It’s not too surprising that Johann and Jennifer Clapp’s new house was designed with kids in mind, considering that Johann is one of the principals of Irvine-based ThreeSixty Group, which sells toys and consumer products and is in the process of bringing the iconic FAO Schwartz toy store back to New York City. The family has its own built-in toy testers at home, with an 11-year-old daughter and 9-year-old twins (a boy and a girl). Those three were the catalysts that led the Clapps to leave their Laguna Beach house and build a kid-friendly custom-designed residence in Newport Beach’s Dover Shores.

“Our kids go to school in Costa Mesa,” Jennifer Clapp explains. “After years of me driving back and forth from Laguna to here, we decided we were going to move closer. So we bought this house mainly for the lot, because we were looking – for quite awhile – for a place in Dover Shores that had some kind of lot that we could have a swimming pool and have an area for the kids.”

And there was another big motivation for the Clapps to transition to a larger living space. “The kids didn’t have their own bedrooms in Laguna,” Jennifer says. “The whole family, we’d always slept in the same room. It was a pretty big room. They had their bunk beds and we had our bed. So we wanted to give them all their own rooms.”

Initially, the Clapps thought the existing 2,700-square-foot Dover Shores house would work to meet those needs, but then everything changed.

“We were just going to renovate it the beginning,” she recalls. “Just add maybe a second story and just keep it as is. Then when we started to get into the construction a little bit, we found there was a lot of mold, so it just made more sense to tear the whole house down.”

That’s when the couple enlisted the services of Costa Mesa-based Teale Architecture, with the team of Mark Teale as architect and Laleh Shafiezadeh as interior designer, to create a 4,700-square-foot house (5,500 including the three-car garage) which Teale calls a “tropical contemporary design.” Landscape architect Don Henry of Newport’s Village Green Landscape Management tackled the backyard transformation, working closely with Johann Clapp to bring to life his vision of a Mexican resort-influenced playground for both children and adults.

“Johann knew what he wanted for every element outside. He would come back from a business trip and say ‘We need to have this in our yard.’ That’s where the idea for the palapa came from. He knew what he wanted for the hot tub. He knew how he wanted the pool and the slide designed. He handpicked every single plant and knew where every plant should be placed,” Jennifer says with a chuckle. “He did the outside and I did the inside, with Mark and Laleh.”

But despite those divide-and-conquer responsibilities, the house is very much a melding of indoor and outdoor spaces. “The use of wood and the connection to the landscape, the connection to inside/ outside and how open the house is to the yard helps define the tropical South Pacific contemporary feel of the house,” Teale says. “The volume ceilings and the tall ceilings – those varied ceiling shapes – are common in that architecture as well, and add to the overall soft contemporary feel.”

A sweeping staircase leads up to the second floor, where the home’s kid focus comes into clear view. “We have basically a kid’s wing,” Jennifer Clapp says with a delighted grin. “Our room is on the opposite side of the house. All three have their own rooms, each with bunk beds and a trundle bed, because we thought that they were not going to want to sleep in their own rooms right away.”

Teale also designed a “secret passageway” between the two girls’ rooms, a sliding door in the headboard/wall of the older girl’s room that connects to the bed of the younger, done at her request. “She was like, ‘I really don’t know if I could have my own room,’” Jennifer recalls. “So I said, ‘We’ve got to figure this out for her.’”

“This house is built around these three kids,” Shafiezadeh says. “I’ve never seen anybody do that much detail for the kids’ rooms. I think I spent more time on the kids’ rooms than on the kitchen!”

The Clapps kept the children away from the house until it was completed, then did a big reveal, showing the kids their own special bedrooms at the same time. “It was amazing. They couldn’t believe it. They were just so excited,” Jennifer happily recalls. “And all three have slept there ever since, every night. Not even one time did they get out of bed and come down the hall to us. They love their rooms.” ■

Yorba Linda Teen earns Eagle ranking

Nicholas Chase Pittman, 16, of Yorba Linda, recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout – the highest advancement rank within the Boy Scouts of America.

Pittman is a member of Boy Scout Troop 99, sponsored by the Yorba Linda Sunrise Rotary Club under the leadership of Scoutmaster Shane Adams.

For his Eagle Scout Service Project  he chose to benefit Help for Brain Injured Children, or HBIC, in La Habra. Pittman designed, engineered and provided leadership to build six garden cages that not only keep the critters out, but allowed for ample sunshine and easy access for the students to continue to use the gardens as part of their ongoing curriculum and life skills training.

— Submitted by Charlie Pittman

Fullerton Family YMCA raises almost $53,000 for youth programs

YMCA of Orange County recently hosted its annual Crab Feast and Auction Under the Stars at the Fullerton Family YMCA, raising $52,893. Proceeds will benefit the YMCA’s community after-school programs in Fullerton, Yorba Linda and Placentia. The YMCA supports programs at the Richman Neighborhood Center, Villa Plumosa and Oakcrest Terrace centers in hopes of providing more programming to the youth and families in the community, officials said.

La Habra native serving the Navy

A 2018 La Habra High School graduate and city native is serving in the U.S. Navy at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, home to the U.S. Navy’s newest maritime, patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Ramirez is a Navy yeoman serving with Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11. A Navy yeoman is responsible for performing various administrative and clerical duties.

“I like that I get to meet everyone in the command,” Ramirez said. “I’m in customer service so I get a chance to meet everyone.”

— Submitted by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jerry Jimenez, Navy Office of Community Outreach

Richman students have place to skate

Richman Elementary School in Fullerton has a new inline skating rink, thanks to the Anaheim Ducks.

An Anaheim Ducks S.C.O.R.E. Power Play program grant helped build the outdoor rink. The program uses hockey to promote education, encourage healthy and active living, reinforce the importance of positive character building, and reward youth for their dedication of pursing academic excellence, officials said. The program is funded by the Anaheim Ducks Foundation, the NHL and the NHLPA.

