Sports
Column: Open Division boys' basketball playoffs are a wide-open affair
Forget March Madness. The eight-team bracket for the Southern Section Open Division boys’ basketball playoffs released on Sunday indicates it’s going to be a Fabulous February.
Any team, from No. 1 seed Harvard-Westlake through No. 8 Corona Centennial, can win on a given night. There is that much parity this season. Officials could have easily gone to a 12-team bracket. There’s that many quality teams.
On coaching alone, it’s a fabulous Open Division.
Gary McKnight of Santa Ana Mater Dei is the winningest coach in California history. David Rebibo has guided Harvard-Westlake to five straight Mission League titles. Matt Dunn won a state title at Damien before building a powerhouse at St. John Bosco.
Andre Chevalier has created buzz, excitement and won three Southern Section titles at Sierra Canyon. Stephen Singleton of Eastvale Roosevelt won a state title at Dominguez and ended Corona Centennial’s reign as Big VIII League champions on Friday. Josh Giles of Centennial has guided the Huskies to three straight Open Division titles. JSerra coach Keith Wilkinson is a former USC player who has the Lions making their first Open Division appearance. Donte Archie is one of the bright young coaches having led St. Pius X-St. Matthias to its first Open Division appearance.
There’s going to be lots of twists and turns even though the higher seeds get to host throughout the two-week tournament that begins Friday and ends on Feb. 23 or 24 at Cal Baptist. Remember last season St. John Bosco upset Harvard-Westlake on the road to win its bracket, so forget those home-court advantages. Pool A has fantastic openers: No. 8 Centennial at No. 1 Harvard-Westlake and No. 5 Sierra Canyon at No. 4 St. John Bosco. Pool B has No. 7 JSerra at No. 2 Roosevelt and No. 6 St. Pius X-St. Matthias at No. 3 Mater Dei.
Harvard-Westlake (25-3) is the defending state Open Division champion but never made it to the Southern Section final. This time, the Wolverines understand how lower seeds can rise up and win. They had to overcome a bad week of losing consecutive games to Notre Dame and Sierra Canyon to win the Mission League.
“Hunting is a lot easier than being hunted,” Rebibo said. “Sometimes you need to refocus and reset, and I thought we did.”
Said guard Trent Perry: “Losing is humbling. It honestly set us back a little bit, but we just go through adversity and refocus as a group.”
Division 1 also has several quality teams, led by top-seeded Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (24-3), which is outraged it was not chosen for the Open Division and has to start the Division 1 playoffs with a road game at Crean Lutheran. The Knights, led by high-scoring Mercy Miller, won their first 24 games before losing their final three games to Sierra Canyon, Bishop Gorman and Harvard-Westlake.
Crespi, coming off its surprising week of knocking off Sierra Canyon in the Mission League tournament, is the No. 1 seed in 2AA.
The girls’ Open Division field has all the makings of a finals matchup in three weeks between No. 1 Sierra Canyon (27-1) and No. 2 Etiwanda (25-3). They’ve stayed away from playing each other all season. Last season, Sierra Canyon won the Southern Section Open Division title but lost to Etiwanda in the Southern California Regional final. There’s no reason they won’t meet again twice. The coaches even know to save a few plays for a potential rematch.
Each team has a McDonald’s All-American in Mackenly Randolph for Sierra Canyon and Kennedy Smith for Etiwanda. Mater Dei (22-6), Sage Hill (24-2) and Ontario Christian (25-3), led by freshman sensation Kaleena Smith (35.3 scoring average), all have aspirations of upsetting the top two. That would be a monumental development if it happens.
Ontario Christian freshman basketball star Kaleena Smith has already set the school scoring record and has her sights set on the career mark.
(Steve Galluzzo / Los Angeles Times)
Smith alone will bring out fans to see what all the fuss is about. She’s a scoring machine, from sinking three-pointers to driving to the basket.
Sports
Becky Lynch enters exclusive WWE club with Women’s Intercontinental Championship win at WrestleMania 42
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LAS VEGAS – Becky Lynch entered an atmosphere no other WWE women’s superstar has ever reached as she won the Women’s Intercontinental Championship over AJ Lee on Saturday night at WrestleMania 42.
Lynch became the first person to hold the Women’s Intercontinental Championship three times after she pinned Lee. She first won the title against Lyra Valkyria in June 2025 and then again against Maxxine Dupri in November.
Becky Lynch celebrates with the belt after defeating AJ Lee during their women’s Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 18, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
She dropped the belt to Lee at the Elimination Chamber, sparking a monthslong feud with her.
