Latest news with #ManhattanBeach
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mira Costa is the place with a special teams trio set to punt, kick, snap and hold
When it comes to special teams, Mira Costa's football team has a dream group ready to handle punting, kicking, long snapping and holding. The senior trio of punter Jackson Shevin, kicker Nico Talbott and long snapper Jackson Reach is an impressive group. Shevin, who's also the holder on PATs and field goals, averaged 38 yards on punts last season. Talbott waited his time to handle kicking duties on junior varsity and being the backup. He has performed well at the Chris Sailer kicking camps. Reach is an elite long snapper and terrific linebacker. Shevin also says he's ready to pass or run if coach Don Morrow calls for any fake punts or fake field goals. "It's pretty cool," Morrow said of his special teams trio. With two of the three named Jackson and being from Manhattan Beach, you can imagine the trust and fun they have playing on the same team. Mira Costa is one of a talented group of teams in the Bay League joining Palos Verdes, Inglewood, Leuzinger and Culver City, all of whom could be title contenders depending on what division they are placed in. Mira Costa returns top quarterback Liam Meeker and top running back AJ McBean. But they know if they need a punt or a field goal, the "Three Amigos" are ready. 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.
New York Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Art Led the Way to a Very Hot, and Spicy First Date
David Brian Harris, who goes by Spooky Harris as an artist, was finishing up his latest project in March 2023 when he was spotted by Heather Johnson Phillips. He was in downtown Manhattan Beach, Calif., outside a spa under construction, covering floor-to-ceiling windows with self-care-themed words and images in ink on seamless paper. 'Oh my God, he's so cool,' said Ms. Phillips, 50, turning to her friend. 'I'm going to say 'hi.'' Mr. Harris, 52, whose work has appeared in galleries and shows in New York and Los Angeles, was in his work wear, a paint-splattered jean shirt and jeans, and an indigo-dyed scarf. 'I usually don't do this,' said Ms. Phillips, who had recently admired his work at the Right Tribe gallery-boutique nearby and on Instagram. 'I'm Heather.' In the brief exchange, she came off as 'very stylish,' he said, in 'cool sunglasses, aviator, but Italian.' In April, they chatted a bit more, laughed a lot, and exchanged numbers when she stopped by his studio, a garage in Redondo Beach, to pick up a 50th birthday gift for a friend — a black and white painting of a Swiss cheese in Sumi ink, which she had spotted on Instagram. 'You're fun,' texted Mr. Harris, then wanted to kick himself for being so forward. But Ms. Phillips thought it was the perfect thing to say. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
It Turns Out That Most People Wash Their Bodies Completely Wrong, But This Doctor Is Here To Teach Us The Right Way
For many of us, showering is not just part of our personal hygiene routine — it might be the only few minutes of peace, tranquility and reflection we get to ourselves in the day. And while the particulars of our showers might vary in terms of nature, duration and temperature, one thing remains constant: the quest to get squeaky clean. Related: 25 Life-Changing Habits People Added To Their Everyday Routines To Improve Their Lives For The Better Our shower habits are usually based on how we were raised and our cultural backgrounds. That means some of us are all about the loofahs, others are team washcloth, and some rely on a sponge. But is all that exfoliating actually good for our skin? As we age, after all, so does the largest organ of our body: our glorious, sexy skinbag. Keeping our skin as healthy and supple as possible is paramount. So we — Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson, hosts of HuffPost's 'Am I Doing It Wrong?' podcast — wanted to find out the optimal approach (from a clinical perspective) when we're soaping up in the shower. 'So 100%, it's your hands,' Dr. Divya Shokeen, the founder of Ocean Skin & Vein Institute in Manhattan Beach, California, recently told us when she dropped by our studio to chat about her showering secrets. 