Crean Lutheran helped extend Orange County’s strong season in girls golf on Monday.

The Saints finished second at the CIF-SS Southern Division Team Championships at Costa Mesa Country Club to advance to the CIF SCGA Team Qualifier on Thursday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills.

Crean Lutheran’s young squad featuring one junior, two sophomores and three freshmen combined to score a 388 en route to the highest finish in school history.

“The girls are just ecstatic,” Crean Lutheran coach Dan Fink said Tuesday. “We’ve never had a team move on.”

Crean Lutheran finished second to Diamond Bar, which scored 374 to win by a commanding 14 strokes. Fountain Valley finished third to join Crean Lutheran and Diamond Bar as qualifiers for Thursday’s tournament.

Sophomore Catherine Park paced the Saints by carding a 2-under par 70.

Crean Lutheran’s lineup also featured sophomore Coco Guan (75), junior Emily Jang (77), freshmen twins Emily and Emma Jiang (82, 89) and freshmen Kelly Jing (84).

The Saints impressively placed second despite playing without standout YoonMin Han, who is out of the country.

Fountain Valley sophomore Madison Le shot a six-under par 66 for the low score for the day and help the Barons finish with a score of 396. Misty Le (75) and Milan Nguyen (74) also shot the 70s for Fountain Valley.

Oceana’s not plastic

Oceana’s SeaChange Summer Party was everything supporters of the world’s largest ocean conservation organization have come to expect, except this year it happened a little later than usual – Sept. 7 to be exact.

But all other ways it repeated the success of the previous 12 years: Warm weather and clear views from Bruce and Karen Cahill’s renowned Villa di Sogni estate in Laguna Beach, celebrity supporters, world-class entertainment – this year supplied by iconic rock musician Jackson Browne – and a thought-provoking program that inspired the 400 guests to give more than $1.5 million to ocean conversation efforts.

Emcees Ted Danson and Jacques Cousteau’s granddaughter Alexandra kicked off the benefit, which this year focused on the plague of plastic pollution, reminding guests that 90 percent of all plastics ever made have not been recycled. “In too many places, I no longer recognize the seas of my youth when I dive because there is so much plastic,” said Cousteau. “I’ve seen things that my grandfather would consider a nightmare.” But Oceana CEO Andy Sharpless outlined reasons for hope, including the nonprofit’s fight for national laws mandating major reductions in throw-away plastics. SeaChange was co-chaired by Oceana board chair Valarie Van Cleave and Elizabeth Wahler and vice-chaired by Jeff Blasingame. Coast was the media sponsor. –SAMANTHA DUNN

Romance of the Mission delights

The Romance of the Mission benefit gala held on the historic grounds of Mission San Juan Capistrano has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful events in the county, and this year was no exception.

Held Sept. 20, the benefit netted an estimated $285,000 to support the Mission Preservation Foundation, which supports Orange County’s only mission (and leads all California Missions in fourth-grade field trips and education).

After a cocktail reception in the mission’s front courtyard gardens, the 475 guests made their way to the Ruins of The Great Stone Church, where Grammy Award-winning singer and producer Steve Tyrell presented modern pop standards that included ”When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano.”

But before the festivities began, Carol and Don Dorkowski were honored on stage for their extensive support and commitment to Mission San Juan Capistrano’s preservation efforts. “I received many honors and awards during my 21 years in the NFL, but this is by far the best,” said Don Dorkowski. –COAST STAFF

Gala returns for Laguna Art Museum

Laguna Art Museum said cheers to the start of its second century at Gala 2019, a new tradition for the museum that began last year when it celebrated 100 years with a black-tie bash.

The new annual event, for which Coast is media sponsor, raised over $600,000 with the support of 270 guests. Many came to celebrate artist Lita Albuquerque, who received the museum’s 2019 Wendt Award for her significant contributions to California art. Malcolm Warner, the museum’s executive director, also recognized longtime supporters and community philanthropists Jane and Joe Hanauer as the honorary chairs of Gala 2019.

Held again at the Festival of Arts grounds in Laguna Beach, the opening cocktail hour culminated with a sculptural installation and dance performance by Albuquerque and her daughter Jasmine, which took inspiration from ash-covered remnants that survived the fire when the artist’s home and studio were burned in the 2018 Woolsey fire.

The gala co-chairs were Deborah Engle, Kristin Samuelian and Elie Weaver. Serving on the committee were Kathleen Abel, Wendy Aird, Rick Balzer, Ann Coffee, Susan Davis, Michelle Fisher, Chuck Fry, Amy Fulford, Jane Hanauer, Betsy Jenkins, Lucetta Kallis, Laura Rohl, Lester Savit, Deborah Schlesinger, Marnie Wall, Blythe Wheaton, Lizanne Witte and Susie Wood. –COAST STAFF

Global Genes gathers rare diseases allies

Global Genes welcomed over 1,000 rare disease patients, advocates and scientists from across the world at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel for the eighth annual RARE Patient Advocacy Summit. Over two days, attendees gathered to honor rare disease patients and advocates at the largest educational event in support of rare diseases worldwide.

New York Post reporter Susannah Cahalan, author of the bestselling memoir “Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness,” delivered an inspiring keynote detailing her journey from medical mystery to lifesaving diagnosis. Cahalan suffered from a rare anti-immune disorder known as anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis that affects the brain’s activity including memory and breathing. Her experience was recently turned into a Netflix movie.

Another standout session that resonated with the audience was “Chasing Cures: The Power of Patients,” by Dr. David Fajgenbaum. Fajgenbaum detailed his journey battling Castleman disease. After having to undergo multiple rounds of chemotherapy, he realized that the medical community was not making the progress needed in time to save his life. He channeled his hope for a cure into action to save his life and discussed the steps that other rare disease hunters can also take.

The RARE Champion of Hope Celebration recognized the work of rare disease advocates. The evening welcomed celebrities, scientists and actor Sam Humphrey, who was born with the rare disease acrodysplasia, as well as singer Rachael Davis, who performed from “Sing Me a Story.” –KAREN KELSO

Pacific Symphony celebrates St.Clair

It was a celebration of Carl St.Clair’s 30th season as music director of Orange County’s premier orchestra as Pacific Symphony rolled out the red carpet on Sept. 26 for the “2019-20 Classical Opening Night Celebration and Concert.” Some 300 guests attended the sold-out black-tie affair, which turned out to be its most successful opening night ever, raising $315,000 to benefit the orchestra’s award-winning artistic and education programs.

