Sports
Some high schools still utilize junior varsity teams to develop players
There are high school basketball players, and even parents, who cringe when a coach says, “You’re playing with the junior varsity.”
Yes, times have changed. The days of varsity programs using JV teams to build up their programs are largely gone. Freshmen with potential end up playing varsity. Others are put on frosh-sophomore teams trying to develop chemistry with other freshmen. The attitude of players and parents alike is: Playing JV isn’t cool.
But those looking to be developed and perhaps get better when their inevitable growth spurt kicks in are missing out on what JV basketball is really for — player development.
It seems to have worked out for three varsity standouts this season who started out on their school’s JV team: Drew Anderson of Santa Margarita, Pierce Thompson of Harvard-Westlake and Isaiah Williamson of Los Alamitos. Fortunately, a little patience by everyone involved gave them the time and opportunity to wait for their bodies to mature and the rest is history. All three will one day be playing college basketball.
Anderson was 6-foot-3 as a freshman. He had a growth spurt, and this season is listed at 6-9. He and his family embraced the idea of learning to play on JV. Now he’s committed to Oregon State and is starring on the No. 4-ranked team in the Southland as a senior.
“My parents were athletes in college,” Anderson said. “They knew with time I’d get better.”
Thompson was a JV guard his freshman year and unlikely to contribute on varsity with many guards ahead of him in the program. Under less pressure, he was a standout. This season as a junior, his defensive prowess and three-point shooting make him the next top Harvard-Westlake guard following in the footsteps of Trent Perry.
Williamson had the family background to play on varsity as a freshman. His brother, Issac, was a star guard for state champion Eastvale Roosevelt. But Los Alamitos was loaded with seniors on varsity, so the decision was made to be patient and have him play on the JV team. This season as a sophomore, he has blossomed into an outstanding prospect from the class of 2028. He’s a 6-4 left-hander who can score from a variety of spots on the court.
Sophomore Isaiah Williamson of Los Alamitos was a JV player last season.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
One program that still believes in using the JV team to develop its players is Harvard-Westlake and coach David Rebibo. He has five exceptional freshmen on a JV team this season that is 24-0. They have embraced their journey of preparing to play varsity next season.
Freshman Dekoda Ray has led Harvard-Westlake’s unbeaten JV basketball team.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Dekoda Ray, a 6-3 freshman guard, could play varsity for many programs, but he and his parents huddled and decided a year on JV would be good for his development.
“We felt we have to trust the process,” Ray said. “Don’t play your game like you’re playing JV’s. Play like you’re playing for something greater.”
Rebibo said “transparency” is the only way to communicate with parents and players.
“We want kids who want to be on varsity,” he said. “But there’s an understanding we have to do what’s in the best interest of their development and playing behind four senior guards doesn’t mean you’re going to be able to play. We’re very honest.”
The five freshmen on JV will be heard from in the coming years: Ray, 6-7 Nairobi Ebi, 6-5 Jackson Thomas, 6-1 Max Paquin and 6-5 Nathan Kashper. Most will move up to varsity for the playoffs and they practiced with the varsity in the fall.
Another program that believes in JV teams as a training ground is St. John Bosco and coach Matt Dunn.
“Proudly,” Dunn said.
He lets everyone know that 11 St. John Bosco players who have gone on to play college basketball started out on JV.
The JV team is an environment for learning. If you make a mistake, a coach isn’t going to immediately put you on the bench like they do on varsity. Also not every 14-year-old is ready socially to play with 19-year-olds on varsity.
Anderson reminds everyone in the end, it doesn’t matter what team you start out on as a freshman.
“The work you put in will always win,” he said.
Sports
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.
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)
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.
When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”
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Sports
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.
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.
Sports
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.
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)
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)
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.
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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