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Sherman Oaks CES enters playoffs unbeaten four years after shutting down football

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Sherman Oaks CES enters playoffs unbeaten four years after shutting down football

At the intersection of Yolanda and Victory avenues sits a rundown field with just as much dirt as green grass peeking out from above the soil.

“We never have time to fix the patches,” said Dayvon Ross, football coach for the Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies. “There’s more dirt than grass for sure.”

The sandlot-like multipurpose field for SOCES, a public magnet school in the San Fernando Valley, is home to its football team. The school, however, is more known for performance arts than sports.

Just four years after the football program temporarily shuttered, SOCES is 8-0 and sits atop the 8-man City Section standings — a turnaround from the 4-6 record it tallied last year in its return. With the City Section playoffs on the horizon, the roster is 22 players strong, requiring each Knight who takes the field to suit up on offense and defense.

Sherman Oaks CES quarterback and safety King Burns rushed for three touchdowns and passes for two scores in a win Friday.

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(Benjamin Royer / For The Times)

“It’s hard work,” said King Burns, a senior quarterback and safety who had 120 yards and three touchdowns rushing while passing for 102 yards and two scores in a win over East Valley on Friday night. “We learn our positions and it pays off on the field. We are ready to go out there at all times.”

One of the 22 at the root of the Knights’ undefeated campaign is junior Daniel Truong, a 5-foot-6 running back and linebacker who tallied a prolific 1,058 yards, 14 touchdowns and 42 tackles through seven games. He sat out the season finale against East Valley as he recovers from a back injury in hopes of playing in the postseason. He ran for more than 1,300 yards last season, his first playing football.

Now at 16, his rise as one of the state’s best 8-man running backs has offered him not only opportunities to play in front of college programs, but also the freedom to grow socially.

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“I was a kid hanging out by myself and just doing nothing,” said Truong, who recently competed at UCLA and USC football camps against 11-man opponents. “It feels amazing because I got to get close to other people. Now, they’re my brothers. I hang out with them every day.”

Ross, a former NFL hopeful who once competed for roster spots on the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, said most of his players had zero experience before joining the team. Truong, second in the state in rushing yards among 8-man teams, according to MaxPreps, is no different.

Sherman Oaks CES running back and safety Daniel Truong poses for a photo during practice.

Sherman Oaks CES running back and safety Daniel Truong is a team leader with his work ethic on and off the field.

(Benjamin Royer / For The Times)

The Knights’ second-year coach added that Truong has learned the ins and outs of football by going beyond practice to improve. Ross said Truong even texts him on weekends after games, sharing videos of his performance in drills and asking for advice on how to improve.

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“I knew that he was going to be something special — from his will to work,” Ross said. “The kid never gets tired. He never complains.”

Ross chuckled while showing a picture of Truong in a Hawaiian T-shirt and bragged moments later about his running back crushing his record deadlift in the weight room. Ross directs practice with high expectations but keeps the energy lighthearted with kids of all ages roaming the practice grounds after school.

Football never was something Ross imagined he would coach. But now, two years into leading this team, he’s all in. Ross put $20,000 into the program for new equipment and uniforms and even explored paying for a new field.

“When I interviewed here and saw these guys, they wanted a program so bad,” he said. “The kids bought in. Last year, we went 4-6, and I kind of had a bitter taste in my mouth. “I’m like, ‘Ah, man, maybe I shouldn’t be doing this.’ But then, in the offseason, these kids were committed every day, coming to practice sore.”

Sherman Oaks CES coach Dayvon Ross poses for a photo under a sign on campus.

Sherman Oaks CES coach Dayvon Ross helped restart the 8-man football program last year and has the Knights unbeaten this season.

(Benjamin Royer / For The Times)

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He added that he sees his students’ potential as limitless — and hopes it will translate to college football Saturdays in the future. The players’ buy-in convinced Ross that SOCES was a job worth competing and staying for.

With more fans — and students — coming to games, Truong said the encouragement places winning at the forefront of the team now more than before the season.

“It’s been awesome that people are coming out to support us,” he said. “It means a lot. It helps us want to win.”

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Ole Miss staffer references Aaron Hernandez while discussing ‘chaotic’ coaching complications with LSU

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Ole Miss staffer references Aaron Hernandez while discussing ‘chaotic’ coaching complications with LSU

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The chaos between LSU coaches who left Ole Miss alongside Lane Kiffin but are still coaching the Rebels in the College Football Playoff is certainly a whirlwind.