A highlight of the pre-dinner festivities was the unveiling of a one-of-a-kind, life-size statue of St.Clair, the longest tenured music director of any major U.S. orchestra. Board members had commissioned sculptor Márton Váró, who carved it from Carrara marble. The dramatic reveal surprised and delighted attendees, who applauded after the white silk draping the sculpture, titled “Maestro,” was removed by board member Charlie Zhang.

St.Clair led Pacific Symphony and the Pacific Chorale in a memorable program featuring Beethoven’s “Egmont” Overture and “Choral Fantasy,” along with Orff’s “Carmina Burana.” The evening concluded with Champagne toasts to St.Clair. –COAST STAFF

Southern California house prices continued rising in September, although gains remain the smallest since the housing recovery began in the spring of 2012, new home price data shows.

Inland Empire house price appreciation hit a seven-year low in September, while appreciation rates in Los Angeles and Orange counties hovered near seven-year lows, according to the CoreLogic Home Price Index released Tuesday, Nov. 5.

The latest housing report from the Irvine-based real estate data firm shows, however, that while price gains are mired in the low single-digits, prices continue to go up from year-ago levels, thanks in part to low mortgage interest rates.

The price of an existing single-family home rose 3.2% in the Inland Empire, the smallest appreciation rate since May 2012.

Prices rose 2.2% in Los Angeles County and 1.1% in Orange County, the second- and third-lowest appreciation rates since the housing recovery began seven years ago.

“Mortgage rates were a full percentage point lower this September compared to a year ago, boosting affordability for first-time buyers and supporting a rise in homeownership,” CoreLogic Chief Economist Frank Nothaft said.

In addition, personal income grew faster than home prices during the past year, he said, giving first-time buyers “an additional lift” and helped to boost the homeownership rate to the highest level in more than five years.

More significantly, the index shows Orange County house prices still gaining, even though a separate CoreLogic index based on median prices showed year-over-year house price drops there in four of the past 11 months.

Like the Case-Shiller index, however, the CoreLogic Home Price Index is based on same-home price comparisons, a process deemed more accurate than median-price comparisons because it matches a home’s latest sale price with its previous sales.

Indeed, L.A. and Orange County index values hit all-time highs in September, CoreLogic figures show. The index value for the Inland Empire, however, remains 10% below the record set in April 2006, at the height of the housing bubble.

The HPI index values are based on price gains and losses since 1990, when index values were set at 100.

California house prices increased 1.7% in September, while nationwide prices rose 3.5%, the index showed.

CoreLogic expects prices to continue going up for the next year, rising 5.6% through next September in the nation as a whole.

The company redeveloping the Laguna Hills Mall has significantly shrunk its target for how many apartment units and how much office space it wants for the 68-acre property.

In a proposal submitted to the city on Monday, Nov. 4, Merlone Geier Partners says it wants to build five apartment buildings, totaling 1,200 to 1,500 units, and 390,000 to 520,000 square feet of office space. Most of the mall’s existing buildings would be replaced – the BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, In-N-Out Burger and King’s Fish House would remain.

The Laguna Hills City Council is expected to discuss the project at its Nov. 12 meeting, although it will take months for city staff to review the plan before council members vote on the proposal.

Merlone Geier Partners floated a proposal in April with six apartment buildings totaling 2,100 units and 822,000 square feet of office space. Some residents balked, saying they were concerned about the area’s gridlocked traffic.

The developer never submitted that proposal to the city for consideration.

“When looking at the landscape of Laguna Hills and south Orange County, and carefully studying consumers in a rapidly changing world of retail, we listened to community feedback,” Merlone Geier Partners’ Vice President of Development Stephen Logan said in a Nov. 5 press release.

Other changes to the proposal include a decrease in the number of proposed parking spaces: Down about 800 to 6,336.

Merlone Geier Partners also gave the project, formerly known as Five Lagunas, a new name: Village at Laguna Hills, based on feedback from residents who wanted the city’s name included.

However, the developer left intact much of the rest of it’s first proposal: A 125-room boutique hotel and 250,000 square feet of retail space, including a 110,000-square-foot, two-floor anchor building with a cinema. A community park and an amphitheater also remain in the center of the property.

The mall had mostly been left empty following the departure of the Macy’s and J.C. Penney stores last year. The company’s 2016 proposal to spend $260 million making over the mall never went anywhere, and the developer in December shut down the mall’s interior. Some tenants such as Norstrom Rack and Ruby’s Diner remain open, and an indoor “marketplace” opened in September using the space Macy’s had occupied for years.

Representatives with Merlone Geier Partners told the City Council in October that in the best-case scenario, the council would vote on the redevelopment proposal next fall and the company would begin construction on the project by spring or summer 2021.

It will be a rematch Saturday when Mater Dei’s girls volleyball team plays Redondo Union in the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 championship match.

The contest is at 8 p.m. at Cerritos College.

Redondo defeated visiting Mater Dei 3-2 on Sept. 5. Redondo rallied to win 24-26, 22-25, 29-27, 25-20, 15-8 although it played that night without Kami Miner, a standout 6-foot junior setter. Miner, the daughter of former USC and NBA star Harold Miner, was playing with a national team at the time.

Mater Dei has a great setter of its own, Long Beach State-committed senior Mia Tuaniga. Tuaniga is more of a traditional setter, distributing the ball to her front-line teammates. Miner, who possesses excellent leaping skills, will attack the net on occasion.

“Kami’s a very dynamic player,” said Mater Dei coach Dan O’Dell. “An athlete like her who can set like her is very rare.”

National volleyball websites regard Miner and Tuaniga as two of the top setters in the country.

Redondo (32-3) swept Aliso Niguel and Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth in the playoffs to advance to the Division 1 final. Mater Dei (29-4) swept Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach and beat Marymount of Los Angeles in four sets to reach the championship round.

O’Dell was encouraged by the way the Monarchs played against Marymount in the semifinals.

“The kids played with focus and discipline in that match,” O’Dell said. “I loved what I saw last Saturday.”

Mater Dei-Redondo is the last of four volleyball finals that will be played at Cerritos College on Saturday.

