Sports
Column: Camarillo boys' basketball team's hot start is elementary
Jaime Jaquez Jr., with no facial hair and looking every bit like the teenager he was, took time out after a basketball game at Camarillo High to take a photo in 2018 with five smiling members of the local youth basketball team made up of 11-year-olds. They attended the game and got a chance to meet the neighborhood star, who was a junior averaging 30 points a game.
Jaquez would become a hometown hero, showing you can grow up in Ventura County, get a scholarship to UCLA and make it to the NBA as a first-round draft pick for the Miami Heat.
In 2018, members of this year’s Camarillo basketball team took a photo with Jaime Jaquez Jr. They are Shane Frank, left, Brendan Widerburg, Josh Castaniero, Evan Dela Paz and Jackson Yeates.
(Ross Widerburg)
Now those five players in the photo — Shane Frank, Brendan Widerburg, Josh Castaniero, Evan Dela Paz and Jackson Yeates — are seniors at Camarillo and following in Jaquez’s foosteps as best friends trying to lead the Scorpions to basketball success. The team is 17-1 and to say chemistry plays a big part would be an understatement.
They’ve known one another since third grade. They still hang out together at the local park on Friday nights, go for a swim in the community pool, play video games, scream and laugh while riding the rides at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and compete for highest grade-point average. They get excited when someone takes a charge, because that means a free milk shake is the reward.
Their only loss this season was to Rolling Hills Prep, and its legendary coach, Harvey Kitani, recognized the kind of team he was facing. “The kids all know their role,” he said. “They’re a unit. They’re not going to beat themselves.”
It’s a parent-driven origin story of how they met. Fathers came together to form a youth basketball team. The players got to know one another, became friends and joined in playing soccer, baseball and other sports. Nothing has changed through the years. They enjoy their company. They recently took a trip together to Yosemite National Park, staying in a cabin, going for hikes and talking basketball. When driving to games in the school vans, there are singing competitions.
Other Camarillo players have joined the group, including senior Cajun Mike-Price, the son of former Sylmar High and UCLA football standout Durell Price, and senior Ty Chisholm, who arrived as a freshman when his father, in the Navy, moved to the area. “They welcomed me with open arms,” Chisholm said.
What makes Camarillo so successful are the many contributors for coach Brendan Garrett. During any given game, there could be a different leading scorer or leading rebounder. Yeates, a guard, leads the team in scoring at 13 points per game. He also has the highest grade-point average at 4.6. Widerburg was the school’s quarterback and only wishes he could have recruited some of his friends to be receivers.
To see the interaction of these players is inspiring. They’re playing for fun and friendship. There’s unselfishness, togetherness and an understanding of playing for each other. Whatever helps the team succeed, that’s what matters most.
“We’ve played in so many championship games together, gone to so many places, won so many tournaments together,” Paz said.
Said Yeates: “I feel the reason we’re so good is we play as a team. No one plays for themselves. We know if someone has a bad game, they’ll bounce back the next time. We trust everyone.”
On Jan. 14, the school will be honoring Jaquez by retiring his No. 24 jersey before a game against Simi Valley. He’s in town because the Miami Heat are playing the Clippers and Lakers that week. Jaquez is a big fan of the program. After all, his younger brother Marco played for the Scorpions and his sister, Gabby, was a McDonald’s All-American who now plays for the No. 1-ranked UCLA’s women’s team. Jaquez provided every player with black sweatsuits, along with the coaching staff and custodial staff at Camarillo.
Camarillo is a high school that embraces sports participation. The principal, Matt La Belle, is a former Simi Valley baseball coach who understands how sports can fit into a school’s culture. The school’s athletic director, Mary Perez, is the daughter of the legendary football coach from Moorpark College, the late Jim Bittner.
La Belle has seen the players around campus and says, “It’s absolutely true” of how good they are as teenagers on and off the court.
“They’re fantastic students. They’re a great group,” he said.
When neighborhood kids are doing well, it makes it easy for an entire community to have fun rooting for them to succeed. With the new Southern Section playoff seeding process starting this season relying on computer rankings, it remains unknown where Camarillo might end up. The early rankings didn’t exactly inspire confidence and might need some re-tooling. For now, Camarillo is No. 33, which might make it difficult to compete for a championship among Division 1 powerhouses.
Just don’t ever count out this Camarillo team that can overcome plenty with the help of chemistry and trust. And when the games end, don’t worry about these players.
“We’ll be friends for life,” Yeates said.
Sports
Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones
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Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever.
The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.
Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.
Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries.
A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.
When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”
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Sports
Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational
William Hudson, a 14-year-old freshman golfer, shot 71 on Monday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the Servite Invitational.
“It was very important to me and my school,” Hudson said.
Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.
Hudson is a straight-A student who picked up his first golf club when he was 3. He has a daily routine involving practicing at 6 a.m. before heading to school. He’s also enrolled in a school entrepreneur program that involves taking classes at a junior college that will qualify for college credits.
“They are long days, but I get through it,” Hudson said.
He comes from a family that enjoys golf. His great-grandfather played until his death at 98 last year.
“I love how it can take me to interesting places and meet interesting people,” Hudson said. “I can play for the rest of my life. It’s a lifelong sport.”
It’s looking like another strong year for golfers in Southern California, with several individual champions returning, including Jaden Soong of St. Francis and Grant Leary of Crespi.
Now Hudson has thrust himself into the conversation.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway
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Police have released new video showing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speeding before crashing his 2024 Bentley Continental GT into another luxury car on a Connecticut highway last summer.
McMahon appeared to be followed by a state trooper in Westport moments ahead of the eventual collision. McMahon’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph, state police said.
A trooper’s dashcam video showed McMahon accelerating and then braking too late to avoid rear-ending a BMW. The car McMahon was driving then swerved into a guardrail and careened back across the highway. A cloud of dirt, apparently mixed with vehicle debris, was visible in the immediate area of the crash.
WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on Apr 3, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)
“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” a state trooper asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley.
“I got my granddaughter’s birthday,” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.
No serious injuries were reported in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.
In an image taken from Connecticut State Police police bodycam video, Vince McMahon is questioned in his car after an accident on July 24, 2025, in Westport, Connecticut. (Connecticut State Police via The Associated Press)
Aside from the damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, police video suggested.
McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. In October, a state judge allowed him to enter a pretrial probation program that could erase the charges if he completes it successfully.
He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution. His attorney, Mark Sherman, called the crash simply an “accident.”
“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”
Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)
State police said a trooper was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape.
“I’m trying to catch up to you, and you keep taking off,” State Police Det. Maxwell Robins said in the video.
“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon clarified.
An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.
The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and added he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.
After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”
Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to obtain the police video, which was first acquired by The Sun.
McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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