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Rock Academy rides hot streak past The Monarch School for Divsion 5-AA volleyball title

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Rock Academy rides hot streak past The Monarch School for Divsion 5-AA volleyball title


OCEANSIDE — When Rock Academy faced Hilltop in an early-season girls volleyball tournament, it got destroyed. Things got so bad that the Warriors notched only four kills in two sets and lost the second set, 25-3.

Apparently, you learn more from your losses than your wins.

Rock Academy ran its winning streak to 17 straight matches with Thursday’s 25-16, 15-25, 25-16, 25-27, 15-4 win over The Monarch School in the Division 5-AA championship match. It was the most important win of them all, as it resulted in the first CIF San Diego Section championship in program history.

The Warriors (23-1) lost in last year’s championship match to Calipatria in four sets, so redemption was clearly a motivator.

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Junior outside hitter Alexa Baird led the way for Rock Academy with 15 kills and three aces.

For the Royals, who came in on a 12-match winning streak, simply getting here was a victory. This was the furthest trip for the school that features students who are either currently or recently unhoused.

The Royals (18-7) were led by senior outside hitter Chantal Bocanegra, who notched nine kills with four aces and two blocks.

Royals junior outside hitter Daphne Allen put away three straight balls in the middle to tie set one at 13 before Rock Academy’s offense caught fire. Baird had three kills near the end of the set.

Rock Academy’s Aliya Landes hits against Monarch’s Mya Montero and Chantal Bocanegra during the CIF San Diego Section Division 5AA championship game at MiraCosta College on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024 in Oceanside, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The Royals appeared to be ending the night early in the second set as the Warriors went up 4-0 on two Martha Mulumbilwa kills and two Aliya Landes aces. That’s when Jennifer Bocanegra took over.

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She had a kill in serve receive to get the Royals on the board then dialed up three straight aces.

She combined with Allen on a stuff block for an 11-7 lead. Allen had two late kills then Bocanegra crushed a ball on the outside after a long rally for a 23-15 lead in a set they’d take 25-15.

The third set was mostly back and forth .The Royals went up 8-6 before the Warriors offense got stronger. Mulumbilwa got a stuff block for a 10-8 lead. Parker Duhs notched a pair of aces after a timeout.

Before the Royals could call another timeout, the deficit was 19-12. Mulumbilwa ended set three with a huge kill on the outside in serve receive.

Not surprisingly, set four was neck and neck. Allen had three early kills, but the well-rounded Warriors attack kept it close. And then the Royals refused to let balls drop on their side, raising their defensive effort to a championship level. An 18-11 lead turned in a nail-biting 27-25 win to send it to a fifth set.

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Riki Salas Smith served an ace for the Royals to start set five. The early part of the set was like two boxers in the 12th round exchanging swings (and sometimes errors). It was 3-3 before Rock Academy went on a run for the ages, closing it out with a 15-4 win.



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San Diego, CA

Chargers take pride in being NFL’s stingiest defense

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Chargers take pride in being NFL’s stingiest defense


EL SEGUNDO — When they began to survey the roster and all that went haywire before their arrival, general manager Joe Hortiz, coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter decided the Chargers’ defense could be and should be upgraded for the 2024 season.

Small changes were made, minor tweaks that got little notice around the known football universe. Mostly, though, there was a buy-in from the players that Hortiz, Harbaugh and Minter noticed from the first days of practice in the spring. Matters could be improved by leaps and bounds without major changes.

Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, two veteran outside linebackers and cornerstones of the defense, agreed in the offseason to take pay cuts so Hortiz could make the moves he made and still remain under the salary cap. According to Minter, it “set an unbelievable tone” for what was to follow.

Poona Ford strengthened the defensive line. Denzel Perryman did the same with the inside linebackers. Bud Dupree added depth to the already fearsome outside linebacker corps. Defensive back Elijah Molden was the latest addition, acquired after training camp, and he was an impact player.

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In no time at all, it became evident that the Chargers had created something special. By midseason, they were firmly entrenched as the NFL’s stingiest defense, with a chance to give up the fewest points in the league in a season for the first time since they were the AFL champions way back in 1963.

Going into their regular-season finale against the Raiders (4-12) on Sunday in Las Vegas, the Chargers (10-6) have given up 17.6 points per game, the fewest in the NFL. They’re coming off a playoff-clinching victory over the New England Patriots in which they gave up only a touchdown and an extra point.

“What we found, and I don’t know if (Harbaugh) has said this, but there was an unbelievable thing going on here,” Minter said. “For whatever reason. It wasn’t like you had to change a bunch of guys’ attitudes and work ethic. It was unbelievable from the second we walked in the door, and I think it’s gone both ways.”

Now, finishing the regular season with the NFL’s best defense is a pride thing.