Alzheimer’s Orange County honors La Palma caregiver

Alzheimer’s Orange County recently honored Theresa Jenkins of La Palma for the extraordinary care she has provided to her husband who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at 54, while simultaneously taking care of her family as the breadwinner.

Jenkins was among several recognized at the nonprofit’s 12th annual Visionary Women Caregivers Luncheon. She was honored in the Family Caregiver category, which fetes those family members who are on the frontlines (present or past) of providing compassionate care to a loved one with Alzheimer’s or a related form of dementia.

“Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s can be an intensely emotional journey,” said Jim McAleer, AOC CEO and president. “We were honored to recognize these incredible individuals who selflessly pour their hearts and energy into improving the lives of those who can no longer care for themselves.”

Alzheimer’s Orange County provides programs and services, free of charge, to Orange County residents with Alzheimer’s and related dementia disorders, their families, caregivers, and the community.

— Submitted by Chau Vuong

4th Degree Exemplification of the Knights of Columbus

Paul Deis and John Rodenbour of the St. Boniface Church in Anaheim and Wilford Cruz and John Clark of St. Mary’s Church in Fullerton recently received the Fourth Degree Exemplification of the Knights of Columbus. It’s the highest degree of the order.

They were among about 300 recipients who now have the honor of being called “Sir Knight” and whose responsibilities include escorting the bishop during visits to local churches, attending funeral masses for brother Knights and engaging and inspiring patriotic Catholicism.

The primary purpose of the Fourth Degree is to foster the spirit of patriotism by promoting responsible citizenship and a love of and loyalty to the Knights’ respective countries through membership in local Fourth Degree groups called Americans. There are close to 1.2 million Knights of Columbus throughout the world.

The Bravo! section highlights achievements of our residents and groups. Send news of achievements for consideration to ocrbravo@gmail.com.

Who: British-born James Thistlethwaite now calls Laguna Beach home. He earned his BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design and his MFA in painting from Laguna College of Art and Design. His early art emphasized figurative drawing; Thistlethwaite was very fortunate to encounter studio assistant positions and have as mentors acclaimed figurative artists like Kent Twitchell, Kehinde Wiley, Lucy Sparrow and street artist Ben Eine, all of whom have had a profound influence on the direction of his art and career path.

What: Thistlethwaite’s most recent and largest feat to date is his 28’ x 32’ hand-drawn charcoal mural that is on display just off 845 Laguna Canyon Road, a short distance up the road from the Festival of the Arts. Thistlethwaite’s mural stands as the largest hand-drawn charcoal mural in the United States (and is second in the world only by a few square feet to one in Colombia.) The impressive mural is the result of a fine collaboration among Laguna Creative Ventures, Seven Degrees, Torrey Cook and Ben Rubin.

How: Hours upon hours of drawing, coupled with a bit of insight shared by veteran Los Angeles muralist Kent Twitchell.

Hopes: “There is a lot more I would love to accomplish. But right now the goal is to keep going bigger and keep getting better. I am never really satisfied with my work and I want to keep improving my craft. I am currently pursuing a few different opportunities that will allow me to create a mural vastly larger than the one in Laguna.”

:: jamesthistlethwaite.com :: thesummerofcolor.com

In this Horse of the Year debate, which has intensified since Accelerate’s Breeders’ Cup Classic victory last weekend, let’s establish one undeniable fact.

Justify and Accelerate are worthy of the award. Both had excellent seasons and are championship horses.

But Eclipse Award voters must choose one or the other. They can’t split their votes. I would have loved to split my vote in 2009 and had Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra share Horse of the Year, but you can’t do it. Of course, Rachel Alexandra ultimately won the award. Zenyatta won it the following year.

This year, strong cases can be made for Justify and Accelerate. Both won multiple Grade I races, both traveled out of their comfort zones and won, and both demonstrated superiority over their rivals. Neither one could have done anything more than asked of them.

For instance, consider Accelerate’s resume:

* Won six of his seven starts, including five Grade I victories. He was, far and away, the best older male horse in the nation this year.

* Four of his victories came at the taxing distance of a mile and one quarter, not an easy feat. For example, the connections for a horse as good as City of Light opted for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile over the Classic because of the added distance.

* Joined Lava Man and Game On Dude as only the third horse to sweep California’s Big Three – the Santa Anita Handicap, Gold Cup and Pacific Classic – in the same year.

Now, a look at Justify’s record:

* He broke the 135-year Apollo Curse (winning the Derby without racing as a 2-year-old) after his career debut at Santa Anita (Feb. 18) less than three months earlier.

* The son of Scat Daddy won all six of his starts, including four Grade I races in 112 days at four different distances in four states. Think about that for a few seconds. That’s incredible. Even more so when you consider he was so inexperienced.

* Not only did he become the sport’s 13th Triple Crown winner, but he’s the first undefeated Triple Crown champion.

Take away one of the two horses and the other is quite possibly a unanimous Horse of the Year.

I’m going to cast my vote for Justify, and here’s why:

* While Accelerate enjoyed a fantastic year, Justify’s campaign was historic. None of us may ever see another Justify in our lifetimes.

* Justify brought more attention to the sport than Accelerate, and that’s not a minor consideration. In an era where the sport’s popularity has waned, we want people talking about horse racing.

For instance, in the week leading up to the Belmont Stakes, a prominent radio talk-show host had Nick Zito on his show to talk about the Triple Crown. No way Zito’s on the show if the Triple Crown hadn’t been up for grabs.

There’s one other factor in play: Accelerate did lose a race and Justify didn’t.

City of Light, who easily disposed of his competition in the Dirt Mile, beat Accelerate at a mile and an eighth in the Oaklawn Handicap on April 14. Accelerate turned the tables on May 26, easily getting the best of City of Light in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita.

This is a Horse of the Year race in which there is no loser. If there is a loser, it’s Monomoy Girl. The 3-year-old filly, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, would be a major player for the award if there had been no dominant males this year. She put together a stellar campaign that would have included six Grade I victories if not for her disqualification in the Cotillion Stakes at Parx on Sept. 22.

