Hannah Stines showing that complete game for ⁦⁦@troyhs_gbball⁩, running break for the dish to Endigo Parker, Stines arguably best Soph. in OC ⁦@troy_warriors⁩ ⁦@ocvarsity⁩ pic.twitter.com/q7DNdg2okd

— Dan Albano (@ocvarsityguy) January 21, 2020

GARDEN GROVE Troy’s girls basketball team provided another reminder Monday night just how much a group can evolve over the course of one season.

The third-ranked Warriors flashed their ever-improving depth en route to a 60-42 victory against No. 4 Esperanza in a clash of potential CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs teams at the Presion Showcase at Orangewood Academy.

Nine different players scored for the Warriors and their bench outscored Esperanza 12-0.

“We have all the different pieces,” Troy coach Roger Anderson said. “We’ll be really, really tested with a great (Long Beach) Poly team on Saturday.”

Hannah Stines scored a team-high 20 points and added seven rebounds and four steals to pace the Warriors (14-7), who play host to Open Division contender Long Beach Poly on Saturday at 6 p.m.

But a closer look at the game Monday showed the new developments for Troy:

*Sophomore forward Aliyah Gonzalez scored seven of her 10 points in the fourth quarter.

* Senior point guard Anaiyah Tu’ua scored in every period en route to 11 points. She also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and added a block.

*Guards Isabella Pearson and Aaliyah Tu’ua each came off the bench to sink a 3-pointer, giving the Warriors four different players who sank a shot from behind the arc.

*Sophomore forward Maggie Teven scored four points off the bench in the first quarter.

Some of the developments show that Troy is finally getting healthy.

Tu’ua no longer has a minute restriction in her comeback from a knee injury last season.

Pearson is healthy after being slowed by foot injury.

Gonzalez is still on a minute restriction after a knee injury earlier this season but made all three of her shots in the fourth quarter, including a drive layup while being fouled.

And Teven, a 6-foot transfer from Brea Olinda, played well behind center Endigo Parker after observing the sitout period.

“We’re all finally here,” Anderson said of his team. “Legitimately, we go 10 deep.”

Troy also defended well against in snapping Esperanza’s 13-game winning streak. The Warriors forced 13 turnovers and held the Aztecs to six 3-pointers, four of which came from sophomore Alyssa Kubo.

Emily Briggs also scored 14 points for Esperanza, which finished with a season-low for points.

The Orange County North-South All-Star Classic on Friday will spotlight some of the best seniors from the class of 2020. Here’s 50 players — the OCVarsity’s Future 50 — from the class of 2021 who have already surfaced as excellent candidates for the game next year.

If game organizers follow the recommendation of South coach Chad Johnson of Mission Viejo, the 2021 game sponsored by Costa Mesa United and the L.A. Chargers would be moved up earlier in January.

OCVarsity Future 50

Junior prospects for 2021 O.C. all-star game

(Listed alphabetically)

Zeus Alefosio, Villa Park, DE/TE

Mavin Anderson, Mission Viejo, WR

Noah Avinger, Servite, CB

Cole Batson, San Clemente, WR/DB

James Bohls, San Clemente, RB

Thomas Bouda, Corona del Mar, OL

Braeden Boyles, Edison, QB

Dane Brenton, Marina, WR/DB

Micah Carreon, Mission Viejo, OL/DL

Peter Costelli, Mission Viejo, QB

Brody Crane, JSerra, C

Jaylin Davies, Mater Dei, CB

Raesjon Davis, Mater Dei, LB

Cristian Dixon, Mater Dei, WR

Zamajay Duncan, JSerra, CB

Ryan Easterday, Edison, OL

Giulio Fernandes, El Toro, LB

Ryder Fitch, Mission Viejo, CB

Colt Fulton, Santa Margarita, QB

Jake Garcia, La Habra, QB

Jaden Genova, JSerra, LB

Sammy Green, JSerra, RB/CB

Tommy Griffin, Corona del Mar, DB

Colt Fulton, Santa Margarita, QB

JT Hand, Mission Viejo, OL

Carson Irons, Sunny Hills, LB

Mitch Leigber, Laguna Hills, RB/S

Easton Mascarenas, Mission Viejo, LB

Justin McCoy, Newport Harbor, RB

Earnest McDaniel, JSerra, WR

George Miki-Han, Mater Dei, C

Dartanyon Moussiaux, Capistrano Valley, QB

Mason Murphy, JSerra, OL

Tyler Narayan, Mater Dei, DT

Nick Ostlund, St. Margaret’s, DL

Daylen Pedroza, Orange, QB

Bryce Phillips, La Habra, CB

Mason Randolph, Yorba Linda, OL

RJ Regan, Orange Lutheran, CB

Brantt Riederich, Marina, RB/LB

Caiden Robertson, San Clemente, LB

Jacquez Robertson, Mission Viejo, RB

Drew Sulick, Santa Margarita, LB

Brandon Vasquez, La Habra, WR

Angel Vega, Segerstrom, QB

Kyron Ware-Hudson, Mater Dei, WR

Tristen Webb, Orange Lutheran, OL

Jason White, Orange Lutheran, OL

Derek Wilkins, Santa Margarita, DE

Marceese Yetts, Mater Dei, RB

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A roundup of the Orange County boys basketball highlights on Tuesday:

El Dorado erased a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Foothill 58-52 Tuesday in a Century Conference crossover game at Foothill High.

The Golden Hawks trailed 45-35 at the end of the third quarter and outscored the Knights 23-7 in the fourth quarter. John Bakke, a 6-foot-7 senior, had a stellar performance with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Jake Duthoy added 16 points for El Dorado (14-9).

Braedyn Benhard led Foothill (9-13) with 16 points and eight rebounds.

El Dorado hosts Brea Olinda on Friday in a North Hills League game.

In other games Tuesday:

Godinez 54, Ocean View 48: Godinez handed Ocean View its first league loss since 2015 in a Golden West League game at Ocean View High.

