Sports
Oxnard Pacifica advances to Division 2-AA state bowl game with defeat of Narbonne
Coaches always stress the importance of special teams, and Oxnard Pacifica’s Mike Moon had a huge grin after three blocked punts played a vital role in his team’s 37-20 victory over Narbonne on Friday night in the CIF Southern California Regional Division 2-AA bowl game in Oxnard.
The Tritons (11-4) advance to the state bowl game next Friday at 4 p.m. against Sacramento Grant at Saddleback College.
“Our special teams early in the year, especially against Inglewood, was atrocious and there’s no reason for it because we practice it so much,” Moon said. “We watched film of Narbonne and thought we could take advantage of that.”
Anthony Macias knifed through the line to block a punt at the goal line, and Max Magana recovered the ball in the end zone to give Pacifica a 14-6 lead late in the first quarter. On its next possession, Narbonne was forced to punt from its own 25-yard line and this time Deon Hasley got the block. Magana pounced on the loose ball at the 22 and, four plays later, Isaac Magana kicked a 32-yard field goal to put the home team ahead 17-6.
“Coach Moon takes pride in special teams, and so when I saw them on the floor, I had to pick them up,” said Max Magana, a nickel back who also had five pass breakups on defense. “I like when I’m tested in the secondary. Now we have to keep our foot on the pedal and make sure that we win next week.”
Narbonne pulled to within 17-14 on Jamari Todd’s five-yard touchdown run and Jaden O’Neal’s conversion run, but Pacifica marched 66 yards in 12 plays and Isaac Magana booted his second field goal — a 23-yarder — as time expired and the Tritons took a 20-14 lead into halftime.
Narbonne quarterback Jaden O’Neal is sacked in the first half of the Division 2-AA regional bowl game Friday in Oxnard.
(Steve Galluzzo /For The Times)
Narbonne pulled even on Mark Iheanachor’s seven-yard touchdown run on its first drive of the third quarter, but the extra-point kick was deflected by Macias and fluttered wide left. On its ensuing possession, Pacifica retook the lead on Dominic Duran’s seven-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Dillon. After both teams turned the ball over on downs, the Gauchos were forced to punt again from their 28. Juju Hernandez blocked it, and Budder Aina scooped up the prize and returned it 13 yards for a touchdown to make it 34-20.
After recovering a fumble on a pooch kick, Pacifica tacked on a 21-yard field goal by Isaac Magana — his third of the night — to make it a 17-point margin with 4:06 left.
One week after throwing for 396 yards and six touchdowns while running for another score in the City Section Open Division final versus San Pedro, Oklahoma-bound junior O’Neal was pressured all night and completed 14 of 32 passes for 199 yards. His longest throw was a 65-yard touchdown to Tre’Shaun Jackson in the first quarter. Senior receiver Michael Ashford had five catches for 53 yards for Narbonne.
“We wanted to pressure him with our four-man front and put them into guaranteed pass situations,” Moon said. “This team is battle-tested and we’ve won eight in a row. Our schedule has 100% contributed to us being where we are.”
Oxnard Pacifica’s Alijah Royster celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Narbonne on Friday night.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Savion Taylor, who entered the game with 92 receptions for 1,255 yards and 14 touchdowns, added to his gaudy total with eight grabs for 63 yards, and Alijah Royster had five catches for 95 yards, including a 48-yard reception for the game’s first touchdown. Isaiah Phelps rushed for 73 yards in 22 carries, and Duran completed 18 of 33 passes for 212 yards.
The Tritons are one win away from a second state bowl championship, having won the 2-A title in 2019 to complete a 15-1 season two weeks after claiming the Southern Section Division 6 crown under Moon. That season Pacifica beat another City Section team, Birmingham, in the regional bowl.
This might well be Moon’s most talented team. The Tritons (11-4) avenged a Marmonte League setback to St. Bonaventure to capture the Southern Section Division 4 title last week. Their other three losses are to schools in higher divisions.
