Sports
Falcons set to hire Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as head coach
The Rams coaching staff is undergoing another major turnover.
On Thursday, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is leaving to become head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, a person with knowledge of the situation said. The person requested anonymity because the Falcons had not announced the move.
Morris, 47, has previous head-coaching experience with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009-2011 and as interim coach of the Falcons for 11 games in 2020. He has a 24-38 record as a head coach.
Former Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, now with the Miami Dolphins, was happy for Morris.
“Falcons got one of, if not the best coach in the NFL forreal!” Ramsey tweeted.
Morris, who succeeded Brandon Staley as Rams defensive coordinator in 2021, interviewed with the Falcons, Chargers, Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks this offseason.
Rams coach Sean McVay, general manager Les Snead and chief operating officer Kevin Demoff publicly endorsed Morris during the interview process.
In 2021, Morris coached a defense that helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI. The Rams went 5-12 in 2022, but they rebounded this past season and exceeded expectations by finishing 10-7. Their season ended with a 25-24 loss to the Detroit Lions in an NFC wild-card game.
Morris is the second member of coach Sean McVay’s staff to depart for another opportunity. Defensive line coach Eric Henderson left to become USC’s co-defensive coordinator.
It remains to be seen how the absence of Morris and Henderson will affect defensive lineman Aaron’s Donald’s future.
Donald, a three-time NFL defensive player of the year, hinted at retirement after the 2021 season. He said after the loss to the Lions that he would return next season when he will carry a salary-cap number of $34.2 million, according to overthecap.com.
McVay, preparing for his eighth season with the Rams, will now be paired with a fourth defensive coordinator.
Wade Phillips oversaw the defense from 2017 to 2019. Staley directed the defense for only season before he was hired by the Chargers as head coach, opening the door for Morris, who had coached previously with McVay in Tampa Bay and with Washington.
Sports
Rory McIlroy repeats as Masters champion, joins rare company at Augusta National
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Rory McIlroy further etched his name into Masters lore.
The Northern Irishman became just the fourth golfer in history to win back-to-back green jackets, finishing at 12-under par at historic Augusta National Golf Club.
Tiger Woods was the last to accomplish the rare feat, when he was repeat winner in 2001 and 2002.
Rory McIlroy celebrates after winning the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on April 12, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
With multiple contenders in the mix, the margin for error was slim Sunday at Augusta National.
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Masters champion Rory McIlroy acknowledges patrons on the 18th hole during the second round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2026. (Simon Bruty/Augusta National/Getty Images)
Despite a dismal round Saturday, McIlroy bounced back in the final round to fend off rallies from two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and 2013 U.S. Open champion Justin Rose.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Midseason baseball report: Sophomore Tyler George of Santa Margarita is strike machine
It’s midseason in high school baseball, so let’s look at players who are producing results at a high level. Forget about rankings, radar guns or who has scholarship offers. These are the players making an impact.
No one has been better than sophomore pitcher Tyler George of Santa Margarita. With a 7-0 record, 0.85 ERA and just two walks in 41 1/3 innings, the 6-foot-5, 190-pound 16-year-old has shown what a top pitcher is supposed to look like.
Few saw this coming — except for his freshman coach last season, Mike Hiserman, who said, “He was the most fundamentally sound all-around freshman baseball player I’ve ever coached. Was good at everything yet still immensely coachable. You tell him something once and he does it.”
George said he has focused on mixing up his pitches — fastball, curveball, slider, changeup.
“Just not overthrowing the ball, not throwing as hard as I can but hitting the spots and having a feel for my off-speed pitches,” he said.
He threw all nine innings during a 1-0 win over Mater Dei that was full of drama.
“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “The adrenaline was running. It was cool.”
His brother, Hayden, is a freshman pitcher at UCLA, and he said Bruins coach John Savage has been asking Hayden about him, which is a good sign when he becomes available to talk to recruiters in the summer.
Royal pitcher Dustin Dunwoody is 7-0 with an 0.18 ERA.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
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Dustin Dunwoody, Royal: Armed with an overpowering fastball, Dunwoody is 7-0, has an 0.18 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings.
Catcher Brady Murrietta of Orange Lutheran makes the tag at home plate against St. John Bosco.
(Nick Koza)
- Brady Murrietta, Orange Lutheran: The senior catcher keeps throwing out baserunners trying to challenge him. He’s also terrific on throws to the plate, picking up the hop and making the tag. And don’t forget his clutch hitting. He leads the team in RBIs with 12.
- Troy Randall, Corona Santiago: The junior third baseman is hitting .460 with 29 hits and also has given up just two hits in 12 innings in a relief pitching role.
- Jake Kim, Harvard-Westlake: The junior has displayed power and consistency, making him one of the toughest outs in the Wolverines’ lineup. He has 22 hits, a .500 batting average and four home runs.