The loss snapped a streak of 49 consecutive league wins for Ocean View (14-9, 4-1).

Junior Slater Miller had a game-high 24 points for Ocean View.

Andrew Valdez scored 20 points for Godinez (13-9, 2-3). Senior captains Roger Aquino and Joseph Lopez scored 14 and 13 points, respectively, for the Grizzlies.

Godinez is tied with Segerstrom for second place in the Golden West League. Ocean View is tied for first place with Garden Grove.

The Seahawks had a win over Garden Grove earlier this season.

Crean Lutheran 54, Pacifica 41: Crean Lutheran cruised to a win over Pacifica in the Empire League.

The Saints (13-8, 4-1) are second in the league standings, ahead of Tustin (16-7, 3-2).

Crean Lutheran was led by Drew Yezbak’s 17 points. Josh Shin had 15 points and Michael Birket added 10.

Tyler Fabisiak led Pacifica (13-10, 1-4) with 15 points and five rebounds.

No. 22 Cypress 66, Valencia 45: Cypress continued its Empire League dominance with a blowout win at Cypress High.

Cypress (18-5, 5-0) has won its league games by an average of 20 points this season.

Christian Chai led the Centurions with 13 points and seven rebounds. Eddie Spencer scored 13 points and Elijah Vaielua had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The Centurions, who have won 10 consecutive games, will host Tustin on Friday.

Valencia (16-7, 2-3) is in fourth place in the Empire League and will play fifth-place Pacifica on Friday.

Katella 66, Santa Ana Valley 50: Katella beat Santa Ana Valley in an Orange League game at Santa Ana Valley High.

Mathis Aiassa and Bryan Munoz each scored 16 points for Katella (6-13, 3-2).

The Knights will play Friday at Century, which is undefeated in the Orange League.

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LA HABRA – It was another close La Habra-Sonora boys basketball game.

This time Sonora came out on top 59-56 on Tuesday in a Freeway League game at Sonora High’s new gym.

The Highlanders and Raiders were tied for first place going into this week. Sonora, ranked No. 7 in the Orange County top 25, is 5-0 in league and 18-4 overall. No. 15 La Habra is 15-8 and 4-1.

La Habra beat Sonora twice last season on its way to the league championship, including a 57-56 win at Sonora.

The Highlanders’ Erik Howlin scored on a drive with 16 seconds remaining Tuesday to cut the Raiders’ lead to 58-56. Sonora’s Tobin Igros made a free throw to make it 59-58 with 14 seconds left.

La Habra’s effort to tie it ended with a well-contested and missed 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Igros led Sonora with 14 points. Daniel Esparza and Ian Jones scored 13 points each for the Raiders.

“That’s what’s great about our team,” said Sonora coach Mike Murphy. “I think the reason we’ve had so much success is we have six guys who can score, sometimes seven. We don’t always get somebody who goes for 30 points, but often we get five or six guys in double figures.”

La Habra’s Dylan Damico scored a game-high 19 points, including three 3-pointers, and eight rebounds. Howlin scored 18 points, 16 in the second half.

The gym was full and loud.

“They’re a rival team,” Jones said of the Highlanders. “Large crowds and everything. High intensity and high energy.”

Sonora had a 31-19 lead at halftime. Howlin scored eight points in the third quarter to bring La Habra closer, 44-38, going into the fourth quarter.

The first quarter went back and forth. A 15-foot jumper by Igros gave Sonora an 11-7 advantage. La Habra then outscored the Raiders 8-2 to close out the quarter.

Jones, a junior guard, was the best player on the court in the second quarter. He found open areas in La Habra’s zone defense and made his first four shots, including two 3-pointers. He scored 10 points in the quarter as Sonora outscored the Raiders 18-4 in the period and took a 31-19 lead into halftime.

La Habra and Sonora play another league game at La Habra on Feb. 6, the final day of the regular season.

La Habra plays at Buena Park on Friday. Sonora is home against Sunny Hills on Friday.

<p>The current powering the CIF-SS Division 1 girls water polo season appeared steady yet volatile Tuesday night.</p><p>Top-ranked Laguna Beach defeated host No. 2 Newport Harbor for the 15th consecutive time overall but the Breakers' 9-5 triumph in the Surf League was closer than the final score indicated.</p><p>Mater Dei, meanwhile, shook up the Trinity League by stunning Santa Margarita 9-4 at Saddleback College.</p><p>The Eagles, playing with standout Honnie Vandeweghe for the second consecutive league showdown, could have taken a major step toward the league crown with a victor. Instead, the Trinity now appears headed for another three-way tie for first between Santa Margarita, Mater Dei and Orange Lutheran.</p><p>Laguna Beach might be 18-1 overall but Division 1 still feels a bit tempest.</p><p>"We've been able to have a lot of success this year but I still think one through probably eight or nine right now, on any given day, anyone can beat anyone," Laguna Beach coach Ethan Damato said.</p><p>"It's been tight (for us) with Newport. The final scores haven't always shown that but every game with them has been tough."</p><p>Laguna Beach led 5-0 at halftime but the Sailors drew within 5-3 early in the fourth before junior attacker Rachael Carver fired in a skip-shot from the wing with 5:52 left.</p><p>Carver added a power-play strike coming out of a timeout and off a pass by Emma Lineback to provide more breathing room about a minute later.</p><p>Laguna Beach and Newport Harbor traded goals down the stretch in a match that will be remembered for the freshmen goalies. Laguna Beach's Lauren Schneider made 11 saves to out-duel Anna Reid, who recorded 10 saves, including a penalty shot block against hard-throwing left-hander Lineback.</p><p>"I love her," Schneider said of Reid. "We've done ODP a lot. We've been friends for a while. She's really nice and super hard-working."</p><p>In South County, Mater Dei received its own strong goalie play from Jada Ward, a sophomore who made 16 saves.</p><p>Mia Adsen scored three goals and Sasha Constandse and Janna Tauscher each netted two goals for the Monarchs, who led 2-0 after the first and held a lead after each period.</p><p>Caroline Christl scored three goals for the Eagles while the Monarchs blanked Vandeweghe, who has been slowed by injury.</p><p>Santa Margarita, Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei were ranked fifth, sixth and seventh in Division 1 on Tuesday.</p><p>The Division 1 currents will only grow stronger in the coming weeks as the playoffs approach. Newport Harbor is yet to play rival Corona del Mar in the Surf League and the Irvine So Cal Championships helps close the regular season for Division 1.</p><p></p>

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The CIF-SS boys soccer polls were released Tuesday, Jan. 21.

