Latest news with #Harvard-Westlake
Los Angeles Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Harvard-Westlake grads Max Fried, Pete Crow-Armstrong could face off at All-Star Game
When Harvard-Westlake grads Max Fried of the New York Yankees and Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs are introduced on July 15 at the MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta, their former high school coaches, Matt LaCour and Jared Halpert, will be in the stands celebrating the historic moment. 'We're all proud on campus,' said LaCour, now the school's athletic director and former coach of Fried. 'It's kind of everyone wins if Max faces Pete,' Halpert said. Harvard-Westlake has received attention for its success sending pitchers to the majors with Fried, Lucas Giolito and Jack Flaherty, all of whom were members of the 2012 team and first-round draft picks. Crow-Armstrong, a first-round draft pick in 2020 who was selected by the fans to start in center field, is a breakthrough hitter for the Cubs. 'We've got a couple hitters coming through, so maybe we'll change the pitching narrative,' LaCour said. But who will the coaches root for if Fried is on the mound and Crow-Armstrong is at the plate? 'That definitely would be cool,' LaCour said. 'I'll root for Max and Jared will root for Pete.' LaCour is in Atlanta this week coaching a youth team and will stay an extra two days to watch the All-Star Game. Halpert is flying out next Tuesday morning, then taking a rideshare to the ballpark. They shouldn't have any trouble getting tickets because they know an all-star.
Los Angeles Times
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Reflections on volunteering at the Special Olympics
On May 22, my school, Harvard-Westlake, hosted a Special Olympics event. Many seniors volunteered, including my brother, Tyler Park. Tyler reflected, 'When I first signed up to volunteer at the Special Olympics event, I expected whistles blowing, medals gleaming, and a few hours of helping out. What I didn't expect was how deeply the day would impact me and my friends. Seeing coaches, athletes, and family members grinning with pride, I realized this wasn't just a competition, it was a celebration of courage, resilience, and joy, regardless of wins or losses.' The high school volunteers escorted athletes to their events, helped with water distribution, and cheered on the sidelines. Welcoming the team before the game starts [Source: Author, Deana Thompson] Deana Thompson, one of the leaders of Harvard-Westlake's Special Olympics club said, 'This year, our club focused on promoting inclusion through our partnership with the Help Group. One of our biggest accomplishments was working toward becoming the first independent school to be recognized as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School—and we successfully achieved that, which is incredibly exciting for us. Throughout the year, we aimed to plan at least one activity each month with members of our club and students from the Help Group. Building friendships and genuine connections has always been at the heart of our club. These meet-ups and events have been a wonderful way to do just that. Looking ahead, we're excited to continue building on this year's success and to keep spreading the message of inclusion and equality across our school community. Our mission is simple but powerful: everyone is equal, and everyone deserves to be involved.' A friendly competition and not letting go [Source: Author, Deana Thompson] Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) is a nonprofit organization founded on the principle of inclusion, providing year-round sports training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities, empowering them through sports for more than 38,000 athletes across Southern and Central California. All programs are completely free. SOSC brings athletes with and without disabilities together to foster teamwork, inclusion, and empathy. Volunteering opportunities: Event Day Volunteering: for timekeeping, scorekeeping, awards, check-in, setting up, cleaning up, and escorting athletes Coaching: training for coaches with experience and a big heart to lead practices and build relationships with athletes Unified Partner: athletes who would like to play alongside Special Olympics athletes Youth Leadership and School Clubs: Start or join a Special Olympics club at your school Health & Medical Volunteers: certified medical professionals to help with health screenings Internship and Administrative Help: SOSC offers volunteer internships in communications, development, and event planning Fundraising and Advocacy: fundraise for athletic scholarships, and advocate for disability rights Please go to to sign up, to view upcoming volunteer opportunities, to register, and to complete required training. Related
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Catholic Athletic Assn. meeting ends in dispute over Mission League proposal
The Catholic Athletic Assn., made up of 25 high schools, voted for new leagues as part of a four-year cycle on Wednesday, but the meeting ended in disagreement, disputes and a threat that Mission League schools might leave the organization. Terry Barnum, head of athletics at Harvard-Westlake, submitted two re-leaguing plans as proposals but asked they be withdrawn as had been done in the past. It was refused. One of the plans was adopted by a 14-11 vote for football only, and now Barnum vows to appeal on procedural grounds and believes his fellow Mission League members will look to leave the CAA and form their own area. Barnum and other Mission League representatives wanted the football-only proposal pulled. The fact it wasn't could cause Mission League schools to pull out of the CAA, Barnum said. Advertisement He said that eight years ago in the last CAA meeting on reconfiguring league members, proposals were allowed to be withdrawn, setting a precedent. "We believe precedent and procedures were not followed," Barnum said. "What today showed is that there's an ideological difference and divide in parochial schools and the Mission League," he said. "We will never be in position to control our own destiny and rules will be bent and circumvented in order for the Mission League not to control our destiny." Barnum is well-respected within the CIF hierarchy as a member of the Southern Section executive committee and CAA executive committee. He said he plans to appeal the decision to the Southern Section but first must receive support from fellow Mission League members. His philosophy is to keep Mission League schools together for almost all sports. They are Harvard-Westlake, Crespi, Sierra Canyon, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Loyola, St. Francis, Bishop Alemany and Chaminade. The CAA meeting was originally scheduled for last Wednesday, then changed after supposedly not enough time had been given as notice to satisfy the Brown Act. Barnum said he believes the delay was designed to "allow a group of schools to rally themselves around a plan" they wanted. Advertisement Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Catholic Athletic Assn. meeting ends in dispute over Mission League proposal
