

The Trojans have played in the Sun Bowl twice and lost both games. They lost to Michigan State, 17-16, in 1990, when it was the John Hancock Bowl, and to Texas Christian University, 28-19, in 1998.

If the Trojans aren’t careful, they could lose their third straight Sun Bowl to the only bowl team in college football with a losing record. Georgia Tech is 6-7, but became bowl eligible when it won the ACC Coastal Division championship.

If the Yellow Jackets have a strength, it is in running the football. They are the fourth-leading team in the nation in rushing yards with 312.5 yards per game.

Senior quarterback Tevin Washington has scored 19 rushing touchdowns this season, second most in the nation. He has 37 rushing touchdowns in his career at Georgia Tech, the most in ACC and Georgia Tech for a quarterback.

USC and Georgia Tech have met three times, the last time in 1973. The Trojans are 2-1 in head-to-head match-ups against Georgia Tech and won the last meeting, 23-6, in Atlanta.

This will be the first time USC and Georgia Tech have met in a bowl game.

…

The Dodgers are sparing no expense to put together a quality baseball team. They have already spent a record $230 million on players. The latest additions are starter Zack Greinke and Korean left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu.

The rotation for the Dodgers next season will look something like this: 1. Clayton Kershaw, 2. Zack Greinke, 3. Josh Beckett, 4. Chris Capuano, 5. Chad Billingsley. That leaves Ted Lilly and Aaron Harang as insurance. That also leaves Ryu some time to develop.

The everyday lineup might look something like this:

1. Carl Crawford LF

2. Mark Ellis 2B

3. Andre Ethier RF

4. Matt Kemp CF

5. Hanley Ramirez SS

6. Adrian Gonzalez 1B

7. AJ Ellis C

8. Luis Cruz 3b

Cruz is a fan-favorite, but he is also the weakest link in the lineup. Still, this might be the best offensive lineup since 1981 for the Dodgers.

…

A pair of Hart High grads were in a multiplayer trade between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Kansas City Royals. Starter James Shields was shipped to the Royals for a chunk of prospects including Mike Montgomery.

Neither player made out well in this deal.

Shields is an American League All Star and a seven-year veteran. He went 15-10 with a 3.52 ERA for the Rays in 2011. But he was also expected to make $10.25 million in 2012. His trade to the Royals is being described as a salary dump.

Montgomery was one of the top pitching prospects in the Royals organization. He was drafted in the first round by the Royals in 2008 and split time between Double-A and Triple-A last year. He was a 3-6 with a 5.69 ERA at Triple-A Omaha. He wasn’t much better at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he was 2-6 with a 6.67 ERA.

Montgomery was one of four prospects traded to the Rays for Shields and Wade Davis. Montgomery was also one of two pitchers from Kansas City in the deal.

He’ll most likely spend more time in the minors with the Rays, which already has a solid rotation with Cy Young Award winner David Price, Matt Moore and 2011 American League Rookie of the Year Jeremy Hellickson.

As for Shields, he’s on the Royals now. If this were 1984, it might be a different story. But it will be 2013 and the Royals will be out of playoff contention before the All-Star game.

Tim Haddock is the sports director for KHTS AM 1220. He writes for the Santa Clarita Gazette, Ventura County Star, the Team USA website and SB Nation. He can be reached by e-mail at tim@hometownstation.com. Follow him on Twitter @thaddock.

West Ranch Boys Basketball Team Knocks Off CIF State Champs | KHTS Radio

2012-12-07T15:45:00.001-08:00

West Ranch Boys Basketball Team Knocks Off CIF State Champs | KHTS Radio
The West Ranch boys basketball team beat Alemany in the quarterfinals of the Santa Monica Tournament. Alemany won the CIF Division 3 state championship last year.
The Wildcats play Chaminade in the semifinals of the Santa Monica Tournament tonight.
The Hart boys basketball team beat Westlake and reached the semifinals of the Crescenta Valley Tournament.
The Canyon girls basketball team is in the semifinals of the Kiwanis Buena Tournament.