BOYS SOCCER

(Selected by the CIF-SS Boys Soccer Advisory Committee)

DIVISION 1

1. San Clemente

2. Cathedral

3. Loyola

4. Palos Verdes

5. Mater Dei

6. Santa Barbara

7. Santa Ana

8. Paramount

9. Millikan

10T. JSerra

10T. Godinez

DIVISION 2

1. Simi Valley

2. Dos Pueblos

3. Channel Islands

4. St. John Bosco

5. Alrington

6. Santiago/GG

7. Fullerton

8. Brea Olinda

9. Sunny Hills

10T. La Habra

10T. Long Beach Poly

DIVISION 3

1. Tustin

2. Redlands East Valley

3. Norwalk

4. Hart

5. Peninsula

6. Chaffey

7. Oxnard

8. Bell Gardens

9. Valley View

10. Damien

DIVISION 4

1. Hesperia

2. Schurr

3. Canyon/Anaheim

4. Sierra Vista

5. Desert Mirage

6. Bellflower

7. La Mirada

8. Cajon

9. Culver City

10T. Kennedy

10T. Pasadena

DIVISION 5

1. Granite Hills

2. Nogales

3. Coachella Valley

4. Baldwin Park

5. Oak Hills

6. Ayala

7. Rancho Cucamonga

8. La Canada

9. Eisenhower

10T. Chapparal

10T. Anino Leadership

DIVISION 6

1. Brentwood

2. Silverado

3. Ganesha

4. Dunn

5. Pomona

6. Temple City

7. Crossroads

8. Aquinas

9. St. Genevieve

10. Indio

DIVISION 7

1. Linfield Christian

2. Calif. Military Academy

3. Northview

4. Foothill Tech

5. Paraclete

6. Woodcrest Christian

7. St. Anthony

8. St. Bonaventure

9. Lennox

10. Rowland

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Segerstrom quarterback Angel Vega, selected the Big 4 League co-offensive player of the league in the fall, has transferred to city rival Santa Ana, Saints coach Charlie TeGantvoort said Tuesday.

Vega passed for 1,545 yards and 24 touchdowns while only being intercepted three times last season to help the Jaguars (10-2) finished second to Marina in league and reach the CIF-SS Division 10 quarterfinals.

Segerstrom lost to Katella and soon-to-be retired Coach Fred DiPalma 22-17.

The 6-foot, 185-pound Vega passed for 1,623 yards and 24 TDs  in a breakout sophomore season.

This coming fall, Vega will give the Saints their second high-profile transfer of a Santa Ana-area player in three seasons. For the 2018 season, Godinez running back/defensive Patrick McMorris left Godinez and starred at Santa Ana for his senior season after observing the sit-out period.

Santa Ana won the Orange Coast League title in 2018 and reached the Division 8 semifinals. Last season, the Saints (6-5) finished second to Orange in the league and lost to Aliso Niguel 21-6 in the first round of the Division 8 playoffs.

Vega’s arrival in the Orange Coast League sets up a showdown with Orange junior quarterback Daylen Pedroza. Both project to be two of the best passers in the county next season.

Santa Ana and Segerstrom were league rivals as recent as 2017 in the old Golden West League.

California’s statewide presidential primary election is upon us, and if you thought previous elections were confusing, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

By moving the election date from June to March, the state created an earlier headache for counties trying to explain how registered voters can vote for the presidential candidate of their choice. There was a December deadline to mail back a postcard with party preference. You may have been busy with eggnog.

California has a top-two primary that puts all candidates on every ballot, regardless of party, except in races for president and county party Central Committee. In all the other races, the two candidates who get the most votes go on to the November general election, and everybody else goes home.

But in presidential races, the primary election is still a party primary. That means only voters who are registered to vote in that party will automatically receive a ballot with that party’s candidates on it.

So if you are registered as “No Party Preference,” you’ll receive a ballot that has blank space where the names of the presidential candidates would otherwise be printed.

However, there are two ways to get the presidential candidate of your choice on your ballot so you can vote for that person. The first way is “cross-over” voting, and the second method is to re-register and change your party preference to the party of the candidate of your choice.

Here’s where it gets complicated. The Democratic Party allows cross-over voting in its primary. The Republican Party doesn’t. If you’re a no-party-preference voter, you may request a Democratic Party primary ballot without changing your registration. However, no-party-preference voters who wish to vote for a Republican presidential candidate must re-register as Republicans.

If you’re a no-party-preference voter who votes at the polls, you can request a Democratic Party ballot when you check in. But if you vote by mail, the county needed to know in advance that you wanted a Democratic ballot mailed to you.

The only way to vote for a Republican presidential candidate is to be registered to vote as a Republican. You can change your voter registration, of course. You can even change it on the day you vote, but same-day registrations are conditional, which means the county will check to see if you already voted before they count your vote.

Call or check the website of your county’s Registrar of Voters for more information about the process for whatever you want to do. Some of the smaller parties allow cross-over voting, and some don’t.

Now, to the confusing content of the ballot. There will be a measure on the March 3 statewide primary ballot that is labeled “Proposition 13.” It’s not related to the 1978 Proposition 13, and it’s not the widely discussed “split roll” proposal that would raise property taxes for businesses. The March “Proposition 13” is a $15 billion school facilities bond measure that’s up for voter approval. It would authorize $15 billion of state borrowing at a cost of almost double that when interest is added.

