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Kaleena Smith powers Ontario Christian past Sierra Canyon into Open Division final

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Kaleena Smith powers Ontario Christian past Sierra Canyon into Open Division final

For all of her talent and skill, Ontario Christian sophomore sensation Kaleena Smith demonstrated Saturday she possesses another quality that all champions have — heart.

With less than 90 seconds left and visiting Sierra Canyon making a desperate surge to stay in the game, the diminutive guard chased down a loose ball near midcourt, dove head first into the stands and flipped the ball over her shoulder to a cutting Tati Griffin for a layup that secured the Knights’ 62-52 victory and clinched a spot in their first Southern Section Open Division title game. They’ll face defending Southern Section and state champion Etiwanda next Saturday night at Toyota Arena in Ontario.

“That was a hustle play that fits the mentality I had all game, refusing to lose,” Smith said. “If I have to sacrifice my body I will… just do whatever it takes to win.”

Smith’s many talents were on display. She scored 21 points and when she was not scoring she was dishing to open teammates on her way to 10 assists — a handful of them to Griffin, who had 19 points. Smith also had three steals.

Griffin said the two share a special bond — they played together when Smith was in eighth grade and Griffin was in seventh and also were on the same U17 team in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League.

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“The chemistry’s definitely there…” said Griffin, who also had eight rebounds. “Everyone talks about Kaleena’s scoring but she’s the top passer in the country. There are a lot of ways to score and I had to cut to the open spots and set screens to get my teammates shots.”

“They’ve been playing together for quite some time, they feed off each other’s energy and they hold each other accountable,” Ontario Christian coach Aundre Cummings said. “They have great communication.”

Sierra Canyon (27-2) was led by Jerzy Robinson, who came in averaging almost 30 points a game. She finished with 24.

Sierra Canyon’s Jerzy Robinson shoots a jumper over Ontario Christian’s Sydney Douglas on Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

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“She’s really strong and we tried to stop her the best we could,” Smith said. “I think we did a good job containing her.”

“The strategy was simply to identify where [Robinson] was at all times,” Cummings added. “On offense we wanted our spacing to be such that Kaleena was as free as possible to create.”

Smith averaged nearly 35 points a game when she was named national freshman of the year by MaxPreps. This season she is averaging more than 23 points to go with eight assists and five steals. She already has college offers from UCLA, USC, Connecticut, Louisiana State and Louisville, among others.

“We’re taking it one game at a time,” said Smith, who goes by the nickname, Special K. “Our goal all season has been to do something this school has never done before,” Smith said.

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Leia Edwards had 12 points and Payton Montgomery had eight for Sierra Canyon.

Top-seeded Ontario Christian (28-1) went 3-0 in Pool A and has reeled off 14 straight victories since its only loss to San José Archbishop Mitty on Dec. 21.

Ontario Christian's Dani Robinson drives for a layup during a 62-52 win over Sierra Canyon.

Ontario Christian’s Dani Robinson drives for a layup during a 62-52 win over Sierra Canyon in the Open Division playoffs Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

The only question is whether the Knights can handle the pressure of playing in a final.

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“Etiwanda is a championship team,” Cummings said of the Eagles, who held off Mater Dei 63-60 to finish undefeated in Pool B. “We haven’t won anything so in my mind we’re the underdogs. I give them that respect.”

It should help the Knights’ confidence knowing they defeated Etiwanda by eight points in November, snapping the Eagles’ 18-game win streak, and Griffin believes her team will be up to the challenge on the brightest stage.

“I was 12 playing 17U so I’ve been preparing for this for a long time,” she said. “I’m always playing at a higher level.”

Etiwanda is on a roll, having won 21 straight games. The No. 2-seeded Eagles (25-4 ) built a 10-point halftime lead versus the No. 3 Monarchs and held on. Arynn Finley scored 17 points in Etiwanda’s win.

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Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

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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. 

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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)

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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.

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When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”

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Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

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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.

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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.

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Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway

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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.

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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)

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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)

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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.

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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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