Canyon Boys Baksetball Team Starts Own Tournament With Win Over Lancaster | KHTS Radio

2012-12-06T07:22:00.001-08:00

Canyon Boys Baksetball Team Starts Own Tournament With Win Over Lancaster | KHTS Radio
The Canyon boys basketball team started its own Canyon Classic Tournament with a win over Lancaster.
The Saugus boys basketball team beat Eastside in its first game in the Canyon Classic.
The Golden Valley girls lost their first game to Simi Valley in the Golden Valley Tournament.

Hart Boys Basketball Team Rolls To 3-0 Start | KHTS Radio

2012-12-05T08:49:00.001-08:00

Hart Boys Basketball Team Rolls To 3-0 Start | KHTS Radio
The Hart boys basketball is undefeated after three games to start the season. The Indians beat Flintridge Prep in the Crescenta Valley Tournament for their third win.
The Master's College men's basketball team clobbered Cal Tech.
The Saugus girls basketball team beat Calabasas for their second win of the season.

Trinity's Dakota Prochnow Selected As CIF Division II 8-Man Football Offensive Player Of The Year | KHTS Radio

2012-12-04T07:17:00.001-08:00

Trinity's Dakota Prochnow Selected As CIF Division II 8-Man Football Offensive Player Of The Year | KHTS Radio
Trinity Classical Academy's Dakota Prochnow was selected as the CIF Southern Section Division II 8-man football offensive player of the year. Three of his teammates earned spots on the All-Division II team.
Plus the Saugus girls soccer team is ranked No. 2 in the Southern Section Division 2 rankings.
The Hart boys are ranked No. 8 in the Division 4 soccer poll.

Alan Kenny wins NHRA Super Comp national title

2012-11-29T15:15:00.000-08:00

Alan Kenny has been chasing a national championship in drag racing for nearly 40 years. He won his first, the NHRA Super Comp national championship, with the help of his son.
The 60-year-old Kenny capped his championship season from the pits at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona. He didn't advance to the elimination rounds at Pomona, but he secured the championship before the elimination rounds began.
Two weeks prior, Jason Kenny, his son, won the Super Comp event in Las Vegas and put a comfortable gap between his dad and his nearest competitors in the Super Comp standings.
Go to the K&N website for more on Alan Kenny's championship season.

Photo: Alan Kenny won his first NHRA Super Comp championship at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona. (Credit: National Dragster)

The Master's College Women's Volleyball Team Drops Second Match At NAIA National Championships | KHTS Radio

2012-11-29T08:31:00.001-08:00

The Master's College Women's Volleyball Team Drops Second Match At NAIA National Championships | KHTS Radio
The Master's College women's volleyball team's first trip to the NAIA National Championship tournament might end a little earlier than expected.
The Lady Mustangs need to win their next match to advance to the elimination rounds of the tournament. They have lost their first two matches in pool play. Viterbo University beat The Master's College in four games on Wednesday night in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Lady Mustangs play Indiana Wesleyan in their final pool play game tonight.

Saugus Girls Soccer Team Shuts Out Lancaster In Season Opener | KHTS Radio

2012-11-28T07:47:00.001-08:00

Saugus Girls Soccer Team Shuts Out Lancaster In Season Opener | KHTS Radio
The Saugus girls soccer team scored two goals in the first half and two goals in the second half to shut out Lancaster 4-0.
Monica Allen scored both goals in the second half.
The Santa Clarita Christian girls soccer team squeaked past Crossroads, 3-2.
The Hart boys soccer team scored four goals in the second half to beat Quartz Hill, 5-1.

The Rematch: UCLA vs. Stanford

2012-11-28T06:35:00.000-08:00

Can the UCLA football team beat Stanford? If Saturday’s outcome is any indication, the Bruins have a lot of work to do if they want to upset the Cardinal on Friday night in the Pac-12 championship game.

UCLA and Stanford will meet for the second time in six days. The venue will be different, in Palo Alto instead of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, but the outcome will be the same if the Bruins can’t make some key adjustments.

Stanford rolled UCLA, 35-17. By the second quarter, the rout was on. Stanford was up 21-10 at halftime and scored two more touchdowns in 13 seconds in the third quarter to pull away.

The Stanford defense scored. The Stanford running attack gave the Bruins fits. UCLA had one scoring drive that actually netted -8 yards, a 48-yard field goal in the second quarter.

UCLA coach Jim Mora was asked after the game what his team needs to do to beat Stanford.