Even worse, this Proposition 13, on the March 3 ballot, will raise the debt caps that limit how much school districts can borrow. Local school borrowing is paid for with extra charges on the bottom of property tax bills. If you own property, check how much you’re already paying for school bonds.

This is the “split roll” property tax that would require all business properties worth more than $3 million (not agricultural or residential properties) to be reassessed to market value, over and over. Small businesses that rent space in buildings owned by large businesses would see a sharp increase in their rent as skyrocketing taxes were passed through to tenants. It “increases funding” by raising the price of everything you buy.

To protect your vote, check your voter status at https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/ to make sure you’re registered the way you prefer to be. And to protect your checking account, just say no.

Susan Shelley is an editorial writer and columnist for the Southern California News Group. Susan@SusanShelley.com. Twitter: @Susan_Shelley

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The CIF-SS girls soccer polls were released Tuesday, Jan. 21.

(Selected by the CIF-SS Girls Soccer Advisory Committee)

GIRLS SOCCER

DIVISION 1

1. Upland

2. Los Alamitos

3. Mater Dei

4. Aliso Niguel

5. JSerra

6. Pacifica/GG

7. Hart

8. Corona del Mar

9. Harvard-Westlake

10. Troy

DIVISION 2

1. Mira Costa

2. Redondo

3. Flintridge Sacred Heart

4. Adolfo Camarillo

5. Fountain Valley

6. Bishop Amat

7. La Mirada

8. Claremont

9. Oak Hills

10T. Canyon/Anaheim

10T. Paloma Valley

DIVISION 3

1. Flintridge Prep

2. Oxnard

3. St. Margaret’s

4. Oak Park

5. Alta Loma

6. La Serna

7. Etiwanda

8. Serrano

9. Diamond Bar

10. Chaminade

DIVISION 4

1. Bloomington

2. North Torrance

3. Palm Desert

4. Hemet

5. Sierra Canyon

6. Beverly Hills

7. Arcadia

8. Foothill Technology

9. El Modena

10. Viewpoint

DIVISION 5

1. Katella

2. Valley Christian

3. California

4. Temple City

5. Archer School for Girls

6. Grand Terrace

7. San Gorgonio

8. San Jacinto

9. Santiago/GG

10T. Western Christian

10T. Jurupa Valley

DIVISION 6

1. Gabrielino

2. Marshall

3. Shadow Hills

4. Ontraio Christian

5. University Prep/Victorville

6. El Rancho

7. Schurr

8. Don ugo

9. Rancho Mirage

10. Rancho Verde

DIVISION 7

1. Loara

2. Santa Clara

3. Linfield Christian

4. Grace Brethren

5. Fairmont Prep

6. Baldwin Park

7. Big Bear

8. Garey

9. Bishop Conaty-Loretto

10. Alverno

GRANADA HILLS — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.6 struck at 11:41 p.m. Tuesday, two miles north-northeast of Granada Hills, the Caltech Seismological Laboratory reported.

The quake was felt, observers said on social media, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

We are monitoring preliminary reports of a magnitude 3.6 #earthquake in the LA area. There are no reports of any damage and/or injuries to the LAPD at this time.

— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) January 22, 2020

#LAFD is now in #EarthquakeMode. All stations will meet in a staging area and drive a pre-planned route through their districts to assess the need for emergency services due to a 3.6 #earthquake, whose epicenter was within the Los Angeles City limits #GranadaHills https://t.co/tcm2BfEOmh

— LAFD Talk (@LAFDtalk) January 22, 2020

Update COMPLETE #EarthquakeModeIncident; INC#0002; 12:45AM; The LAFD has concluded the systematic survey of the City of Los Angeles by ground and air, and is pleased to report that no major infrastructure damage was noted by our … https://t.co/Zjzq8nYYAK

— LAFD (@LAFD) January 22, 2020

The #earthquake shaking felt in #GranadaHills & other parts of @CountyofLA reminds us we live in #EarthquakeCountry! Check out free Preparedness info available in multiple languages:
https://t.co/rtVAprAha7Dial 2-1-1 & ask for a free copy of the Emergency Survival Guide

— Ready Los Angeles County (@ReadyLACounty) January 22, 2020

California’s Democratic lawmakers often complain about the tax privileges that billionaire business owners receive, while GOP legislators like to criticize the liberal politics that emanate from Hollywood. Yet both groups have been supportive of tax breaks for Hollywood’s movie moguls in an effort to keep TV and movie production in California.

It’s not just hypocritical, but a waste of taxpayer dollars. California’s Film and Television Tax Credit has grown to $330 million since its inception in 2009. It’s not a lot of money in terms of California state spending, but the credit sends the wrong signal: that those businesses with the political clout receive special deals, while others struggle with a high tax burden.

The California Film Commission recently claimed $8.4 billion in economic and employment benefits from the credits. It points to “27 new television series, 18 pilots, one mini-series, two movies of the week, 58 recurring TV series, 16 relocating television series, 37 non-independent feature films, and 30 independent features films” since Jerry Brown approved the second phase of the credits four years ago.

That sounds like a good bang for the buck. But, as CalMatters explained last week, the commission’s data is “simply a tally of the spending tied to every production that got some credit.” Sure, most movie companies will gladly accept a tax break, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t produce the movies in California anyway. Plus, most movie studios are located in Southern California, and it’s typically cost-effective to film nearby.

The commission, the news report added, also looked at productions that failed to receive tax breaks and found that most productions ultimately were made in other states. However, there’s no way to track if the lack of a tax credit was the real reason companies filmed elsewhere — and the commission has a vested interest in the success of the program.

By contrast, CalMatters pointed to an academic analysis of the costs and benefits of the credit by University of Southern California professor Michael Thom. “Results show the tax credit had no significant effect on changes in three occupational categories associated with the motion picture industry,” he noted. “Employment was similarly unaffected by competing incentives.”