So the Horse of the Year debate will rage on until the winner is announced Jan. 24 during the Eclipse Awards dinner at Gulfstream Park. It will get nasty on social media, one side knocking the other’s shortcomings, of which there are really none.

But if you want a really juicy debate, how about this one: Who’s the best female grass horse in the world, Enable or Winx?

I’m not going there.

Follow Art Wilson on Twitter at @Sham73

Mike Trout won one of the American League’s Silver Slugger awards on Thursday, the sixth time in his seven full seasons he’s been honored.

The Silver Slugger is awarded to the best offensive player in each league, at each position.

Trout hit .312 with 39 homers and a major-league leading 1.088 OPS. He also led the majors with a .460 on-base percentage, and a league-leading 122 walks.

Trout is also one of the top three for the American League MVP award, which will be revealed on Thursday.

Trout extended his Angels record by winning his sixth Silver Slugger. Vladimir Guerrero won four.

Walt Disney Co. delivered fourth-quarter sales and earnings that beat analysts’ projections, fueled by the entertainment behemoth’s movies and theme parks.

Films such as “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and “Incredibles 2” more than doubled movie profit for the Burbank-based company. The company’s theme parks, meanwhile, benefited from the busy summer travel season, attracting more free-spending guests.

Those businesses are helping Disney continue to grow as Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger tries to steer his largest division, television, toward a new future built around streaming. The company is creating new online video services and buying much of 21st Century Fox Inc. for $71 billion to bulk up its web-based programming in a looming faceoff with Netflix.

A new family-oriented streaming service will be called Disney+, Iger said on a call with investors. ESPN’s subscriber losses are moderating, he said earlier on CNBC.

Disney rose as much as 3.2 percent in extended trading after the announcement. The shares had advanced 7.9 percent this year as of the close in New York Thursday.

Earnings rise

Earnings grew to $1.48 a share, excluding some items, in the quarter ended Sept. 29, the company said Thursday. That exceeded the average estimate of $1.34. Revenue climbed 12 percent to $14.3 billion and also beat Wall Street projections.

Disney is dominating the movie industry again this year on the strength of films from its Marvel, Pixar and Lucasfilm business. In the last quarter, Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” led the way, with global ticket sales of $1.24 billion, according to Box Office Mojo.

That lifted revenue by 50 percent for the film division, the company said. The company’s grip on movie fans will only tighten with the pending takeover of Fox assets next year. That deal will bring “Avatar” sequels, the X-Men and “Planet of the Apes” movies under Disney’s wing.

Disney’s parks attracted more visitors and coaxed guests to spend more during the summer vacation stretch, boosting revenue by 9 percent to $5.07 billion and profit by 11 percent.

TV, Disney’s biggest business, managed to grow as well, helped by higher sales of TV shows and the fees that the ABC network gets from pay-TV providers. That countered weaker results from cable networks that are investing heavily in streaming. That will likely be a focus of Iger’s call when he discusses results.

LOS ANGELES — Chip Kelly got an early chance to scout Arizona State receiver N’Keal Harry this summer. Harry was one of Arizona State’s representatives at Pac-12 media day in July, and when the first-year UCLA coach walked by the third-year Sun Devil receiver in Hollywood, it didn’t take long for Kelly to realize the challenge ahead.

“N’Keal Harry is probably the best receiver that we’ll face all year long,” Kelly said as the Bruins prepare to face Arizona State on Saturday.

This is a coach whose defense has already faced Oklahoma’s Marquise Brown and CeeDee Lamb, Fresno State’s KeeSean Johnson and Colorado’s Laviska Shenault. But the 6-foot-4, 213-pound Harry combines elite athleticism and size matched by few others.

“He can dominate in one-on-one coverage because even if he’s covered, he can still go make a play,” Kelly said. “He’s got really good speed for a guy that size and he’s got tremendous ball skills, so he’s as good a receiver as we’ll face all season, to be honest with you.”

Harry ranks third in the Pac-12 in receptions per game (6.1) and second in receiving yards per game (92). The star junior had three touchdowns on 161 receiving yards in Arizona State’s win over Utah last weekend.

Although their secondary was considered their best position group this season, the Bruins (2-7, 2-4 Pac-12) struggled against some elite receivers this season. Brown, a 5-foot-10 dynamo who was blanketed mostly by Darnay Holmes, was held to 88 yards on four receptions, but the 6-foot-2 Lamb broke through with 164 yards on seven catches. Johnson, listed at 6-foot-1, had eight catches for 85 yards against the Bruins in their loss to Fresno State, and the 6-foot-2 Shenault torched UCLA for 162 yards and 12 catches.

When asked of how the Bruins can deal with another physically imposing receiver this weekend, safety Adarius Pickett didn’t seem worried.

“You line it up,” Pickett said. “You play football. It’s no scariness, no backing down.”

Old habits

Kelly said the Bruins dropped six passes against Oregon, their second consecutive six-drop game. The first-year head coach said the team has been “pretty good” over the season with drops, but they’ve “reared their ugly heads” in the past two games, both losses that quickly squashed any momentary enthusiasm felt from a two-game winning streak.

“When you’re playing in a close game like we played, you have a drop and it gets magnified,” Kelly said.

He reiterated that the solution is focusing on simple fundamentals: looking the catch through the tuck and not running before the ball arrives or reaching out to catch the ball instead of waiting to body-catch it.

“It’s definitely something that we’ve been struggling with all year but also something that kinda just comes and goes,” receiver Christian Pabico said of the receivers group’s collective confidence after struggling with drops in each of the past two games.

“You’re gonna have drops, you’re gonna have mistakes. We’re still kinda figuring ourselves out as an entire team, so it’s just something that we’ve been having a little bit of trouble with but definitely something we’ve been trying to focus on.”

The first person shot by the tall man in the black hood was working security outside the nightclub’s front door, boosting the odds that what he planned next would not be interrupted.

