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DEL MAR – Salamis won the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby Saturday afternoon, giving visiting trainer Chad Brown two more Del Mar stakes wins, while 68-to-1 longshot Call Sign Seven produced one of the biggest surprises of the year in California by charging along the rail down the stretch to win the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Stakes. The Derby and Seabiscuit are part of Del Mar’s annual Turf Festival that concludes Sunday with four stakes — led by the $300,000 Grade 1 Matriarch — to end the seaside oval’s 12th fall meeting. An added bonus Sunday: due to Call Sign Seven’s win in the fifth, the early Pick 5 Saturday produced no winning ticket for a $329,733 carryover to Sunday – mandating a guaranteed payout. An almost annual winner during the Turf Festival, Brown shipped in Salamis and Jimmy Durante Stakes champion Just Aloof from the east. He will have morning-line second-favorite Segesta in Sunday’s Matriarch. Salamis and jockey Umberto Rispoli caught Tom’s Magic (Antonio Fresu) just before the finish to give Brown his fifth Hollywood Derby win in 12 years by a neck. Favorite Test Score (Juan Hernandez) was another neck back in third in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds. Salamis, a son of Speightstown, paid $8.20 after rallying from fifth at the top of the stretch. “I had a nice chat with Chad this morning,” said Rispoli. “He was pretty straightforward, which was to pump Salamis out of the gate. I was a little bit worried with the slow pace, but Chad’s horses always have a nice turn of foot.” “This horse is really talented, and I knew he would be there,” said Brown’s assistant Jose Hernandez. “He deserved to win.” So did favorite Just Aloof ($8.00) in the Durante. Never farther back than second in the mile run for 2-year-old fillies, Just Aloof pulled away in the stretch under Hector Berrios to win by 2 ½ lengths over Latte Luv. “She’s been getting over the track really well since shipping in on Tuesday,” Hernandez said of Just Aloof. “I think it set up really well for her.” Said Berrios: “The moment I went to the lead, she followed. She is very class. She finished very strong.” Ridden by Ricardo Gonzalez, Call Sign Seven ran seventh in the field of eight older horses from the start of the 1 1/16-mile turf test until midway through the stretch when the 4-year-old, who is also a son of Speightstown, found an opening from heavy traffic along the rail. “Around the middle of the turn, it looked like he was getting shuffled back,” said Call Sign Seven trainer Michael McCarthy. “But it always looked like he was traveling comfortably. Crossing the chute, he was able to find some room. I’m certainly glad he did. I wasn’t real happy sitting behind a wall of horses. All the credit goes to the horse and rider.” Call Sign Seven was racing for the first time since finishing seventh in an allowance race at Santa Anita last March 2. “He had some time off, and I started working him in the mornings,” said Gonzalez. “Michael entered him and said ‘let’s take a shot.’ Now look at him.” Call Sign Seven ($139.00) finished a half-length ahead of Astronomer with favorite El Potente fading from the lead to third deep in the stretch. Sunday finale Brown is seeking his seventh Matriarch win in nine years Sunday in the one-mile turf test for older fillies and mares. And Flavien Prat is flying overnight from Aqueduct in New York to ride the 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper, who is coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes in Grade 3 stakes. But the morning-line favorite at 3-1 is the Richard Baltas-trained Ag Bullet (John Velazquez), who finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint four weeks ago. The last time the 5-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy went a mile was when she finished third in the 2024 Matriarch. “She’s ready,” said Baltas. “She came out of the Breeders’ Cup good and she ran strong that day.” Other last-day stakes: Cecil B. DeMille (Race 3, $100,000, Grade 3, 1-mile turf, seven 2-year-olds): Hey Nay Nay (Prat) is the 7-5, morning-line…