Lee gave Lynch the chance at the title in the weeks prior to WrestleMania 42. But it appeared Lee played right into Lynch’s plans. Despite arguing with referee Jessica Carr for most of the match, Lynch was able to tactfully tear down a rope buckle and use it to her advantage.
Lynch hit Lee with a Manhandle Slam and pinned her for the win.
WWE STARS REVEAL WHAT MAKES WRESTLEMANIA SO SPECIAL: ‘IT’S THE SUPER BOWL OF PRO WRESTLING’
AJ Lee reacts after losing to Becky Lynch in their Women’s Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
It’s the second straight year Lynch will leave Las Vegas as champion. She returned to WWE at WrestleMania 41, teaming with Valkyria, to win the women’s tag titles. She will now leave Allegiant Stadium as the women’s intercontinental champion.
Lynch is now a seven-time women’s champion, three-time women’s intercontinental champion and two-time tag team champion.
Becky Lynch withstands AJ Lee during their Women’s Intercontinental Championship match on night one of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 18, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Lee’s reign as champion ended really before it could really begin. WrestleMania 42 was her first appearance at the event in 11 years. It’s unclear where Lee will go from here.
The Clippers’ season has come to an end but better than anyone expected. No consolation but a great job by head coach Tyronn Lue for guiding the Clippers from a disastrous 6-21 start and finishing with more than 40 wins.
Coach Lue led the team, overcoming major obstacles throughout the season with a player investigation, injuries, internal strife and major roster changes at the trade deadline. As usual for Clipper fans, wait till next year.
Wayne Muramatsu
Cerritos
The Clippers are the NBA’s version of Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle With You.” Yes, they have had 15 straight seasons of playing .500 or better, and owner Steve Ballmer has brought them respectability, but for their entire 56-year existence — which has contained many clowns and jokers — they still have never [attained] their goal of winning (or even reaching) the NBA Finals.
Ken Feldman
Tarzana
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LAS VEGAS – Paul Walter Hauser is an actor who has been in “The Naked Gun,” “Blackbird,” and “Richard Jewell.” But on Friday night at Maple Leaf Pro’s first U.S. event, MLP Multiverse, there was no acting going on.
Hauser squared off against QT Marshall in a sin city street fight at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. It was the final show of Slam Fest. The two pro wrestlers pulled out all the stops and left the ring in complete disarray.
Paul Walter Hauser competed against QT Marshall at Maple Leaf Pro Multiverse on April 18, 2026 in Las Vegas. (Fox News Digital)
It was a rematch of their brawl at Ring of Honor’s Death Before Dishonor event. Marshall went on the attack first, throwing in all kinds of foreign objects into the ring, including a piece of wood wrapped with barbed wire, a table, a cane, chairs and even a door was brought into the match.
Hauser was able to regain momentum in the match. He set up the barbed-wire object in the corner. Marshall countered and was trying to whip Hauser into the barbed wire. However, Hauser stopped himself. As Marshall tried to take Hauser by surprise, the movie star avoided Marshall and tossed him into the barbed wire.
Marshall was busted open, but wasn’t done. Hauser was trying to inflict more pain. He set up a table near one corner of the ring and poured thumbtacks on top of it. Marshall was able to powerbomb Hauser through the tacked table.
Paul Walter Hauser is pictured on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. (Nathan Congleton/NBC)
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Hauser was left with thumbtacks in his back and one in his head. He managed to power through and put Marshall into a sharpshooter. Marshall tapped out. Hauser picked up the victory.
Hauser got his start in pro wrestling in 2023 at Pro Wrestling Revolver. He worked his way through appearances at All Elite Wrestling before he signed with Major League Wrestling in 2024.
He’s currently Progress Wrestling’s Progress proteus champion.
Elsewhere, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) world heavyweight champion Hechicero defended his championship against Jonathan Gresham, Maple Leaf Pro Canadian women’s champion Gisele Shaw fended off Shotzi Blackheart, Persephone and surprise entrant Killer Kelly to keep the title.
Mistico, Mascara Dorada and Amazing Red defeated The Rascalz at Maple Leaf Pro Multiverse on April 18, 2026 in Las Vegas. (Fox News Digital)
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The show started with Subculture, the tag team duo of Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster, defeated Vaughn Vertigo and Guy Cool. The Demand’s Ricochet, Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona defeated Sidney Akeem, Michael Oku and Rich Swaan, Steve Borden defeated Kiran Gray and Mistico, Mascara Dorada, Amazing Red defeated The Rascalz – Desmond Xavier, Zachary Wentz and Myron Reed.
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