The Gauchos (7-7) ended the season 1-3 on the field against Southern Section opponents, losing to Los Alamitos, Culver City and Pacifica while beating L.A. Cathedral — a result that was changed to a forfeit defeat after an investigation determined Narbonne used ineligible players. The Gauchos are banned from the playoffs next year. Asked if he’ll finish his prep career at Narbonne, O’Neal said he did not know.
“I’m not sure — I’ll speak with our coaching staff in the exit meetings,” O’Neal said. “The odds were stacked against us but we proved people wrong. We felt confident coming out of the half but ultimately they out-disciplined us. We’re more athletic, but the little things added up and we couldn’t overcome our mistakes.”
It remains to be seen how many players will return.
“Jaden is a gamer and did everything we expected of him,” said Gauchos coach Malcolm Manuel, who thanked his players for their commitment. “I’ve had Mark Iheanachor for four years, he gave it everything he had and I’m excited to follow his career at SMU.”
As for next fall, Manuel is confident the returning players will buy in.
“They’ll for sure compete,” he said. “We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores. Playing a 10-game season — which we didn’t get to do this year — is the motivation. We’ll get back to the drawing board.”
Narbonne had 24 players transfer into the program since spring ball, prompting all four league opponents to forfeit their games against the Gauchos and allege rule violations. Seven players were declared ineligible for the postseason.
Sports
It’s Game 7, and we have a bet locked in as the Cavaliers and legacies are on the line against the Pistons
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The NBA takes a lot of flak for having meaningless games, and I can definitely understand it, watching on a random Wednesday in January. However, the playoffs have delivered over and over to viewers and rewarded us for putting up with garbage regular-season games.
This will be the fourth Game 7 of the playoffs. Three series have been sweeps, and the other three have been six games. That shows competitive hoops. Now, how do we bet this Game 7 in the Eastern Conference?
The Cleveland Cavaliers blew it. After not winning a road game all postseason, they took Game 5 in surprising fashion. It looked like they were going to win in six games. After all, they hadn’t lost a game at home in the postseason.
Instead, Detroit came out and blitzed the Cavs, never giving them a chance to get their footing. They lost in an ugly fashion and now have to figure out a way to win a game on the road.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons during the second half of Game 5 in the second-round NBA playoffs in Detroit on May 13, 2026. (Duane Burleson/AP)
It isn’t just the Cavs’ fate that rests in this game. It is also the legacy of James Harden and, to a lesser extent, Donovan Mitchell.
We know that Mitchell is a very good player, but he isn’t regarded as one of the best players ever. Harden is. Unfortunately, Harden has struggled in Game 7s. He’s averaged 19.1 points, 7.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds. That’s not terrible, but looking at his shooting percentages, he is at 35.3% and 22.2% in those games. He actually is 4-4 overall in the games, but in his past three, he has scored a combined 34 points over 113 minutes.
The Detroit Pistons seem to like playing with their backs against the wall. They are a gritty team, so I suppose it makes sense.
Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren reacts after allowing a pass to go out of bounds in the second half of Game 4 of the second-round NBA playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland on May 11, 2026. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
Cade Cunningham continues to deliver for the team, and he finally got some help in Game 6 from Jalen Duren. This was never going to be an easy series for Duren, but it feels like he is taking more time to mature than others. He definitely improved this year, but the consistency they need from him just isn’t there yet.
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Now as the team goes home they will need Duren to be a beast on the glass. If he can keep the Pistons in the rebounding battle, they should win this game with ease. They won Game 6 by just three rebounds, but that takes away a big dimension of what Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley do for the Cavs. It isn’t everything, though, as the Pistons won the rebounding battle in both losses in Cleveland.
I don’t see this being a runaway game for the Pistons. Mitchell and Cunningham likely will cancel each other out with scoring. Harden needs to establish himself as the third-best player on the floor. I haven’t seen him do that in the postseason, yet.
