Sports
A new manager, an underappreciated star and 'something special' are fueling the Guardians
CLEVELAND — Four hours before first pitch, José Ramírez, the face of the franchise and instigator to the stars, is singing Daft Punk’s earworm, “One More Time,” as strikingly off-key as possible. He intentionally butchers the simple hook as he leans back in the black leather chair at his corner locker.
Josh Naylor walks past the JBL PartyBox speaker in the center of the room and triggers the DJ sound effect, which prompts at least one teammate to fist pump like he’s raving on a sticky dance floor at a Jersey Shore nightclub.
Emmanuel Clase is FaceTiming family back home in rural Río San Juan, D.R., and the clucking of chickens would echo throughout the clubhouse if not for Ramírez’s disharmony.
One more time!
Tyler Freeman and David Fry are battling on a Mario Kart arcade machine, an undercard match before Ramírez — who possesses unparalleled skill at swerving Bowser’s stout frame around turtle shells and banana peels — begins challenging teammates for more money than they’ve earned in the big leagues.
One more time!
Austin Hedges strides into the room wearing a red, self-hemmed crop top that reveals his bellybutton and a tease of the shag carpet that covers his chest, and clutches a leather-bound notebook full of scouting reports and other secrets.
One more time!
And then silence — save for the speaker, now shuffling through a Bob Marley medley.
The bustling ceases. The bodies vanish. The room is empty.
Catchers, pitchers, coaches and analysts cram into a room across the hall to review the opposing club’s hitters. Hedges, Fry and Bo Naylor, the club’s catching triumvirate, share the intel they’ve scribbled in their notebooks. Then the pitchers trot out to the left-field grass for an afternoon catch session. Hitters head to the cages to pore over video and take their first hacks.
Manager Stephen Vogt, the new head of the operation, fulfills a slate of media obligations. He reveals just enough charm to remind reporters why he was a beloved player and he guards minor injury details like nuclear codes.
There’s nothing groundbreaking unfolding in Cleveland, where the Guardians have amassed one of baseball’s best records. There’s no secret formula, even for a team with a long-envied starting pitching factory. (Starting pitching has actually been the club’s Achilles’ heel during this wild joyride.)
Ramírez has spurred “Guards Ball,” as Fry calls it — the slashing-and-dashing style of offense that pressures pitchers and defenses until they cave. It propelled them to the playoffs two years ago. This season, aside from more meetings, they’ve added more muscle, more reliable relievers and more magic.
Night after night, it’s working. Chaos, then concentration, then conquering another opponent.
One more time!
The Guardians, implausibly, have been the story of the 2024 MLB season.
“There’s something special here,” Hedges says.
Three hours before first pitch, Guardians infielders join Kai Correa outside the dugout for work with a red machine that sounds like a swarm of scorned hornets as it revs up.
Correa, the club’s field coordinator, oversees everything from the daily bus schedule to infield shifting.
But now he’s sitting on a bucket and resting his red cleats on the black legs of The Heater Slider Lite 360. Thwoop. The apparatus spits out a one-hopper to a kneeling Brayan Rocchio, who’s wearing a white glove that doesn’t quite cover his left hand. Correa toggles a couple dials that alter the speed and angle of the grounder. If the expert level is cranked up during practice, any eighth-inning hop will be a breeze.
Evan Longoria swore by the gadget after partnering with Correa in San Francisco. The three-time Gold Glove Award winner pleaded to use it daily.
In Cleveland, the buy-in started before spring training, when almost the entire roster reported to Goodyear, Ariz., weeks before camp. That included Ramírez, the perennial All-Star. “That guy leads by example better than anybody I’ve ever been around,” Hedges says.
Ramírez is capricious before games, one day offering a reporter his Tesla Cybertruck for $100,000 cash and the next day sizing up Clase for snooping in his locker. But he quickly snaps into game mode and teammates strive to mimic his relentless work ethic, which has fueled a career path that could end in Cooperstown.
“He’s the accountability guy for everything,” Kwan says. “He’s always the lead dog.”
Ramírez swings by Correa’s station to stab at a few choppers from the machine. Later, he huddles with coach J.T. Maguire at a desk outside the clubhouse to study video of a potential tell from that night’s opposing pitcher. A decade into his career, Ramírez still craves every sliver of information that might give him an edge. He says he doesn’t care that he climbed into second place in franchise history in home runs; he just wants to break the club’s 76-year championship hex.