After that, around 11 p.m. Wednesday, witnesses say Ian David Long seemed to act randomly. The 28-year-old Marine veteran simply walked through the Borderline Bar & Grill and seemed to point his Glock .45 and shoot whatever and whoever caught his eye.

When the carnage was over, 12 victims and the shooter were dead. The victims included a Ventura County Sheriff’s deputy, Sgt. Ron Helus, who ran into the club when he received a radio call about shots. At least a dozen others were injured.

Police and sheriff’s deputies from a half-dozen nearby agencies entered the club at about 11:40 p.m., finding bodies of victims, and Long, who authorities said took his own life. They also found survivors huddled in restrooms and the club’s attic, still avoiding the shooter.

“Like Hell,” was how Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean answered when asked how the scene looked when authorities entered.

Many of the dead were young adults. The country-themed Borderline promoted Wednesday as “College Night,” and many of the estimated 150 to 200 people inside as the mass shooting unfolded are students at nearby colleges, including Cal Lutheran, Pepperdine, Moorpark and Cal State Channel Islands. At least some also are survivors of another mass shooting – the 2017 massacre at the Route 91 Harvest Festival music show in Las Vegas, which took 58 lives.

One of those at the club, possibly the man shot first by Long, was Justin Meek, 22, a recent graduate of Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

The school confirmed Meek’s death Thursday. And at least some social media reports said he was working as the club’s bouncer on Wednesday night, adding that he saved “multiple lives, trying to get people out… after being shot first at the door.”

Though Ventura County Sheriff Dean said it was unclear if Long had guns other than the Glock with him during the rampage, he confirmed that Long used at least one other weapon during the attack – a smoke bomb.

Survivors said the smoke and noise added to the chaos, and suggested that was Long’s intent.

“At one point, when I was on the ground, I turned around and saw a smoke bomb … a lot of sparks and just smoke,” said Sarah DeSon, a student at Cal Lutheran who was in the club when the shooting started.

“I said, ‘OK, someone had a plan to kill a lot of people.’”

Moments later, DeSon said she got out of the club and started running. At one point she fell down and, while on the ground, her panic rose.

“I thought, ‘What if he’s behind you? If he is, you’re dead.’”

As DeSon and others sneaked out through the club’s doors, others escaped Long by using barstools to break windows crawl through the openings.

Witnesses suggested some survivors, such as Meek and Sgt. Helus, also tried to help other victims.

A woman outside the club said she saw survivors huddled behind bushes and cars, including some who she described as “half-naked” because they’d used their clothing to slow the bleeding of others who had been shot.

Others said some of the five off-duty officers who were in the club at the time of the incident also worked to help victims and protect others from being shot. One parent of a survivor said an officer stood between Long and some patrons. It’s unclear if the officer survived.

The massacre – the worst in the United States in only the past 12 days – provoked sympathy and response from around the country.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who on Tuesday was elected to be the state’s next governor, ordered all flags at half-staff in California. And President Donald Trump used Twitter to thank law enforcement specifically, writing “Great bravery shown by police…  God bless all of the victims and families of the victims…. “

I have been fully briefed on the terrible shooting in California. Law Enforcement and First Responders, together with the FBI, are on scene. 13 people, at this time, have been reported dead. Likewise, the shooter is dead, along with the first police officer to enter the bar….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 8, 2018

….Great bravery shown by police. California Highway Patrol was on scene within 3 minutes, with first officer to enter shot numerous times. That Sheriff’s Sergeant died in the hospital. God bless all of the victims and families of the victims. Thank you to Law Enforcement.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 8, 2018

Trump was referencing Helus and an as-yet unidentified officer with the California Highway Patrol, who were the first two to arrive at the scene following numerous 911 calls.

Sheriff Dean said Helus was talking to his wife over the phone, as he did several times a shift, when he learned of the 911 calls from the club, telling her “I gotta go, I love you.”

When they got to the club, Helus and the CHP officer heard gunshots and both entered. Once inside, Dean said the pair “immediately exchanged gunfire” with the shooter. When Helus was struck multiple times, the CHP officer pulled him out to try to save his life. Helus later was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Dean – who will leave his elected position as Ventura County Sheriff on Friday – said Helus, 54, was a 29-year veteran who planned to retire next year. He is survived by his wife and adult son.

It’s unclear if Long had a coherent motive, but Dean said he didn’t think the choice to shoot at the Borderline was completely random.

In April, Dean said, his officers were called to Long’s home, in Newbury Park, because Long was acting “somewhat irate, a little irrationally.” But the deputies and a mental health crew also called to the scene didn’t feel at the time that Long was qualified to be taken in on an involuntary hold.

Neighbors said Long, who lived in Orange County before moving to Newbury Park, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Marine Corps said Thursday that Long had been deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and served as a machine gunner. At the time that Long served, the Marine Corps was sustaining heavy casualties in the region. Long had two military service awards, including one that military officials say is given only for “outstanding heroism in action.”

Many who survived Long’s rampage described it as a battle, of sorts.

DeSon, who saw the smoke bomb, said she was “grateful, so grateful,” to have survived. She added that her plan was to go home and, once there, “I’m giving my family a lot of hugs.”

CAL AT USC

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: The Coliseum

TV/Radio: ESPN; 1110 AM and 99.1 FM

Records: USC (5-4 overall, 4-3 Pac-12); Cal (5-4, 2-4)

CAL STATS

QB Chase Garbers: 97 of 150, 1,007 yards, 10 TDs, 5 INTs

RB Patrick Laird: 160 carries, 700 yards, 5 TDs

WR Vic Wharton III: 40 catches, 394 yards, 0 TDs

LB Jordan Kunaszyk: 103 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles

LB Evan Weaver: 96 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks

Cal injury report: QUESTIONABLE: WR Kanawai Noa (shoulder), WR Brandon Singleton (undisclosed), WR Jordan Duncan (undisclosed), LB Evan Rambo (undisclosed)

Cal wins if: The stingy defense that helped the Bears upset Washington without scoring an offensive touchdown paves the way again. … Senior running back Patrick Laird takes advantage of USC’s rushing defense, which has been vulnerable at times. … The Golden Bears are due for a win after 14 consecutive losses to USC.