California should definitely reduce its overall tax burdens on businesses, but such breaks should be given across the board and not on an ad hoc basis. Furthermore, as Thom added, “motion pictures may be described as California’s flagship industry, but … the state also has flagship problems.” In other words, tax dollars are best used to address the state’s voluminous public-policy problems.

Supporters argue that other states are luring California’s movie production elsewhere, which is sometimes true. But the best way to combat bad policies is with good ones, not by outdoing what other states are offering. California needs to provide a better business climate for everyone if it wants to keep movie production — and all sorts of other businesses — from fleeing to other states.

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The CIF-SS girls water polo polls were released Tuesday, Jan. 21.

(Selected by the CIF-SS Girls Water Polo Advisory Committee)

GIRLS WATER POLO

DIVISION 1 & 2

1. Laguna Beach

2. Newport Harbor

3. Foothill

4. San Marcos

5. Santa Margarita

6. Orange Lutheran

7. Mater Dei

8. Los Alamitos

9. Agoura

10. Corona del Mar

11. Oaks Christian

12. Redondo

13. Santa Barbara

14T. Mira Costa

14T. Schurr

16. Long Beach Wilson

17. San Clemente

18. Murrieta Valley

19. Harvard-Westlake

DIVISION 3

1. ML King

2. Rosary

3. Santa Monica

4. Villa Park

5. Palos Verdes

6. Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks

7. Canyon/Anaheim

8. Segerstrom

9. Claremont

10. St. Lucy’s

DIVISION 4

1. Yucaipa

2. Edison

3. Glendora

4. La Serna

5. Downey

6. Pasadena Poly

7. Murrieta Mesa

8. San Juan Hills

9. Moorpark

10T. Millikan

10T. University

DIVISION 5

1. Costa Mesa

2. California

3. West Torrance

4. Trabuco Hills

5. Burroughs

6. San Dimas

7. Temecula Valley

8. Rio Mesa

9. Monrovia

10. Garden Grove

DIVISION 6

1. Marina

2. Chadwick

3. Flintridge Prep

4. Laguna Hills

5. El Modena

6. Loara

7. Mark Keppel

8. South Torrance

9. Chaffey

10. Estancia

DIVISION 7

1. La Salle

2. Rancho Mirage

3. Norte Vista

4. El Ranco

5. Ontario

6. Jordan

7. Rancho Alamitos

8. Santa Ana

9. Westminster

10. La Quinta/Westminster

ATLANTA — Even without three of their normal starters, the Clippers had to feel comfortable with a 21-point lead against a struggling Atlanta Hawks team playing without high-scoring Trae Young.

Not so fast.

John Collins scored 33 points and got a big assist from two-way contract player Brandon Goodwin as the Atlanta Hawks, playing without Young, rallied from a 21-point deficit to stun the short-handed Clippers 102-95 on Wednesday night.

Goodwin chipped in with 19 points – all in the fourth quarter – and dished off to De’Andre Hunter in the corner for a 3-pointer that gave the Hawks a 99-93 lead with 1:43 remaining.

“Obviously, when I first got in there, I wasn’t doing much,” Goodwin said. “When that first 3 fell, I was kind of relieved. I started to hit my shots.”

Young, the NBA’s third-leading scorer at 29.2 points a game, cheered on Goodwin from the bench. The Hawks star didn’t dress because of a right thigh contusion. Recently acquired Jeff Teague started in his place, but the Hawks turned to a guy who has spent a good portion of the season in the G League with the game on the line.

“He controlled the offense and made big plays,” Collins said. “To give us the minutes he did was extremely valuable.”

The Clippers – who were 181-3 when leading by 20 points in any game since 1991 – seemingly seized control with a 20-0 run in the first quarter, despite being without starters Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Patrick Beverly.

The Clippers (31-14) went with a lineup that was averaging a cumulative 44.5 points per game. They had no trouble scoring in the first half against the Hawks’ 28th-ranked defense, building a 60-41 at the break.

But the Clippers were dismal offensively in the second half, hitting just 12 for 37 (32.4 percent) from the field, including 2 for 15 from 3-point range.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers felt his team squandered a chance to build an even bigger lead in the final minutes of the first half.

Then, in the first five minutes of the third quarter, the Clippers let the Hawks back in the game.

“Once it became a 10-point game, you’re like, ‘Oh boy, it’s going to be a tough night,’” Rivers said. “I just thought they were playing faster, the other team … and they made some great plays.”

Montrezl Harrell led the Clippers with 30 points, but his struggles at the foul line (6 for 13) gave the Hawks (11-34) a chance to rally.

Rivers didn’t seem too concerned about the loss, which snapped a four-game winning streak.

“A one-off game,” he called it.

Leonard skipped the back-to-back after a 36-point effort the previous night in a victory at Dallas. Beverly missed the game after going down out with a groin injury against the Mavericks. George missed his seventh straight game recovering from a strained left hamstring.

With many fans still settling into their seats, the Clippers suddenly turned a 12-10 deficit into a 30-12 lead. The Hawks missed 15 straight shots during a nearly six-minute scoring drought, despite giving themselves plenty of second chances by grabbing five offensive rebounds.

The Hawks rallied with a barrage of 3-pointers, hitting 10 of 23 attempts over the final two quarters after going 1 for 12 in the first half.

They were essentially a two-man team in the final period. Goodwin and Collins combined for 27 of the team’s 33 points. Collins also had 16 rebounds.

Teague managed just three points on 1-for-7 shooting.

TIP-INS

Lou Williams scored 18 points for the Clippers. … Landry Chamet committed a dismal foul on Goodwin in the closing minutes, slamming into the Atlanta player after he misfired on a 3-point shot. Goodwin made all three free throws to give the Hawks a 96-91 lead. … Teague made his first start for the Hawks since May 8, 2016, when Atlanta lost at Cleveland to complete a four-game sweep in the second round of the playoffs. He was re-acquired by Atlanta last week to serve as Young’s backup. … The Hawks improved to 6-16 at State Farm Arena, far behind their pace from a season ago when they went 17-24 on their home court.