Joe Judge, Ole Miss’ quarterbacks coach, has found himself in the thick of the drama — while he is not headed for Baton Rouge, he’s had to wonder who he will be working with on a weekly basis.

When asked this week about what it’s like to go through all the trials and tribulations, Judge turned heads with his answer that evoked his New England Patriots days.

 

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Aaron Hernandez sits in the courtroom of the Attleboro District Court during his hearing. Former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge in the death of Odin Lloyd in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, on Aug. 22, 2013. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

“My next-door neighbor was Aaron Hernandez,” Judge said, according to CBS Sports. “I know this is still more chaotic.”

Hernandez was found guilty of the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, which occurred just three years into his NFL career.

“If you watch those documentaries, my house is on the TV next door,” Judge added. “The detectives knocked on my door to find out where he was. I didn’t know. We just kind of talked to the organization. But it was obviously chaotic.”

Aaron Hernandez was convicted of the 2013 murder of semipro football player Odin Lloyd. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

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Judge, though, was able to compare the two situations to see how players can combat wild distractions.

“Those players that year handled that extremely well. Came out of that chaos, and we had some really good direction inside with some veterans and some different guys. You have something like that happen — how do you handle something like that? How do you deal with something like that? So you keep the focus on what you can handle, what you can control, which at that time was football for us, and we went through the stretch, and we were able to have success that year,” Judge said.

Judge also compared this scenario to the 2020 NFL season when he was head coach of the New York Giants, saying he would have “no idea” who would be available due to surprise positive COVID-19 tests.

Head coach Joe Judge of the New York Giants looks on during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. The game took place in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 19, 2021. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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The Rebels face Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, the College Football Playoff Semifinal, on Thursday night.

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Prep talk: Calabasas basketball team is surging with 11 wins in last 12 games

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Prep talk: Calabasas basketball team is surging with 11 wins in last 12 games

Calabasas pulled off a huge win in high school basketball on Tuesday night, handing Thousand Oaks its first defeat after 16 victories in a Marmonte League opener.

The Coyotes (13-5) have quietly turned around their season after a 2-4 start, winning 11 of their last 12 games.

One of the major contributors has been 6-foot-3 junior guard Johnny Thyfault, who’s averaging 16 points and has become a fan favorite because of his dunking skills. He also leads the team in taking charging fouls.

He transferred to Calabasas after his freshman year at Viewpoint.

As for beating Thousand Oaks, coach Jon Palarz said, “We got to play them at home and had great effort.”

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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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Hawks trade 4-time All-Star Trae Young to Wizards in blockbuster deal: reports

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Hawks trade 4-time All-Star Trae Young to Wizards in blockbuster deal: reports

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The Atlanta Hawks have parted ways with four-time NBA All-Star point guard Trae Young, trading him to the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster move, according to ESPN.

The Hawks will reportedly be receiving veteran shooting guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert in the deal. 

Washington was Young’s preferred destination, and the two sides were working on a deal to get the 27-year-old point guard to the nation’s capital.

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Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round 1 Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2023 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.   ( Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Young’s agents were having conversations with the Hawks, who sit at 17-21 so far this season, about trading their client out of Atlanta.

There is a mutual connection in Washington, too, as executive Travis Schlenk drafted Young fifth overall in 2018 out of Oklahoma.

It marks the end of an era for the Hawks. Young has been the focal point of their offense since he was taken in that draft. He is the team’s career leader in three-pointers and assists, having led the team to the postseason in three of his eight seasons. The Hawks went the furthest in 2021, where they made the Eastern Conference Finals.

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However, the new era was brewing already in Atlanta, with forward Jalen Johnson taking the next step in his career, averaging 23.7 points per game this season. The pickup of Nickeil Alexander-Walker also helps, as he’s averaged 20.5 points per game in 36 appearances.

Meanwhile, Young has played just 10 games this season, as he’s been dealing with leg injuries, most notably a right MCL sprain.

Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on after the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Five of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Hawks also get some flexibility on their books, as they could make some more moves. Anthony Davis is reportedly available from the Dallas Mavericks, making him a good target for Atlanta.

Young has $95 million remaining on his deal that runs through the 2026-27 season, which includes a player option this offseason.

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Atlanta will be taking on McCollum’s contract, though the veteran guard has a $30.6 million expiring deal.

Through his 10 games this season, Young is averaging 19.2 points, 8.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.5% from the field.

Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks drives down the court during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at State Farm Arena on April 7, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Over his career, Young has dropped 25.2 points and 9.8 assists per game, while leading the league in the latter category last season with 11.6 per contest.

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