USC STATS

QB JT Daniels: 138 of 244, 1,806 yards, 9 TDs, 7 INTs

RB Aca’Cedric Ware: 90 carries, 646 yards, 6 TDs

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown: 38 catches, 505 yards, 2 TDs

LB John Houston: 57 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 5 pass break-ups

LB Cameron Smith: 52 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 4 pass break-ups

USC injury report: OUT: WR Michael Pittman (shoulder), RB Stephen Carr (ankle), CB Greg Johnson (shoulder), S Talanoa Hufanga (collarbone), OLB Porter Gustin (ankle), QB Matt Fink (ribs) QUESTIONABLE: CB Iman Marshall (ankle/foot), CB Olaijah Griffin (shoulder), LB Levi Jones (hip)

USC wins if: The offensive performance at Oregon State isn’t a blip. … Freshman quarterback JT Daniels isn’t overwhelmed by Justin Wilcox’s defense and avoids interceptions. … The Trojans’ front seven provides the kind of pressure it did in wins over Oregon State and Colorado.

PREDICTION

USC 24, Cal 21

When USC coach Clay Helton took over play-calling from offensive coordinator Tee Martin last week, the move raised the stakes for the rest of the season.

That includes Saturday night’s game against Cal.

Helton will call plays against Justin Wilcox, the Golden Bears’ head coach who also calls plays for their defense, pitting them against each other for the first time.

The coaches have some history. They were previously assistants on Steve Sarkisian’s coaching staff at USC for two seasons, with Helton as the offensive coordinator and Wilcox as the defensive coordinator. Wilcox was not retained by Helton.

Wilcox has orchestrated a defensive turnaround since he arrived last season, and Cal is 19th in the nation in total defense through 10 weeks this fall.

In Helton’s season debut as a play-caller last week in a 38-21 win at Oregon State, the Trojans pieced together their best offensive showing, tallying a season-high 509 total yards, an effort they hoped would spawn a turnaround after struggles through the first two months of the season.

Saturday’s coaching showdown will impact whether the Trojans can extend their winning streak over Cal to 15 games and remain alive in the jumbled Pac-12 South Division race.

“When you go against another guy, you know tendencies,” Helton said. “You can get a feel for his philosophy and his aggressiveness rather than it’s your first time. I guess that plays into it a little bit. But it’ll be more about how players execute on both sides, his kids and our kids.”

When USC faced Cal last season in Wilcox’s first year at the helm, Martin was the Trojans’ primary play-caller.

Helton said he looked forward to re-connecting with Wilcox and other former USC assistants before kickoff. Cal quarterbacks coach Marques Tuiasosopo and linebackers coach Peter Sirmon were also on Sarkisian’s staff.

“It’s always fun to compete against friends,” Helton said. “It’s a friendly rivalry. But at the end of the day, it’s about trying to go out and get another Pac-12 win.”

USC is 5-4 overall and 4-3 in conference, needing a win to at least remain in a tie for first place in the South Division.

WHEN USC HAS THE BALL

While the Trojans scored plenty of points in last week’s win at Oregon State, it came with a caveat.

The scoring outburst was against the Pac-12’s worst defense.

Wilcox’s unit, which is second behind Utah in total defense and first in pass defense, will be formidable and also serve as a better barometer for whether the Trojans’ offense has improved.

Helton believes the Trojans found the right formula at Oregon State. They ran 44 times and finished with a season-high 332 yards, relying more on the backfield tandem of Aca’Cedric Ware and Vavae Malepeai than the arm of freshman quarterback JT Daniels.

“When you look at us offensively, every time we ran the ball well, it’s been a good night,” Helton said. “Not to say JT can’t go out there and throw it 60 times. He’s done that in his career, but when we’re able to run the ball effectively and get him some more advantage coverages rather than two-high or two-man or drop-eight it helps a quarterback.”

The other game in Helton’s mind was a late September win at Arizona when they ran a season-high 47 times for 253 yards.

In both wins, Ware led the Trojans on the ground, including a career-high 205 rushing yards and three touchdowns last week.

Wilcox remarked this week that Ware, a senior, has “got better and better the more he’s played.”

The Trojans’ passing game will already be down one playmaker, as leading receiver Michael Pittman will be sidelined with a bone bruise in his shoulder. Pittman has a team-best six touchdown receptions, providing a rangy 6-foot-4 target for Daniels.

There is a challenge for the Trojans against Cal’s pass defense. Helton noted that Wilcox likes to disguise coverages and said his defense was a “nightmare” for quarterbacks.

WHEN CAL HAS THE BALL

The Golden Bears have had some moving parts at quarterback this season, starting three different passers.

Incumbent Ross Bowers started the season opener, then was replaced by redshirt freshman Chase Garbers. During a pair of losses in October, Brandon Mcilwain, a transfer from South Carolina, took over for Garbers. Over the past three games, including a 12-10 upset of Washington, Garbers has started.

Garbers, a former Corona del Mar High standout, has managed to be the most effective of the bunch, but both he and McIlwain rotate and are also relied on for their running ability.

The Trojans’ defense has managed success this season when its has been able to pressure passers. USC had six sacks last week at Oregon State and five the previous week in a loss against Arizona State.

Cal has allowed 24 sacks this season. Only Oregon State has allowed more this season (42).

If USC’s secondary is to hold up, it will need senior cornerback Iman Marshall, who is a game-time decision due to an ankle and foot sprain.

Helton said this week that Marshall was “having an All-American season.”

Marines from nearby Camp Pendleton were celebrated Friday, Nov. 9, during a homecoming parade that stretched through San Clemente and ended at Park Semper Fi.

The Marines, assigned to the 2nd Battalion/4th Marines, were recognized for their recent six-month deployment to Australia.

