Prep talk: Moving forward despite destruction from fires
At first, Loyola High's scheduled basketball game against Beverly Hills on Saturday was canceled because of concerns for families affected by the fires in Los Angeles. Then Beverly Hills coach Jarvis Turner heard that Loyola wanted to play to help players move forward. And the game happened.
"I was very appreciative of coach Turner," Loyola coach Damaine Powell said. "It was beautiful. I saw a few smiles. I saw some happy faces. Everyone could have some distractions from real life."
Loyola is hoping to resume Mission League play this week with games against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Sierra Canyon. A meeting of athletic directors is scheduled for Monday.
Read more: 'It's overwhelming.' Loyola High students moved by donations after their homes burned
St. Francis coach Todd Wolfson, whose campus has been dealing with a variety of issues because of the Eaton fire in the Altadena/Pasadena area, said one family moved to a rental house in Palm Springs so another family affected by the fires could have a place to stay. He said coaches have been offering gym time if needed.
Palisades girls' basketball coach Adam Levine said many coaches have been offering practice time for his team, which doesn't know when or if its gym will be available anytime soon. Palisades High is mostly intact but damage to the campus has led to the start of the spring semester being delayed until Jan. 21.
Read more: Southern California braces for latest threat of extreme fire weather
"Over 40 coaches from other programs have reached out asking how they can help out," Levine said. "We are overwhelmed by the support of the basketball community."
Palisades' boys and girls teams will resume their seasons this week with league games.
Palisades quarterback Jack Thomas lost his home. He and his family are living with a relative.
"We're scrambling to find a new place to restart," he said.
Thomas said he hopes to remain at Palisades but wants the school to make an announcement regarding the future of its sports teams.
Update from Brentwood School on impact of fires. pic.twitter.com/IGTfhcuJ83
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) January 13, 2025
Brentwood School has confirmed that more than 50 families have lost their homes. The campus will be closed this week. The Gold Coast League, made up of Brentwood, Windward, Crossroads, Campbell Hall and Viewpoint, has canceled basketball and soccer matches for Tuesday and will meet on Tuesday to discuss the rest of the week.
Read more: Palisades basketball teams make campus escape before fire; LAUSD cancels games, practices
The Los Angeles Unified School District has reopened most schools for Monday but will not allow practices or games. …
Anaheim Canyon and San Gabriel Academy are scheduled to play nonleague boys' and girls' basketball games at Intuit Dome on Monday starting at 12:30 p.m.
Richard Dunn of Hamilton had terrific freshman football season. pic.twitter.com/Zheed5TBrP
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) January 12, 2025
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.