The number of Orange County football teams still alive in the CIF-SS playoffs gets smaller each week, and so does the number of Student Sections battling for the weekly title of OCVarsity Student Section of the Week.

But the quality, on the field and in the stands, is impressive.

This week, for the CIF-SS quarterfinals, we saw a couple of great South County battles in the stands and two amazing examples of road warriors. (We know because they included the hashtag #ocvfans in their tweets.)

Of course, the road warriors were the two sections that OCVarsity ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the county this season.

Unfortunately, a few more county teams and student sections had their football seasons come to an end Friday. (The good news? Basketball season starts Monday — and we know the student sections will be back out in force for that, too.)

Here is a look at this week’s finalists and our OCVarsity Student Section of the Week for the quarterfinals.

FINALIST #1: MISSION VIEJO DIABLO INFERNO

The Inferno was lit again in their big home game against the top team in the county, Mater Dei.

The Diablos hosted Mater Dei in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. No controversial postgame quotes this time. (Coach Bob Johnson is an OG btw.) But a rowdy group of of students rocking the black and red of Mission Viejo were definitely needed.

Mission’s up 10-7! @ocvarsityguy @ocvarsity @missionfootball @missionfootball pic.twitter.com/lHaGfVoeRX

— Mission Viejo High School (@MVHS_Diablos) November 10, 2018

The Inferno turned it up a notch and went nuts during a 56-17 loss to the Monarchs.

It was a great way for the Diablo Inferno to to end football student section season – and a good sign for the basketball season.

FINALISTS #2: LOS ALAMITOS LOS LOCOS

Road Warriors. Los Locos took their show on the road again and dominated.

LOS AL LOCOS never stop waving the Griffin flag. LOS AL is the LOUDEST and the PROUDEST all the way to the end. THANK YOU SENIOR JAKE MAFFETT for giving us YOUR BEST BANG every week! We will miss you! #lahsactivities #ocvfans #losalfootball #losallocos @LosAlSongCheer pic.twitter.com/HrCq0Vi9cQ

— Los Al ASB (@asb_los) November 10, 2018

Rocking the school’s red and blue colors, Los Locos showed their love for the Griffins with their typical cheers and chants.

It was a great showing for Los Locos despite a 49-32 loss to Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks.

NOBODY PUTS A LOCO IN A CAGE!!!! WHAT’S THAT BLUE HAZE???? IT’S LOS AL! #bluehaze #losallocos #lahsactivities #ocvfans @SteveFryer @LosAlSongCheer @LosAlFootball @LosAlamitosHigh pic.twitter.com/B1h7gAK3cX

— Los Al ASB (@asb_los) November 10, 2018

The football season is over, but Los Locos is known to turn it up several notches for the basketball season.

FINALISTS #3: CAPO VALLEY CAGE

The Cage went to work Friday as their Cougars took on Santiago of Corona.

A sea of black went wild and rocked the stands. It was never ending for The Cage.

Toouucchhddoowwnn CAPO!!#WeAreCV #CvhsCage #ocvfans @SoCalSections @ocvarsity pic.twitter.com/JdvCSUs34r

— Capo Valley HS (@CapoValleyHS) November 10, 2018

In return, Capo Valley kept the season alive with a 28-20 victory.

It was one of those situations where The Cage was rattled underwater and the Shark paid the price.

Don’t rattle The Cage.

AND THE WINNER IS … THE VILLA PARK BLACK PACK

The Black Pack went on the road again — and they took a much larger group of kids this time.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!!!! The Villa Park BLACK PACK is pumped for tonight’s CIF ROUND 2 Football Game! 72 MILES won’t stop our SCHOOL SPIRIT!!! @vphs_football @dancich @vphsspirit @ocvarsity @CIFSS @CIFSS @vphsPride @VPSpartan @vphs_cheer @MAlvarez02 #ocvfans @SoCalSections pic.twitter.com/VqOcit1hOQ

— VP ASB (@VPasb) November 9, 2018

You couldn’t tell which side was the home side thanks to The Black Pack’s strong showing. The Saugus Blue Crew definitely had their work cut out for them.

It was a loud one at Saugus and The Black Pack never stopped cheering. The Spartans definitely heard their classmates loud and clear as they took the 32-15 victory.

The energy, the passion, and the dedication last night was so surreal. THANK YOU, to our students, our school, and our families who made the travel to support our team! Now….

Let’s get ready for the semi’s this Friday!!! WE ARE VILLA PARK #InItToWinIt #VillaParkStrong pic.twitter.com/OiiGFcT0nH

— VP Spartan Football (@vphs_football) November 10, 2018

The Black Pack has another battle next week against Grace Brethren of Simi Valley, but one thing is for sure: The Black Pack is the OCVarsity Student Section of the week for the third time season — and it keeps getting bigger and better.

Over 100 Students rode busses 75 miles to support OUR Football Team! OUR SPIRIT NEVER SLEEPS We had so much FUN!!!#CIFPostUp #ocvfans @CIFState @CIFSS @ocvarsity @SoCalSections @MAlvarez02 @vphsspirit @VPasb @VPHSathletics @OrangeUnifiedCA @vphs_cheer @vphs_football pic.twitter.com/09ihMIk9Qd

— VPHS PRIDE (@vphsPride) November 10, 2018

It’s a Black Pack party at home or on the road.

His hillside home smoldered but a handful of memories were spared.

As Shane Clark assessed his newly incinerated Bell Canyon property on Saturday – one of more than a dozen houses leveled in the community by the aggressive, wind-fueled Woolsey Fire – four pieces of paper offered solace.

Thoughtful firefighters snagged many of the 28-year-old accountant’s belongings, including his most important possession: four ultrasound images of Clark’s unborn son, which the first responders nabbed off the fridge right before flames engulfed the home.

“These are the only copies we have,” Clark said, as firefighters continued to spray water on his smoldering property. “We can rebuild, but the things they were able to take out were more valuable than the structure itself.”

“I’m very thankful for what they could do,” he said.