“Once I look at the film, I can better answer that question for you,” Mora said. “There is a lot to learn. I’m not going to get into too many specifics. But I don’t want to give away what we need to do in order to improve.”

Two areas where the Bruins can improve is in penalties and time of possession. UCLA committed 12 penalties for 135 yards, unacceptable against a disciplined football team like Stanford.

“Too many penalties. Some were aggressive, some were a lack of focus, some were not being technically sound,” Mora said. “It was not anything specific. Yes, it’s disappointing but we have got to get over it quickly because we have a game on Friday night.”

At least Mora recognizes his team committed too many penalties. He doesn’t seem too concerned with how aggressive his players were during the game. He doesn’t seem overly worried that some of his players were not as focused as they should be. There is no way UCLA can beat Stanford by giving up 135 yards in penalties again.

Time of possession was another glaring advantage for Stanford. The Cardinal held the ball for nearly 10 more minutes in the game, 34:31 for Stanford, 25:29 for UCLA. Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor was a big reason for the time of possession advantage for the Cardinal. He rushed 20 times for 142 yards. The entire Stanford team gained 263 yards on 49 carries.

UCLA ran the ball only 33 times for 118 yards. Being down by three touchdowns in the third quarter will force a team to abandon its running game, not that the UCLA ground attack was very effective. Johnathan Franklin was held to only 68 yards on 21 carries, a measly 3.1 yards per carry. He’ll need to do better if the Bruins are to have any chance of beating Stanford. Mora is hoping his kids have short memories.

“I think it’s important that since we are a day short in preparation, when you say get over it quick -- that implies forgetting about it,” Mora said. “We want to learn from it. We want to get over the disappointment of a loss quickly. We need to get over the disappointment of a loss.”

…

The Valencia football team ended its playoff run in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Northern Division playoffs. While the Vikings reached the semifinals, and lost for the fourth time in the past five years, it was a disappointing finish.

Of the three teams from the Foothill League in the playoffs, Valencia was the least likely to make a deep playoff run. Both Hart and Canyon were ranked No. 1 in the Northern Division poll. Valencia never reached that height.

But the Vikings upset Hart and Canyon and won the Foothill League championship outright. They entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed, behind top-seeded Palmdale, which lost in the first round.

Riding a wave of confidence and a seven-game winning streak, Valencia lost, 50-33, to Palos Verdes in the semifinals. Palos Verdes knocked out Hart in the quarterfinals and reached its first CIF championship game since 1965.

Even though the Valencia football team ended its season a little sooner than anticipated, there was one highlight.

Valencia quarterback Sean Murphy set the school record for most touchdown passes in a season. The senior threw three touchdown passes against Palos Verdes, giving him 38 on the season and the school record.

…

The Saugus girls cross country team won its seventh CIF state championship in a row. To put it in perspective, the Saugus girls have been state champions longer than Barack Obama has been president. When they won their first state championship back in 2005, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 10,717.50. The average price of gas in California was $2.47 a gallon.

Sophomore Samantha Ortega was in the second grade when Saugus won its first state championship. She is now the star of the team, taking the torch from Kaylin Mahoney, Jenay Jauregui and a host of Frankian and Murakami sisters.

Ortega, who only started running with the Saugus cross country team this season, was the runner-up in the Division II state meet race at Woodward Park in Fresno. She completed the course in 17 minutes, 33 seconds, four seconds behind Maggie Bell of Granite Bay High School.

The Saugus girls scored 97 points in the state championship meet and beat La Costa Canyon by 11 points.

Five Saugus runners finished in the top 50. Heidi Hoslet was 21^st, Abigail Frankian was 23^rd, Katie Huntington was 35^th and Olivia Altieri was 49^th.

The Saugus girls are in good hands, or feet as the case may be, with Ortega returning. But only she and Frankian are expected to be back as the Saugus girls pursue an eighth straight CIF state championship. Hoslet, Huntington and Altieri are all seniors. Of course, graduating talented seniors has yet to slow down the Saugus girls cross country team for nearly a decade.

The Saugus boys capped a successful season with a second-place finish in the CIF State Division II meet. AJ Yarnall set a school record and completed the course in Fresno in 15 minutes, 10 seconds.

The Saugus boys finished behind Westlake in the meet.