The Catholic Athletic Assn., made up of 25 high schools, voted for new leagues as part of a four-year cycle on Wednesday, but the meeting ended in disagreement, disputes and a threat that Mission League schools might leave the organization. Terry Barnum, head of athletics at Harvard-Westlake, submitted two re-leaguing plans as proposals but asked they be withdrawn as had been done in the past. It was refused. One of the plans was adopted by a 14-11 vote for football only, and now Barnum vows to appeal on procedural grounds and believes his fellow Mission League members will look to leave the CAA and form their own area. Barnum and other Mission League representatives wanted the football-only proposal pulled. The fact it wasn't could cause Mission League schools to pull out of the CAA, Barnum said. He said that eight years ago in the last CAA meeting on reconfiguring league members, proposals were allowed to be withdrawn, setting a precedent. 'We believe precedent and procedures were not followed,' Barnum said. 'What today showed is that there's an ideological difference and divide in parochial schools and the Mission League,' he said. 'We will never be in position to control our own destiny and rules will be bent and circumvented in order for the Mission League not to control our destiny.' Barnum is well-respected within the CIF hierarchy as a member of the Southern Section executive committee and CAA executive committee. He said he plans to appeal the decision to the Southern Section but first must receive support from fellow Mission League members. His philosophy is to keep Mission League schools together for almost all sports. They are Harvard-Westlake, Crespi, Sierra Canyon, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Loyola, St. Francis, Bishop Alemany and Chaminade. The CAA meeting was originally scheduled for last Wednesday, then changed after supposedly not enough time had been given as notice to satisfy the Brown Act. Barnum said he believes the delay was designed to 'allow a group of schools to rally themselves around a plan' they wanted.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Get ready for playoff drama with many top pitchers in peak form
There are so many top pitchers ready to show why they are aces that the opening playoff games are going to be nerve-racking, unpredictable and sometimes lasting until sundown or even longer (there was a 19-inning playoff game in 2023 played over two days). 'We're going to see a bunch of these guys on TV one day,' Harvard-Westlake coach Jared Halpert said. 'It will be a year for the ages.' Advertisement Let me offer pitchers to watch: Angel Cervantes, Warren. With a 97-mph fastball, the UCLA commit begins action Thursday in Division 3 against host Redondo Union. He has a 16-strikeout game and a no-hitter this season along with 95 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings. 'I think I improved on commanding my pitches and being able to throw my off-speeds anywhere I want,' he said. Said coach Cesar Martinez: "He's been dominant." Seth Hernandez, Corona. He's 17-0 in two years of high school baseball with 88 strikeouts and three walks in 42 1/3 innings while throwing 98 mph this season. 'He's amazing,' Halpert said. Hernandez will pitch Tuesday against Los Osos or Cypress. Advertisement Jackson Eisenhauer, Crespi. He's 9-1 with a 0.24 ERA as the surprise standout pitcher in his senior year and probably the Mission League MVP after throwing just 11 innings last season. He has a sweeping curveball and can reach 91 mph. He and Tyler Walton are a terrific starting duo for the Division 1 playoffs. Vaughn Neckar, Vista Murrieta. The Oklahoma commit with a 95-mph fastball is 6-2 with a 0.73 ERA and should be on the mound Thursday against Harvard-Westlake sophomore pitcher Justin Kirchner, who is 8-0 with an 1.81 ERA. Gary Morse, Orange Lutheran. He's a 6-foot-8 junior committed to Tennessee who is continuing to develop at a school that produced Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole. Morse is 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA. Mike Erspamer, San Clemente. The left-handed Stanford commit dominated in the Sea View League and gets to face Westlake in a Division 2 opener. He's 6-3 with a 1.71 ERA. Advertisement Hunter Manning, West Ranch. The Long Beach State commit has a school-record 16-strikeout performance this season and is 7-0 with a 0.78 ERA. Jordan Ayala, Norco. One of the best freshmen in Southern California, Ayala went 7-3 with a 0.82 ERA in helping the Cougars win 12 of their last 13 games. Garrett Jacobs, Mira Costa. The junior right-hander is 9-1 with 91 strikeouts in 63 innings and has a 1.44 ERA for the 26-2 Mustangs. Damian Catano, Arcadia. He went 9-1 with a 1.13 ERA as a junior for the Pacific League champions and teamed with senior Gus Cooper (7-1, 1.22 ERA) to help Arcadia go 25-3. Jake Brande, Palm Desert. The 6-foot-7 Long Beach State commit throws strikes and is 8-1 with a 1.35 ERA. Advertisement Zach Strickland, Maranatha. The hard-throwing UCLA commit is 6-0 with a 0.58 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 48 innings. He opens against Anaheim Canyon in Division 2. Brandon Thomas, Mater Dei. The Fresno State commit has been facing Trinity League pitchers all season and now goes in Division 2. He has a 1.08 ERA with 12 walks in 58 1/3 innings. Dustin Dunwoody, Royal. The junior Arizona commit is 7-0 with a 1.28 ERA and has 86 strikeouts in 60 innings. Jared Grindlinger, Huntington Beach. Get ready for the unleashing of the sophomore standout who has been used strategically to save his arm for May Madness. He's 5-0 with a 0.77 ERA in 27 1/3 innings. Advertisement Ryan Oaks, Summit. Committed to Cal State Northridge, Oaks is 6-0 with a 0.88 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 56 innings. Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