The Guardians have laid the groundwork for that quest with preparation. They hold more pregame meetings than ever before. Players embrace extra defensive work and time in the cage.
A new coaching staff isn’t taking that investment for granted. The Guardians might be the most surprising team in the league, but Hedges says it stems from treating every day like a playoff game. To do that, bench coach Craig Albernaz says, the Guardians must maximize every nanosecond before first pitch.
“We don’t have the experience like Terry Francona does or Bob Melvin does,” Albernaz says, “so we have to err on the side of being over-prepared.”
Two and a half hours before first pitch, coaches file into the manager’s office, one by one. Albernaz has already claimed a seat, with a laptop resting on his thighs. Bullpen coach Brad Goldberg enters, then assistant pitching coach Joe Torres, then a couple of pitching analysts and, finally, pitching coach Carl Willis, who has worked in the organization for much of the last quarter-century.
Other teams pluck pitching gurus from Cleveland’s directory on an annual basis — Matt Blake, Ruben Niebla and Brian Sweeney became pitching coaches for the Yankees, Padres and Royals in recent years — but Willis, a figurehead with decades of experience and an appetite for forward thinking, remains. Fellow coaches refer to him as a “Walking TrackMan,” the device that supplies instant data on a pitcher’s mechanics.
Pitching coach Carl Willis, here in a mound visit with starter Ben Lively, has been a fixture in Cleveland for years. (Jason Miller / Getty Images)
The Guardians’ rotation has uncharacteristically struggled, a result of losing ace Shane Bieber a week into the schedule, missing Gavin Williams for three months and receiving rocky efforts from Triston McKenzie and Logan Allen.
The club’s bullpen, however, has masked many of the team’s shortcomings. Cleveland’s relievers lead the league in ERA by a massive margin. Cade Smith learned he made the Opening Day roster while playing cards with his siblings in a hotel room eight hours before the first pitch of the season. Now, he fills the role of stopper anytime an opponent mounts a rally, whether in the fourth inning or the eighth.
Hunter Gaddis has evolved, without warning, from a scuffling spot starter to a prolific setup man. Tim Herrin, teased by teammates for his baby face and calm demeanor, has worked to improve the quality of his primal shouts as he walks off the mound following an inning-ending strikeout. There have been plenty; he boasts a 2.25 ERA in his first full season.
No reliever presents a more daunting task for hitters than Clase. With magenta-tinted locks dangling beneath his navy cap, he pumps 101-mph cutters past anyone who occupies the batter’s box.
“Clase is the best pitcher in baseball,” Hedges says.
Two hours before first pitch, teammates surround Hedges on a dugout bench as he waxes poetic about the twisted beauty of baseball, a sport that revolves around failure.
It took Hedges years to develop into a leader. In San Diego, he’d scan the lineup while praying his name was absent. He was burdened by the pressure of 162 games, of 150 nightly decisions hinging on how many fingers he flashed his pitcher. During an injured list stint for a balky elbow in 2018, he questioned whether he even wanted to return to the roster.
“So much anxiety of wanting to perform,” he says, “wanting to win, and also being like, ‘I don’t know what’s happening to my brain. I can’t freaking think.’ Luckily, eventually, in time and experience, all you can have is awareness that this is happening. So, it’s, ‘This is normal. Am I going to be a gangster, or am I going to give in?’”
Austin Hedges, who has become a key part of the Guardians on and off the field, congratulates Emmanuel Clase earlier this season. (Nick Cammett / Getty Images)
Hedges needed to come to Cleveland, to win in Cleveland, to leave Cleveland and to win a World Series last fall with Texas to understand what the Guardians were lacking and how he could provide it. He’s Vogt’s lieutenant in the clubhouse. When the two connected for a 10-minute call over the winter as the Guardians recruited Hedges back to the organization, Vogt hung up and said to himself, “This is the guy.”
The notebook Hedges constantly grips in his left hand was a wedding gift from ex-teammate Clayton Richard, who taught him how to make a difference on days he wasn’t in the lineup. This season, Hedges has been as much a mental coach, guidance counselor and senior motivation coordinator as catcher, but he cherishes the role. It’s a position Vogt held for 15 years in the minors and the majors, a catcher with a coach’s brain.