Cleveland Cavaliers All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden talk during Game 2 in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs vs. the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Ohio. (David Dermer/Imagn Images)
This is the second Game 7 of the playoffs for both of the clubs, so it isn’t like either will be caught off guard about what this entails.
If I look at it objectively, I think the Cavs have the better players. However, the Pistons have looked significantly better this season, and definitely in the playoffs overall. Both are prone to issues and slipping. The Cavs shouldn’t be as they are a veteran team.
This game has to be won by Cleveland, though. There is too much riding on the franchise and legacies of guys for them to not prepare properly for it. Maybe that’s weak analysis, but I’m taking the Cavs with the points and I do think they win outright. I expect a monster game from Mitchell, and Harden should get 10+ assists.
Either way, whoever wins will lose to the New York Knicks.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
FIRST ROUND
DIVISION 1
Murrieta Mesa 10, Valley View 0
Orange Lutheran 10, Millikan 0
Chino Hills 2, El Modena 1
Etiwanda 14, Agoura 13
Palos Verdes 3, Riverside King 2
Cypress 4, Fullerton 2
Ayala 11, Charter Oak 1
Riverside Poly 7, California 3
Norco 2, Marina 1
DIVISION 3
Rancho Cucamonga 9, Paloma Valley 1
Great Oak 5, West Torrance 2
Edison 8, El Segundo 5
El Toro 9, Colton 0
Murrieta Valley 9, Redondo Union 8
North Torrance 5, Beaumont 0
West Ranch 7, Trabuco Hills 6
San Juan Hills 8, Riverside North 7
Oak Park 10, Cerritos Valley Christian 4
Highland 7, Northview 2
La Serna 4, Carter 0
Dos Pueblos 5, Crescenta Valley 0
Liberty 10, Arcadia 3
DIVISION 5
Anaheim 11, Flintridge Sacred Heart 0
Patriot 11, Arrowhead Christian 9
Temple City 9, Rancho Christian 6
Grace 11, Buena Park 0
Crean Lutheran 3, Alemany 2
Shadow Hills 8, Cerritos 3
San Marcos 10, Leuzinger 0
South El Monte 7, Long Beach Wilson 5
Covina 11, Garden Grove Santiago 1
Muir 8, Rio Hondo Prep 7
Santa Monica 6, Katella 5
Ontario 6, Norwalk 2
Northwood 18, Duarte 11
DIVISION 7
Bloomington 9, Fillmore 8
Miller 11, Savanna 3
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 11, Riverside Springs Magnolia 4
Faith Baptist 18, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 4
Twentynine Palms 16, Rancho Alamitos 15
Riverside Notre Dame 12, Costa Mesa 2
Firebaugh 9, Pioneer 8
Chadwick 6, Desert Christian Academy 1
Cathedral City 2, Artesia 1
Orange 9, Bellflower 3
Santa Ana 10, Hawthorne 0
Culver City 9, Temecula Prep 8
DIVISION 8
Banning 20, Redlands Adventist 3
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 3:15 p.m. unless noted)
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION 1
La Habra at Murrieta Mesa, noon
Chino Hills at Orange Lutheran
Etiwanda at Westlake
La Mirada at Palos Verdes, noon
Garden Grove Pacifica at Cypress, noon
Ayala at JSerra
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Oaks Christian, 1 p.m.
Norco at Riverside Poly
DIVISION 2
Bonita at Ganesha, 11 a.m.
Whittier Christian at Warren
Simi Valley at St. Paul
Moorpark at Lakewood St. Joseph, 11 a.m.
Temescal Canyon at San Clemente, 12:30 p.m.
Huntington Beach at Camarillo, Monday
Saugus at Vista Murrieta, 12:30 p.m.
Mater Dei at Gahr, noon
DIVISION 3
Great Oak at Rancho Cucamonga
Edison at El Toro, Monday
Murrieta Valley at North Torrance
West Ranch at San Juan Hills
Riverside Prep at Oak Park, 12:30 p.m.
La Serna at Highland
Dos Pueblos at La Salle, Monday
Villa Park at Liberty, 1 p.m.
