
Prep talk: Can Corona baseball stay unbeaten in North Carolina?
The 14-0 Panthers are traveling to Cary, N.C., to begin competition on Wednesday at the National High School Invitational. Huntington Beach and La Mirada are joining them.
With 12 shutouts in 14 games and champions of the Boras Classic South, Corona gets to unleash its pitching depth once again. Coach Andy Wise plans to use the same rotation that won the Boras Classic, starting sophomore Mason Sims on the mound for their opener on Wednesday.
Huntington Beach (12-1) is in the opposite bracket of Corona. La Mirada (13-2) is in Corona's bracket and could face the Panthers for a third time this season. Corona continues to resemble a super team with pitchers Seth Hernandez and Ethin Bingaman, shortstop Billy Carlson and third baseman Brady Ebel and outfielder Anthony Murphy, who has hit six of the team's 26 home runs.
The championship game will be played on Saturday morning. . . .
Palm Desert's baseball team is 12-4 and showing off a formidable one-two pitching punch in 6-foot-7 junior Jake Brande (4-1, 1.54 ERA) and Zach Gibbs (5-0, 1.47). . . .
West Valley League softball begins this week with Granada Hills a clear favorite. . . .
The Champions Invitational in golf takes place Monday and Tuesday at Tahquitz Creek in Rancho Mirage as the postseason tournaments move closer.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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USA Today
8 hours ago
- USA Today
Panthers rookie preview: Can Mitchell Evans help reinvigorate the TE room?
A good dig route here from Mitchell Evans. Eats the cushion off the line and shows a nice hesi move at the top of the route. No. 1 gets his feet stuck in quicksand and Evans creates separation. Good stuff. The Carolina Panthers haven't had notable production out of the tight end position since the days of Greg Olsen. (Yeah, the Emmy Award-winning broadcaster.) But the organization may be closer to finding the next player who can carry the torch. And Mitchell Evans, one of Carolina's two fifth-round picks from the 2025 draft, could be that guy. Let's take a deep dive into the Notre Dame standout's college film to see why . . . Film The 6-foot-5, 258-pound Evans enters Carolina with an impressive amount of nimbleness and fluidity. He plays with a physical temperament and nature that is appreciated after the catch, at the catch point and as a blocker. As a route runner, Evans isn't going to provide elite explosiveness—but he is a smart and disciplined technician. Here, against Indiana, he gets out of his stance sufficiently and begins eating up the cushion against the defender (No. 1). Evans does a nice job of dropping his hips, using a shimmy at the top of the route to get the opposing defensive back's feet sealed into the ground, then makes a hard cut to the dig to create separation. In a lot of the reps you'll see in these clips, Evans' versatility will come up in a big way. He played from the slot, in-line, the wing in offset 12-personnel groupings and on the perimeter. Notre Dame also utilized him in motions and shifts to create mismatches. One aspect of Evans' game that should be appreciated is his ball skills. His hands are outstanding, giving the quarterback a large margin for error with his catch radius while being able to consistently win at the catch point and in congested windows. Look for the #Panthers to utilize Mitchell Evans in shifts and motions when on the field. He showed to be effective from any alignment, including here moving L2R from trips to doubles. Then, the big catch down field. #Panthers got themselves a new TE (Mitchell Evans) that can be a reliable target in congested spaces. Oh, and every once in a while, Evans will make some ridiculous grabs—like the following one against Ohio State in 2023 . . . mitchell evans, hello Evans works well against zone to attack blind spots, sit and make himself available to the quarterback. He knows how to attack space in the middle of the field and can be a menace against Cover 3 or match coverages. Furthermore, he has some impressive fluidity after the catch—as you can see here against the Buckeyes in the national championship game from January . . . Two plays from new #Panthers TE Mitchell Evans:1. Evans from No. 3 trips attacking the MOF2. Evans sitting in zone void, collects himself, and creates after the catch Overall, Evans plays with great physicality and effort as a blocker. He is versatile in this regard, whether he is on the perimeter in the screen game, working to the second level or being utilized as the zone split blocker. Evans' hands are firm and offer drive when he gets into good positioning. He works off combo blocks well and can attack from different angles and leverage points. Mitchell Evans (88) with good drive and physical temperament at the POA. #Panthers (Repost bc uploading on this site is acting up) Been watching new #Panthers TE Mitchell Evans for a film review on @ThePanthersWire.I like the hand positioning as well as the finish, even if there was help. I want to see more drive on a down-to-down basis as a run blocker. Tight end is one the toughest positions to have immediate success from as a rookie. George Kittle didn't emerge as a top player at his position, or even a regular contributor, until his third season. Evans will likely face a similar path for a few reasons. One of them is shown in the clip above. Evans did show good hand placement to lock in, but lacked the drive he has shown from time to time. In those instances, he needs to be more consistent with his physicality. Plus, Evans' hand positioning and placement could be more consistent. He can also be over eager as a blocker, at times, and get juked out of his socks. Outlook With starter Tommy Tremble still healing up from offseason back surgery, a door has opened for Evans and 2024 fourth-round pick Ja'Tavion Sanders. Evans could be a more reliable blocker than Sanders, particularly when head coach Dave Canales wants to control the pace and tempo by running the ball. That just might give him an edge. When Tremble is healthy, Evans will likely be relegated to the No. 3 spot on the depth chart as the developmental blocking piece. However, his pass-catching skill set should allow him more opportunities during the season and eventually result in a bigger role in the offense. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Panthers down Titans in golden-point thriller
Penrith five-eighth sensation Blaize Talagi has scored a golden-point try for the ages to down a brave Gold Coast 30-26 in a drama-charged classic at Robina. Panthers halves Talagi and Nathan Cleary orchestrated a 24-0 lead by halftime before the Titans hit back in stunning fashion in front of 18,174 fans. Gold Coast fullback AJ Brimson and half Jayden Campbell turned it on with sheer individual brilliance as the hosts scored five tries in 25 minutes to take a 26-24 lead in the 74th minute. Cleary, as only he can, landed a 41m two-point field goal in the 79th to take the match to golden point. He then missed his first field goal shot from 30m out before 20-year-old Talagi started and finished a 60m attacking raid in the 83rd minute.. The Panthers secured an eighth consecutive victory to leave the four-time defending premiers on 29 competition points, just one behind the fourth-positioned Warriors. In an ominous omen, Penrith have made the grand final on all five occasions (2003 and 2020-2024) they have previously won eight in a row. The Panthers are capable of challenging for a fifth straight title but will need to heed lessons from their great escape. They were cruising at halftime but the Titans had other ideas. Talagi seals the game in golden point! 💥Telstra Moment of the Match — NRL (@NRL) August 2, 2025 Brimson sent centre Brian Kelly in before Campbell intercepted a Cleary pass to race 90m and get the 16th-placed Titans on the board. Campbell was at it again to step and weave his way through and hooker Sam Verrills dived over from dummy-half. Minutes later Phil Sami finished off a Brimson bust and the lead had been cut to two. Sami was in again after Penrith muffed a Kieran Foran bomb and Gold Coast led 26-24 with six minutes to play. The high drama continued when a Panthers trainer ran in front of Campbell as he was preparing to line up the conversion. He missed after re-setting. The Titans scored three tries when centre Izack Tago was in the sin bin for a professional foul on Brian Kelly. It was Cleary and Talagi brilliance that then saved Penrith. Talagi has been a revelation in 2025 after filling the big shoes of club legend Jarome Luai. His confidence and decision making have grown each week, and the 20-year-old's skillset and speed are top notch. Panthers winger Thomas Jenkins has enjoyed a breakout year and he leapt high above opposite number Jaylan De Groot to snaffle a pinpoint Talagi bomb to open the scoring in the 19th minute. Cleary genius with the ball in hand deceived the Titans defence to lay a pass on for fullback Dylan Edwards to score. Cleary, again, bombed away and Talagi leapt high above Brimson before streaking away under the sticks. Centre Casey McLean then rocketed 55m to score on the cusp of halftime. The fireworks then exploded after the break in what was a sensational confrontation.


USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Panthers CB Jaycee Horn says this WR has been 'impossible to guard' in training camp
"He's been impossible to guard..." 🤯Pro Bowl CB Jaycee Horn says Hunter Renfrow is making plays out of the slot — and that Jimmy Horn Jr.'s "game-changing speed" has stood out ⚡️@heykayadams | @jayceehorn_10 | @Panthers #KeepPounding The comeback story of Carolina Panthers wideout Hunter Renfrow just keeps getting better and better. Following this morning's outing at training camp, cornerback Jaycee Horn joined the set for Friday's episode of Up & Adams. When asked by host Kay Adams about the team's receivers, the Pro Bowl defender had quite the praise for a few guys—including Renfrow . . . Renfrow, who missed the entire 2024 campaign due to ulcerative colitis, signed a one-year deal with the Panthers this past spring. Since then, the 29-year-old veteran has impressed many members of the organization, including head coach Dave Canales and quarterback Bryce Young. Canales highlighted Renfrow's performance following last Saturday's practice. "It's just the Hunter Renfrow I remember," Canales told reporters. "He looks healthy. I think everyone who's watched football over the last four or five years remembers what he looks like, and he's really playing in top form right now. I'm really excited to have him here and to have his family, which is right down the road here after this practice, just to be able to connect with him. And it's a great story that's unfolding right before our eyes." Despite being in a pretty crowded wide receiver room, Renfrow has defied the odds and made himself an early favorite for Carolina's initial 53-man roster. And if that's the case, then Horn won't have to worry about guarding him in the reps that actually count. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.