While deployed, the Marines trained and partnered with the Australian Defense Force to strengthen their alliance in the Indo-Pacific region. It was the largest group – nearly 1,600 Marines – sent to Australia in the seven years of the joint training effort.

“(It was) a validation of America and Australia’s 100 years of mateship,” said Lt. Col. Warren Cook Jr., commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion/4th Marines. “I’d like to thank all the Marines who made the deployment a success through their hard work and dedication to our mission.”

About 2,000 community members lined the road and cheered as Marines and classic cars carrying retired Marines who served with the battalion traveled along Avenda Del Mar to the Pier Bowl. The event not only celebrated their homecoming, but also acknowledged Veterans Day and the Marine Corps birthday on Nov. 10.

The memorial held at the end of the parade route was sponsored by the Heritage of San Clemente Foundation and the city.

The battalion, based at San Mateo at Camp Pendleton’s north end, was adopted by the city in 1996. San Clemente was one of the first cities in the nation to adopt a Marine unit. There have been two other parades in town in that time.

The community’s commitment “to our adopted unit, goes beyond parades, barbecues,” said former Mayor Wayne Eggleston, who is also the director of the Marine Monument at Park Semper Fi. “It is forever, supporting their military efforts and helping their families through the good and difficult times. Our community stands very proud in this commitment.”

A look at Rams players who were listed on the injury report this week (the Rams did not practice on Friday):

TODD GURLEY, running back

Injury: Rest

Participation status: Did not participate on Wednesday, full on Thursday

Official status: None

Will he play: Yes, he rested for one day.

JOHN SULLIVAN, offensive lineman

Injury: Rest

Participation status: Full on Wednesday, did not participate on Thursday

Official status: None

Will he play?: Yes, he rested one day, per usual.

ANDREW WHITWORTH, offensive lineman

Injury: Rest

Participation status: Full on Wednesday, did not participate on Thursday

Official status: None

Will he play?: Yes, he rested one day, per usual.

For 36 hours, her world was tossed into turmoil.

Even as college student Madison Means grieved Friday for four of her pals killed in the mass shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill, she was forced to react to another emergency: helping her sister suddenly leave home under mandatory evacuation orders as a wildfire approached.

On Friday morning, Means, 20, stood, dazed, outside a Thousand Oaks city building that had morphed into a wildfire evacuation center, in near disbelief of what the previous two days had brought.

“There’s so much going on that I don’t even have time to cope – your focus is on one tragedy and then you’re torn away to deal with this,” said Means, a Cal State Northridge senior majoring in hospitality.

Thousands of residents in Ventura County spent Friday scrambling to endure the back-to-back blows.

On Wednesday night, 28-year-old former Marine Ian David Long entered Borderline in Thousand Oaks and opened fire, killing 12 people and sending the tight-knit region into mourning. Then, on Friday the Woolsey fire grew to burn more than 14,000 acres, putting as many as 200,000 people in Ventura and Los Angeles counties under evacuation orders.

Near the center of Thousand Oaks, a local teen center transformed with the rest of the city. On Thursday, it was the site where families went to learn if their loved ones had been killed in the mass shooting. By Friday, it held scores of people whom the wildfire had forced from their homes.

Means first learned of the shooting early Thursday morning when she received several frantic phone calls checking to see if she was alive. Her regular haunt had just been the site of a shooting, she learned. Then came the cruel news: her friends, acquaintances, and line-dancing companions Justin Meek, Kristina Morisette, Sean Adler, and Telemachus Orfanos had all been killed.

Means said she met the victims at Borderline since she began visiting the space a few years ago. At the time, the bar was one of the safest places she could imagine.

“My mom would tell people, ‘I like it when she goes there because I can sleep and feel safe when she’s at Borderline,’” Means said.

“It hasn’t fully hit me yet,” she said of her slain friends. “It might when the fire settles down.”

Means said she doesn’t know what’s next after such a tumultuous few days. She does know one thing: She wants the Borderline community to remain tight. Before the shooting, a group of the bar’s employees and regulars had planned to jointly attend the Stagecoach country music festival next year. Despite all the chaos and loss — and in some ways because of it — she said she hopes they still go, together.

CLAREMONT — The La Canada girls tennis team on Friday won its first CIF Southern Section championship since 1977, as the Spartans defeated Aliso Niguel 13-5 at The Claremont Club to capture the Division 2 title.

It’s the first title for the Spartans (14-4) since 1977, when they defeated San Marino for the Division 3-A title.

“We lucked out that the draw really worked in our favor, that is usually the case in tennis – it doesn’t matter if it’s Wimbledon, the U.S. Open or high school tennis,” La Canada coach Will Moravec said. “For the longest time, we’ve been in limbo and we’ve had teams and good players coming out of La Canada, but the depth wasn’t there a lot of times to compete at the Division 1 level.”

Depth was not an issue on Friday, as the Spartans started fast, winning five of the six games. In singles, senior Sophia McKenzie faced one of the more talented freshmen in Orange County in Aliso Niguel’s Kei Kato. Both players struggled with serving, but it was McKenzie showed her grittiness in the final stages to win the set, 6-3.

“It was difficult at the start because it was the first match of the morning, and it was tough to get into the match,” McKenzie said. “My serve was an all-day thing, my first-serve percentage really depends on how focused I am. I wasn’t mentally into the match – towards the end I was finally dialing it in.”

Another key victory for La Canada in singles play came from Maya Urata. The freshman also showed some grit as she rallied from a 4-3 deficit to defeat Sasha Ozerets 7-5.

“It was a really good match – both of us really played well,” Urata said. “I was focused on what was happening in the now and not on the score or the outcome.”

Aliso Niguel coach Jeff Pinter said the Wolverines (18-6) had to play a perfect match to have any chances to defeat La Canada.

“We ran into a buzzsaw today, they were too much for us,” Pinter said of his team, which was making its first appearance in a CIF-SS final. “Usually the better teams win the close matches, and (La Canada) was the better team today.”