“He’s my voice,” Vogt says.
As teammates flock to him in the dugout, Hedges recommends a book about daily stoicism, a tenet this team has adopted. Vogt says he loves managing a team of clichés, players who not only rely on trite mantras to autopilot their way through interviews, but also actually adhere to them. One day at a time. Caring for each other. Turning the page after a win or loss. Banal, sure. But rooted in truth, Vogt says.
The players appreciate that Vogt shows no panic — not when they lost Bieber to elbow surgery, nor when they dropped three straight to the historically inept White Sox in May, nor when their once-massive AL Central lead dwindled last week after a seven-game skid. An early-season closed-door meeting was really just a chance to commend Hedges on eight years of service time, which alleviated some tension after a couple of defeats.
GO DEEPER
The wild highs and lows that prepared Stephen Vogt to be the Cleveland Guardians’ manager
Vogt has geared up for this opportunity since he was a middling A-baller eyeing a coaching future, when blossoming into a two-time All-Star seemed delusional. He has made a seamless transition to his new seat, one previously occupied by Francona, a future Hall of Famer. Hedges marvels at the way Vogt delivers the right message to the right person at the right time.
Of course, Vogt downplays his influence, insisting he’s “just a pretty face” who lets players be themselves, even if that means Scott Barlow standing in his “fish flip flops” while creating chainsaw noises into a semi-crushed Red Bull can or a group of players barking like dogs in the dugout. Fry and Hedges welcomed trade acquisition Alex Cobb to his new team in early August and Fry figured Cobb was thinking, “These weirdos, these guys are a bunch of losers.”
Really, though, it’s a tight-knit group. One day, Canadian-born Bo Naylor is teaching a card game to Jhonkensy Noel, a native of the Dominican Republic, in fluent Spanish. Another day, Fry and Ben Lively shout at the clubhouse TV until Tommy Fleetwood’s drive settles in the thickest cut of rough. Every day, in the first inning, the relievers engage in a cutthroat round of trivia, centering on anything from Venezuelan athletes to Olympic history to how many triangles can be found in a particular picture.
After a Noel missile to the outfield seats fueled a win in late June, Tanner Bibee and three relievers waited at the clubhouse entrance to supply the linebacker-sized slugger with high-fives while urging him to give a speech. House music blared as Hedges and Gaddis argued over whether the catcher’s recent stolen base should have been deemed defensive indifference. Kwan walked past Noel, hopped and punched the air, mimicking the team’s Super Mario-themed home run celebration. Ramírez stepped onto the edge of his locker in his brown Louis Vuitton loafers to answer reporters’ questions and meet Clase’s gaze.
“You can tell when people genuinely, actually want to be around each other,” Vogt says.
Manager Stephen Vogt (left) and bench coach Craig Albernaz don’t often vary their pregame routine. (Jason Miller / Getty Images)
One hour before first pitch, Vogt and Albernaz reunite in the manager’s office, down the hall from the clubhouse nuttiness and last-minute plotting. They say goodnight to their kids over FaceTime. They review Albernaz’s notes on the running game, the pitching matchups, pinch-hit scenarios and bullpen deployment. They toast to the night ahead and take a swig of Arctic Vibe-flavored Celsius. The routine can’t change — and neither can the drink flavor — unless they lost the night before.
“We’re a little ‘stitious,” Albernaz says.
Fifteen minutes before the national anthem, Vogt darts to the dugout. He has arrived at the calmest part of his day. The empty dugout is his oasis.
His days are filled with organizational meetings and media interviews and office visits and strategizing sessions. His late nights are spent stirring in bed, sometimes until 3 a.m. as he mentally replays decisions or contemplates advice to supply a struggling player. It takes an episode or two of “Banshee” to hush the inner monologue.
As the game inches closer, though, he finds clarity. He leans against the dugout railing and, for 15 minutes or so, he can exhale.
He watches fans find their seats. He initiates off-topic banter with players as they pass by on their way to stretch. He cycles through his memories from whichever ballpark he’s calling home for a few days. He can’t patrol the visitors dugout in Kansas City without reflecting on the 2014 Wild Card Game with Oakland.
He calls this “the calm before the storm,” a therapeutic reset before the real thing, far away from Ramírez’s toneless melody, Hedges’ ceaseless banter and any other noise.