Viewpoint senior Olly O’Connor was the big winner among the local cross country teams and runners that competed Saturday in the CIF State Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno. O’Connor, a UCLA signee, won the individual title in Division 5 with a time of 14 minutes, 2.7 seconds. O’Connor was among the 20 teams and 14 individual runners from the Daily News area that competed in the state meet Saturday. Jack Richter of Viewpoint finished in fifth (15:23.8) to go along with O’Connor as they led Viewpoint to a third-place team finish in Division 5. The reigning state champion Oaks Christian boys team had three runners finish in the top 12 in Division 4, with CIF-SS individual champion Vin Krueger leading the way in third place (15:10.5). Oaks Christian freshman Sterling White finished in ninth (15:20.6) and Arize Nwosu finished in 12th (15:22.4) to give the Lions a sixth-place finish in the team results in Division 4. Harvard Westlake’s Charles Abemayor finished in fifth (15:14.1) in Division 4 and the Wolverines had four runners finish in the top 60 to give them a fifth-place finish in the team results. Westlake finished fourth in girls Division 2, with freshman twin sisters Sabina and Anais Cruz leading the way. Sabina finished in ninth (17:39.8) and Anais finished in 22nd (17:59.5) to go along with Rae Rae Cartagena in 39th place (18:19.4) to clinch the top-five finish for the team. Both of Oak Park’s teams finished in the top five in Division 3. The boys team finished in third place with three runners finishing inside the top 50. The girls team finished in fifth, and their lead runner was Kathleen Lambe, who finished in 12th place (17:59.6). The West Ranch boys team finished in fourth place behind Oak Park in Division 3. Foothill League individual champion Braulio Castillo finished in seventh (15:12.4) to lead the way for the Wildcats. Adrian Cantu of Saugus finished in fifth place (14:54.1) in Division 2. The Hart boys team had five runners finish in the top 65 of Division 2 to give them a fourth-place finish in the team results. Jenna Murray of Moorpark finished in 19th (18:10.9) and Cecilia Vasquez of Simi Valley finished in 21st (18:13.7) in Division 3. Campbell Hall freshman Sofia Joh, a CIF-SS individual champion, finished in 21st (18:41.3) in Division 5. Jia Rhee finished in 16th (18:08.1) and Elle Kirman finished in 17th (18:16.2) to lead Harvard-Westlake to a seventh-place finish in girls Division 4. Oaks Christian finished in ninth in girls Division 4 with two runners finishing inside the top 40. The local LA City Section boys teams had a nice showing in the talented Division 1 race. Granada Hills Charter’s Joaquin Ortega-Tomaselli finished in 57th (15:44.5) and Taft’s Hunter Bennett finished in 68th (15:50.8). Chaminade finished in seventh in boys Division 4 with three runners finishing in the top 55. Related Articles Viewpoint cross country teams win CIF-SS Division 5 titles, advance to state meet Arizechukwu Nwosu’s strong showing leads Oaks Christian at rainy cross country prelims How Simi Valley’s Acacia Rojas has become one of the most improved runners in the country Cross country: Saugus girls, Hart boys extend Foothill League winning streaks

The Southern California News Group (SCNG) has a large roster of reporters ready to take you through Saturday night’s exciting high school football action in the finals of the CIF-SS and L.A. City playoffs. We have previews of the top games in each area. Our reporters will keep you on top of the action by providing live updates from the games. And at the end of the night, we’ll have game stories, a complete list of scores, photos and more. We did that every week of the regular season — and we’ll keep doing it during the playoffs. Now, let’s get you ready for Saturday night’s kickoff … Who to follow for tonight’s scores, updates Click on the reporter’s name to see their updates from their game on X/Twitter. CIF-SS CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES DIVISION 2: Los Alamitos vs. San Clemente Steve Fryer DIVISION 4: La Habra vs. San Jacinto Dan Albano Joe Taylor DIVISION 5: Rio Hondo Prep vs. Redondo Union Fred Robledo Nick Ingram DIVISION 6: St. Pius X-St. Matthias vs. Ventura John W. Davis DIVISION 7: Cerritos Valley Christian vs. Ramona Anthony Ciardelli DIVISION 10: Hillcrest vs. Tahquitz Dennis Pope DIVISION 11: Baldwin Park vs. Valley View Gabriel Duarte Derryl Trujillo L.A. CITY SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS OPEN DIVISION: Carson vs. Crenshaw Damian Calhoun Previews and predictions Los Alamitos football seeks revenge against San Clemente in Division 2 final Kevika Mata’utia-Martinez helps power La Habra football to Division 4 final CIF-SS football championships: Los Alamitos vs. San Clemente in Division 2 CIF-SS football championships: La Habra vs. San Jacinto in Division 4 St. Pius X-St. Matthias football seeking back-to-back CIF-SS titles Valley Christian football seeking program’s 4th CIF-SS title Rio Hondo Prep football on verge of winning historic third straight title Baldwin Park football hopes dream playoff run ends with first title since 1991 La Habra football back in CIF-SS finals, chasing eighth championship San Jacinto, Ramona and Valley View