Golden Valley had a couple reasons to celebrate as well. Bianca Tinoco posted a top-10 effort in the Division II girls race. She was seventh in 18 minutes, 9 seconds. Nolan Del Valle finished his high school career with a 15^th-place finish in the boys Division II race. He completed the course in 15 minutes, 31 seconds.

…

For an encore, the Saugus girls cross country and Yarnall are invited to the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Ore., on Saturday. The Saugus girls are making their seventh appearance in the national cross country meet.

Yarnell is making his first trip to the Nike Cross Nationals and is an at-large entry. He was second in the Division II boys race and fifth overall at the CIF State meet in Fresno.

The Saugus girls earned an at-large invitation, one of four available to teams across the country, as well. The Centurions finished in 12^th place at the Nike Cross Nationals last year. They were a top-four team from 2007 to 2010, but have never won the meet.

Tim Haddock is the sports director at KHTS AM 1220. He writes for the Santa Clarita Gazette, Ventura County Star, the Team USA website and SB Nation. He can be reached by e-mail at tim@hometownstation.com. Follow him on Twitter @thaddock.

Carmelita Jeter shares Olympic dreams, experiences with YMCA

2012-11-26T15:47:00.000-08:00

Three-time Olympic medalist Carmelita Jeter wanted to play on the United States women's basketball team. Instead, she ran on the US women's track team and became one the top sprinters in the world at the London Summer Games.
Jeter won a gold medal on the world-record breaking 4x100 relay team. She won silver in the 100 and bronze in the 100.
As part of the Team for Tomorrow programs, Jeter shared her Olympic medals and experiences with the Torrance-South Bay YMCA.
Jeter ran track at nearby California State University, Dominguez Hills and at Bishop Montgomery in Torrance in high school.
She plans on competing in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in 2016.
For more on Jeter and her visit to the YMCA, visit the Team USA website.

Photo: Carmelita Jeter shows the kids at the Torrance-South Bay YMCA the medals she won at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. (Credit: Tim Haddock)

Saugus Girls Cross Country Team Wins 7th State Title In A Row | KHTS Radio

2012-11-26T15:32:00.001-08:00

Saugus Girls Cross Country Team Wins 7th State Title In A Row | KHTS Radio
Sophomore Samantha Ortega paced the Saugus girls to their seventh CIF State championship in a row. She finished in second place in the girls Division II race.
Five runners from Saugus finished in the top 50 as the Centurions edged La Costa Canyon for the state crown.
On the boys side, Saugus was second in the Division II state meet. AJ Yarnall set the school record and finished in second place on the course at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Paraclete eliminates San Dimas in Mid-Valley football semifinals

2012-11-24T17:18:00.000-08:00

Paraclete quarterback Tyler Carvalho threw three touchdown passes and iced the game with a bruising 4-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter in a 28-20 win over San Dimas in the CIF Southern Section Mid-Valley Division semifinals on Friday night.
San Dimas took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but Carvalho threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter to tie the score.
A last second field goal gave San Dimas a 17-14 lead at halftime.
Carvalho threw his third touchdown of the game in the third quarter to give the Spirits their first lead, 21-17. The Paraclete quarterback scored his team's fourth touchdown to give the Spirits an eight-point lead.
Paraclete will play Monrovia in the Mid-Valley championship game next week.
Go to the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin for more on the game between Paraclete and San Dimas.

Photo: Tyler Carvalho (11) and the Paraclete football team prepare for their semifinal playoff game against San Dimas at Antelope Valley College. (Credit: Tim Haddock)

Valencia Football Team Advances To Semifinals Of CIF Playoffs | KHTS Radio

2012-11-19T19:39:00.001-08:00

Valencia Football Team Advances To Semifinals Of CIF Playoffs | KHTS Radio
The Valencia football team is in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Northern Division playoffs. Hart and Canyon were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
The Trinity football team lost in the semifinals of the Southern Section Division II 8-man playoffs.
The College of the Canyons football team lost to Santa Ana College in the Southern California Bowl.