UP NEXT

The Clippers travel to Miami to face the Heat on Friday night, the fourth stop on their six-game trip.

"I just thought they were playing faster, the other team… and they made some great plays" @DocRivers speaks on the tough loss against the @ATLHawks #ClipperNation • @LAClippers pic.twitter.com/YIbXhK5Ja3

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) January 23, 2020

CHILL OUT @TeamLou23 #ClipperNation • @LAClippers pic.twitter.com/Ti5BFuWA3C

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) January 23, 2020

.@MONSTATREZZ makes it look easy #ClipperNation • @LAClippers pic.twitter.com/EJ6JLG4yqp

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) January 23, 2020

Sweet vision from @TeamLou23 leads to the easy deuce for @moe_harkless #ClipperNation • @LAClippers pic.twitter.com/VwNcoyU5Vc

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) January 23, 2020

NEW YORK — In the lean years, the NBA has to ask around for participants for its annual All-Star slam dunk contest.

This year, Dwight Howard came calling for them.

One of the most surprising comeback stories of the season will be a part of All-Star weekend next month after Howard finally acknowledged after two weeks of speculation that he not only will be in the dunk contest, he asked the league to be in it for the first time since 2009.

And that’s not the only thing the 34-year-old is willing to ask for.

“I’m trying to get Kobe,” he said. “So if I can get all the Laker fans to lobby to get Kobe to help me in the dunk contest, that’d be really good. That’d be awesome.”

Howard and Bryant were teammates on the 2012-13 Lakers team that was unceremoniously swept out of the first round of the playoffs. The two parted on ill terms when Howard left for the Houston Rockets in free agency. They have mended fences a bit since Howard rejoined the Lakers, with Bryant saying hello to Howard in the two games he’s attended at Staples Center.

Even if Howard can’t convince Bryant to lend a hand, just by entering himself, he’s already made history: He’ll be one of the oldest participants ever, rivaling Julius Erving who was 34 when he participated in the 1985 contest.

The event is generally considered a young man’s game, favoring high-flying, springy leapers. That’s part of the reason Howard said he is doing it: in celebration of his best health in many years.

“I’m very thankful, after playing 16 years in the league and having played in the dunk contest a decade ago, I’ve been able to jump and move and have my health,” he said. “It’s all about having fun and enjoying this moment.”

Howard participated in three consecutive dunk contests between 2007 and 2009, winning in 2008 with an infamous dunk while wearing a Superman cape (though he was short of actually touching the rim on his leap).

After The Athletic first reported Howard’s involvement earlier this month, Howard refused to confirm it for two weeks, which were Commissioner Adam Silver’s terms for letting him participate. That didn’t stop him from getting excited: Howard said he’s already chosen some concepts for his latest entry.

Bryant’s participation might be a pipe dream. Howard acknowledged that he has not asked him to help yet.

“Just gotta get the fans behind me first,” he said. “Setting the table. Need you guys, ‘Hey Kobe, can you get in the dunk contest with Dwight?’ That’d be great.”

Others in the Lakers locker room have been supportive: Anthony Davis said he’d be free to help Howard during All-Star weekend, while forward Kyle Kuzma said he thought it played into Howard’s continued story of “redemption” in Los Angeles.

Howard declined to be more specific about his dunk contest plans, including whether the Superman cape would return.

“I can’t give everything away,” he said with a grin.

Dwight Howard is trying to get Laker fans to help convince Kobe Bryant to help him in the dunk contest next month.

“Have I asked him? Not yet. Just gotta get all the fans behind me first. Setting the table. Need you guys, ‘Hey Kobe, can you get in the dunk contest with Dwight?’” pic.twitter.com/udWPpQrtmi

— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) January 23, 2020

“Bubble Watch” digs into trends that may indicate economic and/or housing market troubles ahead.

Buzz: California economic growth, as measured by gross domestic product, has been all-but halved this year.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis

The Trend

In 2019’s first nine months, California’s business output grew at a 2.3% average annual rate, No. 21 among the states. GDP is the broadest measure of economic activity. That’s a slower pace than for all of 2018 when California’s economy grew at a 4.3% rate, No. 2 nationally between Washington (5.8%) and Nevada (4.2%).

The Dissection

California’s economy has cooled from a U.S. leader to middle-of-the-pack status. Whether that’s part of expected ebbs and flows of the cycle or a signal of trouble ahead, is obviously the big question.

Let’s first look at what my trusty spreadsheet tells us how far California’s economy has come out of the Great Recession. The third quarter’s advance marked the 38th consecutive quarter of positive growth and 29th straight three-month period with economic growth exceeding the rest of the nation.

But we live in a what-did-you-do-for-me-lately world and California’s slowdown equals a 2 percentage-point cooling — 2019’s GDP pace vs. the previous full year. Only four states slipped as much or more this year. Curiously, two of them — Washington and Nevada —  had joined California atop the 2018 rankings. And then there was Hawaii and West Virginia.

It seems that the rebound of oil patch industries was one key to gaining high rankings on this state business output scorecard for 2019. Oil-rich Texas was No. 1 for growth in 2019’s first nine months, expanding at a 4.7% pace. And two energy-dependent state economies have seen the biggest growth improvements: Wyoming (up 3.6 points to 3.7%) and Alaska (up 2.1 points to 2.8%).

Another view

The conservative-leaning Rich States/Poor States annual report on state economies, authored in part by high-profile conservative economist Arthur Laffer, ranked California’s long-term economic performance as the nation’s 18th best for 2019. That’s up from No. 20 in 2018 and No. 29 in 2017.

How bubbly?

On a scale of zero bubbles (no bubble here) to five bubbles (five-alarm warning) … TWO BUBBLES!

For starters, never underestimate the psychological power of a slowdown. It can change consumer thinking or corporate psyches in a manner that can amplify an otherwise mild cooling trend. And for people who bet on California remaining in fast-growth gear — from worker bees to CEOs to government leaders — a mere business chill can create serious economic distress.