The momentum that La Canada created in the first round carried over to the second round. The Spartans opened up a 9-4 lead, thanks to sweep of the doubles matches, which included a win by Solenn Matuska and Natalie Son, who defeated Aliso’s Niguel’s Savannah Anderson and Jodie Huynh, 6-3.

“I told the girls before the match that this was a long journey. Like any other sport, playing elite teams, there are a lot of little steps,” Moravec said. “Playing Monrovia, Valencia, and Arcadia, those are steps that got us here.”

Urata clinched the title for the Spartans with a 6-0 win over Diane Lee.

“This feels really good,” McKenzie said. “Today was one of the most important (matches) that we played, just because it was a CIF championship. It just feels so awesome, and I am happy for all the girls on the team. We’ve worked hard for it.”

The Orange County high school sports schedule for Saturday, Nov. 10.

FOOTBALL

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS

Quarterfinals

DIVISION 1

Oaks Christian at JSerra, 7 p.m.

DIVISION 2

Calabasas at San Juan Hills, 7 p.m.

BOYS WATER POLO

CIF-SS CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Wm. Woollett Aquatic Center, Irvine

DIVISION 1

Championship

Newport Harbor vs. Harvard Westlake, 2:50 p.m.

Third place

Oaks Christian vs. Loyola, 2:50 p.m.

DIVISION 2

Foothill vs. Mira Costa, 12:10 p.m.

DIVISION 3

Servite vs. Los Osos, 4:10 p.m.

DIVISION 4

Capistrano Valley vs. Santa Monica, 10:50 a.m.

DIVISION 5

Brentwood vs. California, 5:45 p.m.

DIVISION 6

Tustin vs. Valley View, 1:30 p.m.

DIVISION 7

Baldwin Park vs. Cathedral, 9:30 a.m.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

CIF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONALS

Semifinals, 6 p.m. unless noted

OPEN DIVISION

Redondo Union at Mater Dei

Marymount at Torrey Pines

DIVISION I

Los Alamitos at Foothill

Bishop’s at Temecula Valley, 5 p.m.

DIVISION II

Garces Memorial at Quartz Hill

Culver City at Village Christian

DIVISION III

Paloma Valley at Ontario Christian

El Capitan at Sage Creek

DIVISION IV

Nordhoff at San Luis Obispo, 5 p.m.

Beaumont at San Dimas

DIVISION V

Mammoth at El Camino Real, 4 p.m.

High Tech at Venice

CROSS COUNTRY

CIF-SS CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Riverside City Cross Country Course

PRELIMINARIES

Divisions 1, 4, 5 — 7:45 a.m.

Scores and stats for the Orange County games on Friday, Nov. 9.

GIRLS TENNIS

CIF-SS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

At The Claremont Club

OPEN DIVISION

Campbell Hall 11, University 7

DIVISION 1

Mira Costa 13, Dana Hills 5

DIVISION 2

La Canada 13, Aliso Niguel 5

DIVISION 3

Huntington Beach 10, Laguna Beach 8

DIVISION 4

Bishop Montgomery 10, El Toro 8

DIVISION 5

Maranatha 12, Woodcrest Christian 6

The Woolsey Fire, an out-of-control wildfire that started in Ventura County and moved into Malibu, where it is consuming homes along the coastal community, began as a brush fire near the site of a partial nuclear meltdown at a laboratory in Simi Valley, officials said Friday.

This has raised concerns for some watchdog groups, neighbors and others who have called for a total cleanup of the site known as the Rocketdyne facility for many years. They worry the fire caused the spread of toxins into the air.

However, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control in Sacramento denied that the fire that burned through a portion of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory presented additional public health threats.

• See related fire stories here

The laboratory is the site of a series of nuclear reactor accidents, including a partial meltdown in the 1959, and a place where tens of thousands of rocket engine tests took place using propellants that are known carcinogens.

“The fire agencies responding to the fire have consulted with their own hazardous materials coordinator who is familiar with the site and determined the fire did not present any risks other than those normally present in a wildfire situation,” said the DTSC in a written response.

The state toxics agency said it is “actively monitoring the fire” but that the fire was no longer burning at the Rocketdyne facility, as of Friday evening. The DTSC emergency response staff is in contact with Ventura County authorities.

“Our scientists and toxicologists have reviewed information about the fire’s location and do not believe the fire has caused any releases of hazardous materials that would pose a risk to people exposed to the smoke,” according to the DTSC.

West Hills resident Melissa Bumstead, whose daughter has survived two bouts with leukemia that she blames on the SSFL facility, said she doesn’t trust DTSC’s quick assessment.

“DTSC repeatedly minimizes risk from SSFL and has broken every promise it ever made about the SSFL cleanup. Communities throughout the state have also been failed by DTSC. The public has no confidence in this troubled agency,” said Bumstead in a written response.

Dr. Robert Dodge, President of Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles, is also concerned.

“We know what substances are on the site and how hazardous they are. We’re talking about incredibly dangerous radionuclides and toxic chemicals such a trichloroethylene, perchlorate, dioxins and heavy metals,” Dodge said in a prepared statement.

The state agency says it will check out the air monitoring equipment around the defunct lab as soon as fire department officials allow access.

“DTSC will continue to update the communities around the SSFL site as new information becomes available about the site and the impacts of the fire.”

In its path of destruction from Agoura Hills to Malibu, the Woolsey fire has torn through notable, sometimes famous, Southern California locales, threatened scores of others and raised community concern about places dear to people’s hearts.

So far, the fire, which was sparked Thursday in the hills south of Simi Valley, has consumed more than 75,000 acres, burned 150 homes and forced 250,000 people from their homes.

With heavy winds threatening over the next few days, fire officials were scattered all over the region to hold the line against a giant blaze that is threatening people and property.

• Read related fire updates here

For some local landmarks, it was simply too late. And others came frighteningly close to the flames.

Western Town

The venerable old motion picture set in Agoura’s Paramount Ranch was destroyed by the fire.