'There's no negotiation on that in terms of the medical studies.' Related: Women Are Revealing How Their Lives Have Been Affected By President Trump's Policies, And They're Not Holding Back ANYTHING Shokeen explained that when we use loofahs, sponges or any other implement to soap up, we are disrupting our skin's mantle, the natural film of oils and acids that protect it. We want to keep that mantle intact, she told us, because it shields us against barrier disruption and transepidermal water loss — and it keeps the bad bacteria out. 'Rubbing a washcloth on yourself repeatedly sloughs off a lot of dead skin cells or cells in general that are not ready to slough off,' Shokeen said. 'When that happens, you actually disrupt the top layer, which allows for more dehydration, water loss, and now you're going to have to use more lotion to minimize that.' And while we love a good post-shower lube job, we won't need all that extra lotion if we don't dry out and stress our skin while we're in the tub. Shokeen gave us another good reason to ditch the loofahs, washcloths and sponges. 'Anything that stays in the shower is apt to build mold and yeast and fungus,' she said. 'And then you're putting that on yourself.' We discovered a ton of other showering tips and tricks, including how long a shower should really last, what we should be doing (and not doing) when we wash our hair, and the skin-changing secret that only takes 30 seconds at the end of your cleansing session. For more from Dr. Shokeen, visit the websites for her dermatology practice and her skincare line. Do you need help with something you've been doing wrong? Email us at AmIDoingItWrong@ and we might investigate the topic in an upcoming article originally appeared on HuffPost. Also in Goodful: 19 "Garbage" Modern Trends People Refuse To Partake In Despite Their Popularity Also in Goodful: "This Has Taken Me Years And Years And YEARS To Figure Out": This Woman's Clever Way To Tell If Someone Is Your Real Friend Is Being Called The Most Accurate Thing Ever Also in Goodful: "I Can't Wait For This To Go Out Of Style": People Are Sharing Popular Modern Trends That Are Actually Pretty Toxic
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Elite 11: Ranking the top 11 QBs from the week
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. – Over three days at the Elite 11, no quarterback absolutely, clearly, 100-percent established himself as the best one at the event. But through a battery of stations on Tuesday night, the all-important Pro Day on Wednesday night and a 7on7 session on Thursday, here is our ranking of the top 11 for the week. MORE ELITE 11: Bentley is best of pro day performances | Ten takeaways from opening night | Tough decision ahead for Bentley RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | ACC programs in the spotlight | Big Ten programs in the spotlight | SEC programs in the spotlight | Key QB storylines | Key RB storylines | Key WR storylines | Key TE storylines | Key OL storylines | Key DL storylines | Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State 1. DIA BELL The four-star quarterback from Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage was the best of the best on the first night, not so great during the Pro Day and then came back with a vengeance and had a good 7on7 session. Advertisement Does that make him the top QB? We think so, as when he was good, he was really good. The Texas commit can spin it, the ball comes out beautifully and he can throw accurately to every level. Nothing looked forced when Bell is in the pocket. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS FANS AT 2. HELAMAN CASUGA Casuga has dealt with an injury that sidelined him for a portion of his junior season (after beating IMG Academy, of course) so what his performance was going to be like was uncertain. The Texas A&M commit delivered in a big way during the Pro Day, where his timing with receivers was impeccable, and he spun it with pace as well as anyone at the event. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS A&M FANS AT 3. KEISEAN HENDERSON The Houston commit is a top-10 prospect and a five-star quarterback but one cannot help but feel he's only tapping his potential and he could have the most upside in the class. His athleticism is off the charts and so is his arm talent as it's burned in my memory the nicest throw of the Pro Day when he ducked pressure, moved right and zipped it on a rope 40 yards downfield to a receiver. Henderson has special qualities that Houston needs badly. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH HOUSTON FANS AT 4. BOWE BENTLEY Bentley really flashed during the Pro Day portion of the Elite 11 as he graded out the highest on our point system and we loved that the Celina, Texas, standout fired each ball and didn't try to place it with zero pace on it just to score points. Advertisement Down to Oklahoma and LSU, Bentley was great throwing from the pocket, escaping pressure and keeping zip on his passes, and hitting receivers in stride. He wasn't exceptional the other two days so he's fourth overall on our list. 5. TAIT REYNOLDS Reynolds was skilled, reliable and consistent. The Clemson commit has a little elongated motion (probably from his baseball background) but he's a big, steady presence in the pocket who was exceptional on deep throws and the seam routes during the Pro Day. He was solid the other two days, if not spectacular. He will head to play for the Tigers and have weapons around him. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT 6. BRYSON BEAVER Beaver was one of the biggest surprises of the Elite 11. The Murrieta (Calif.) Vista Murrieta three-star definitely outplayed his ranking and came in with a ton of confidence. He was another one who zipped the ball and played to win instead of trying to game the system for points. Other than Henderson's dime down the right side of the field, Beaver had the best throw of the night on the same route. He's at Oregon this weekend and the Ducks look strong but his recruitment has been wild in recent weeks. 7. TRAVIS BURGESS There is a tendency to look at the North Carolina commit at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds and think he's going to be too lanky, too gangly and have a really long motion but that wasn't the case at all with the Loganville (Ga.) Grayson standout. Advertisement Burgess was more than solid throughout the entire event and after missing on a deep throw early during the Pro Day was basically perfect on all his deep shots after that. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH UNC FANS AT 8. TERRY WALKER Beaver and Walker were the biggest surprises for us at the Elite 11. The Duke commit is so smooth, the ball pops off his hand and other than just a couple poor throws during the Pro Day, he was really impressive. Walker was exceptional on night one as his tight spirals just looked different than a lot of other quarterbacks and then he backed it up again at the pro day. Most impressive is that he's best at being creative so this structure didn't necessarily suit all his gifts. Advertisement The Blue Devils got a steal. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH DUKE FANS AT 9. FAIZON BRANDON Did Brandon sign, seal and deliver the No. 1 quarterback spot in the 2026 class with his three-day performance at the Elite 11? No. But the Tennessee commit was also very good in numerous spots with the biggest spotlight on him over the event. There's no questioning his arm talent and playmaking ability. But he didn't separate himself like an undoubted No. 1 quarterback has done at this event before. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TENNESSEE FANS AT 10. JETT THOMALLA Thomalla had a lot on his mind even flying to the Elite 11 and waking up that first morning because that's when he flipped from Iowa State to Alabama. He was a tick slow that first night but really stepped it up during the pro day and beyond as he was exceptionally good throwing receivers open and putting it where only they could catch it. Advertisement One of the toughest throws is to go across the field and throw to the pylon in the front of the end zone and Thomalla aced that one. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ALABAMA FANS AT 11. OSCAR RIOS The more we see Rios – in camp settings, 7on7 settings and now at the Elite 11 – we like his game and how it translates to the next level. The Downey, Calif., four-star QB is down to Arizona and UCLA and Rios plays with a quiet confidence and competitiveness that should carry over well to the college game. Even though he's on the leaner side, Rios is dynamic, the ball pops and he has no problem throttling back and getting it deep.