“It’s cool, man,” Mack said. “It’s a cool goal, something we probably didn’t think we could accomplish early in the season. To have that opportunity, that capability, is dope. Carrying that into the postseason (next week) and getting better is the ultimate process for us right now.”

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Mack and safety Derwin James Jr. were named Thursday to the Pro Bowl for the ninth time and fourth time, respectively, in their careers. They were honored, but it wasn’t as if they were the only standouts in a defense that has set a high standard for success in the new regime’s first season.

“It would mean a lot because that was our ultimate goal,” James said of the possibility of having the league’s top defense after Sunday’s game against the Raiders. “Every day we break it down to be the best. That’s our mindset. That’s our goal. We take the field to do that every day.

“It’s coming out strong, starting fast. You’ve got to start the game fast, and I feel like we’ve been starting out fast on defense all year long. We’ve also finished games good, too. So, we just want to continue to build on that. Every guy is working toward that. We’re definitely getting better as a team.”

INJURY REPORT

The Chargers ruled out running back Gus Edwards (ankle) and wide receiver Joshua Palmer (foot) for Sunday’s game, but their status for the wild-card playoff game next weekend was uncertain. Linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin) was doubtful to play Sunday and safety Alohi Gilman (hamstring) was questionable. Gilman has been sidelined since he was hurt in a game Nov. 25 against the Baltimore Ravens.

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San Diego, CA

Good Samaritan pulls woman from fiery car crash outside his home in La Mesa

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Good Samaritan pulls woman from fiery car crash outside his home in La Mesa


A man was startled awake by a fiery car crash in his front yard in La Mesa. Instead of calling police, he jumped into action, pulling a passenger from the burning car.

The accident happened just before 1 a.m. on Baltimore Drive near Laport Street.

Kerry Campbell wasted no time getting his front yard, ordinarily the envy of the neighborhood, back in order. Fourteen hours earlier, it looked more like a bonfire.

“My wife and I hear a loud boom,” Campbell said. “I used one fire extinguisher and realized it wasn’t going to do anything. It felt like it lasted five minutes. Looking at the video, it lasted less than two minutes. I went around to the driver’s side door and pried it open and just pulled her out.”

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She is the 25-year-old passenger of an incinerated Toyota Scion that crashed in front of Campbell’s home. Police say her injuries were not life threatening. She may have Campbell to thank for that.

“She was awake but not verbal,” Campbell said. “Clearly injured, but I didn’t see any blood.”

Neighbor Elizabeth Munn was terrified the fire might spread to her home next door.

“I was panicking because I have pets,” Munn said. “I was running in, trying to find them all. The car was almost completely engulfed in flames at that point. It was really scary. In the movies, you see cars on fire that go kaboom.”

Campbell not only pulled the young passenger from her burning car. His doorbell camera video shows that Campbell did it in boxers and bare feet — to his wife’s dismay.

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“Kerry, get out of there,” his wife is heard saying in the recording.

How the car got there is a tale with many twists. Witnesses say the Scion was northbound on Baltimore Drive. Some 100 yards from Campbell’s house, the driver lost control, crossed the median and then collided with an evergreen tree in the middle of the road.

The force of the collision was so great, car glass was sprayed on the roof of the home across the street. The Scion barreled the wrong way toward Campbell’s front yard, finally coming to rest after crashing into his palm tree.

“A little emotional afterwards because my wife and kids were inside, and it could have ended up a lot worse,” Campbell said. “I feel good. I feel fortunate.”

Campbell says his actions were reflexive. He wasn’t thinking about it. He just did what needed to be done. He’s had no formal fire training. He was trained as a Marine 26 years ago, and he credits that training for being able to respond when needed.

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La Mesa police say the 20-year-old driver remained at the scene and was arrested for driving under the influence.



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Stewart’s 20 lead Santa Clara past San Diego 81-80

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Nebraska vs. UCLA: How to Watch, Channel, Prediction, Odds – Jan 4


Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Carlos Stewart had 20 points in Santa Clara’s 81-80 win over San Diego on Thursday night.

Stewart shot 5 for 10 (4 for 7 from 3-point range) and 6 of 8 from the free-throw line for the Broncos (10-6, 2-1 West Coast Conference). Camaron Tongue scored 11 points, going 3 of 5 and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. Adama Bal had 11 points and shot 3 of 8 from the field, including 1 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 5 from the line.

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Kjay Bradley Jr. led the Toreros (4-11, 1-1) in scoring, finishing with 23 points, six assists and three steals. Santiago Trouet added 21 points, 11 rebounds and two steals for San Diego. Steven Jamerson II finished with 14 points and six rebounds.

Tongue scored six points in the first half for Santa Clara, who led 35-27 at the break. Stewart scored 16 points in the second half to help lead Santa Clara to a one-point victory.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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