Also Saturday, Tustin (26-3) plays Vistamar of El Segundo (23-2) in the Division 5 final at 6 p.m. at Tustin High. Garden Grove (26-8) will be home against Desert Christian Academy (13-8) of Bermuda Dunes in the Division 7 final at 6 p.m.

Admission to CIF-SS girls volleyball finals are $12 for adults and $5 for students with valid student identification and for children 5-13.

Editor’s note: This is the Nov. 6, 2019 edition of the Inside the Dodgers newsletter. To get the rest of the countdown and the newsletter in your inbox, sign up here.

When Nick Punto tweeted a photo of himself, Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett in an airplane the night of Aug. 25, 2012, two thoughts came to mind:

1. “This night just got a lot more interesting”2. “That’s what Nick Punto looks like”

Punto is the semi-famous fourth wheel in the Dodgers’ biggest trade of the decade. He doesn’t make the top-50 list merely because he was on the airplane. (Though without the airplane, of course, Nick Punto never becomes a Dodger.) He makes the list because he was the last of his kind: a historical artifact disguised as a baseball player, disguised beneath a layer of dirt.

A switch hitter, Punto played 145 games as a Dodger. He batted .258 and saw time at second, shortstop and third base. He hit two home runs. In 2013, he was chosen as the Dodgers’ winner of the “Heart and Hustle” award. (He was also chosen as the Twins’ winner in 2010.) Heart and hustle are what defined Punto’s game, embodied in a signature play: Punto slid head-first into first base whenever he could, and even times when you thought he couldn’t. Here’s what Sports Illustrated wrote about Punto in 2014: “His elevated status is the result of several factors: his small size, his affable personality, his tendency to be found on good teams—no accident, according to managers past and present—and his visible, earnest determination to exchange every last drop of sweat for a win.”

Punto’s tenure in Los Angeles was a waystation. He appeared in parts of 14 major league seasons; the rest came with the Twins, Phillies, Red Sox, A’s and Cardinals. Punto collected 500 plate appearances in a season twice, in 2006 and 2007. He retired with 19 home runs and a .245 batting average. He was not, shall we say, a good major league baseball player in the traditional sense.

Punto’s essence as a baseball player was steeped in tradition. As a Dodger, Punto had a .335 on-base percentage and a .325 slugging percentage over 138 regular-season games. According to Baseball Reference, 70 players in baseball history have posted those numbers ― .335 OBP or higher, .325 SLG% or lower, minimum 138 games played ― over a full career. All but 10 of them were retired by 1980. The group includes a Mortimer, a Peaches, a Hap, a Doc, a Gus, and a Creepy. Please, spare me your jokes about the 5-foot-9 Punto being the seventh dwarf.

While it’s tempting to reduce Punto to a caricature, he wasn’t trying to be a throwback. His persona was genuine. It was all an offshoot of who he was and how he played the game. Punto once told Fox Sports that “John Smoltz is the best thing that’s ever happened for you guys.” He taught his daughter how to slide head-first using a cardboard box down a hallway. He once suggested that MLB allow players to fight each other 1-on-1, a la the National Hockey League, because then the “game will police itself and America’s favorite past time would be that much better.”

The trade that brought Punto to the Dodgers marked the beginning of an era. When he signed with the A’s as a free agent in Nov. 2013, it marked the end of a different era. Ever since, the home run has driven players like Punto to near-extinction. “Punto seasons” ― players whose on-base and slugging percentages matched Punto’s as a Dodger ― are nearly non-existent, reserved for backup catchers and late-stage Ben Zobrist. It’s been six years since Punto played his final game as a Dodger, but it might as well be 60.

To their credit, my impression was always that Dodger fans appreciated the rarity of Punto’s skill set in its time. Danny DeVito certainly did. The game, on its current trajectory, will never give us another exactly like him.

-J.P.

Editor’s note: Thanks for reading the Inside the Dodgers newsletter. To receive the newsletter in your inbox, sign up here.

The 50 Greatest Dodgers of the 2010s: #49, David Freese

These vagabond shoes are longing to stray

• Robot umps, soon ― Rob Manfred said automatic strike zones will be introduced in some minor league games in 2020.
• Show him the money ― Julio Urias (2 years, 122 days of service time) is eligible for arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
• Ry-union time? ― Hyun-Jin Ryu is somewhat of an afterthought in a robust market for starting pitchers, according to ESPN. The Dodgers should re-sign Ryu, writes Sports Illustrated.
• National interest ― By going to seven games, the World Series avoided a dubious record for smallest TV viewership ever.

Pro golfer Fred Couples is selling his five-bedroom Newport Beach home for $3.749 million.

The asking price is just $274,000 more than the World Golf Hall of Famer paid in March 2015 for the 3,800-square-foot house on Winged Foot Lane.

Set on more than a quarter-acre in the Big Canyon community, the single-level home built in 1998 is described in the listing as “perfect for a family or empty nester.” There is, as previously reported in the Register, a wrap-around island with seating in the kitchen, big picture windows and fireplaces in the living room, family room and master bedroom.

The master bedroom also boasts a walk-in closet and seating area. The master bathroom has Carrera marble countertops, dual sinks and a walk-in shower with separate soaking tub.

The backyard features lush landscaping with a stone patio for entertaining. And a game of golf is never far off.

Big Canyon is on the golf course at Big Canyon Country Club, a members-only club established in 1971.

Lindsay Bibb and Natalie Raney of Villa Real Estate share the listing.

Couples, 60, turned professional in 1980. He has won dozens of tournaments, most recently the Chubb Classic in 2017.

As thousands of people flood into the Disneyland Resort to enjoy the holiday decorations, it’s hard to remember that this was once considered the slow season — a time when people were too busy shopping and cooking to think about theme parks.

But that was before the company made a massive investment in holiday fun, including over-the-top lighting and decorations. Crews bring in 300 extra trees to spread around the resort, along with some 10,000 poinsettias and 10,000 cyclamen. The decor magically appears in early November – shortly after Halloween – and stays up until Jan. 6 each year.

Though they mostly work behind the scenes – watering, trimming and planting – the resort employs squadrons of landscapers to tend to some 100,000 flowering plants, shrubs and trees.

In fact, horticultural designers start planning for the following year as soon as everything goes up for this one, including ordering supplies and creating decorations for the coming year’s installation.

Here’s what you can expect to see…

Disneyland

Few people can miss the Mickey Mouse portrait in flowers at the park’s entrance. It’s dolled up with more than 7,000 plants to greet the season.

