By Joe Snyder
On July 28, local high school football teams began their practice for the upcoming season. Gardena, North Torrance, and Serra all begin their season on Aug. 22.
Serra will have to contend with its football stadium being closed for, at least, most of this season due to a fire that destroyed the press box and several nearby upper bleachers over last spring.
As of now, the Cavaliers will play its first game against Palos Verdes at El Camino College on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. The Sea Kings are led by premiere junior quarterback Ryan Rakowski, who, as a sophomore, keyed P.V. to the CIF-Southern California Division V and the CIF-State Division IIAA crowns. Rakowski was CIF-Southern Section Division V Player of the Year, all-CIF State, and the Daily Breeze South Bay Player of the Year and, by the end of the 2024-25 school year, South Bay Athlete of the Year.
Serra continues to have a rigid schedule, both in non-league and the always brutal Mission League. On Aug. 28, the Cavaliers visit CIF-Los Angeles City Section school Hamilton in the L.A.-Palms District. The following Serra home games will be played at L.A. Southwest College in the Athens District. The Cavaliers host Los Alamitos on Sept. 5, then host Orange Lutheran from the prestigious Trinity League on Sept. 12, then Westlake Village Oaks Christian on Sept. 19.
Serra takes a week break before beginning Mission play with an expected showdown at Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth on Oct. 3. The Cavaliers, then, host Loyola on Oct. 10, the first of three consecutive league home games. The others include West Hills Chaminade (Oct. 17) and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (Oct. 24). On Halloween night (Oct. 31), the Cavaliers complete league at Bishop Amat in La Puente. All games begin at 7 p.m.
Defending three-time champion North Torrance will have to get use to playing without the premiere junior brother passing combination of quarterback Kane “Boogie” and wide receiver Kingston Anetema, who both transferred cross town westward to Bishop Montgomery, but has several experienced seniors that should keep the Saxons in contention for their fourth straight league crown. The Saxons begin play on Aug. 22 at home against Summit Academy from Fullerton. After a week break, North is home against Centennial High from Las Vegas, Nev. on Sept. 5. On Sept. 12, the Saxons visit cross town rival West Torrance, last year’s Ocean League, and CIF-Southern Section Division VII semifinalist. North, then, is at Carson, which should be one of the top contenders for the Marine League and CIF-L.A. City Section championships, on Sept. 18. North has an open date for the following week and could be waiting for an opponent and site before starting the Pioneer League at Santa Monica on Oct. 3. The Saxons, then, have their first home league game in what should be a showdown against Redondo, led by senior quarterback Cole Leinart and receiver-linebacker Bo Ausmus, on Aug. 10. On Aug. 17, North visits Peninsula High in Rolling Hills Estates before facing crosstown rivals South Torrance (Oct. 23 at home) and Torrance (Oct. 30 at Torrance) to complete Pioneer play. All games begin at 7 p.m.
After enjoying some successful seasons under recently departed head coach Monty Gilbreth, Terrence Sullivan takes the reigns as Gardena High’s next coach. Sullivan assisted under Gilbreth and Jim McElroy. The Panthers begin their season at home against Crespi High from Encino on Aug. 22 at 4 p.m. On Aug. 28, Gardena is at home against South East High from South Gate at 4 p.m. On Sept. 5, the Panthers will visit King-Drew Medical Magnet from Willowbrook at L.A. Harbor College at 7 p.m., then visit Dymally High in South L,A, on Sept. 12 at the same time. Gardena comes home to take on Santa Monica on Sept. 18 at 4 p.m. before its non-league finale at Dominguez High in Compton on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.
The Panthers begin the Marine League at Banning High in Wilmington on Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. before hosting Carson on Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. Gardena visits Narbonne in Harbor City on Oct. 17 before closing the regular season with their homecoming game against San Pedro on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m.
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Summer a splash with surfing fest
It is usually the week bordering July and August that marks two of the top summer events in Southern California, the United States Pro Surfing in Huntington Beach and the South Bay International Surf Festival.
Most of the top surfers in the world met up in Huntington Beach over the past week and it finally came to an end last Sunday. The winners included Levi Slawson from Encinitas (located in Northern San Diego County) for the men and Sawyer Lindblad of San Clemente for the women. Both are from Southern California and young with Slawson being 21 years old and Lindblad, 19.
In the longboard division, Kai Ellice-Flint of Australia won the men’s division and Avalon Gall from Laguna Beach won the women’s division.
Locally, the 63rd Annual International Surf Festival, featuring lifeguards and other top ocean and beach sports athletes from the United States and Australia, competed in many events throughout Hermosa, Manhattan, Redondo, and Torrance Beaches.
Not all results were in but the popular Hermosa Beach-to-Manhattan Beach Pier Two-Mile Ocean Swim from last Sunday was. The top men’s and overall finisher was 18-year-old Luka Van Dijk of Manhattan Beach at 37 minutes and 57 seconds. The top wetsuit finisher was Michael Davidson of Valley Glen clocking 43:17.
Unfortunately, the top female finishers were unavailable.
In the two-mile beach run on Saturday in Hermosa Beach, Ryan Burger (Hermosa Beach) won the men’s race in 13:20 and Sadie Wilson (Manhattan Beach) was the top female finisher timing 15:27. Wilson placed 10th overall.
In the Judge Taplin lifeguard event, the largest of the lifeguard contest on Saturday in Hermosa Beach, Los Angeles County South, that includes beaches in the South Bay and Long Beach area, won the race. The relay included swimming, paddleboard, and dory boats. Jeff Lombardo, who was part of the dory team for the L.A. County South team, also teamed with Tom Seth to win the Paul Mathies Three-Leg Dory race.
There was also beach volleyball but the results were unavailable, as was the South Bay Surf-off. There were also several junior lifeguard events.