By this point, the hard work is complete. It’s time for first pitch.
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic. Photos: Jason Miller, Rich Storry / Getty)
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The Atlanta Falcons have added one of the team’s greatest players to its front office.
The Falcons announced on Saturday that former quarterback Matt Ryan, who spent the first 14 years of his 15-year NFL career with the team after being drafted third overall in 2008, will be president of football on Saturday. The 40-year-old Ryan, who holds team records for passing yards, touchdowns and wins, will assume the new role immediately.
Ryan will report directly to owner Arthur Blank and collaborate with president and CEO Greg Beadles to ensure the alignment of the business and football areas of the organization.
Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) on the sideline before he is inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor at halftime of a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 3, 2024. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
“Throughout his remarkable 14-year career in Atlanta, Matt’s leadership, attention to detail, knowledge of the game and unrelenting drive to win made him the most successful player in our franchise’s history,” Blank said in a statement.
“I am confident those same qualities will be a tremendous benefit to our organization as he steps into this new role. From his playing days to his time as an analyst at CBS, Matt has always been a student of the game, and he brings an astute understanding of today’s NFL, as well as unique knowledge of our organization and this market. I have full confidence and trust in Matt as we strive to deliver a championship caliber team for Atlanta and Falcons fans everywhere.”
The Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris on Sunday after back-to-back 8-9 seasons. The Falcons had won their last four games, leading some to believe Morris might be afforded a third season, but Blank had other plans.
AARON RODGERS TAKES THINLY-VEILED SHOT AT JETS AHEAD OF STEELERS’ PLAYOFF GAME
CBS Sports broadcaster Matt Ryan before a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on Nov. 16, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
The Falcons also fired general manager Terry Fontenot after five seasons on Sunday. Ryan will be fully involved in the team’s search for the Falcons’ next head coach and general manager.
“Arthur gave me the chance of a lifetime almost twenty years ago, and he’s done it again today,” Ryan said in a statement.
“While I appreciate the time I had with the Colts and with CBS, I’ve always been a Falcon. It feels great to be home. I could not be more excited, grateful, or humbled by this new opportunity. I began my career with a singular goal: to do right by the Blank family, the Falcons organization, the City of Atlanta, and especially our fans. My commitment to the success of this franchise has not changed. I’m beyond ready to help write a new chapter of excellence.”
Ryan has spent the last three seasons as a member of the CBS Sports team as an analyst.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Jan. 2, 2022. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)
“I want to thank the incredible team at CBS Sports. I loved my three years there and I am truly grateful for their support in pursuing this opportunity. The CBS Sports culture is amazing, and I have made teammates and friends for life,” Ryan said in a statement.
Ryan, who was drafted out of Boston College, played with the Falcons for 14 seasons and holds many franchise records, including passing yards (59,735), attempts (8,003), completions (5,242), passing touchdowns (367), passer rating (94.6), completion percentage (65.5) and 300-yard games (73).
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HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
BOYS
CITY SECTION
Dorsey 75, Northridge Academy 67