football programs seek return to the top Hillcrest and Tahquitz football teams square off in Division 10 championship game Redondo Union football in Division 5 final after overcoming slow start Carson football playing for City title in coach William Lowe’s first year FRIDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES High school football championships: Friday’s scores, Saturday’s schedule Photos: Top images from Friday’s exciting high school football finals Santa Margarita football dominates Centennial to win Division 1 title Beckman football rallies to top Brea Olinda in OT to win Division 8 title Woodbridge football slips past Montebello for first CIF-SS title since 1998 Palos Verdes football falls to Pacifica of Oxnard in Division 3 title game San Fernando football holds off Cleveland to win City Division II crown Grace football gets back to the top, crushes Santa Paula for Division 12 title South El Monte football scores late to beat Pioneer for Division 14 title Montebello football misses PAT, loses by a point in Division 13 title game Centennial football team routed by Santa Margarita in Division 1 title game Related Articles Grace football gets back to the top, crushes Santa Paula for Division 12 title Santa Margarita football dominates Centennial to win Division 1 title San Fernando football holds off Cleveland to win City Division II crown High school football championships: Friday’s scores, Saturday’s schedule Photos: Top images from Friday’s exciting high school football finals

LOS ANGELES — Shortly after Davante Adams signed with the Rams, after he returned from a Japanese vacation during which Sean McVay recruited the free agent relentlessly with videos, text messages and phone calls, the All-Pro receiver and his new head coach went to dinner at Bird Streets, a West Hollywood lounge and supper club. The meal was meant to celebrate their new union, one for which McVay had started planting the seeds years earlier during a chance meeting at the Kentucky Derby. But here they were, getting to know each other and, of course, talking football. But sometimes, words just aren’t enough. And when the subject of line-of-scrimmage release – one of the skills that has elevated Adams through his 12-year career – came up, Adams stood up next to the table to illustrate his techniques. “There wasn’t a bunch of attention because Sean’s a very elite individual. There’re different types of rooms and memberships you need for some of these places where he goes to eat,” Adams joked Wednesday. “Basically, making some of these plays come to life before I even had the opportunity to run some of the routes. It was fun. A good meal. It was just good fellowship.” As the Rams (9-2) look to extend their winning streak to seven Sunday against the Carolina Panthers (6-6), Adams has proven the perfect addition to allow McVay to create the versatile offense he set out to last winter. In the last five games, the Rams have averaged 33.2 points per game. In those five games, the Rams have greatly increased their use of 13-personnel – three-tight end sets – while Adams has scored nine of his NFL-leading 12 touchdowns. Those two occurrences have not been a coincidence. With the heavy personnel lined up tight, the Rams are inviting opponents to load up the box to defend against the run. That can leave the one receiver on the field – frequently Adams, in the Rams’ case – with one-on-one matchups. And when you have one of the world’s premier man-to-man beaters, that allows a play-caller like McVay to draw up a lot of options for Adams at the goal line. Eight of Adams’ touchdowns in the last five games have come inside opponents’ 5-yard line. But as McVay is too happy to admit, he can only draw up plays; it’s players like Adams who bring them to life. “He makes it right,” McVay said. “Since I’ve been coaching, there’s nobody that’s been better about being able to get parallel and work edges on people. That’s a special trait. … To have the physical but also the above-the-neck understanding, there’s an art to it when you hear him articulate it.” And even as defenses have started to shade a safety over to provide help on Adams along the goal line, he is still finding ways to get open with feints either direction before running a slant or fade route with deadly precision. The moves aren’t improvised; they are the result of hours of study and hypotheticals that he runs through, imagining what opposing corners are expecting him to do and creating what he describes as unconventional approaches to his breaks. “When everything is going full speed, it’s easy to rush movements because the idea of a receiver is deception,” Adams explained. “If I go out there and do this, you don’t know