The first thing you see when you walk through the tunnels into the park is the 60-foot-high artificial Christmas tree on Main Street decorated with 1,500 Victorian-themed ornaments and 100 electric candles. At one time, real trees were used, but as the holiday season got longer and longer, it made sense to switch to artificial. The tree is erected in three parts using a crane one night in early November. The Christmas tree stands 60 feet above ground and five feet below ground. It has approximately 1,200 branches, 250,000 pine tip ends, 800 handmade bows, 4,800 multi-colored LED lights, 70,000 white mini LED lights and 1,200 strobes.

Along Main Street, U.S.A., storefronts, lampposts and rooftops are wrapped in wreaths and garland. The exterior of Main Street, U.S.A. features approximately 220 garlands, measuring more than four miles long, with approximately 80 wreaths and 120 bows bringing the season to life.

Mickey’s Toontown has its own distinctive ‘toon trees and decorations to show off the characters’ personalities.

It takes three dozen people some 35 days each year to turn the iconic ride into It’s a Small World Holiday, including 350,000 miniature lights in the trees, hedges and animal topiaries.

Disney California Adventure Park

At the entrance along Buena Vista Street, a 50-foot Christmas tree adorns Carthay Circle. The tree and surrounding buildings are decorated with vintage-style ornaments in keeping with the theme of Buena Vista Street, inspired by Los Angeles as it appeared when Walt Disney arrived in the 1920’s.

Wreaths and lights decorate Cars Land and Radiator Springs, with decorations that reflect the unique personalities of the “Cars” characters who live there.

Disney Festival of Holidays also features seasonal décor throughout the festival, which celebrates diverse cultural festivities of Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa and Three Kings Day.

Hotels of the Disneyland Resort + Downtown Disney District

The shopping and entertainment district, as well as the hotels, feature twinkling lights, ornaments and special displays.

Want some tips for decorating at home? The Resort Enhancement team at the Disneyland Resort suggests the following:

• Go to a local Christmas tree lot and ask for extra pieces of greenery. Arrange the greenery in a circle on a table and place a pillar candle in the middle. Then add a few ornaments, and you’ve made yourself a holiday centerpiece.  Not only will it look great, but it will also add natural fragrance to your room!
• Fill assorted apothecary jars with colorful Christmas candy.
• Customize plain pillar candles with colorful ribbon trim, wrapped around their bases.
• Fill a bowl with pinecones, acorns, and greenery. This is a simple way to make a beautiful holiday centerpiece!
• Dress up inexpensive garland with artificial berries and pinecones and then place on top of a mirror.
• Place a wreath on top of a table and put a pillar candle in the middle to create an easy centerpiece.  Add battery powered fairy lights to give it an extra glow!
• Holiday candles throughout your home will appeal to another sense and provide that extra touch.
• Always remember, safety first!  Don’t leave candles burning unattended.  Better yet, use realistic flameless flickering candles!

Huntington Beach basketball standout Meghan McIntyre has transferred to St. Anthony in Long Beach, Saints girls coach Raymond Bennett confirmed Wednesday.

McIntyre, a junior shooting guard, helped the Oilers (24-7, 5-1) capture the Surf League title last season and reach the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 2AA playoffs. Huntington Beach lost to Roosevelt 37-36.

McIntyre shared the Surf League MVP with Los Alamitos point guard Sydney Gandy, who also transferred after the season. Gandy now attends Orangewood Academy.

Bennett also confirmed that McIntryre’s sister Bridgette and JSerra junior forward Jaya Shelby also have transferred to St. Anthony, but he said Shelby will not be playing this season.

Huntington Beach coach Russ McClurg said that wing Cassidee Johnson-Kinslow from Liberty in Brentwood has transferred to his school and will help fill McIntyre’s role.

Huntington Beach moves to CIF-SS Division 1 this winter while St. Anthony will shift to Division 2-AA after missing the Division 1 playoffs last season.

Please send girls basketball news to Dan Albano at dalbano@scng.com or @ocvarsityguy on Twitter or Instagram

A Vietnamese American citizen from Orange County serving a 12-year prison sentence in Vietnam was denied an appeal for a shorter term.

During a four-hour trial, Michael Phuong Minh Nguyen, of Orange, pleaded guilty on June 24 to charges that he attempted to overthrow the government. Later, he asked the court to reduce his sentence so he could come back to his wife and four daughters in the United States. Late Tuesday, Nguyen’s family learned that his sentence was upheld.

“We’re extremely disappointed,” Mark Roberts, Nguyen’s brother-in-law, said Wednesday. “The family is upset.”

Nguyen was arrested on July 7, 2018 when authorities accused him of violating Article 109 of the criminal code, for activities to overthrow the government. He was arrested with friends, as they were traveling through Da Nang, in central Vietnam. Two of the people arrested with him face sentences of eight to 10 years for the same offense.

Nguyen is expected be deported after he is released; the other men must complete three years of house arrest after their jail terms end.

Nguyen’s family denies that he was involved in any activities against Vietnam and say he was in the country to visit family and friends. Nguyen has traveled to Vietnam before, as has his wife, Helen Hieu Nguyen, a surgical nurse at UCI Medical Center and Kaiser hospitals who went to Vietnam on medical missions.

“We believe all the charges against him are bogus,” Roberts said.  “We don’t believe he was there to overthrow the government. That’s nonsense.”

Nguyen was 10 when he arrived in the United States in 1975. He was among the Diaspora who eventually formed Orange County’s Little Saigon, the largest Vietnamese American enclave outside of Vietnam.

He owned a printing shop in Garden Grove and lived with his wife, four daughters, and his elderly in-laws in a home in Orange. Nguyen’s wife, children and in-laws still live in the home, where the devout Catholic family gathers regularly to pray by an altar in their living room.

Nguyen was described by family as “Mr. Mom” to his four young daughters, driving them to and from school and activities and helping them with their homework. His wife is often on-call for her two nursing jobs.

Since Nguyen’s arrest, the family has received the support of legislators from both major parties who have called attention to Nguyen’s plight through letters and speeches in Congress. As recently as Monday, Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, wrote an editorial for the Orange County Register titled “Michael Nguyen is one of us. It’s time for him to come home.”

Earlier this year, Porter also invited Helen Nguyen as her guest to President Trump’s State of the Union address in February. And in July, Helen Nguyen testified before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, where lawmakers pledged their support.

