It’s time to look into my crystal ball and see what 2026 has in store for Southland high school athletes (and a few former ones), coaches and fans:
JJ Harel Armed with passports from the United States, Israel and Australia, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame will jump so far over 7 feet that national organizations from three different countries will be vying to have him represent his team. …
Striker Pencesecond pitcher in Corona Santiago with a 100 mph fastball, will receive an endorsement deal from a radar gun company. …
There will be so many celebrities and former players who want to be seen at the UCLA-USC women’s basketball games that TMZ won’t have to pay for the video. …
The incoming freshman’s high school football debut Zoe Thompsonsister of Alyssa and Giselleit will be so big that Harvard-Westlake will have to hand out red bibs to photographers to find out who the real medium is. …
Norco junior shortstop Dylan Seward it hits a cycle. …
Jaden Soong celebrates after winning the Southern California Golf Assn. Amateur Championship at Club Saticoy in Somis on July 11, 2024.
(SCGA)
St. Francis sophomore golfer Jaden Soong win a second straight CIF championship and then have to answer the same question over and over again: “When do you turn pro?” …
Gary Morse, a 6-foot-5 pitcher at Orange Lutheran, should be one of the best in the Southland in 2026.
(Eric Sondheimer/Los Angeles Times)
Orange Lutheran’s 6-foot-8 senior pitcher Gary Morse he’ll throw a no-hitter, then find the hoop and celebrate with a dunk. …
Sophomore catcher Jordan Lindsay (left) and sophomore pitcher Carlos Acuna will be key players for Birmingham in 2026.
(Eric Sondheimer/Los Angeles Times)
Sophomore pitcher/catcher duo from Birmingham Carlos Acuna and Jordan Lindsay lead the Patriots to the City Section baseball title, then celebrate with a dog pile at Dodger Stadium, in which the 6-2, 200-pound Lindsay protects Acuna from being choked on the bottom by a teammate. …
Santa Margarita shortstop Brody Schumaker (left) and his father Skip, manager of the Texas Rangers.
(Eric Sondheimer/Los Angeles Times)
Santa Margarita’s Brody Schumacherwho had eight bunt singles last season, his father asks Skipnew Texas Rangers manager to show off his bunting skills in spring training. …
Brian Prince of Cathedral breaks 47 seconds in the 400 meters. …
Rickee Luevano of Sylmar and Xavier Allen of Carson will compete for the title of borough home run champion. …
Eastvale Roosevelt’s Aubrey McLaughlin, who won a gold medalist playing for Team USA U-18 the World Cup softball team will display their new jewelry for the game against Norc. …
All-City linebackers De’Andre Kirkpatrick of Crenshaw and Elijah Staples of Marquez becomes among the first City Section players to receive NIL offers. …
Cypress baseball coach John Weber NIL receives an offer from a pencil company because he always walks around with a pencil tucked behind his ear. …
Corona Centennial All-CIF defensive back Jaden Walk-Greenwho also starts in center field for the baseball team, shows enough promise in snowboarding that he decides to pursue a spot at the 2028 Olympics. …
George Hastings of Agoura will try to play every position in the football game this season. …
So many quarterbacks will be transferred that the MaxPreps digital rosters will drop from too many clicks. …
PlayOn, which owns MaxPreps, GoFan and the NFHS Network, will bid for a California prep sports monopoly by bidding for a CIF state playoff contract that expires in June. …
Offensive lineman Elisha Mueller of Servite.
(Eric Sondheimer/Los Angeles Times)
Offensive lines Elisha Mueller of Servite will load up on so many pancake blocks that IHOP will sign it to support an all-you-can-eat pancake week for anyone weighing 280 pounds or more. . . .
A basketball official, tired of parents complaining about his calls, stops the game, blows the whistle on the parents, and lets them take over. …
(Gene J. Puskar/AP)
freshman Louis Lappeknown for his home run for El Segundo in the 2023 Little League World Series, will hit a home run in his high school debut at Harvard-Westlake. …
Shohei Ohtani will be seen practicing on a high school baseball field, causing several helicopters to be dispatched to provide commentary like a car chase in LA. …
USC will address any red zone scoring deficiencies by installing a freshman Trent Mosley at the wild quarterback. …
Former Granada Hills pitcher Easton Hawk will be UCLA’s closer this season.
(Eric Sondheimer/Los Angeles Times)
Former Granada Hills pitcher Easton Hawk will become the long-sought top closer to lead UCLA to a College World Series title. …
With four Southern California players on the roster, led by a Sherman Oaks Notre Dame graduate Ella Parker, Oklahoma’s softball team will hold a beach day at practice to make sure its SoCal players don’t get homesick. …
Freshman tight end Austin Miller of Bellflower will be the first to motivate UCLA’s new coach Bob Chesney stop by campus for a personal introduction. …
Valencia’s second-year defender Evan McCalister will be a breakout star. …
After nine consecutive years of Northern California teams losing in the CIF Open Division state cup finals, the CIF agrees to allow postseason transfers to De La Salle or San Mateo Serra to be competitive. …
Huntington Beach surfer Bailey Turner shows off her medals after returning from the ISA World Junior Surf Championships in Peru.
(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)
Bailey Turner of Huntington Beach, the winner of the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, will continue to prepare for the 2028 Olympics on one big wave after another. …
After the Cleveland Browns Carson Schwesinger is named Defensive Rookie of the Year, all the people who didn’t rate him highly at Oaks Christian during his high school years will use magic markers to update their star ratings.
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