With his home smoldering behind him, Shane Clark talks about the ultrasounds that LA City firefighters rescued off his refrigerator door. #WoolseyFire #ocregister #scng #lafire #LAFires pic.twitter.com/rTVXok7eCl

— Kevin Sullivan (@sullikevphoto) November 11, 2018

No such memories were spared for some of Clark’s neighbors.

“Everything I have has turned to ash,” said Greg Meneshian, after surveying his house – what little was left of it – on Saturday, mere hours after the Woolsey Fire swept through Bell Canyon, torching his home to the ground.

As neighbors slowly returned to the eastern Ventura County hillside community on Saturday in the wake of the windswept blaze, many learned for the first time whether they still had a home. The fire had skittered cruelly through the area, leveling some 15 to 20 houses at random, while ignoring others entirely.

Chimneys and stone masonry stood bare next to charred cars. Hillside homes disappeared into avalanches of smoldering debris. Live gas lines burned freely, shooting flames into the air. A noxious smell of burnt plastic pervaded.

Meneshian first learned of the destruction via a text message video that showed his house ablaze. When he finally was able to survey the damage for himself, he said he could identify only three of his belongings. On Saturday, he wondered aloud how he’d keep his two daughters in their local school district now that his home was destroyed.

“My kids are taking it really hard, especially my oldest, because all her memories are gone,” Meneshian. “I really don’t know what’s next.”

Firefighters worked Saturday to extinguish spot fires around the Bell Canyon hillside neighborhoods. The Woolsey fire has become one of the most destructive in the region’s history, burning 70,000 acres, destroying more than 100 homes, and displacing upwards of a quarter-million people.

While most Bell Canyon residents left the neighborhood as the fire approached Friday, others stayed behind to fight the blaze first-hand.

Mark Leiss, 49, said he used his garden hose and buckets of water to battle the fire as it approache his property, even as three of his neighbors’ homes burned to the ground.

“The whole back of the house dropped off, and it was pretty much like a bomb; and then a propane tank exploded, and that was another bomb,” Leiss said. “I’ve never been that scared in my life.”

Micki Davidovicz, 54, didn't know if her Bell Canyon house was standing until Saturday afternoon when she drove up. "We have a home!" she exclaimed. She was mistakenly told that her house had burned. "I was crying that I didn't get my daughter's bat mitzvah photos." #WoosleyFire pic.twitter.com/ktbhKgYLsk

— Jordan Graham (@JordanSGraham) November 11, 2018

Micki Davidovicz, who left her home quickly with her fiancé and three dogs on Friday as flames approached, was told by a neighbor that her home had burned. But as she drove up her street Saturday, she learned for the first time that her friend had been mistaken.

“We have a home!” Micki Davidovicz exclaimed, exiting her car. “I was crying that I didn’t get my daughter’s bat mitzvah photos,” she said.

Clark, who’d lost his home, said he’s already thinking about the next steps. He’s staying with friends for now, but soon he’ll have to file an insurance claim, find a rental house, and then begin the task of rebuilding on his torched property.

But for Bell Canyon residents whose houses escaped damage, many said they remain concerned about what might happen Sunday if the strong Santa Ana winds return as expected.

Leiss, working on 48 hours with little food or sleep, said he was mentally preparing to once again fight for his home, if necessary.

“I’ll be here,” Leiss said. “I have to. I’ve gone this far.”

FULLERTON —  Cal State Fullerton’s official home season opener Saturday had more to do with the new Titans than the veteran Titans who last season led the program to a Big West Conference tourney title and an NCAA bid.

A few days after taking Arizona State to double overtime without forward Jackson Rowe, the Titans gave their home fans a first look at freshman guard Wayne Arnold and a large handful of big men in a 106-53 win over West Coast Baptist.

Arnold led the Titans with 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including four 3-pointers and three assists, and looked as comfortable in the Titans rotation as senior Khalil Ahmad.

Josh Pitts, who was a reserve last year, scored 14 points with five rebounds while starting in the pivot, while getting backup from fellow soph Johnny Wang, senior Dominik Heinzl, junior JC transfer Amel Kuljuhovic and redshirt freshman  Gaber Ozegovic. The quartet, all 6-foot-6 to 6-foot-10, combined for 28 points and 17 rebounds.

“I felt comfortable and aggressive out there,’’ Arnold, who starred at Dominguez High in Compton, said.”In the summer I started working with the players and they prepared me for how we play and pushed me to take my shots.’’

“He really was embraced when he came to us this summer,’’ head coach Dedrique Taylor said. “We know how valuable his skill set is. He gives us more options to how we want to play.’’

Ahmad scored 11 points in just nine minutes, and Rowe had 16 points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes. Kyle Allman Jr. did not play with a minor knee injury.

To Fullerton’s credit, they played their opponent, a team that plays in the NCAA-affiliated National Christian College Athletic Association, with as much intensity as they would a rival Division 1 team.

“We wanted to play our game, compete hard and share the basketball,’’ Taylor said. “It’s the way we’ve played the last two years, and we look at every game as an opportunity to get better.’’

Pitts will fill the starting spot vacated by Arkim Robertson last season, as the inside man on an offense that often plays four guards. Rowe will continue his role off the bench even though his contributions are often team-leading.

“I’ve prepared for this the right way,’’ Pitts said. “I feel comfortable in my role, pass the ball, rebound, and face the basket as much as possible. All of the big men work together and help each other out.’’

“It’s going to be a committee for now,’’ Taylor said of the team’s bigs. “The perk is that we have more depth at the spot than last year and they all will get a chance to contribute.’’

The Eagles, who hadn’t played a D1 school until this season, made their first three shots for an early 8-4 lead, but the Titans went on a 22-0 run and led 58-16 at the half. The Lancaster-based program has players from eight states and three other countries.

Seth Hanna, a junior who played high school basketball at Lancaster Baptist, had 19 points on 6-for-25 shooting. Stephen Wheeler, a Long Beach native who played at a private technical high school, was the Eagles’ best player, scoring 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

The Titans won’t play a home game again until Dec. 1. Their next six games will be on the road, including three at the Myrtle Beach Invitational and a trip to Hofstra in New York.