All that said, after this California pullback, the state’s economy remains slightly ahead of what has been only a moderate business-building pace elsewhere.

Ponder that California represents roughly 15% of the entire U.S. economy, measured by GDP since 2016. In 2017, California created 26% of the nation’s economic expansion in the form of GDP dollars and 21% of U.S. growth in 2018. This year, California’s share has fallen to a still above-par 17%.

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SANTA ANA – Some seasons there is a large gap between the top two teams in the Orange County boys basketball rankings.

This looks like one of those seasons.

No. 1 Mater Dei dominated from the start, building a 31-point lead by halftime and beat No. 2 JSerra 64-27 on Wednesday in a Trinity League game at Mater Dei High.

Mater Dei, which has won 36 league championships in Gary McKnight’s 37 previous seasons as Monarchs coach, is 18-5 overall and 4-1 in league. JSerra is 18-4 overall and 3-2 in league. The Lions’ other league loss was to Santa Margarita.

Junior guard Devin Askew, who committed to Kentucky, led Mater Dei with 16 points and had six assists.

Four other Monarchs scored in double figures. Wilhelm Breidenbach, Ryan Evans and Aidan Prukop scored 11 points each. Harrison Hornery scored 10 points with seven rebounds.

JSerra’s Utah-signed senior guard Ian Martinez did not score. Martinez, who went into the game averaging 24 points a game, was 0 for 4 from the field as the Monarchs’ active defense kept him from the ball.

Martinez was not the only Lion who struggled offensively. JSerra was 9 for 34 from the field, for 27 percent.

Mater Dei scored 12 of the game’s first 16 points as Evans made three 3-pointers in the first quarter. The Monarchs took a 22-8 lead into the second quarter.

JSerra made only 1 of 11 shots in the second quarter, was outscored 20-3, and Mater Dei held a 42-11 lead at halftime.

The Monarchs outscored the Lions 20-10 in the third quarter to put the game away. A running clock was in place for the fourth quarter.

Ex-Mater Dei player Isaac Peralta led JSerra with 11 points.

Mater Dei had lost its previous two games, a league game at St. John Bosco and a nonleague game against Bishop O’Connell of Arlington, Va., in the Hoophall Classic showcase in Springfield, Mass. Bishop O’Connell went into that game with an 8-11 record.

McKnight said he was pleased with Wednesday’s game but sour about how the season has gone. He feels his team’s effort has been subpar, a surprise to him given that several of this year’s players played on last year’s team that perhaps overachieved by going 26-5 and reaching the CIF Southern California Regionals Open Division final.

“It’s a start,” McKnight said of Wednesday’s win. “I like the idea of five guys (scoring) in double figures. We haven’t seen that in a year.”

McKnight said his postgame talk would have the same message he and the coaches have said to the team all season.

“We’ve been saying the same thing all year, so there’s really nothing to say,” McKnight said. “Either start playing as a team, start listening to the coaches, talk on defense and move without the ball (on offense). We played defense tonight and we played with a little fire, but that’s one game. It’s not a season.”

DAVIS — Brandon Kamga scored 21 points – 11 at the foul line – and Cal State Fullerton held off UC Davis 78-74 on Wednesday.

Wayne Arnold scored 14 off the bench with four 3-pointers, Davon Clare added 12 points and Austen Awosika and Vincent Lee had 11 apiece for the Titans.

Arnold’s 3-pointer midway through the first half broke an 11-all tie and the Titans (7-13 overall, 2-3 Big West Conference) never trailed again. Awosika’s layup with 12:11 left gave Fullerton a 49-39 lead before the Aggies (8-12, 2-2) went on a 13-3 run to tie the score at 52 with six minutes left.

Arnold responded with a 3-pointer to end the threat and Fullerton held on, going 12 for 14 from the free-throw line in the final 79 seconds. Kamga finished 11 of 12 from the line overall and 9 for 10 in the final 1:19.

Ezra Manjon led the Aggies with 24 points and Elijah Pepper and Damion Squire each scored 10.

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A roundup of the Orange County boys soccer highlights on Wednesday:

Joe Peñaflor became Orange County’s newest member of the 300-win club when Santa Ana’s boys soccer team defeated Costa Mesa 4-1 Wednesday at Santa Ana Stadium.

The Saints, who are ranked seventh in CIF-SS Division 1, improved to 15-3-1 overall and 5-0 in the Orange Coast League.

We are so proud of our coach Joe Peñaflor on his 300th win! Goals by Saul Ortuño, Paul Carrillo, and two by Ceasar Zamora put the Saints over the top and leave them undefeated in league! #BeingAChampionIsAnEveryDayThing @SantaAnaAth @SantaAnaHS pic.twitter.com/jM07lwWWpz

— Santa Ana High School Boys Soccer (@SAHSBoysSoccer) January 23, 2020

Peñaflor became the second Orange County soccer coach to reach 300 wins in five days, with Fullerton’s George Shumaker accomplishing that feat this past Friday, Jan. 17 against Buena Park.

Ceasar Zamora scored a pair of goals for Santa Ana while Saul Ortuño and Paul Carillo scored one goal apiece.

TRINITY LEAGUE

Servite 18, Orange Lutheran 0: Twelve players scored at least one goal for Servite as it routed Orange Lutheran 18-0 in a Trinity League game.

The Friars (7-5-4, 3-1-1) were led by Jesus Melgoza, who had three goals, and they got two goals each from Eduardo Villeda, Max Thomas, Kevin Sanchez and Brad Riehl. The other goalscorers were David Mitzner, Mason Mahony, Dean Hirsch, Uriel Sanchez, Miguel Ponce, Brandon Schalliol and Lex Leathem.

EXPRESS LEAGUE

Fairmont Prep 10, Brethren Christian 0: Fairmont Prep stayed atop the Express League standings with a 10-0 win over Brethren Christian. The Huskies (7-3-1, 4-0) had four players score two goals each: Jake Ratzlaff, Nicholas Mikhail, Arya Marwaha and Rayhan Jessa.