El Camino Real 60, Carson 40
Fairfax 80, North Hollywood 43
Harbor Teacher 43, Torres 33
LA Hamilton 47, Marquez 40
LA University 74, Franklin 52
Santee 71, Rise Kohyang 39
SOCES 74, Lincoln 73
South East 59, Locke 45
View Park 44, Orthopaedic 40
Westbrook 57, Maywood CES 56
Wilmington Banning 50, Verdugo Hills 37
WISH Academy 50, University Prep Value 47
SOUTHERN SECTION
ACE 57, Victor Valley Christian 45
Agoura 52, Newbury Park 48
Alhambra 57, Montebello 43
Aliso Niguel 39, Beckman 37
Anaheim 57, Garden Grove Santiago 42
Anaheim Canyon 75, Santa Ana Foothill 52
Animo Leadership 61, Ambassador 58
Arcadia 69, Muir 45
Arlington 73, Hemet 66
Arrowhead Christian 68, Linfield Christian 53
Arroyo 79, Pasadena Marshall 57
Ayala 67, Diamond Bar 63
Azusa 77, Duarte 76
Banning 77, Desert Mirage 30
Bassett 51, Pomona 18
Bell Gardens 69, San Gabriel 49
Beverly Hills 57, Culver City 48
Big Bear 98, AAE 49
Bishop Amat 91, Gardena Serra 49
Blair 95, South Pasadena 78
Bonita 68, Walnut 51
Brea Olinda 67, Garden Grove Pacifica 53
Burbank Burroughs 72, Glendale 64
Calabasas 81, Westlake 70
California 84, El Rancho 39
California Lutheran 66, Desert Christian Academy 65
Calvin Christian 63, Cornerstone Christian 28
Cathedral 73, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 69
Cerritos 60, Whitney 32
Chaminade 55, Loyola 48
Citrus Hill 80, Canyon Springs 55
Corona Centennial 89, Norco 21
Corona Santiago 70, Eastvale Roosevelt 63
Crescenta Valley 77, Burbank 64
Desert Hot Springs 69, Cathedral City 46
Downey 78, Firebuagh 38
Dunn 60, Grace 53
Edgewood 67, Workman 34
Edison 75, Newport Harbor 70
El Dorado 69, Sonora 60
El Toro 53, Mission Viejo 48
Excelsior Charter 79, Lucerne Valley 34
Foothill Tech 66, Cate 39
Fountain Valley 56, Huntington Beach 49
Gahr 54, Dominguez 52
Glendora 54, Claremont 33
Hacienda Heights Wilson 62, Charter Oak 52
Harvard-Westlake 78, Crespi 53
Indian Springs 64, Pacific 32
JSerra 80, Orange Lutheran 66
Keppel 79, Schurr 50
Laguna Beach 69, Irvine University 48
La Habra 69, Crean Lutheran 56
Lakeside 72, Heritage 53
Lakeview Leadership 69, PAL Academy 22
La Salle 63, Mary Star of the Sea 38
La Sierra 52, Jurupa Valley 51
La Serna 49, Santa Fe 47
Long Beach Cabrillo 59, Long Beach Jordan 53
Long Beach Poly 78, Compton 50
Long Beach Wilson 65, Lakewood 52
Los Alamitos 80, Marina 60
Maranatha 45, Heritage Christian 44
Mater Dei 95, Servite 76
Mira Costa 69, Peninsula 28
Moorpark 58, Camarillo 54
Murrieta Valley 70, Great Oak 67
North Torrance 47, West Torrance 42
Northview 45, West Covina 37
Oaks Christian 72, Thousand Oaks 65
Ontario Christian 79, Woodcrest Christian 58
Orange 60, Estancia 59
Oxford Academy 64, Artesia 62
Oxnard 60, Rio Mesa 50
Oxnard Pacifica 73, Dos Pueblos 70
Paloma Valley 65, Vista del Lago 42
Palos Verdes 53, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 51
Pasadena 86, Hoover 20
Perris 52, Valley View 51
Pilibos 69, Mesrobian 35
Pioneer 79, Glenn 41
Portola 69, Irvine 44
Ramona 87, Norte Vista 77
Rancho Christian 78, Liberty 39
Rancho Verde 76, ORange Vista 46
Rio Hondo Prep 51, Chadwick 50
Riverside King 62, Corona 53
Riverside North 44, Moreno Valley 41
Riverside Prep 65, CIMSA 52
Rosemead 38, South El Monte 33
Rowland 41, Covina 40
Rubidoux 56, Patriot 43
San Bernardino 94, Miller 45
San Marcos 73, Buena 35
San Marino 60, La Canada 53
Santa Ana Valley 40, Magnolia 33
Santa Barbara 64, Ventura 37
Santa Clara 48, St. Bonaventure 45
Santa Rosa Academy 81, United Christian Academy 40
Sequoyah 51, Hillcrest Christian 47
Sierra Canyon 78, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74
Sierra Vista 69, Garey 35
Silver Valley 53, Hesperia Christian 46
Simi Valley 93, Del Sol 42
Southlands Christian 50, Avalon 49
South Torrance 50, Torrance 46
St. Anthony 79, St. Bernard 71
St. Genevieve 67, Paraclete 41
St. John Bosco 74, Santa Margarita 73
St. Monica 78, St. Paul 60
Temecula Valley 79, Vista Murrieta 73
Temple City 66, Monrovia 49
Twentynine Palms 59, Yucca Valley 33