IRVINE – Harvard-Westlake boys water polo coach Brian Flacks clinched his fists toward his players and spun toward a bench ready to leap into the pool in celebration.

The defensive masterpiece had its final championship stroke courtesy of a save by goalie Nolan Krutonog and the Wolverines completed a 5-3 win over top-seeded Newport Harbor in the CIF-SS Division 1 final Saturday at Woollett Aquatics Center.

Harvard-Westake’s bench rushed Flacks and the pool party was on. The No. 2-seeded Wolverines (25-5) rejoiced after winning their first Division 1 crown since 2014 and having dashed the Sailors’ hopes of a record 13th Division 1 crown.

The Wolverines pulled off the feat by shutting out Newport Harbor (29-2) in the first half and holding the Sailors – winners of 21 consecutive matches – without an even-strength goal.

It was a surprising and historical reversal in a rivalry that saw the Sailors rack up 27 goals against the Wolverines in two regular-season victories. Newport Harbor’s three goals were a season-low by three.

“With this group, I think a lot of things are possible,” said Flacks, whose team beat Newport Harbor 11-6 early in the season. “I don’t know if it was probable (to hold them to three goals), but it was possible. I’m really happy it happened today.”

Harvard-Westlake played an active zone defense in the lowest-scoring Division 1 final since 1967. The Wolverines helped with 6-foot-7, 250-pound center Ike Love, pressed sharp-shooters such as Makoto Kenney and Tommy Kennedy and still found time to disrupt the perimeter and shut down Newport Harbor’s power play.

“The shots that we coming at me were just not as good as they could have been,” said Krutonog, who had 11 saves. “It’s pressure and making sure we stayed more closed out on their strong shooters.”

Ryan Neapole set the tone with a steal on the perimeter early in the first period, leading to a counterattack strike by Piece Maloney. The goal gave Harvard-Westlake an early lead that it wouldn’t relinquish.

Neapole finished with four steals. Nicholas Tierney, George Avakian and Alexandru Bucur shared time guarding center.

The Sailors went 0 for 5 with the extra attacker in the first half and finished 3 for 10. Goalie Blake Jackson helped keep Newport Harbor close by making eight of his season-high 17 saves in the first half.

Newport Harbor got on the scoreboard 2:11 into the third period as Love drew an exclusion and scored off an assist by Kenney to trim Harvard-Westlake’s lead to 2-1.

The Wolverines responded with an extra-man strike by Tierney, who helped Harvard-Westlake finish 2 for 6 on the power-play.

The Mission League champion then forced a turnover on a ball-under call that led to a counterattack strike by Avakian for a 4-1 lead with 2:29 left in the third.

“I don’t think we played partially bad,” Newport Harbor coach Ross Sinclair said. “We had a lot of good looks, but we just couldn’t score.”

Following a day of gentler winds, things seemed almost back to normal. Tony Santoro, 41, of West Hills said he even felt comfortable enough to go see a movie that evening.

But the puff of smoke spiraling from the side of the nearby hill sent him a reminder of how quickly things could change.

“That little thing right there, that’s what’s scary,” he said.

The night before firefighters had doused a fire just up the way from his home in Quiet Hills Court, near Roscoe and Valley Circle boulevards, cutting short the spread of the fire into the residential areas on the western edge of the city of Los Angeles, in the San Fernando Valley.

• Read related fire updates here

“Luckily we had a calm day today, or it would have been a disaster,” he said.

The Santa Ana winds were expected to return to 35 miles per hour or more as early as Sunday, so Saturday was a window of opportunity for firefighters to gain ground on the Woolsey and Hill fires.

Fire crews attacked flare-ups, sprayed down hills and cut away brush to create a buffer between flammable vegetation and homes.

One small fire just yards from a half-built housing development, the Sterling at West Hills, adjacent to Santoro’s neighborhood, drew truckloads of fire crew members and prompted water-dropping helicopters to be sent over to put out the flames.

Further south of Santoro’s neighborhood, the smoldering hills near Knapp Ranch Park had some neighbors in the Valley Circle Estates on edge.

“I’m first in line,” said Zsuzsa Onstead, 49. Her Tudor-style home sits just across the way from the park area that had gone up in flames the night before. Luckily, firefighters were able to gain control of it.

The next morning, she popped outside to check and saw that the flames had been replaced with smoking, charred hills. So she went back inside and made some toast. When she came back out, the “hills were on fire” again.

Since then, she has been busy hosing down the outside of her house, and making sure not to turn her back too much on those hills. Even though she was told to evacuate, Onstead said she was staying put.

Also staying in place just down the way was John Campbell, 59, who rushed back from London to check on his home.

The former East-coaster’s home overlooks an expansive and breathtaking vista of the Las Virgenes nature preserve, which was one of the reasons he bought it. But what one of the drawbacks of being up that high, are the strong winds, he said.

He clears the brush around his home twice a year, and is awed by the efforts of the firefighters who came to his home to tackle the flames that come back to life every so often.

“They come and they put it out, but it’s just tough,” he said. “Because one little ember, it stays smoldering and it just blows up when the winds come up again.”

Los Angeles Fire Department Fire Engineer Marvin Toledo and others in his company were using Campbell’s backyard as a resting spot. Their truck was parked out front in his driveway, as its water tank got a refill.

Toledo said the winds still had a little bit of kick in them, and they found themselves working to tamp down another flare-up.

“We were not expecting these winds today,” he said. “When we first got here it wasn’t that big, but it took off really fast.

Residents had done a good job of clearing away brush, he said. They also had different firefighting teams in place “dealing with it from different angles, it was easy to stop this.”

“The wind’s blowing, but right now there’s nothing else to burn, so that’s good,” he said.

But he said they planned to stay vigilant.

“We’re going to stay put here just in case something happens,” he said.

Toledo said that in preparation for the anticipated pick-up of wind speeds, he and other firefighters were being “over-staff” and stationed in places “where we know something could happen.”

A couple days ago, a red flag alert, which is sent out when there is a dangerous combination of low-humidity and winds of over 25-miles-per-hour, prompted more fire personnel to be put into position.