if I was really trying to go inside or outside. If I lean inside, now your brain, because it takes the brain time to process what’s going on too. The quicker you move, it can benefit you, but it can also hurt you if you don’t lock in on the details of the route and sell what you’re trying to sell.” The results have been just what the Rams needed after last season. They were 25th in red-zone efficiency in 2024. This season, they score touchdowns on 65.96% of red-zone trips, sixth in the NFL. But in the first six games of the season, the Rams were 13 for 26 in the red zone. In the last five? A cool 18 for 21. That was what the Rams hoped for when they signed Adams during the offseason, and what he previewed for McVay in that supper club without a second thought for who…

ANAHEIM –– The Ducks’ penchant for high drama may not be the result of the stodgy, predictable and risk-averse hockey that’s reigned in NHL front offices of late, but it has quickly sharpened their acumen in big moments. Fresh off Friday’s 5-4 shootout win that capped their fifth multi-goal comeback of the season and included their fifth tally with the goalie pulled, the Ducks were onto coach Joel Quenneville’s old stomping grounds of Chicago on Sunday and St. Louis on Monday. He coached the Blackhawks from 2008-18 and the Blues from 1996-2004. Those five goals with six attackers are tied for the league lead with their opponent Friday, the Kings, for the most in the NHL this season. Where the two teams have differed is how they’ve fared in overtime and shootouts, with the Ducks going 6-0-1 in games that went beyond 60 minutes, while the Kings have taken just four of 11 such affairs. The Ducks have won five bonus-hockey decisions in a row, their last loss coming Oct. 19 against the same Blackhawks they’ll face Sunday The Ducks have dug plenty of holes to climb out of, having scored first in just one third of their games, winning all eight of those contests. They’re a point shy of .500 when their opponent scores first, as they have in four straight games. “We’ve had a lot of interesting games, spotting teams leads,” Ducks winger Chris Kreider said. “Good job at coming back and fighting back. It’s probably not a lot of fun for the coaches, but probably fun for the fans.” For his part, Quenneville, who won three Stanley Cups in Chicago that were marred well after the fact by a sexual abuse scandal involving another member of the staff, said his team wanted to play a speedy but intentional game. “We like fast-paced, but I don’t want to say I want a track meet,” Quenneville said. “When you’re behind, you don’t mind it, but when you’re playing with the lead or it’s tied, there’s got to be a purpose. We’ve got to recognize the difference and go for it. We know we can score, now let’s make sure we have the puck more.” Quenneville’s move behind the Ducks’ bench was their second coaching change in three seasons. When they brought in Greg Cronin in 2023-24, there was also an early-season shift in fortunes and a torrent of comeback wins, including four third-period rallies in their first 15 games. But their 9-6-0 start then gave way to a freefall of eight straight regulation losses in a season burdened heavily by injuries and trade-deadline departures. This season, the Ducks’ 11-3-1 mark after 15 games was dampened by a much shorter slump, three losses, with their roster bolstered by a much stronger commitment from management as well as the development of young players across two seasons under Cronin. Under Quenneville, who won a fourth Cup as an assistant with Colorado, their swagger seems sustainable. “I hope you guys see that, too. [This is a] different team, different hunger, different mentality,” said center Leo Carlsson, who scored the goal that sent Friday’s game to overtime after compiling two assists. With goalie Lukáš Dostál out for two to three weeks (shoulder), Petr Mrázek will likely get the call against his former club in Chicago and Ville Husso figures to get the nod in St. Louis, the city where his NHL career began. “We’ve had great goaltending all season,” Kreider said. “We’ve got to continue to try to help out our goaltenders, because we ask a lot from them every single game.” Ducks at Chicago When: 12:30 p.m. Sunday Where: United Center, Chicago TV: Victory+, KCOP (Ch. 13) Ducks at St. Louis When: 5 p.m. Monday Where: Enterprise Center, St. Louis TV: Victory+, KCOP (Ch. 13) Related Articles Alexander: The Ducks-Kings rivalry has meaning in the standings again Ducks rally to beat Kings on Mason McTavish’s shootout goal Kings-Ducks matchup brings renewed rivalry to Freeway Faceoff Ducks edged by Canucks on a pair of late goals Ducks’ Lukáš Dostál gaining appreciation for his skills