But support of U.S. lawmakers appears to have done little to convince the Vietnamese government to ease Nguyen’s sentence.

Meanwhile, Nguyen receives regular monthly visits while in prison from the U.S. Embassy. Officials deliver to him letters and packages from home, though he hasn’t been allowed phone calls from family members.

In October, Roberts flew to Vietnam and saw Nguyen, becoming the first family member to see him since his arrest.

“He appeared to be in good health and treated well,” Roberts said. “We were not allowed to meet alone, but in the presence of others. All the communication had to be translated to Vietnamese.”

The main message Roberts said he relayed to his brother-in-law was this: “I wanted him to know that he’s not forgotten by his family and by his government.”

After 45 minutes, the visit was over.

A look at Chargers players who were listed on the injury report this week and their status for Thursday night’s road game against the Oakland Raiders:

Denzel Perryman, linebacker

Injury: Knee

Participation status: Did not participate Monday-Wednesday

Official status: Questionable

Outlook: Perryman’s latest injury setback forced him to miss practice this week. He was improving his play before sustaining a knee injury against the Green Bay Packers last week.

Justin Jones, defensive tackle

Injury: Shoulder

Participation status: Limited Monday-Wednesday

Official status: Out

Outlook: Jones will miss his fourth consecutive game. Rookie defensive tackle Jerry Tillery will get another start.

Brandon Mebane, defensive tackle

Injury: Knee

Participation status: Limited Monday-Wednesday

Official status: Questionable

Outlook: Mebane has been on the sidelines with Jones, but he’s made better progress the past two weeks. Damion Square has stepped up in his absence, but the Chargers will need Mebane and Perryman against a run-heavy team in Oakland.

Sam Tevi, right tackle

Injury: Knee

Participation status: Did not participate Monday-Wednesday

Official status: Questionable

Outlook: If Tevi can’t play, Trent Scott will start at right tackle. Scott filled in after Tevi injured his knee against the Packers.

Justin Jackson, running back

Injury: Calf

Participation status: Did not participate Monday-Wednesday

Official status: Doubtful

Outlook: Chargers coach Anthony Lynn didn’t say if Jackson aggravated his calf injury last week, but called it fatigue. Jackson missed five games before returning in Week 9.

Roderic Teamer, strong safety

Injury: Groin

Participation status: Did not participate Monday-Wednesday

Official status: Doubtful

Outlook: The Chargers are down to their fourth-string strong safety, but Jaylen Watkins didn’t play like it against the Packers. He’ll get another start if Teamer can’t play.

Geremy Davis, wide receiver

Injury: Hamstring

Participation status: Did not participate Monday-Wednesday

Official status: Doubtful

Outlook: The backup wideout and special teamer didn’t play against the Packers.

Cortez Broughton, defensive tackle

Injury: Illness

Participation status: Did not participate Monday-Wednesday

Official status: Out

Outlook: The rookie defensive tackle will miss his third consecutive games because of illness.

After seeing one of their steadiest efforts of the season go to waste in Toronto, the Kings ramble on to Ottawa to face the rebuilding Senators on Thursday.

The Kings (5-10-0) stumbled versus the Maple Leafs after standing their ground against the high-octane Leafs for more than 50 minutes of action Tuesday. Two goals in 30 seconds late in the third period signaled the Kings’ undoing in a game where they generally played with poise and structure.

Though turnovers proved costly for the Kings, the flow of the game was relatively even. Puck management, discipline and defensive diligence were relatively solid aspects of the Kings’ game.

“We have to stay within (our structure), because if we wander from it, you saw what happened tonight, the few mistakes we made wound up in our net,” Kings coach Todd McLellan told reporters, referring to the first and third Toronto goals, which came off Kings giveaways.

McLellan said his team checked effectively, was largely disciplined and had a stronger performance on special teams.

“We may not have won the game tonight, but we did get better in some areas,” McLellan told reporters. “When you compare what happened tonight to Game 2 or 3 of the regular season, we’re getting better.”

This trip through Ontario will see eight Ontarians on the Kings’ roster travel to their home province. Drew Doughty was among them, and he visited his former Kings defense partner and childhood friend, Jake Muzzin, now with Toronto. Kings wing Tyler Toffoli, who grew up in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, will next revisit his junior-hockey home in Ottawa, where he played four seasons for the 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League.

The Senators (4-9-1) lost the 2017 Eastern Conference finals in agonizing fashion as they dropped Game 7 in double overtime. Since, they have charted a sinuous but swift course to the bottom of the league..

Gone are stars like defenseman Erik Karlsson, right wing Mark Stone and left wing Mike Hoffman. Their replacements are a much less-seasoned crew under first-year head coach D.J. Smith.

Ottawa’s top eight scorers are all 26 or younger, including defenseman Thomas Chabot – the centerpiece of the Karlsson trade with San Jose – and wing Brady Tkachuk. Defenseman Erik Brannstrom may not be prolific yet, but he was the fulcrum of the trade that sent Stone to Vegas.

Promise has yet to materialize for the Sens, who were most recently beaten convincingly by the scorching hot New York Islanders. Ottawa had the NHL’s worst goal differential last season and its worst record. Worse yet, they had traded their 2019 first-round draft pick to Colorado in an ill-fated deal for Matt Duchene, a forward who has since played for two other franchises following an ephemeral stint in Ottawa.

Kings at Ottawa

When: 4:30 p.m. Thursday

Where: Canadian Tire Center

TV/Radio: Fox Sports West/iHeartRadio

The baseball off-season has begun. So has a practice that’s become a rite of autumn: MLB owners tempering their fans’ expectations through the media.

Just this week, reports out of Chicago and St. Louis suggested the Cubs and Cardinals won’t use the coming months to out-bid each other for star free agents Anthony Rendon or Gerrit Cole. By now, such headlines barely register as news. Baseball rivalries aren’t often measured in raw dollars and cents.

The Padres and Phillies emerged as the winter’s big spenders each of the last two years. Last time, it was Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, respectively. The year before, San Diego signed Eric Hosmer for $144 million, while Philadelphia shelled out almost as much ($135 million combined) to Jake Arrieta and Carlos Santana. Meanwhile, the Dodgers and Yankees – baseball’s preeminent free agent freewheelers most of this century – supplemented their homegrown cores with second-tier free agents.