The key is to be ready, Toledo said, but he ackowledged that nothing is certain.

“Even when you’re ready things happen,” he said. “You know this because of Ventura,” he said, referring to the way the winds escalated and expanded the Woolsey fire further west in other areas like Hidden Hills, Malibu, Thousand Oaks and Calabasas.

“Even though you’re ready, things happen, because of the wind and the fuel — a lot of different aspects,” he said.

TEMPE, Ariz. — At times, Caleb Wilson seems to move in slow motion. It’s something about the 6-foot-4 tight end’s long, slender legs and oddly short stride. Former UCLA tight ends coach Rip Scherer used to tease Wilson about the unorthodox running motion.

But Wilson continues to prove that his funky style is still effective, catching 11 passes for a season-high 164 receiving yards on Saturday in UCLA’s 31-28 loss to Arizona State in Sun Devil Stadium. UCLA has just two 100-yard receiving games this season and Wilson owns both.

“He’s not a freak, he’s not gifted more than anyone else on the field, like a lot of times guys are,” said quarterback Wilton Speight, who compared Wilson to former Michigan tight end Jake Butt, who won the John Mackey Award in 2016 as the nation’s top tight end. “He’s just shifty and he’s sneaky and he understands the game of football and you can tell when he runs his routes, even when he’s in his blocking techniques, the game is just slow to him.”

Wilson and Speight worked together this offseason to develop an early chemistry as the grad transfer quarterback was training in Orange County before reporting to campus this summer. The tight end credited his time as a youth quarterback for some of his success as a tight end. He also grew up in locker rooms and meetings with his father, Chris, whose coaching career traversed the country.

“I have a feel for what Wilton or Dorian (Thompson-Robinson) would like me to be in certain coverages, where I should be to help us make a play,” Wilson said. “So I think being a former quarterback, I know what the quarterback is looking for and what he wants.”

Wilson victimized a short-handed ASU defense that lost its top two tacklers in the game. Safety Jalen Harvey left with an injury at halftime and linebacker Merlin Robertson was ejected for targeting in the third quarter. On the same play that Robertson, a Gardena Serra alumnus, was ejected, Wilson caught a 32-yard pass.

“He had a really good day today and we needed him,” head coach Chip Kelly said of Wilson.

Joshua Kelley milestone

Running back Joshua Kelley was held under 100 yards for just the second time in Pac-12 play, but the redshirt junior extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown to six. With a 2-yard score in the first quarter, Kelley became the first UCLA player with touchdowns in six straight games since Maurice Jones-Drew in 2005.

The UC Davis transfer was on a tear in conference play, averaging 132.2 yards per game against Pac-12 opponents entering the game, but was held to 79 on Saturday. It was his lowest output since the second game of the year when he had just 7 yards.

Quick hits

Outside linebacker Keisean Lucier-South started the game and finished with two tackles despite being limited in practice this week with an arm injury suffered against Oregon. … Receiver Kyle Philips and running back Kazmeir Allen did not appear to make the trip. Philips has not played since Sept. 28, but recently returned to the practice field in a yellow, noncontact jersey. He resumed noncontact drills on the field this week, but Allen, who missed the Oregon game with a lower-body injury, was limited to individual conditioning for the second straight week.

Going into the CIF SS Cross Country Prelims on Friday and Saturday at the Riverside City Cross Country Course, most of the competitors had one goal in mind – qualify for the CIF SS Finals.

Individual times and order of finish are not necessarily an accurate predictor of what will happen at next week’s finals and some of the county’s top runners took it easy on the course or didn’t compete at all.

Runners who finished in the top 15 of their heat advanced to the finals. The top 24 teams from each of the five divisions also qualified for the finals as a team.

On the boys side, Newport Harbor’s Alexis Garcia completed the 3-mile course in 15 minutes, 33.4 seconds in his Division 2 heat on Friday, leading the Sailors to a ninth-place finish and berth in the finals.

Garcia’s time was well off his time (14.21.1) when he won the Surf League Finals on Oct.26.

“He was just running to qualify,” Newport Harbor coach Nowell Kay sad. “The real racing will be next Saturday at the finals. We’re happy the team made it.”

Dana Hills’ Simon Fuller, Garcia’s rival, sat out the prelims, but the Dolphins still qualified sixth in Division 1.

The Dana Hills runners were going at about 60 percent, Dolphins coach Craig Dunn said.

“They did what they were supposed to do,” Dunn said. “We expect big things from Simon (at the finals). We expect big things from the entire team.”

Laguna Beach also qualified, and did so without Ryan Smithers, one of the Southern Section’s top runners.

Trabuco Hills’ Josh O’Neil, also among the section’s best runners, finished first in his Divison 1 heat, helping the Mustangs qualify for the finals.

On the girls side, Mission Viejo’s Kelli Hines, the county’s top runner and among the best in Division 2, took it slow and finished 18th, but the Diablos easily qualified for the finals. Hines is expected to be among the top finishers in the finals.

Canyon’s talented underclassmen continued to excel.

Sophomore Sarah Paino and freshman Emma Hadley, who finished second to Hines at the Orange County Championships, finished 18th and 19th, respectively, to lead the Comanches into the finals.

San Clemente Junior Hanna Catsimanes, also among the county’s best runners, finished third in her Division 1 heat to ensure that the Tritons will compete at Riverside next week.

The CIF-SS Finals will be held on Saturday, Nov. 17, starting at 7:45 a.m,m on the Riverside City Cross Country Course.

POMONA — There were times during a four-year stretch from 2009-13 when J.R. Todd wondered if he’d ever compete full-time in the NHRA again.

But through all the heartbreak of losing opportunities in Top Fuel, the former NHRA Rookie of the Year never quit. On Sunday he was rewarded for that perseverance.

Todd completed his path from the valley to the mountaintop by wrapping up the Funny Car title by winning the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Fairplex.

Other winners were Steve Torrence in Top Fuel, Tanner Gray in Pro Stock and Matt Smith in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Smith’s win clinched his third class title.

“All those tough times were definitely worth it to get to this point,” said Todd, who finished the season by winning 24 of 27 elimination rounds during the final seven events, including wins at Indianapolis, Las Vega and here. “It makes you respect this opportunity even more.