DIVISION 4
St. Bonaventure at Harvard-Westlake, 11 a.m.
Apple Valley at Oxnard
Don Lugo at Monrovia, 1:30 p.m.
La Quinta at Mira Costa
Rio Mesa at Mission Viejo, 10 a.m.
Oak Hills at Sunny Hills
Ramona at Paramount
Burbank Burroughs at Rosary, Monday
DIVISION 5
Anaheim vs. Santa Clara at Beck Park
Temple City at Patriot
Crean Lutheran at Grace
Viewpoint at Shadow Hills
San Marcos at Irvine University, noon
South El Monte at Covina
Santa Monica at Muir, 10:30 a.m.
Northwood at Ontario, 1 p.m.
DIVISION 6
Irvine at Lakeside
Alhambra at Heritage
Eastside at Granite Hills, noon
El Monte at St. Genevieve
Sierra Vista vs. Southlands Christian at Brea Canyon Cutoff Rd
Hesperia Christian vs. St. Monica Prep at Memorial Park, 2 p.m.
Arroyo at Lancaster
San Jacinto at Jurupa Valley
DIVISION 7
Bloomington at Ramona Convent
Miller at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel
Faith Baptist at Twentynine Palms, Monday
Firebaugh vs. Riverside Notre Dame at Ramona
Chadwick at Cathedral City
Orange at Victor Valley, 11 a.m.
Santa Ana at Culver City, Monday
Windward at Edgewood, Monday at 3:30 p.m.
DIVISION 8
ACE at Avalon
Bolsa Grande vs. San Bernardino, Monday at San Bernardino College
Workman at Glendale
Cobalt at Santa Rosa Academy
Bell Gardens vs. Brentwood at John Anson Ford Park
Pomona Catholic vs. Capistrano Valley Christian at Laguna Hills, 2 p.m.
Fontana at Banning
Hawthorne MSA at Arroyo Valley, 1 p.m.
Note: Quarterfinals May 20; Semifinals May 23; Finals May 28-30 at Bill Barber Memorial Park, Irvine.
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After a slow first round at Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia on Thursday, pace of play was a point of emphasis at the PGA Championship on Friday.
However, when an official approached Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley, they became animated.
Thomas, a longtime Team USA Ryder Cup member, and Bradley, last year’s United States captain, were on the fourth hole when they were approached by an official in a cart, and the conversation quickly turned into finger-pointing.
Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley watch from the tenth green during the second round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown, Pennsylvania, on May 15, 2026. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Thomas said after the round that he, Bradley and fellow USA Ryder Cupper Cameron Young, who won the Cadillac Championship earlier this month, were put on the clock, with the official telling them to pick up the pace. However, both Bradley and Thomas appeared to point at the group in front of them.
“We just didn’t really agree with it,” Thomas said, citing course conditions, high winds and tough pins. “We were behind. That wasn’t our issue… It’s just the fact that we weren’t holding up the group behind us.”
Thomas said they were caught up with the pace on the very next hole.
Justin Thomas plays his shot on the 15th tee during the second round of the PGA Championship in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 15, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
GARRICK HIGGO SHARES BAFFLING COMMENTS WHILE REACTING TO TWO-SHOT PENALTY AT PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Thomas had a lengthy conversation with the official, while Bradley appeared to make his point short and sweet — though he was definitely not happy with the call.
It is a large PGA Championship field, with 156 golfers at the course and groups even starting their rounds on the back nine. The scores have also been rather high, with just 25 players below par at the time of publishing.
Aronimink also features a shared tee box on 1 and 10, holes 9 and 17 crossing paths, and a lengthy par-3 eighth hole that’s causing problems. Three par-3s are over 200 yards on the course, and there is also a 457-yard par 4 on the fourth.
Keegan Bradley prepares to putt on the 14th green during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on May 14, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
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As Chris Gotterup put it on Friday, “You’re not going to get any four-and-a-half hour rounds out here.”
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