Now, free agents are seldom baseball’s most intriguing figures in the months between the World Series and spring training. We need to expand our scope. With that in mind, here are 10 people who will chart the course of the off-season, for richer and for poorer.

1. Scott Boras

The agent for Cole, Rendon, Stephen Strasburg, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Nicholas Castellanos, Dallas Keuchel and Mike Moustakas (deep breath) will have a busy winter negotiating new deals for his clients. But when will they get around to signing?

Boras reportedly waited until the Dodgers and Giants joined the bidding for Harper last winter before accepting the Phillies’ final offer of 13 years and $330 million. By then it was February. The popular metaphor for free-agent signings is that of dominoes: the biggest (Cole, Rendon and Strasburg this year) topple first, followed by the lesser pieces. Ideally for agents, the best players set the market for the rest of the group. A better metaphor in 2019 is earthquakes. There are foreshocks, and aftershocks, and The Big One. No one really knows when they’ll strike, save the one man whose hand is on the seismometer.

2. Mookie Betts

Betts would become the best player to change teams this off-season if the Red Sox decide to trim payroll at the cost of their star right fielder. The 2018 American League MVP is a career .301 hitter who should be in his prime at age 27. Betts is projected to make $28 million in salary arbitration, still an affordable sum for many clubs.

Would the Dodgers be willing to part with a young, high-end pitcher or catcher for one year of Betts? Could a team on the fringes of contention, like the Diamondbacks or Indians, find a way to tempt the Sox with prospects? Only a handful of players can mushroom a team’s fortunes like Betts. Chaim Bloom, Boston’s recently-appointed GM, will face pressure to receive a large haul in return.

3. Arte Moreno

Rare is the owner in 2019 who publicly states his payroll will go up. There are many ways the Angels’ owner can add to his roster, and perhaps it’s too soon to rule out Betts after the Angels declined right fielder Kole Calhoun’s option for the 2020 season earlier in the week.

More likely, however, the Angels will use the bulk of their resources to sign a starting pitcher or two. That means Cole or Strasburg, ideally. If not, the second tier of free agent starters is robust. Ryu, Keuchel, Madison Bumgarner, Rich Hill, and Cole Hamels all represent upgrades for a team that couldn’t coax 100 innings from any of its full-time starters in 2019. Former Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal would help any team, including the Angels.

4. Joe West

The head of the MLB Umpires’ Association is about to face a challenge unlike any levied by a manager: the electronically defined strike zone. It’s coming to minor league baseball in 2020, according to commissioner Rob Manfred, leaving MLB as the last bastion for human error when it comes to balls and strikes.

The technology debuted in the Atlantic League and the Arizona Fall League this year. The adjustment process for pitchers and catchers wasn’t always smooth. The bigger adjustment will be for MLB’s unionized umpires, who have vociferously resisted calls for an electronic strike zone in the past. For now, the burden of proof lies with the “Hawk-Eye” camera technology (which will replace the Statcast system in 2020) to prove it’s more accurate and reliable than a human umpire.

5. Harold Baines

When the latest veteran’s committee considers a group of 10 men for induction Dec. 8, it must adjust to a new precedent. Harold Baines fell short of 3,000 hits and 400 home runs. He spent most of his career as a designated hitter. He led his league in a major category once in 22 seasons. As of July, he’s a Hall of Famer.

Now, the statistical bar for induction is lower than it’s ever been. Some BBWAA voters believe this can only improve the chances of Don Mattingly, Steve Garvey, Tommy John and others on this year’s ballot.

6. Travis Williams

Only one team still needs to hire a manager and a head of baseball operations this winter. The man with all the hiring power is Pittsburgh Pirates president Travis Williams, who’s been on the job less than two weeks and spent the previous 12 years as a National Hockey League executive.

The Pirates are at a similar juncture to the Astros and Cubs 10 years ago, with little to lose and much to gain as Williams charts the direction his franchise will take in the 2020s. The Astros and Cubs tore down their payrolls, then built homegrown rosters into champions. Williams will try to do the same with fewer financial resources and two massively important hires to come.

7 and 8. Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon

We can’t ignore free agents altogether, and these two will set an important precedent for future free agent pitchers and hitters, respectively. Their fortunes are linked.

If last year’s contracts for Harper and Machado are any indication, Rendon can expect to command a six-year contract worth $25-30 million a year. His postseason exploits can only push those numbers higher.

Cole’s case brings to mind that of Zack Greinke – a right-handed pitcher coming off a Cy Young-caliber season with the Dodgers in 2015. Greinke was 32 when he signed for six years and more than $206 million with the Diamondbacks, establishing a record for average annual value. Cole is 29, three years younger than Greinke. But can he beat Greinke’s contract? The answer to this question will offer a gauge of the health of the free-agent market.

For much of last winter, the health of the free-agent market was a frequent topic of discussion for the commissioner and the head of the MLB Players’ Association. It will be again, though Manfred will have more on his plate this time around.

The league is investigating the death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs. It has commissioned a new study into the composition of the baseballs, which contributed to a record number of home runs in 2019. Umpires will have plenty to say to the commissioner about the encroachment of technology on their job description, and pace of play will likely grind Manfred’s gears after the average time of game reached 3 hours and 10 minutes, a record.

Stay tuned. The off-season will feel much longer.

The glamorous new home of the Rams and Chargers — and a major, multi-billion-dollar addition to Southern California’s sporting landscape — is taking shape.

Construction of SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, scheduled to open next summer, was about 80 percent complete when a group of Rams and Chargers season-ticket holders were allowed to put on hard hats Tuesday, tour the facility and get a first look at their seat locations.

Once finished, it will serve as the centerpiece of  a 298-acre world-class sports and entertainment destination being developed by Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke. It’s set to open with Taylor Swift concerts next July 25-26, then become home to the Rams and Chargers for the 2020 football season. It will also host Super Bowl LVI in 2022, the College Football National Championship game in 2023, and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2028 Olympic Games.

According to news release, the stadium will have a seating capacity of approximately 70,000, expandable up to 100,000, with 260 luxury suites, more than 13,000 premium seats, and over three million square feet of usable space. A 6,000-seat performance venue designed to host concerts, award shows, esports events and other forms of entertainment will be adjacent to the stadium and under the same roof canopy.