“There were a lot of challenges along the way. A lot of times I felt like giving up, but I’m glad I didn’t.”

Todd, who brought a 74-point lead into the event, was given a big break early. Second-place Robert Hight, who needed to win the race and have Todd go out by the second round to win the title, lost traction and lost to Bob Tasca III in the first round, handling the title to Todd.

“Seeing Robert smoke the tires first round was instant relief,” Todd said. “You hate to wish bad things on anybody, but seeing that was instant relief. I was pretty stressed until then.”

But Todd’s day was far from over. He followed Hight’s failed run with a win over Jim Campbell in the first round before beating top qualifier Ron Capps in the semifinals and besting Tommy Johnson Jr. in the final, the latter with a 3.872-second pass that scored his eighth victory in the past 34 races. He won five races this season.

“I saw (the DHL team) do this with Del (Worsham) in 2015,” Todd said. “I knew the opportunity was there. I just didn’t want to be the reason for it not to happen. It’s pretty special. Things work out for a reason.”

Torrence, who clinched his first title two weeks ago in Las Vegas, won his sixth consecutive event to become the first driver in any category to sweep all six Countdown to the Championship races.

He beat eighth-time series champion Tony Schumacher in the finals, using a quicker reaction time at the start to win with a 3.702 run at 330.07 mph. It was Torrence’s 11th win of the season.

“It’s truly unbelievable,” Torrence said. “We’re the first ones to do it (win all the Countdown races). We’re going to be in the history books.

“We wanted to come to Pomona and do this, to set that presence. Nobody can beat us, they can only tie us. That’s a pretty cool stat to put behind your name.”

Gray, who clinched his first Pro Stock title on Saturday, beat Drew Skillman in the final with a run of 6.519.

“I had no pressure after clinching the title Saturday,” Gray said. “This is probably the most-relaxed Sunday I’ve had ever.

“I just wanted to enjoy the final day and make the most of it. Winning the championship and the last race, we obviously did.”

Smith clinched his third Pro Stock Motorcycle title by beating second-place Eddie Krawiec in the final, besting the Harley-Davidson rider with a 6.765 at a class-record 201.22 mph.

“This one was special,” said Smith, who also won titles in 2007 and 2013. “We’re here because of Harley-Davidson, so to beat the team that gets millions of dollars every year for the last 18 years, and we’re doing it on nickels and dimes, that shows what type of team I have behind me. “

It was also a great way to celebrate his 46th birthday.

“Eddie said (before the final round) that he was going to blow the candle out,” Smith said. “He didn’t get close enough.”Redlands native Leah Pritchett, who scored her fourth top qualifier award in Top Fuel on Saturday, was eliminated in the first round after smoking the tires near half track.

OCVarsity boys basketball preview for the 2018-19 season.

STEVE FRYER’S TOP 10 PREDICTIONS

1.      The CIF-SS Open Division champion? Probably Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth.

2.      And who will Sierra Canyon beat in the Open final? Bishop Montgomery.

3.      How far will Mater Dei go in the postseason? The Monarchs get to the Open Division semifinals, but they’re too young to get beyond that round.

4.      Most improved team? Orange Lutheran. Tre Anderson, Cade Potter, Makur Maker and Isaiah Pope will have this team playing much better.

5.      Team that falls the most? Crean Lutheran. The Saints were CIF-SS champions last year, but the ouster of Coach Josh Beaty and the ensuing loss of top players will be too much to overcome.

6.      Orange County player of the year? Jake Kyman of Santa Margarita. He will be an unstoppable scorer and will be a defensive rock, too.

7.      Orange County’s leading scorer for the season? Look for a guy who will be heavily depended upon to score on a team that’s not the most offensively balanced. So maybe Dylan Thoerner at Beckman or Nico Dasca at Costa Mesa.

8.      Team most likely to go undefeated in its league? Cypress. With the return of Jared Brown, last season’s league MVP, the Centurions should be able to outscore their Empire League competition.

9.      Best student section? Servite’s “Asylum,” of course, will go nuts, and in creative ways, in their tiny gym. There are so many other candidates, though, like Santa Margarita and Los Alamitos and Villa Park and Capistrano Valley and …

10.  Best small schools team? Orange County always has one or two outstanding small, private-school teams. Crean Lutheran was the great small-school team last season. It will be Fairmont Prep this season.

Jake Kyman can check “UCLA scholarship” off of his list of basketball goals.

He would like “Beat Mater Dei” and “Trinity League champions” to be the next items he can slash off of the list.

Kyman goes into his senior year at Santa Margarita recognized as one of the best players in Southern California. Kyman, a 6-7 guard, can score in every way imaginable, is a tough rebounder and a hard-nosed defender.

Every college basketball program that thought it had a chance at getting Kyman pursued him. UCLA won that race.

“I’m already committed and things are going really well,” said Kyman about preparing for his senior season that starts Monday, Nov. 12 when the Eagles play Serra of Gardena in the Pacific Shores Tournament at Redondo Union High School. “Now, I want to get a championship at Santa Margarita.”

The road to the 2018-19 Trinity League championship goes through Mater Dei, as usual, although St. John Bosco’s talent and experience could put Bosco in the league-favorite position. Mater Dei has won 30 straight league championships.

“Mater Dei’s a good team,” Kyman said. “But I believe this is our year because we’re really talented.”

Kyman has been one of the more talented players at Santa Margarita since his freshman year. He comes from exceptional athletic stock. His mother Michelle played volleyball at UCLA and his father Coley was a football and volleyball standout at Cal State Northridge.

Kyman averaged eight points and six rebounds a game as a freshman, averaged 14 points and six rebounds as a sophomore and last season averaged 17 points and seven rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field.

He is expecting more of himself his senior year. Underclassmen usually have to take a back seat to a team’s seniors when it comes to motivating other players or being vocal in the locker room and during timeouts. That will change for Kyman now that he’s a senior.

“I’m going to bring a lot more leadership to the team than I have in the past,” Kyman said. “I’m going to be more of a team player and I’m still going to do a lot of scoring obviously, and I’m going to be getting to the hoop more.”

