By Joe Snyder
Gardena High’s football team will not be playing in its home stadium as the facility is already demolished for a new stadium, all-weather track and synthetic field that will not be open until next year.
The Panthers will be playing just three home games, all expected to be at Los Angeles Harbor College in Wilmington. Those include a non-league game against Cerritos Gahr on Sept. 24 and two Marine League games against Harbor City Narbonne on Oct. 8 and Wilmington Banning on Oct. 29.
Gardena begins its season at Hawthorne High on Aug. 21. The Panthers start Marine action at Carson on Oct. 2.
After a 6-6 season that saw the Panthers finish third in the Marine League behind eventual CIF-L.A. City Open Division champion Carson and second-place San Pedro, head coach Terrence Williams lost a large number of starters but have a good group of promising young players and returning key seniors. One of those is senior quarterback Omar Figuaroa who has already showed promise during spring and summer practices and passing games.
“Figuaroa is a real respectful, smart kid,” Williams said. “I’m looking forward to seeing him this season. He can throw and understands the plays really well.”
Last season, Figuaroa started some earlier games before being replaced by Kevin Martinez, who graduated early last month.
Figueroa will have a pair of very good wide receivers in senior Kevin McKinney and junior Chase Johnson. In a passing game last Friday at Washington High, Figueroa threw for four touchdowns in Gardena’s 26-18 win over the Generals. The Panthers’ line and other positions also had competition against Washington, as well as several other high schools over the spring and summer.
Williams is also looking at a promising junior running back in Norell Parks, who has very good speed and strength.
“Our team is progressing really well,” Williams said. “We have a young team that is coachable.”
Gardena plans a scrimmage on Aug. 7 tentatively at Rancho Dominguez Prep in Long Beach but is pending.
With the old field gone, with the exception of the lights, the team has to practice on the fields where baseball and softball are played.
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GHS baseball seniors rally to outlast G. Park
Gardena High’s baseball team continues to play in the Los Angeles Dodgers Dream League where it rallied to top host Gonzalez Park 4-3 last Thursday in Compton.
The Panthers were led by returning all-Marine Leaguer Anthony Macias who drove in three runs, including a two-run double and a run-scoring single that gave Gardena the lead. Macias also pitched two scoreless innings to get the win.
Chris Martinez had a double, walked and scored a run. Incoming freshman Elijah Wilkerson singled in a run to score Marcias. Juan Castellanos, who was the starting pitcher, had a double. As a pitcher, he pitched three innings allowing three runs but one earned. Max Garcia pitched two shutout innings.
On Friday, Gardena’s juniors fell to Kennedy High from La Palma 9-4.
Jorge Ramirez sparked the Panthers’ offense with a two-run double. Elijah Wilkerson had a hit and a run scored. He also walked and stole a base. Priscila Guerrero walked and scored on Ramirez’s double.
Gardena’s seniors played South East High from South Gate last Tuesday at Gonzalez Park. The juniors played Gonzalez on Wednesday.
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Spain wins World Cup
Spain’s men’s soccer team has been on a roll for the past few years and it continued its dominance in the North America-hosted 2026 World Cup soccer championship game as it outlasted defending champion Argentina 1-0 in extra time (soccer’s version of overtime) last Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.
Spain went into the match with an outstanding defense that allowed just one goal in the entire 48-team tournament. Argentina, led by the legendary Lionel Messi, had its goalkeeper busy as he recorded 18 saves before Ferran Torres scored off an assist by Nico Williams in the 106th minute; early in the second 15-minute extra time period.
Spain had to face a very rough defense played by Argentina. One of those led to a second yellow card ejection of Enzo Fernandez for tackling Spain’s Raul Cuborsl, leaving the team with just 10 players on the field. Starting lineups in soccer (also called world football) includes 11 players.
It was Spain’s second World Cup title; the other being in 2010 when it won over the Netherlands 1-0 in extra time.
For Messi, who is now 39 years old, it could be his last World Cup match. He is still deciding. Messi also plays for Inter Miami of Major League Soccer. Another legendary player, 41-year-old Ranaldo from Portugal, played his final World Cup match when it lost in the Round of 16 to nearby Spain 1-0.
Messi finished the tournament with eight goals and four assists, one of those that enabled Argentina rallying for its 2-1 semifinal win against England on July 15. Messi, though, fell two goals shy for the Golden Boot Award that was won by France’s Kylian Mbappe, who had 10 goals. He scored two goals for France in its 6-4 third-place game loss to England last Saturday in Miami. That 6-4 score was the second highest scoring match in World Cup history behind Austria’s 7-5 win over Switzerland in a quarterfinal match in 1954. Mbappe already has 22 career World Cup goals. Messi has 18.
Spain is currently a dominant soccer power as its women won the World Cup in 2023 and is the probable favorite for another next year in Brazil. Spain is expected to host the men’s World Cup, along with neighboring nations Portugal and Morocco (across the Mediterranean Sea) in 2030.
The United States started as the dominant women’s power before other teams, many from Europe, caught up and even passed up the Americans. Even though the U.S. men took awhile to even have soccer known well, it was one of the first nations to have women’s soccer. The first Women’s World Cup was in 1991.
The World Cup Soccer Tournament being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico turned out to be a big success. It brought soccer fans from all over the world and a great atmosphere of world friendship, which is much needed.
Even those United States men’s soccer has vastly improved its program over the past few decades; it still has a way to go; especially in competing against top teams from Europe. What makes teams like Spain, France, England, Portugal, Germany, and even Argentina and Brazil so much above the Americans? Not only has soccer (which they call football) been the dominant sport in those nations but those into soccer even have their regular school at soccer academies from kindergarten on up, according to sources. They come into professional soccer already way ahead of lesser soccer nations, such as the United States, Canada and Australia. There are soccer academies even in Southern California, including those sponsored by the Carson-based L.A. Galaxy and L.A. Football Club, along with virtually all other remaining franchises in Major League Soccer. However, it is getting where they have to start youth earlier. Also, soccer academies and club teams cost big money in this nation where, in Europe, it’s free or at a low cost.
Also, according to sources, there are no high school or secondary school sports in much of Europe and the players spend their time, if into those sports, at clubs or academies. That even includes basketball, hockey, etc. Of course, youth learn the required academics, such languages, reading, writing, math, science and social studies, at those academies.
The U.S. was very competitive in the tournament but had off-games in losses to Turkey and Belgium. It has frequently defeated rival Mexico and other Latin American teams, including Paraguay in its tournament opener on June 12 at So Fi Stadium in Inglewood. Someday the U.S. will finally bring that top trophy home.