New York Times
20-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Elite 11 takeaways: Bruce Feldman on Texas-bound Dia Bell, rising star Keisean Henderson and more
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — I've been coming to the Elite 11 quarterback competition for 20-plus years. The 2025 group was one of the better crops I've seen. The most highly touted guys were every bit as good as they were hyped to be. That's often not the case. 'I think this year's group was as competitive, one through 20, as we've had in a long time, and the fight for who made the 11 was tougher than ever,' Elite 11 president Brian Stumpf said, 'just because so many guys had really strong moments or showings in certain components of the event versus typically one to five guys dominate most everything. I think it speaks to the depth of the class and some guys who have really emerged over the past three to four months to join some of the earlier established big names in the class.' Advertisement Two QBs came in ranked in 247Sports' top three overall prospects in the 2026 class — No. 1 Faizon Brandon and No. 3 Keisean Henderson. Those two, along with Dia Bell (No. 24 overall) and Landon Duckworth (No. 50), were especially impressive at the three-day event. Bell took home the camp's MVP honors. Bell, the son of former NBA player Raja Bell, is very accurate and polished. The word that kept coming to mind while watching him each day was smooth. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder is just really smooth. The Texas commit also has a presence about him that stood out with how he interacted with the other players. The Elite 11 coaches raved about his performance in Thursday's 7-on-7 competition. 'What he did today in the 7-on-7 was beautiful,' said former Packers quarterback Craig Nall, one of the camp's coaches. 'It's his command, and it's the little things. On one ball, the receiver was supposed to be off, and (Bell) adjusted. He's never frantic. He's always in control. Doesn't get too high. Doesn't get too low.' A few other QBs had 'awesome days' in Wednesday's accuracy and 'pro day' competitions and were slotted above Bell in the second day's rankings. 'It was cool to see how he responded,' coach Justin Hoover said. 'Like he noticed we moved him down a bit, and went, 'Watch this.' That was super impressive.' The 6-3, 185-pound Henderson, a Spring, Texas, native who is committed to Houston, was the guy numerous Elite 11 coaches told me they thought had the highest ceiling. 'It's like he has just one more gear in terms of arm and sped-up athleticism than Bell,' one of the coaches said Thursday after the event. 'And I think Bell's awesome too.' Henderson is an enormous get for the Cougars and coach Willie Fritz, and he figures to be someone other schools will keep pursuing — though he recently announced he is shutting down his recruitment. 'Sometimes you see a throw from a kid and you think 'Wow!' But it isn't often that same kid is able to replicate that 'wow' type of throw that less than 1 percent of humans can make,' former Michigan QB Devin Gardner said. 'For Henderson, he was able to replicate it over and over again, over a three-day period. He's special, and as long as he stays the course and continues to develop mentally, physically and emotionally, I believe he has a chance at being a household name some day soon.' Advertisement Henderson has elite arm talent and athleticism, but it was his personality that folks at the event kept gushing about. One of the coaches who has worked the Elite 11 for almost a decade said that five-star QBs can often have an air about them that can be off-putting. But Henderson wasn't like that at all. Zero entitlement. Just full of life and full of joy. He still needs to hone his passing skills, one of the coaches pointed out, saying once he refines his ability to get some throws up and down — a bucket throw — more consistently, he'll be even more impressive. 'He's a really, really good quarterback, but he's an even better human,' Hoover said. 'I can't wait to watch him continue to grow and develop because he is so talented. He just has 'it.' People gravitate towards him. I'd want him in my locker room, I know that. He was the most talented kid there. His ceiling is so high, and his floor also is high, so with that comes high expectations.' Nall said Henderson is one of the most impressive high school quarterbacks he's ever seen. 'This is my 13th season coaching the Elite 11, and I'd put him in the top 10 percent of all our QBs in arm talent,' he said. 'We've had some super special guys, like Trevor Lawrence and Tua (Tagovailoa), but he's in that discussion. Wherever he lands, they're getting a special kid. 