Getting to the hoop will create more scoring. Scorers like Kyman figure out a way to score. Often that means attacking the basket and drawing fouls for more free throws.

That will be part of what Santa Margartia coach Jeff Reinert has seen as Kyman’s continuous evolution into a complete player.

“As a freshman Jake didn’t get a lot of shots because that was such a good team that year,” Reinert said, “so he had to find shots and to do that he became a good offensive rebounder. Then the next year he became a really good 3-point shooter. Then last year he started learning how to get to the free-throw line.”

Kyman is an excellent shooter, whether it be on quick inside moves and turnaround jumpers or long-range shots. His shot selection has steadily improved and he’s figured out when to put up the ball himself and get it to a teammate with a better look at the basket.

“Jake’s learned to shoot less and at the same time score more,” Reinert said. “That’s a hard thing for a kid to understand. And on the other side of the ball he’s become a good defender.

“He has grown in every part of the game.”

Santa Margarita has not defeated Mater Dei since 2005. The Eagles have had some fine teams since then, but sometimes mental obstacles come into play in rivalries.

“We have to get past that hurdle of ‘they’re Mater Dei’ and now just see them as another team,” Kyman said. “They have the same strengths and weakness as other teams.”

Kyman certainly is a strength of the Santa Margarita team.

The OCVarsity boys basketball preview for the 2018-19 season.

The OCVarsity Top 10 Players to Watch are here.

This our list of More Players to Watch – The Next 30.

30 MORE TO WATCH

(In alphabetical order)

Tre Anderson, Orange Lutheran, Sr., G

Kunal Bagga, Servite, Jr., G

Sam Barela, Newport Harbor, Sr., G

Maximus Bo, Canyon, Sr., G

Triston Broughton, Tesoro, Sr., G

Tyler Broughton, Tesoro, Sr., G

Jared Brown, Cypress, Sr., G

Judah Brown, Pacifica Christian, Jr., F

Kelvin Cabrera, Trabuco Hills, Sr., G

Sebastian Castro, Garden Grove, Sr., F

Hugo Clarkin, JSerra, Jr., C

Jake Conerty, Mission Viejo, Jr., F

Nicolas Correa, La Habra, Sr., G

Cameron Dashiel, La Habra, Sr., G

Solomon Davis, Pacifica Christian, Sr., F

Ryan Evans, Mater Dei, Jr., G

Noah Honetschlager, Tesoro, Sr., F

Gum Majak, Crean Lutheran, Sr., F

Houston Mallette, Pacifica Christian, So., G

Christian Martinez, Servite, Sr., F

Isaiah Pope, Orange Lutheran, Sr., G

Cade Potter, Orange Lutheran, Sr., F

Aidan Prukop, Mater Dei, Jr., G

Langston Redfield, Capistrano Valley, So., G

DJ Rodman, JSerra, Sr., F

Dylan Thoerner, Beckman, Sr., G

Stone Sinek, Fullerton, Sr., G

Eduardo Sorto, Century, So., G

Chris Swardstrom, Crean Lutheran, Sr., G

Justin Williams, JSerra, Sr., G

The OCVarsity boys basketball season preview.

TOP 10 PLAYERS TO WATCH

(In alphabetical order)

Max Agbonkpolo, Santa Margarita: The 6-8 senior is a force around the basket with slick offensive moves. He committed to USC.

Jakob Alamudun, Marina: He was an outstanding inside and mid-range scorer last season and has improved as an outside shooter. Alamudun, a 6-4 senior guard, committed to Lehigh University.

Devin Askew, Mater Dei: The 6-3 sophomore guard could be the next great player at Mater Dei. He has offers from Oregon, Louisville and several others.

Wilhelm Breidenbach, Mater Dei: The 6-foot-8 sophomore played significant minutes last season and should be a main contributor this season. His potential is plentiful.

Julien Franklin, Villa Park: He is one of the better all-around players in Orange County. The 6-6 senior guard committed to Oregon State.

Jake Kyman, Santa Margarita: He averaged 17 points and seven rebounds a game last season. The 6-7 senior guard committed to UCLA.

Makur Maker, Orange Lutheran: This 6-11 junior from Sudan is very mobile for his size with a great touch around the rim. He is a game-changer for the Lancers.

Ian Martinez, JSerra: The 6-4 junior guard, a transfer from Cantwell Sacred Heart of Montebello, is a solid all-around scorer.

AJ Perry, Canyon: The 5-8 senior point guard has his foot on the accelerator of the Comanches’ fast-paced offense. He was Crestview League MVP last season.

Atin Wright, Fairmont Prep: The 6-foot junior guard, a transfer from Lakewood, scored 35 points in a playoff game against Knight last season.

The OCVarsity boys basketball preseason top 25 for 2018-19:

O.C. PRESEASON TOP 25 

1. Mater Dei: Mater Dei at No. 1 is as common as turkey at Thanksgiving. Gary McKnight’s 37th season should be another winning one. The Monarchs, last season’s CIF-Southern Section Open Division champions, have 6-3 sopohomore guard Devin Askew who already is getting plenty of recruiting attention. Ryan Evans, a 6-3 guard who transferred from Santa Margarita, is an excellent 3-point shooter. Wilhelm Breidenbach is a 6-8 sophomore who anchors the inside. Mater Dei, 23-7 last year, has plenty of depth and looks like another top candidate in the CIF-SS Open Division.

2. Santa Margarita: This might be the best Eagles team in several years. UCLA-committed Jake Kyman (6-7) might be Orange County’s top player. Max Agbonkpolo (6-8), who committed to USC, will provide plenty of scoring punch. Shengzhe Li, committed to BYU, is a 6-11 senior who could be among the county’s most improved players. Santa Margarita was 20-10 last season and finished second in the Trinity League.

3. Orange Lutheran: The Lancers are a year older, a lot taller and lot better than the team that last season finished 11-17 overall and fifth in the six-team Trinity League. Makur Maker, a 7-foot junior center from Sudan and cousin of the Milwaukee Bucks’ Thon Maker, is a matchup problem for most teams. Utah State commit Cade Potter is poised for an outstanding senior year as are Tre Anderson (6-0, Sr., G) and Isaiah Pope (6-5, Sr., G).