University Prep 59, Desert Christian 45
Valencia 84, Canyon Country Canyon 58
Vasquez 97, PACS 52
Village Christian 90, Cerritos Valley Christian 34
Warren 86, Paramount 57
Webb 75, Newport Christian 48
Western 68, Savanna 54
Westminster La Quinta 60. Rancho Alamitos 48
Woodbridge 66, St. Margaret’s 50
Yorba Linda 49, Sunny Hills 48
INTERSECTIONAL
Buckley 64, Taft 61
Rolling Hills Prep 72, Narbonne 42
GIRLS
CITY SECTION
Marquez 36, MSCP 31
Panorama 38, Fulton 7
South East 61, Huntington Park 36
SOUTHERN SECTION
AAE 46, Big Bear 31
Arcadia 69, Muir 31
Arroyo 26, Pasadena Marshall 19
Ayala 41, Diamond Bar 32
Banning 66, Desert Mirage 14
Bonita 41, Walnut 24
Brentwood 61, Crossroads 32
Buena Park 72, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 20
Burbank Burroughs 58, Glendale 42
Camarillo 59, Moorpark 31
Capistrano Valley Christian 49, Samueli Academy 35
Cerritos 72, Whitney 58
Chaparral 61, Murrieta Mesa 60
CIMSA 42, Riverside Prep 24
Corona Centennial 96, Norco 8
Costa Mesa 60, Westminster 36
Crescenta Valley 77, Burbank 39
Desert Chapel 45, Joshua Springs Christian 15
Desert Christian 37, University Prep 26
Downey 53, Gahr 16
Duarte 61, Azusa 23
Edgewood 44, Workman 25
El Dorado 48, Crean Lutheran 30
El Modena 61, Santa Ana Foothill 27
El Rancho 38, California 31
Esperanza 47, Anaheim Canyon 34
Etiwanda 69, Villa Park 49
Fillmore 44, Santa Clara 19
Flintridge Prep 73, Pasadena Poly 37
Fullerton 51, Laguna Hills 35
Garden Grove 47, Ocean View 23
Glendora 61, Claremont 32
Godinez 43, Placentia Valencia 23
Hacienda Heights Wilson 75, Charter Oak 20
Hemet 33, Canyon Springs 20
Hesperia 54, Apple Valley 38
Hesperia Christian 56, Silver Valley 54
Holy Martyrs Armenian 49, AGBU 23
Indian Springs 62, Pacific 28
Irvine 45, Northwood 34
Keppel 53, Schurr 34
La Canada 54, San Marino 22
La Puente 32, Ganesha 22
La Serna 51, Santa Fe 40
La Sierra 30, Jurupa Valley 29
Lawndale 55, Hawthorne 9
Leuzinger 77, Compton Centennial 28
Liberty 46, Vista del Lago 27
Loara 44, Anaheim 39
Long Beach Jordan 72, Long Beach Cabrillo 5
Lucerne Valley 42, Excelsior Charter 38
Murrieta Valley 61, Great Oak 19
Newbury Park 55, Agoura 33
Nogales 63, Baldwin Park 42
North Torrance 47, West Torrance 35
Norwalk 49, Bellflower 40
Oak Hills 78, Burbank Burroughs 33
Oak Park 91, Royal 10
Oakwood 61, Burbank Providence 15
Ontario Christian 86, Lakewood St. Joseph 51
Palos Verdes 55, Wiseburn-Da Vnci 50
Pasadena 53, Hoover 43
Patriot 62, Rubidoux 9
Pioneer 55, Glenn 30
Ramona 62, Norte Vista 18
Riverside King 60, Corona 47
Riverside Poly 52, Hillcrest 51
Rowland 58, Covina 30
Sage Hill 73, Portola 45
San Bernardino 61, Miller 19
Santa Ana Valley 45, Western 38
Santa Clarita Christian 45, Faith Baptist 37
Santa Paula 73, Carpinteria 43
Saugus 79, Golden Valley 39
Savanna 44, Westminster La Quinta 21
Sierra Vista 60, Garey 38
St. Margaret’s 64, Laguna Beach 41
Southlands Christian 22, St. Lucy’s 19
South Torrance 49, Torrance 41
Temple City 53, Monrovia 34
Thousand Oaks 67, Oaks Christian 32
Twentynine Palms 62, Yucca Valley 20
Valencia 82, Canyon Country Canyon 55
Village Christian 68, Cerritos Valley Christian 56
Vista Murrieta 51, Temecula Valley 48
Warren 57, Mayfair 32
West Covina 32, Northview 25
Westlake 61, Calabasas 57
Woodbridge 50, Irvine University 16
Yorba Linda 42, Sunny Hills 32
INTERSECTIONAL
Archbishop Mitty 80, Fairmont Prep 45
Chatsworth 49, Northridge Academy 40
Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 67, North County San Marcos 53
Rosary Academy 53, King/Drew 44
West Ranch 82, Vaughn 11
Sports
Indiana crushes Oregon to advance to first championship game in program history, stunning sports world
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The 2025 Indiana Hoosiers became the fifth team in modern college football history to go 15-0. Now they can become the first team of the modern era to ever go 16-0, and only the second of all-time, joining an 1894 Yale team that played with leather helmets.