Fairmont Prep goalkeeper Sameer Piracha had three saves.

FREEWAY LEAGUE

Fullerton 3, Troy 1: Fullerton used two first-half goals from Joseph Espinoza to beat Troy. Aldo Osorio also scored for the Indians (12-5-1, 5-1), who kept the Warriors from scoring in the second half.

Hundreds of volunteers spent the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday filling boxes of food for needy families at the OC Food Bank in Garden Grove on Monday.

Among the volunteers were Cub and Boy Scouts from Troop 1803 in Yorba Linda. The group hurriedly filled empty boxes with cereal and sent them to an assembly line where volunteers added apple juice, rice, and canned goods.

Three shifts of volunteers worked through the day to fill around 10,000 boxes of food that the OC Food Bank will distribute to nearly 400 local charities, soup kitchens, and community organizations in the county.

U.S. Representatives Gilbert R. Cisneros, D-Yorba Linda; Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach; Katie Porter, D-Irvine; and Harley Rouda, D-Laguna Beach, welcomed the second shift of volunteers and joined them on the packing assembly line.

Annually, the OC Food Bank distributes more than 20 million pounds of food via its 58,000 sq. ft. warehouse according to it’s website.

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A roundup of the Orange County boys basketball highlights on Wednesday:

Tesoro survived a thrilling game against crosstown rival San Juan Hills, beating the Stallions 65-57 Wednesday in a Sea View League game at San Juan Hills High.

The game was tied with four minutes remaining and the Titans led by two points entering the final minute of play.

Tesoro (18-3, 4-0) had an average margin of victory of over 16 points in league entering Wednesday.

Tesoro’s final 14 points of the game came via free throws.

Matt DeAngelo led the Titans with 27 points and six rebounds. Kaden Garrett filled the stat sheet with 19 points and 15 rebounds.

San Juan Hills (9-14, 3-1) was unbeaten in league entering the game. Cooper Kitaen led the Stallions with 16 points and Adam Weingard added 14.

Weingard, who began his high school career at Tesoro, fouled out in the fourth quarter.

In other games Wednesday:

No. 14 Newport Harbor 56, No. 16 Los Alamitos 55: Levi Darrow made a game-winning 3-pointer with four seconds remaining in the game to beat Los Alamitos in a Surf League game at Newport Harbor High.

Newport Harbor (20-4, 2-0) will play Edison on Friday in a game between the last two unbeaten teams in the league.

Ryan Miller led the Sailors with 17 points. Darrow and Robbie Spooner added 15 and 14 points, respectively.

David Olcomendy led Los Alamitos (14-9, 0-2) with 21 points and Kevin Kent added 19.

No. 17 Laguna Beach 59, No. 18 Fountain Valley 41: Laguna Beach used a strong second half to blow out Fountain Valley in a Wave League game at Fountain Valley High.

The Breakers led by seven at halftime and outscored the Barons 28-17 in the second half.

Nolan Neuss led all scorers with 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Willie Rounaghi made five 3-pointers in a 17-point performance, and Lucas Kravitz added 16 points for Laguna Beach (16-7, 2-0).

Jermiah Davis led Fountain Valley (12-7, 1-1) with 10 points.

No. 24 Edison 73, No. 21 Corona del Mar 71: Edison edged Corona del Mar by two points in a Surf League game at Corona del Mar High.

Edison (15-9, 2-0), which won the Surf League last season, has won four consecutive games.

Sophomore Trey Wilborn led the Chargers with 23 points and Bradley Luna added 17. Luke Serven and Jackie Kwok scored 12 and 10 points, respectively, for Edison.

Jack Stone scored a game-high 27 points for Corona del Mar (15-8, 0-2).

No. 8 Servite 69, No. 12 Orange Lutheran 60: After going winless in Trinity League play for over two years, Servite has won two consecutive league games.

The Friars (16-7, 2-3), who last week beat Santa Margarita, were paced by Tajavis Miller with 27 points. Andrew Cook scored 19 points and Kinal Bagga added 13.

Servite will play St. John Bosco on Friday. The Friars nearly upset the Braves on Jan. 8, taking them to overtime before losing 71-67.

Orange Lutheran (13-7, 1-4) will host Mater Dei on Friday.

University 66, Beckman 63: University threw the Pacific Coast League standings into disarray by beating first-place Beckman at Beckman High.

Arjun Gill made seven 3-pointers and led the Trojans with 25 points. Kody Uyesugi added 13 points for University (8-12, 3-2).

Ethan Bozzo had 15 points and 14 rebounds and freshman David Manea contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds. Dowon Kim added 14 points for the Patriots.

Beckman (12-11, 4-1) was unbeaten in league play prior to Wednesday and is now tied with Portola for first place.

No. 5 Fairmont Prep 79, No. 20 Capistrano Valley Christian 59: Fairmont Prep bounced back from a difficult loss to Pacifica Christian last week by routing Capistrano Valley Christian in a San Joaquin League game.

Atin Wright, a Cal State Northridge signee, led the Huskies with 31 points. Cory Johnson scored 14 points for Fairmont Prep (14-7, 4-1) and Pape Cisse added 13.

Capo Valley Christian (12-11, 2-2) sits in third place in the league standings and will play Saddleback Valley Christian on Friday at San Juan Hills High.

No. 3 Capistrano Valley 59, No. 25 Aliso Niguel 51: Capo Valley continued its South Coast League dominance by beating Aliso Niguel at Capo Valley High.

The Cougars have the longest winning streak in Orange County (13 games) and has now beaten every other team in the South Coast League.

Langston Redfield paced the Cougars with 19 points. Conner Gleason and Zach Roberts scored 15 and 13 points, respectively, for Capo Valley (21-1, 4-0).

Capo Valley will play a nonleague game against San Juan Hills on Friday and will resume league play against San Clemente on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

Aliso Niguel (12-11, 0-4) will host San Clemente on Friday.