4. Villa Park: The Spartans have one of the county’s better players, Julien Franklin (6-6, Sr., G) who committed to Oregon State. Charleston Moore (6-6, Sr., F) was All-North Hills League first team last season. Gabe Barrios (6-3, Sr, G) is a consistent outside shooter. The Spartans finished 15-12 last year and move from the North Hills League in which they were 6-0 last year to the more challenging Crestview League that also has Canyon, Esperanza and Foothill.

5. JSerra: New coach Keith Wilkinson has a talented roster. Ian Martinez (6-3, Jr., G), who transferred from Cantwell Sacred Heart of Montebello, has scholarship offers from Arizona State and Cal among others. DJ Rodman (6-5, Sr., F) was All-Trinity League second team last season. Hugo Clarkin (7-0, Jr., C), a transfer from Tesoro, is getting better by the week.

6. Pacifica Christian: The Tritons lost their best player from last year, point guard Dominick Harris, who transferred to Rancho Christian, but they will be better this season thanks to incoming transfers and others who were at the school last year but were ineligible. Judah Brown (6-7, Jr., G/F) has 15 scholarship offers. Solomon Davis (6-7, Sr., G/F) is strong inside and can shoot outside. Houston Mallette (6-4, So., G) is a tough matchup as a larger point guard.

7. Canyon: AJ Perry (5-8, Sr, G), last year’s Crestview League MVP, is among Orange County’s top point guards. Sami Abdelahad (6-8, Sr., F) was an all-league, second-team selection last year when the Comanches went 25-4 and won the Crestview League championship. Maximus Bo (5-9, Sr., G), a transfer from Crean Lutheran, will be a good fit in Canyon’s intense, fast-paced style.

8. Tesoro: The Titans have six returnees from last year’s team that finished 17-10. Noah Honetschlager (6-8, Sr., F), All-South Coast League second team last season, is getting recruited by NCAA Division II and III schools, as are brothers Triston and Tyler Broughton, who areboth 6-3 senior guards. Matt Jones (5-10, Sr., G) is a fine point guard. Tesoro is in the Sea View League this season.

9. Cypress: Jared Brown (5-10, Sr., G) was an Empire League MVP last season when the Centurions went 10-0 in league and finished 24-5 overall. Clifton Patterson (6-1, Sr, G) and Anthony Tello (6-1, Sr., G) were all-league second team in 2017-18. The Centurions are not tall but quickness and good shooting will make up for that.

10. Fairmont Prep: Second-year coach Joedy Gardner, who previously coached at JSerra, has remodeled the Huskies into one of Orange County’s better small-school teams, if no eligibility issues derail the project. Atin Wright (6-1, Jr., G) was on the Press-Telegram Dream Team first team last season when he was at Lakewood. Kofi Aboagye (6-2, Sr., G) was an outstanding scorer and rebounder last season for the Huskies who finished 21-6 and reached the CIF-SS Division 5AAA quarterfinals. Pape Cisse (6-8, So., G/F) and Abel Jimenez (6-4, Sr., G) will help propel what could be a potent offense.

11. Trabuco Hills

12. Edison

13. La Habra

14. Marina

15. Newport Harbor

16. Capistrano Valley

17. Servite

18. Sonora

19. Corona del Mar

20.  Beckman

21. Mission Viejo

22. Dana Hills

23. Northwood

24. Los Alamitos

25. Century

LOS ANGELES – In 2015, Dante Fowler Jr. was the best player on the draft board who wasn’t a quarterback. Even his nameplate threatened to knock the names of Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston to the ground.

On an irritable Sunday in which the Rams and the Seattle Seahawks threatened to turn the Coliseum into Unsportsman’s Park, Fowler showed his range.

The edge rusher helped give Seattle the lead. Then he helped put the Rams so far in front that they couldn’t beat themselves.

The final was 36-31, and most of the 72,755 distributed tickets were used, which is appropriate for a team that’s now 9-1. There was major angst in the building when Russell Wilson herded the Seahawks to a touchdown with 1:56 left while he saved all three time outs. He recovered the joystick with 1:24 left. His final fling was over Tyler Lockett’s head at the sideline, with 0:26 left. A better pass allows Wilson to throw into the end zone at least three times.

“Obviously we’re happy we won,” defensive end Matt Longacre said, “You’d like to see a little more composure, but it’s hard to keep your composure at the moment. It was a little chippy, like it is whenever we play them.”

Fowler, whom the Rams picked up from Jacksonville on Oct. 30, face-masked Lockett and gave Seattle a first down in the first quarter. In the third, he bad-mouthed an official and drew an unsportsmanlike flag just after the Rams had stopped Seattle on third-and-11.

Wilson turned that into a 23-yard touchdown to Lockett and a 21-20 lead.

“Bad ball,” Fowler said. “I told him that we were getting held a lot. I didn’t call anybody anything, but I said it was a terrible call. Terrible was the bad word there. When it’s third down and we’re coming off the field, I can’t put us in that position. That wasn’t very smart there.”

No, it wasn’t, although it could have earned Fowler a graduate-transfer year at USC.

But the Rams provide their own absolution. Ndamukong Suh had a roughing-the-passer penalty that gave Seattle a first down when the Rams only led 26-21, but then he and Donald split a sack that forced the Seahawks to kick a field goal.

After that, Sebastian Jankowski uncorked one of the lamest onside kick attempts in league annals, and the Rams, faced with fourth-and-goal from the two, went with the field goal and a 29-24 lead.

That’s when Fowler hit his “erase” button.

With Seattle trying to convert third-and-3, he wheeled around the left side and attacked Wilson, knocked the ball loose and then ran it down on the nine.

.@DANTEFOWLER DOES IT ALL! pic.twitter.com/5VnhimY3IG

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 12, 2018

“I thought I might get a chance to pump up my running stats,” Fowler said. “I was just happy I was able to do my craft.”

