Sports
Column: George Hastings has become a do-it-all sophomore football star at Agoura High
Jamie Foxx, the actor, is standing in the Agoura High parking lot talking on his cellphone next to his white Rolls Royce SUV, apparently waiting for girls’ volleyball practice to begin since his daughter plays for the team. There are no TMZ photographers hiding in the bushes.
Football coach Dustin Croick arrives in his golf cart to transport me to the football office to speak with a 15-year-old sophomore who never would be mistaken for a celebrity.
George Hastings sounds like a name from a 17th-century English novel. He’s a 5-foot-10, 175-pound football player who could star for any team if a coach saw what he does.
“He’s like an old-school player,” Croick said. “He’s fast, he’s smart, he’s tough.”
He’s played quarterback, running back, tight end, slot receiver, free safety, strong safety, middle linebacker and outside linebacker for the 7-1 Chargers.
Agoura sophomore George Hastings shows some emotion after win over Calabasas.
(Lynn Brennan)
“His football sense is so natural,” Croick said. “The game slows down for him.”
Two weeks ago in a game against Dos Pueblos, he had 16 tackles, completed one pass for a touchdown, caught a touchdown pass, rushed for 80 yards, blocked a punt and forced a fumble.
When the starting quarterback went down because of a broken leg against Calabasas while the No. 2 and No. 3 quarterbacks were unavailable because of injuries, Hastings took over in the fourth quarter and broke out of the pocket to score the go-ahead touchdown, then made an interception to seal the victory.
“I don’t think he understands how good he is,” Croick said.
Arriving at the football office, the door opens and Hastings is playing video pingpong with two JV players. It’s three sophomores matching wits and finger reflexes. Just never go against Hastings in any game. He’s got blond hair, braces on his teeth, looks like a freshman but acts 18.
He has a 4.2 grade-point average and his mother, Carrie, is a sports psychologist for the Rams and Angel City FC. His father, Chuck, played football at Princeton. He’s got two younger brothers, ages 8 and 12, who play football. This family is so devoted to football, they could star in their own Dr Pepper commercial. They probably put on eyeblack before going to bed at night.
Last week Hastings was so exhausted and beat up after playing Thursday night that while going to math class he asked his girlfriend to help him walk up the stairs. He offered no complaints for his bruises.
“I love it,” he said. “I love the camaraderie. I love the brotherhood. I love contact. It’s just the perfect sport. There’s nothing like football. It’s the greatest game out there. It teaches you so much about growing up.”
What has playing football taught Hastings?
“One thing it has taught me is to become a good leader, you first have to be a good follower and learn from the people above you,” he said. “The seniors on this team have helped me get through all the adversity we’ve had.”
His younger brothers keep him humble.
“They make fun of me, I make fun of them,” Hastings said. “The little guy definitely likes everyone else on the team. I was running out at halftime and he was like, ‘You better not fumble. I’m going to punch you.’ I was, ‘What the heck, man.’”
There is a big advantage having your mother as a sports psychologist. She gives good pep talks and doesn’t charge for her services.
“Thank God,” he said. “If you need help, you can ask her. It’s a great resource to have because the mental aspect is really important when it comes to football. It helps to know the right strategy to remain calm, cool and collective.”
In eight games, Hastings is five for five passing with one touchdown. He’s rushed for 521 yards and five touchdowns. He’s caught eight passes with one touchdown. He leads the team with 89 tackles. His knowledge of the offense and defense is astounding for a 15-year-old.
“It’s like a second language to me,” he said. “I just know how our plays work and how our defense works.”
Croick knows with Hastings’ versatility, there are many options for utilizing him. The coach just needs to devise strategies.
“He doesn’t seem fazed by anything,” Croick said.
Hastings has met Rams players while with his mom, studied them and come away thinking, “They’re people too. They have personal lives like everyone else.”
The next test for Hastings should be running into Foxx to see who’s the bigger celebrity on campus.
LAS VEGAS — The door opened for Arthur Kaluma to show his worth for the Lakers in the NBA Summer League on Saturday night.
He did so in a big way.
Kaluma had 34 points and five rebounds during the Lakers’ 91-70 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the Thomas & Mack Center.
He was 11 for 16 from the field and six for 10 from three-point range.
With Lakers rookie guard Cameron Carr unable to play because of a right thumb contusion, Kaluma took over the scoring role. Carr, the 24th pick in the NBA draft, is averaging 17 points per game.
“Cam doesn’t play tonight, so he gets a little bit more minutes, gets a couple more touches,” said Lakers Summer League coach Ty Abbott about Kaluma. “But he’s done a really good job of making the most of it when he doesn’t have actions run for him. So the way that he’s been able to stay ready, find windows for himself has kept him in a rhythm. So, on a night like tonight, when we can run some actions for him, he knocks them down and just plays out of his mind. It was great.”
Kaluma said he was “a little nervous” but his three-point shooting said otherwise.
“When [teammate] Jon Elmore came down and he pitched it back to me for a three … I just knew when it came off my hand it was cash,” Kaluma said. “So I said, ‘Yeah, I’m hot.’ It went on from there.”
Late in the fourth quarter, Kaluma lined up a three-pointer, setting his feet and scoring from 29 feet out. He flashed three fingers and smiled. His teammates on the bench stood and cheered, as did the fans.