Carmelita Jeter visits Torrance-South Bay YMCA

2012-11-17T11:24:00.002-08:00

Three-time Olympic medalist Carmelita Jeter visited the Torrance-South Bay YMCA on Friday night. She went to Cal State Dominguez Hills and Bishop Montgomery High School. Jeter was on the 4x100 relay team that won the gold medal and set the world record at the Summer Games in London. She also won the silver medal in the 100 meters and the bronze medal in the 200 meters. (Credit: Tim Haddock)

Six Cross Country Teams Qualify For CIF Southern Section Finals | KHTS Radio

2012-11-13T08:03:00.001-08:00

Six Cross Country Teams Qualify For CIF Southern Section Finals | KHTS Radio
The Golden Valley, Saugus and Hart boys cross country teams qualified for the CIF Southern Section Division II finals at Mt. San Antonio College.
The Saugus, Golden Valley and Canyon girls are also in the Division II finals.
The Golden Valley boys are the reigning Southern Section Division II and state champions. The Saugus girls are ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section Division II poll.
For good measure, Olivia Pear from Valencia qualified for the Division I race after finishing third in her preliminary heat race.

Valencia, Canyon, Hart Advance In CIF Football Playoffs | KHTS Radio

2012-11-12T13:11:00.001-08:00

Valencia, Canyon, Hart Advance In CIF Football Playoffs | KHTS Radio
Valencia, Canyon and Hart won their first-round CIF Southern Section Northern Division playoff games and moved on to the second round.
The Trinity football team is in the semifinals of the Southern Section Division II 8-man playoffs after a 58-18 blowout against Cornerstone Christian.
The College of the Canyons football team won its season finale and earned a bid to play in the Southern California Bowl against Santa Ana College.

Jurupa Hills eliminates Fillmore from East Valley Division playoffs

2012-11-12T09:17:00.002-08:00

The Fillmore football team had home-field advantage in the first round of the CIF Southern Section East Valley Division playoffs, but it didn't do the players much good.
Visiting Jurupa Hills had a 23-point lead at halftime and scored three touchdowns in the third quarter in a 47-19 blowout.
Fillmore running back Collin Farrar rushed for a game-high 185 yards and scored a touchdown. Josue Valenzuela scored a touchdown on a 60-yard fumble return and had an interception. But that was about all the highlights for the Flashes.
Jurupa Hills quarterback Damion Wright threw three touchdown passes and running back Wayman Cooley scored two touchdowns.
Go to the Ventura County Star for more on the game between Jurupa Hills and Fillmore.

Photo: The Fillmore football team lost to Jurupa Hills in the first round of the CIF Southern Section East Valley Division playoffs. (Credit: Tim Haddock)

Antron Brown wins NHRA Top Fuel championship

2012-11-11T18:32:00.000-08:00

Antron Brown won the NHRA Top Fuel championship. Brandon Bernstein won the Top Fuel race at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. Tony Schumacher lost the final race and the Top Fuel championship by a fraction of a second.

Brown had to sit and watch as Schumacher advanced through the Top Fuel field and reached the final round. Brown lost in the first round after blowing up against Spencer Massey. He suffered burns on his hands and legs and wore gloves during his post-race news conference with reporters. He said the gloves were to protect his hands from small blisters that formed on them after his car exploded.

He also said he was ready to race again, despite the burns on his hands. But having to watch rather than race was painful in another way.

“Ain’t nothing you can do. Just sit and watch,” Brown said. “I felt like I was a kid back in elementary school when those days felt like they were 30 hours long. You want to race for it. You ask any racer out there, they don’t want to stay on the sidelines, waiting and hoping for someone to lose.”

Schumacher had to win the season finale to take what would have been his eighth Top Fuel championship. He met Bernstein in the final race.

Bernstein beat Schumacher off the line and held his lead across the finish line with a .037 seconds reaction time. He won by .009 seconds at 320.81 mph.

“Tony’s a class act,” Brown said. “They have no reason to hold their heads down. It just didn’t turn out like that this year.”

Brown is the first African-American driver to win an NHRA Top Fuel championship and the first African-American to win an auto racing championship in a major American racing series.

“I certainly wanted Tony to win the championship,” team owner Don Schumacher said. “But certainly Antron and the Matco Tools deserved to win the championship. They had hiccups in both Las Vegas and here, first round. They came out here, they did it this year, they won the world championship. Antron is the NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel world champion.”

Photo: Antron Brown became the first African-American to win the NHRA Top Fuel championship. (Credit: Tim Haddock)