MORE PHOTOS

Artist’s renderings:

Construction tours:

IN THE NEWS

‘Unbelievable,’ ‘beautiful,’ ‘intimate’: Rams, Chargers fans get first looks at SoFi Stadium

Taylor Swift will be the first artist to play the all-new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood

New home to Rams, Chargers to be known as SoFi Stadium

For its annual holiday drinks and cups announcement, Starbucks has released four new designs, one special reusable red cup and five seasonal beverages.

The most exciting of these developments, perhaps, is Starbucks’ use of the phrase “Merry Coffee” in its branding this year. In the past, Starbucks has been criticized for not being Christmas enough and not serving good coffee.

Here are the company’s official holiday cup design descriptions:

Polka Dots: ”The traditional Starbucks red cup is dotted with green, with the Siren playfully popping in here and there.”

Merry Dance: ”A lively pairing of red and green letters jazz up a snowy white cup with a joyful holiday wish.”

Merry Stripes: ”From a distance, this cup looks like it’s wrapped in green vintage wrapping paper. But up close, its tiny type offers a happy holiday sentiment.”

Candy Cane Stripe: ”The colors of the holiday all come together with this design as the Starbucks wordmark falls like snow against stripes of candy cane red and white.”

And on to the seasonal drinks: Peppermint and toasted white chocolate mochas, and caramel brulée, chestnut praline and eggnog lattes all make a comeback this year.

There will be no gingerbread lattes.

Starting Thursday, while supplies last, Starbucks will give away reusable red “Merry Coffee” cups to those who buy a holiday drink.

Follow along for live updates from Pauley Pavilion as the UCLA men’s basketball team opens the season against Long Beach State.

Season Preview: Long Beach State vs. UCLA Bruins

How to watch: 

Tipoff Time: 8:06 p.m. (PT)

TV: Pac-12 Network

Radio: AM 1150

XM Channel / SIRIUS Channel: Ch. 84

A Twitter List by JHWreporter

LOS ANGELES — The sight of a red No. 99 jersey, and a red No. 15, this week at USC practice has been one for sore eyes around the Trojans program.

Defensive end Drake Jackson and Talanoa Hufanga have missed two games since suffering injuries against Arizona. For Jackson, it was a high ankle sprain. For Hufanga, a dislocated shoulder.

The injuries left them on the sidelines as USC allowed 87 points over two weeks. But two of the Trojans’ top defenders appear poised for a comeback this Saturday at Arizona State.

Jackson said he is ready to play against the Sun Devils and expects a full workload of snaps. He reported some kinks in his ankle as he moved around at practice but overall was excited just to get back in pads and on the field.

“I feel wonderful. It feels great just to be back and to play again,” Jackson said. “Nothing I can’t fight through. I cannot miss another game.”

Not traveling to Colorado for the Trojans’ comeback victory at Boulder was the hardest part for the freshman, who has 3.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss this season.

“Being away from the team, it’s kind of weird. Watching them on TV, it’s not me,” he said. “I’d rather be on the field with my boys.”

Hufanga, the Trojans’ second-leading tackler prior to his injury, said he was unsure how big of a role he could fill this weekend, but he expressed a willingness to do whatever his coaches asked of him, whether it be in a starting role or as a reserve.

The sophomore safety said he did his best to learn the game plan so that even in his absence from the action, he could still be an asset for his teammates to lean on.

“I was trying to hit on it a little bit today,” Hufanga said. “It’s day-by-day, just trying to understand my role.”

INJURY REPORT

USC linebacker Hunter Echols and defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu both sat out Wednesday’s practice with undisclosed injuries. Defensive line coach Chad Kauha’aha’a said Tuipulotu was simply banged up and USC decided to give him Wednesday off to get a little healthier in time for Saturday’s game.

Running backs Stephen Carr (hamstring) and Vavae Malepeai (knee) went through rehab drills during the portion of practice open to the media.

LOS ANGELES — As he looked back on the game film, USC safety Isaiah Pola-Mao didn’t see anything he could have done differently.

It was the definition of bang-bang. He felt like he was gearing up for a good, clean hit. Instead, the Oregon receiver lowered his head at the last second, and Pola-Mao made helmet-to-helmet contact.

The referees called targeting, and the video review confirmed the call. Pola-Mao was ejected, and even four days later he wasn’t sure what else he could have done on that play.

“I can’t really do much different,” Pola-Mao said after practice on Wednesday. “I came in, he dropped down. Stuff happens. That’s part of the game of football. It’s just something you can’t control. It’s what the refs think, and if they think it’s targeting, I’ve got to get out of it.”

All the feedback Pola-Mao got after the game, whether from friends, teammates or coaches, was that it was a good hit. He has no plans to change his playing style following the ejection.

“There’s really nothing you can really do. Unless they want us to tackle like this with our chests,” he said, jutting his chest out for effect. “At the end of the day, it’s a violent game. It’s football.”

Pola-Mao said it was difficult to watch the game from the locker room, saying that not being out on the sidelines was the worst part of the punishment.

He tried to give his teammates encouragement when they came into the locker room at halftime.

“It’s just sad being in the locker room when you know the team’s out there, being by myself in there,” Pola-Mao said. “I tried to juice them up. I tried to give them all the tips that I saw on the TV.”

Several USC players pointed to the moment as the turning point in the game.

“Just as far as momentum, Isaiah, he brought a lot of juice out there when he got his interception and just a lot of stuff that was going when Isaiah was out there,” linebacker Hunter Echols said following the game. “Losing Zay, a big, fast safety like that, it’s always going to affect the defense a little bit.”

While Pola-Mao appreciated that sentiment, he didn’t want it to be the team’s mentality if a future ejection were to occur.

“I feel blessed and honored for them to think that, but at the same time it’s the next person up,” Pola-Mao said. “C.J. (Pollard) got in, he did his thing. The team did the best that they could. I think we’re just ready for the next week.”

Scores and stats for the Orange County games on Wednesday, Nov. 6.