'He's super athletic. He's very gifted. He's constantly smiling. He made me feel special as a coach by the way he'd thank you and look you in the eye. He has this sense of gratitude about how glad he was to be here, and then he went out and did his thing.' Brandon, a Tennessee commit from North Carolina, was one of the youngest QBs at the event, having just turned 17 earlier this month. He won the event's Rail Shot competition on the first night. I thought he stepped up when the lights were brightest, especially on Day 1 and then again on Day 3. 'Tennessee hit a home run,' said George Whitfield, one of the Elite 11's most senior coaches. 'He has a big arm. Good lower body. You can tell he worked on his feet, hits his drops, no false steps. You can tell he's figured some stuff out. He should be fun to watch.' RAIL SHOT 🎥🎯 — Elite11 (@Elite11) June 18, 2025 Duckworth, a 6-3, 195-pound three-sport athlete from Alabama who has won state titles as a basketball player and as a sprinter on a 4×100 relay team, is the subject of a big Auburn-South Carolina recruiting battle. The Elite 11 coaches really buzzed about his potential, a guy with a great frame and a big arm who is really fast. He's still pretty raw, but coaches said it's more inexperience than immaturity. One coach told me that he probably needs two years of seasoning, and with that, 'he could be special. But who's that patient and can develop him?' Advertisement • The most pleasant surprise to me was Ohio's Matt Ponatoski, ranked as the No. 29 QB by 247Sports. The two-sport star has an electric arm, having been clocked at 97 mph as a pitcher. That arm wowed me Thursday morning in his 7-on-7 performance. The 6-1, 196-pounder, who is uncommitted, made two 'wow' throws to receivers who didn't look open at all, but he fired the ball into the only spot he could and completed the passes. It was impressive. 'He had a couple of those every day we were here,' Hoover said. 'He's got some confidence to put it in places that others wouldn't even attempt to throw. He really stood out.' I was told Ponatoski was looking at taking a visit to Oregon this weekend. • Bryson Beaver, a three-star recruit from Southern California (No. 54 QB in the class), turned a lot of heads as well this week. The 6-2, 200-pounder, who recently decommitted from Boise State, is getting a lot of interest from some Power 4 powers, including Oregon. It wasn't hard to see why. He has an excellent arm and good feet. 'I loved him,' Whitfield said. 'Him and Henderson (are) guys you want to go coach because of their personality and charisma and how guys want to follow them.' • Texan Bowe Bentley is another hot prospect who colleges are scrambling to land. He's about the same size as Beaver, but more highly ranked, at No. 78 overall and the No. 7 QB. LSU and Oklahoma are both after him. I thought he was one of the most impressive guys I watched Wednesday. He's got a lot of juice in his arm and exudes confidence in it. He's a guy I could see putting up big numbers in major college football. 'I was high on his tape coming in,' Nall said. 'I could tell the competitive temperament that he has. I think the sky is the limit for that kid.' • Clemson commit Tait Reynolds came into the event as a three-star prospect, ranked the No. 26 QB by 247Sports. Expect him to jump up the rankings. The 6-2, 220-pounder from Arizona is intriguing. He's got this big, muscled-up frame and looks like a guy who really knows his way around a squat rack, but he threw and moved much more fluidly than most of the coaches expected. Advertisement • Jeff Brohm has long proven to be one of the brightest minds in football, and it seems like he's ahead of the curve when it comes to Louisville commit Briggs Cherry. He came into the event ranked No. 84 on 247Sports' QB board. I suspect the 6-4, 210-pounder from Tennessee will soar up a few dozen spots after this week. His accuracy was really impressive Wednesday and Thursday. 'He absolutely shredded it in 7-on-7,' Nall said. 'It was absolutely one of the best performances in this format that I've ever seen. He didn't miss a throw.' • Jett Thomalla, who made news at the start of the week when he flipped from Iowa State to Alabama, also really impressed me. The 6-4, 210-pound four-star from Nebraska is a really good basketball player who's thrown down some eye-catching dunks. That athleticism shows up on the field. He's a big, rangy kid who was firing the ball downfield effortlessly and also displayed some deft touch, floating the ball in on big bucket throws. In addition, he displayed a good demeanor. • Helaman Casuga, a 6-1, 220-pound four-star committed to Texas A&M, was one of the most accurate QBs at the event. The coaches said he loves Tagovailoa, and you do see some of that in him. • USC commit Jonas Williams finished the week with a flurry. He made one spectacular deep throw on a corner route that beat double coverage for a touchdown, one of seven TD passes he threw in the 7-on-7 competition. The 6-1, 215-pound four-star from Illinois definitely improved his stock. (Photo of Keisean Henderson courtesy of Elite 11)