- Malakye Matsumoto, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame: With 22 hits and 17 RBIs, the senior third baseman has been delivering for 14-3 Notre Dame.
- Tate Belfanti, Cypress: The junior left-hander has 53 strikeouts in 28 innings while going 5-0.
- Jake Ange, Thousand Oaks: The junior was a starter for the basketball team and has come out and hit seven home runs, including a game in which he hit two grand slams.
- Dylan Seward, Norco: The junior shortstop has been producing since he was a starter as a freshman. He has 26 hits, 16 RBIs and makes the plays when the ball is hit in his direction.
- James Tronstein, Harvard-Westlake: The senior shortstop has 26 hits, including four home runs, as the Wolverines’ leadoff hitter.
- Gary Morse, Orange Lutheran: The 6-8 pitcher is 3-1 with a 1.40 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 30 innings for the No. 1 team in Southern California.
- Caleb Trugman, Ayala: The two-way player has 23 hits and is 6-0 pitchers and an 0.76 ERA.
- Xavier Cadena, El Dorado: The outfielder has hit five home runs, driven in 19 runs and is batting .373.
- Carson Sheffer, Oaks Christian: The senior catcher continues to be stellar behind the plate while also contributing 22 hits, including seven doubles.
- Landon Hovermale, Norco: A model of consistency, the left-handed Hovermale is 6-0 with an 0.95 ERA and has walked just four batters in 36 2/3 innings.
- Jackson Sellz, El Camino Real: The junior keeps throwing complete games for the defending City Section champions. He’s 6-0 with a 1.20 ERA and five complete games.
- Jayden Rojas, Bell: The senior third baseman is batting .466 with 27 hits for 17-2 Bell. As a pitcher, he’s 4-0 with a 1.04 ERA.
- Brody Thompson, Bishop Alemany: Batting .404 with five home runs and five doubles, the senior catcher has also thrown out nine of 14 baserunners attempting to steal in helping the Warriors become a Mission League title contender.
Sports
Rory McIlroy’s monstrous lead disappears, surprise contender surges as Masters comes down to final day
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In case you thought the Masters was over after Rory McIlroy’s electrifying second round, here’s your reminder that nothing gets started in Augusta until the back nine on Sunday.
And those final nine holes are sure to be exciting after Saturday’s third-round action that saw McIlroy’s six-shot lead, the largest ever through 36 holes, completely evaporate.
New York native Cameron Young and the reigning champion McIlroy will be paired together as the final grouping of the 90th playing of the Masters, with both golfers at 11 under.
Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young are tied for the Masters lead going into Sunday. (Katie Goodale/Imagn Images, Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
McIlroy started his day at 12 under, but a bogey on the first combined with three birdies by Patrick Reed saw his lead shrink rapidly. When McIlroy birdied the third, and Reed bogeyed No. 4, McIlroy’s lead was back to a comfortable four. Reed eventually fell down the leaderboard, but Young shot up it.
Young, who was 4 over after his first round, began the day eight shots back of McIlroy, birdied the 16th to tie McIlroy, just seconds before McIlroy bogeyed 12 to fall to second place. He shot a 7-under 65 to jump to the top of the leaderboard, while McIlroy went 1 over with a 73. Young birdied eight holes to go along with a bogey on the par-5 15th after going water.
But McIlroy struggled on the back nine, going in the water on 11 for a double bogey, while also bogeying 12 and 18.
Rory McIlroy reacts after a putt on the 18th green during the third round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on April 11, 2026. (Michael Madrid/Imagn Images)
HOW THE 3,267TH-RANKED AMATEUR GOLFER, A REAL ESTATE AGENT, GOT TO PLAY ALONGSIDE LEGENDS AT THE MASTERS
This tournament, though, now stretches far beyond the leaders, as there are 20 players within seven strokes, and 14 within six. McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood were the only golfers inside the top 20 entering Saturday to score over par in the third round, making Saturday’s moving day quite the preview for an electric Sunday.
Sam Burns is alone at 10 under in solo third, while Shane Lowry, who benefited from a hole-in-one, is two back. Jason Day and Justin Rose are at 8 under, with Scottie Scheffler and Haotong Li at 7 under (Scheffler, too, shot a 65 after starting Saturday even for the tournament).
Other notables in the mix include Patrick Cantlay, Russell Henley, and Reed at 6 under, Collin Morikawa at 5 under, and Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka at 4 under.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland greets Cameron Young of the United States on the No. 18 green during the first round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2026. (Logan Whitton/Augusta National/Getty Images)
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After being paired together in the first two rounds, McIlroy and Young will tee off together again at 2:25 p.m. ET, as McIlroy looks to make up for lost time and become the first golfer since Tiger Woods to win back-to-back green jackets.
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