GIRLS TENNIS

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS

First Round

DIVISION 1

San Clemente 16, Orange Lutheran 2

Mater Dei 11, Foothill 7

Aliso Niguel 12, Great Oak 6

Murrieta Valley 16, El Dorado 2

Huntington Beach 16, Oaks Christian 2

Beckman 18, Santa Monica 0

Troy 14, Santa Margarita 4

Yorba Linda 14, Crescenta Valley 4

King/Riverside 14, Dana Hills 4

DIVISION 2

Laguna Beach 12, LB Wilson 6

Los Alamitos 12, Sage Hill 6

Redondo Union 14, Cypress 4

San Juan Hills 13, Temecula Valley 5

JSerra 14, South Pasadena 2

Long Beach Poly 12, Sunny Hills 6

Woodbridge 17, Valencia 1

DIVISION 3

St. Margaret’s def. La Serna, (74-65)

Cerritos 11, Pacifica 7

Portola 16, Garden Grove 2

The Archer School for Girls 10, Oxford Academy 8

Riverside Poly 13, El Toro 5

Walnut 15, Brea Olinda 3

DIVISION 4

Fullerton 10, La Quinta 8

Millikan 16, Magnolia 2

San Dimas 11, Costa Mesa 7

Whitney 12, Bolsa Grande 6

DIVISION 5

Western 13, Notre Dame/Riverside 5

Segerstrom 12, Gahr 6

Rancho Alamitos 15, Yucca Valley 3

BOYS WATER POLO

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS

First Round

DIVISION 2

Los Alamitos 7, Dana Hills 6

Goals: (DH) Malecka 3

Saves: Nash (LA) 13

San Clemente 18, Agoura 5

Goals: Hosea (SC) 6, Prussak (SC) 5.

Saves: Sanders (SC) 6.

Corona del Mar 14, La Serna 7

Foothill 16, Dos Pueblos 10

Poly/Riverside 7, Laguna Beach 1

Woodbridge 10, Redlands East Valley 3

LOS ANGELES — Receiver Ethan Fernea went numb, while quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson swallowed his gum in the moments following Fernea’s first career touchdown pass during their 31-14 victory over Colorado on Saturday in the Rose Bowl.

“I don’t even think he was expecting me to throw him the ball,” Thompson-Robinson said. “All week we had gotten into a look where I was throwing the deep ball. (The Colorado defense) changed the look up on us, and I just read it out.

“I gave (Ethan) a chance and he went and got the ball. That was a great route by him and a great catch.”

Fernea confirmed what his quarterback thought when recalling the first play of the possession, after UCLA linebacker Krys Barnes intercepted Colorado quarterback Steven Montez’s pass.

“Coach dialed up a play,” Fernea said. “We were taking a shot and I was able to get over the top of the corner. I really wasn’t expecting to get the ball at the beginning of the play.”

As cornerback Delrick Abrams Jr. of Colorado trailed behind Fernea, the former walk-on extended his arms as he crossed the goal line to catch the ball thrown 45 yards into the end zone by Thompson-Robinson with 3:42 left in the first quarter. The Bruins extended their lead to 17-0 with the touchdown and JJ Molson’s PAT.

Several members of the offense, including Thompson-Robinson, sprinted nearly half the length of the field to celebrate Fernea’s catch.

“Honestly, the celebration was more tiring than the touchdown itself,” Fernea said. “Everyone just swarmed me and my best friend Koby Walsh wouldn’t leave me alone. It was a really cool moment.”

Fernea has quickly turned into a legitimate option for Thompson-Robinson after leading the Bruins in receiving in the last two games, including his breakout game against Arizona State on Oct. 26.

“I’m happy for him,” tight end Devin Asiasi said. “We know he has been working hard since he has been here as a walk-on.”

Thompson-Robinson has found his rhythm and it was on display against Colorado, when he completed 21 of 28 pass attempts. It was his best completion percentage of the season and the second-best of his career behind his 86.6 percent mark (13-of-15) against Cal in 2018.

He has also spread the ball around, with nine players recording a catch over the last three games.

During that stretch, Fernea has seen more playing time while others such as Kazmeir Allen and Martell Irby have returned from injury.

Asiasi has also benefited with a touchdown catch in each of the last two games. Asiasi and Fernea each finished with a team-high 45 receiving yards against Colorado.

When the ball hasn’t come Asiasi’s way this season, he has provided consistent blocking on the perimeter. In UCLA’s game against Stanford, Asiasi delivered a pair of blocks that allowed Thompson-Robinson to run in for a score.

ICYMI: TE Devin Asiasi (@ASI2X) picked up two Stanford players as QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson runs in for a UCLA touchdown.

pic.twitter.com/1bNHuK0b4q

— James H. Williams (@JHWreporter) November 6, 2019

“I’m just trying to do my job,” Asiasi said. “I know I’m a key blocker in our run game, and it is important to our scheme on offense. We are just trying to get Joshua Kelley and those guys running.”

RECRUITING TRAIL

UCLA has won three consecutive games for the first time since Coach Chip Kelly took the job and the first time overall since 2015. It has likely played a role in the Bruins’ recent recruiting success this week.

Kelly believes the on-field results are a positive, but the university has a lot more to offer than winning games.

Fans had previously expressed disappointment on social media in Kelly’s lack of effort in recruiting earlier this season. His comments before Wednesday’s practice might provide some clarity as to why the Bruins often seem to do the bulk of their recruiting during a tighter window of time.

“When you are away, you don’t have recruiting weekends,” Kelly said. “We’re limited at how many recruiting weekends we can have because we don’t bring kids in early in the season when there are no students on campus. That’s not a fair representation of what being a student-athlete at UCLA is about.”

UCLA’s fall academic quarter started Sept. 23 when the football team was already five games into the season with a 1-4 overall record.

The Bruins are coming off a two-game homestand when they hosted several prospects making visits.

UCLA received verbal commits from four-star receiver Logan Loya (St. John Bosco) and three-star athlete Jonathan Vaughns (also St. John Bosco). Both players made a visit over the weekend.

Vaughns intends on playing football and baseball for UCLA. He is the brother of USC redshirt junior receiver Tyler Vaughns.

Loya had offers from Pac-12 programs such as Oregon and USC but decided UCLA was the best fit for him.

St. John Bosco has four players committed to UCLA’s 2020 recruiting class with the addition of Vaughns and Loya.

The program received four verbal commitments, including three junior college players, in October.

PLAYOFF RANKINGS

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee released its first rankings of the season on Tuesday, with No. 7 Oregon (8-1) and No. 8 Utah (8-1) representing the Pac-12.

The two teams are not scheduled to play during the regular season but would meet in the conference championship game if both teams win their remaining games.

The Bruins could alter Utah’s playoff chances with an upset over the Utes on Nov. 16 in Salt Lake City.