With a merciless 56-22 thumping of Oregon in the Peach Bowl, the Hoosiers punched their ticket to their first national championship game appearance in program history.
Head coach Curt Cignetti has left the college football world breathless with a dramatic turnaround of the Hoosiers program, going from one of the losingest teams in the Big 10 to potentially the most dominant single-season of all time.
Elijah Sarratt #13 of the Indiana Hoosiers is tackled by Ify Obidegwu #7 of the Oregon Ducks during the first quarter in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Many prominent sports figures took to social media to express their amazement of Indiana’s unprecedented dominance during and after their win over Oregon. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun also chimed in.
Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw five touchdown passes, improving his case to be the top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Kaelon Black ran for two touchdowns to lead the Indiana running game.
INDIANA WINS FIRST OUTRIGHT BIG 10 FOOTBALL TITLE SINCE 1945 AFTER OHIO STATE FLUBS SHORT FIELD GOAL TRY
Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers is tackled by Aaron Flowers #21 of the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Oregon (13-2, No. 5 CFP) was doomed by the three first-half turnovers while also being short-handed by the absence of two of their top running backs.
Indiana’s defense didn’t wait long to make an impact. On Oregon’s first snap, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds intercepted Moore’s pass intended for Malik Benson and returned the pick 25 yards for a touchdown. Only 11 seconds into the game, the Hoosiers and their defense already had made a statement this would be a long night for Moore and the Oregon offense.
Moore’s 19-yard scoring pass to tight end Jamari Johnson tied the game. The remainder of the half belonged to Indiana and its big-play defense.
After Mendoza’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. gave the Hoosiers the lead for good at 14-7, Indiana’s defense forced a turnover when Moore fumbled and Indiana recovered at the Oregon 3, setting up Black’s scoring run.
Moore lost a second fumble later in the second quarter when hit by Daniel Ndukwe and Mario Landino recovered at the Oregon 21. Mendoza’s first scoring pass to Sarratt gave the Hoosiers’ the 35-7 lead.
Indiana extended its lead to 42-7 on Mendoza’s 13-yard scoring pass to E.J. Williams Jr.
Oregon finally answered. A 70-yard run by Hill set up a 2-yard scoring run by Harris.
The Hoosiers led 35-7 at halftime as the Ducks were held to nine rushing yards on 17 carries. Noah Whittington, who leads Oregon with 829 rushing yards, was held out with an undisclosed injury after Jordon Davison, who had rushed for 667 yards and 15 touchdowns, already was listed as out with a collarbone injury.
Backup running backs, including Jay Harris and Dierre Hill Jr, provided too little help for quarterback Dante Moore. Moore’s task against Indiana’s stifling defense would have been daunting even with all his weapons.
Following their undefeated regular season, the Hoosiers have only gained momentum in the CFP. Indiana overwhelmed Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal as Mendoza passed for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
Now, the Hoosiers will prepare to face Miami on Jan. 19 in the national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Miami beat Mississippi 31-27 in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal on Thursday night.
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Roman Hemby #1 of the Indiana Hoosiers runs out of bounds before the endzone against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Indiana will try to give the Big Ten its third straight national title, following Ohio State and Michigan the last two seasons. Few teams from any conference can compare with the Hoosiers’ season-long demonstration of balanced strong play.
The country will be watching to see if this unprecedented team can finish the job and really punch their ticket into the history books.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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