“We have such a great group of guys this year at Summer League and going through this it’s hard to get that camaraderie with a group,” Kaluma said. “But I feel like everybody wants to see everybody succeed and I felt that tonight. I’m not going to lie to you. They tell me to shoot the ball. I passed up a couple of shots and they were mad at me the other day.”
Kaluma played for the South Bay Lakers in the G League last season. He averaged 14.6 points per game, 4.9 rebounds and shot 55% from the field, 37% from three-point range.
“The G can get grimey, you know what I’m saying? It’s a time where everybody is trying to fight for a position and there is a certain hunger that you have to have in order to be successful in the G,” Kaluma said. “And I feel like that drive that I had my first year in it pushed me into this summer to really get better and work on my game and come here and have the opportunity to perform.”
Kaluma wasn’t alone in helping the Lakers improve to 2-0 in Summer League play.
Adou Thiero ran the court, took a lob pass from Chris Mañon and threw down a two-handed dunk. He had another solid outing with 15 points and four rebounds. He shot just four for 12 from the field, but was a plus-15.
But the night belonged to Kaluma.
“I pride myself on the defensive end,” he said. “I know I got hot offensively, but the shot was just falling today, you know what I’m saying? My game is three-and-D. I lock-up on defense and I know I can hit open shots. I just got hot today and I’m not going to try to let it get to my head.”
Sports
Golf star records lowest round in LPGA major history with astounding performance at Evian Championship
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There are good days on the golf course, and then there is what Haeran Ryu just did on Saturday.
Ryu, 25, recorded the lowest round in LPGA major history on Saturday with an 11-under 60 at the Evian Championship. With the South Korean golfer’s historic round, she holds a three-stroke lead.
Ryu’s round comes just two weeks after winning her first major at the Women’s PGA Championship. On the 18th hole, Ryu left a 30-foot eagle putt a few inches short, and instead settled for a birdie.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea reacts on the 18th green after the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
She said after the round that she had no idea what she had done until she counted up her scorecard.
“But after the putt and I counted my score with my caddie,” she said. “Oh my God, it’s 11-under par today. It was so amazing. My caddie says, ‘Yep.’ I’m so happy right now.”
If Ryu had made the eagle putt on the 18th hole, she would have been just the second player to shoot a 59 in LPGA history.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea celebrates a birdie on the 15th green during the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 11, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Her 60 broke the record for the lowest round in an LPGA major by one shot. Leona Maguire and Jeungeun Lee6 in 2021, and Hyo Joo Kim in 2014, each shot 61 at the Evian Championship, which was designated as an LPGA major in 2013.
The lowest round in a men’s major is 62, which is shared by four players — Branden Grace at Royal Birkdale in the 2017 British Open, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler in the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, and Schauffele and Shane Lowry in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea and Lottie Woad of England interact after their round on the 18th green during the third round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Ryu hopes her historic third round can help propel her to a second major win in three weeks.
“That is amazing, amazing dream,” Ryu said. “So I just want that one to come true, but we have one more day.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Taylor Crabb is no stranger to South California beaches. The Long Beach State alum returns home this weekend to compete in AVP League matches.
It marks the first time AVP will compete in Long Beach since 2020 and allows players to compete at the 2028 Olympics beach volleyball venue.
Crabb, 34, made his AVP debut in 2013 with his brother, Trevor, and advanced from the qualifier in Manhattan Beach before finishing 25th in his first tournament.
After years of competing with various different partners, Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh have delivered the top performances this AVP season.
The following interview with Crabb has been edited for clarity and length.
Are you excited to compete in this weekend’s event at Long Beach?
Crabb: Very excited. A lot of my college teammates and part of the school have reached out, saying that they’re gonna come. So I’m excited to get a chance to play in front of them again.
When was the last time you were in Long Beach?
Crabb: I always try to go down there for alumni events or any big games they have. I went to UCLA against Long Beach last year, when it was No. 1 versus No. 2, so I always try to get down there and support them.
You missed out on the chance to compete in the 2020 Olympics because of COVID-19 restrictions and chose not to pursue a spot at the 2024 Olympics. Are you fired up to try to compete in the 2028 Olympics, knowing that Long Beach will host the competition?
Crabb: Yeah, it’s definitely an exciting time having the Olympics in Long Beach, and we kind of get to break it in this weekend. As you said, Tokyo didn’t go the way I wanted, but I’m going full force now. I have a great partner in Andy Benesh, who obviously went to the Paris Olympics, and if it weren’t for the Olympics being in Long Beach, and me getting a partner like Andy, I’m not even sure I’d be going for it, but because of those two things, I want to make the most of it.
You mentioned that if it wasn’t for a partner like Andy, you wouldn’t be going for it. What do you mean by that?
Crabb: I didn’t feel motivated by playing in all the international events, but now, I think, sitting out kind of lit the fire under me, and I’m really motivated now.
You’ve had different partners throughout your time. What other motivation does Andy give you?
Crabb: He’s been, in my mind, the top blocker for the U.S. the last four or five years. Seeing the professionalism he brings every day to practice, on and off the court, while traveling and when showing up to tournaments, it rubs off on you and that’s really motivating to see. And I just want to make him proud.
Why do you love volleyball?
Crabb: A lot of reasons, but it’s just a feeling I have when I’m out there on the court. It feels natural. It feels like home. I was born into a volleyball family. I had a volleyball in my hands my entire life, so I’ve always just enjoyed it.
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