“It’s a tremendous loss,” said Tommy Gelinas, curator and founder of the Valley Relics Museum. “It is in so many ways directly related to our pop cultural history. It’s a really sad day, a sad week… to lose something of that historical value.”

From the 1920s through to today, the site,  nestled between Kanan Road and Muholland Highway, south of the 101 Freeway —  was both a production ground for TV shows and films. In modern times, think HBO’s “Westworld” and in the 1990s, “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.”

Back in the last century, think Cecil B. Demille and actors like Bob Hope, Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert.

Reagan Ranch

ABC News reported that a portion of Reagan Ranch, now part of Malibu Creek State Park, was torched.

Ronald Reagan bought the 305-acre ranch in the Malibu Hills as a place to raise thoroughbred horses, according to an LA Times article back in 1989.

Back in the 1950s, when Reagan hosted TV’s “Death Valley Days,” it was reportedly a more rural retreat than his Pacific Palisades home.

The land ultimately became a retreat for hikers who liked to stroll the ranch’s meadows and oaks.

Flames engulf a portion of the Reagan Ranch, once owned by former Pres. Ronald Reagan, at Malibu Creek State Park as the Woolsey Fire has forced the city of Malibu to evacuate. https://t.co/Te4y8wbta9 pic.twitter.com/ezSTl391x4

— ABC News (@ABC) November 10, 2018

The Peter Strauss Ranch

The site, in the Aguora Hills, was full of oak woodlands, trails and an amphitheater. It was named for Emmy Award-winning actor Peter Strauss. It’s where, according to the National Park Service, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson performed in the 1950s.

But on Saturday, fans were lamenting its fate.

Santa Monica Mountains

The mountains near Malibu were also where the TV show M*A*S*H was filmed, and there was concern about that area as the Woolsey fire swept through the Malibu hills.

One report, from social media, noted that the fire had found its it way to camps near the former TV set.

The Fire has now swept all the way down to The Salvation Camp Crags and Gilmore sites near Malibu, not far from the MASH set. Thousands of underprivileged children attend camps there each year – fear of total loss. Hopefully sparedthough, won't know until the smoke settles. pic.twitter.com/DtBa0I0V8u

— Dalita Lovett (@DalitaBLovett) November 10, 2018

Santa Susana Laboratory

The fire itself started in an area that has a history, more notorious than beloved.

It began as a brush fire near the site of a partial nuclear meltdown at the Santa Susana Laboratory in Simi Valley.

The laboratory is the site of a series of nuclear reactor accidents, including a partial meltdown in the 1959, and a place where tens of thousands of rocket engine tests took place using propellants that are known carcinogens.

The burned through a portion of the site, but did not pose any additional public health threats.

Spared

Other places were spared, even though they may have come uncomfortably close to flames.

Pepperdine University in Malibu ordered its students and faculty to shelter in place Friday night, while the rest of the city was evacuating.

Ultimately, the fire had found its way on campus, though it didn’t do much damage there.

The Malibu Times ran a list of lucky locations on its Facebook page.

It included:

• The Malibu Jewish Center & Synagogue (no known damage);
• The Rock Store (a popular biker destination);
• Malibu Seafood (no known damage);
• And several other local churches, schools and stores.

Also, USA TODAY reported that the mansion at which the ABC-TV reality shows “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” survived.

LOS ANGELES — By his standards, Lou Williams was not hot.

The Clippers’ fill-it-up-off-the-bench guard had just four points entering the fourth quarter, when he added six more. In overtime, he had only two points — on the game-winning layup with 0.3 seconds left in a 128-126 overtime victory Saturday at Staples Center.

Rivers said that last play could’ve gone to Danilo Gallinari, too, but the coach said he didn’t hesitate to have Williams — who finished 5 for 15 — on the floor with the game in the balance.

“I thought he struggled,” Rivers said of Williams, twice the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, who entered Saturday as the league’s leading bench scorer, averaging 19.2 points per game.

“But I’ve been around too many other Lous in my world,” added Rivers, comparing Williams to another great scorer whom he coached with the Boston Celtics. “Ray Allen won a game for us when he was 0 for 13. He’s begging for the ball in the timeout for a last shot, and he makes a 3.

“Those type of guys are different, they really are, their confidence is different. I played the game for 13 years and I never had confidence. If I missed three shots in a row, I was under the table somewhere. But these guys, they think every miss means they’re closer to making 10 in a row, not missing 10 in a row.”

Williams also had a team-high 10 assists to go with five rebounds Saturday.

BLEDSOE AT HOME WITH BUCKS

By all accounts, former Clipper Eric Bledsoe is in a better place than he was a year ago.

The ninth-year guard has said he’s having a blast with the Bucks, whom he lifted into overtime Saturday against the Clippers with a 3-pointer with six seconds left in regulation.

Despite Saturday’s defeat, Bledsoe has been a key contributor for the Bucks as they’ve raced to their franchise’s best start since 1971 — a far cry from where he was with rebuilding Phoenix, where he was exiled following his viral “I Don’t wanna be here” tweet.

In 82 games since Milwaukee traded for him entering Saturday, Bledsoe was averaging 17.3 points and 5.2 assists. And, Coach Mike Budenholzer said, contributing important defense.

With Bledsoe on him, Damian Lillard scored just 13 points in a 118-103 loss to Portland. And in the Bucks’ 134-111 defeat of the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry put up only 10.

“It’s great to have a point guard who you feel every night … when you’re lining up and doing scouting reports … who can be special and be disruptive and hopefully limit some of these great point guards and make them have to work for everything they get,” Budenholzer said. “And I think he’s embraced his role.”

Bledsoe’s first three NBA seasons were with the Clippers, with whom he averaged 6.7 points and 3.0 assists.

STILL SIDELINED

The Clippers again played without defensive contributors Avery Bradley and Luc Mbah a Moute.

Bradley was sidelined for the third game with a sprained ankle; Mbah a Moute has missed eight straight with a sore knee.

Before the game, Rivers said he thought that they’re both “close” to returning.