The Rams had nine hits on Wilson and sacked him four times. Donald has 18 QB hits in his past four games.

“The edge rush hasn’t been there this year,” Longacre said. “It’s been a little frustrating for us. But Dante is a great pass rusher. We’ve seen it for the last couple of weeks. Even against the run he’s played well. He adds another layer to our defense.

“Today we didn’t start out very well against the run. Somehow we got the switch flipped at halftime. If we can shore up our run defense, we’ll be a very good team.”

Fowler played at Florida, where he had 15 tackles-for-loss and eight sacks in 2014. He was the No. 3 pick in 2015. Todd Gurley was No. 10 and Marcus Peters No. 18.

Jacksonville was so enamored with Fowler that it gave him a guaranteed four-year, $23.5 million contract. That was four days AFTER he tore up his knee in mini-camp and knew he would miss the entirety of 2015.

He came back in 2016 and got four sacks. But he was slowly squeezed out of the rotation as the Jaguars kept adding defense, and he was arrested for on battery, and the Rams got him for a third-round pick in 2019 and a fifth-round pick in 2020. The rewards for that risk were on display Sunday.

The Rams mourned the Borderline shootings last week. Several of them, including Goff, were evacuated from the fire zone. Now they head for Colorado Springs to practice at altitude, before the Monday Night game with Kansas City in Mexico City.

They aren’t coming off their two best weeks, but mistakes are an NFL constant. The Rams believe that talent forces more mistakes than it makes. That’s why both sides of Dante Fowler are here.

A man was shot to death in Santa Ana on Sunday, Nov. 11.

Callers reported hearing shots fired near 1656 W. Wisteria Pl. at about 4:14 p.m., said Santa Ana Police Sgt. Mauricio Estrada. He said responding officers found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

He was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead, according to Estrada. Authorities did not immediately release his name. Investigators have not yet determined a motive or identified any suspects.

USC (5-5, 4-4 in Pac-12) at UCLA (2-8, 2-5)

When: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.

Where: Rose Bowl

Watch/listen: FOX/710 AM

USC update: A 15-14 loss to Cal on Saturday night was arguably the Trojans’ biggest setback of the season, ending a 14-game winning streak over their in-state rival and eliminating them from the Pac-12 South Division race. Without picking up a sixth win, USC also must defeat UCLA or Notre Dame over the final weeks of the regular season to become bowl eligible. It has been at least .500 in every regular season since 2000. … Against Cal, USC surrendered a 14-0 halftime lead and was held scoreless in the second half for the second time this season. Its offense compiled only 40 yards after halftime. … The last loss against the Golden Bears was a triple-overtime defeat in Berkeley in 2003 and the last defeat in the series at the Coliseum was in 2000 under former coach Paul Hackett. … Trojans coach Clay Helton has gone 3-0 against crosstown rival UCLA in the first three meetings, a streak that began as interim coach in 2015. The three victories have been decided by an average margin of 15 points.

UCLA update: First-year UCLA coach Chip Kelly is no stranger to facing USC. While leading Oregon from 2009 until 2012, Kelly went 3-1 against the Trojans, with his up-tempo spread offense averaging 49 points per game. In a 62-51 win over USC in 2012, Kelly’s Ducks put up 730 yards, at the time the most ever allowed by the Trojans. … The Bruins’ offense has been less prolific this season, averaging 22 points per game, ranking 117th in the nation in scoring offense. It is 96th in the nation in total offense with 370 total yards per game. … UCLA has started either senior Wilton Speight or Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback this season. In Helton’s three wins over the Bruins, they started either Josh Rosen or Mike Fafaul behind center.

LOS ANGELES — Toa Lobendahn never knew his snap was that high.

When USC faced a third down at its 22-yard line on the opening series of the second half Saturday in a 15-14 loss to Cal, Lobendahn snapped the ball well above the head of quarterback JT Daniels.

“I thought it was a little bit high,” Lobendahn said, “but I didn’t think it was that out of reach.”

The ball was flung far enough behind the line of scrimmage that it landed back at the 9-yard line and rolled further into the end zone, where running back Aca’Cedric Ware landed on it. Cal defenders then tackled Ware for a safety and gained their first points. USC’s shutout was over.

The sequence was among several costly second-half mistakes for the Trojans, along with an interception by freshman quarterback JT Daniels and other penalties, that contributed to their defeat, a setback that eliminated them from contention in the Pac-12 South Division race.

“There was not one particular play or person that lost that game,” Helton said. “It was a collection of errors that cost us down the stretch.”

The botched snap drew much focus in the immediate aftermath, as it marked the start of Cal’s run of 15 unanswered points that led to the upset. The Golden Bears scored touchdowns on their next two drives.

Since September, Lobendahn, a senior who moved from left tackle to center in the offseason, has experienced some difficulty with snapping, including a fumbled exchange with Daniels in a win at Arizona in September, plus other high or low snaps.

Prior to this season, Lobendahn, who had played multiple positions on the offensive line as a sort of utility man, had started three games at center, including the opener against Alabama in 2016 before he underwent season-ending knee surgery.

The switch to center was precipitated by the departure of Nico Falah, the Trojans’ starting center for most of 2016 and all of 2017, allowing Lobendahn to return to the position. Lobendahn also saw it as a possible position to play in the NFL.

Throughout the season, Helton has reiterated that Lobendahn would remain at center and issued a passionate vote of confidence late Saturday following the loss.

“Toa Lobendahn is a man of honor and a great football player,” Helton said. “I’m sorry that the snap went over our head. I know he’s worked tirelessly on it. He’s our best center. He’s our best man at that position. It’s something that has plagued us through the year.

“There were 74 snaps (versus Cal) and 73 of them were perfect, and we were able to function. Then we had one that went over our head. Toa is one of the loves of my life. He will be our center.”

Lobendahn attributed some of the snapping issues with poor grip of the football that continued against Cal despite some earlier hope for improvement.

“I felt good all week with it,” Lobendahn said. “And then there’d just be points in the game where my grip didn’t feel all the way.”

Speaking with reporters outside the locker room at the Coliseum after the game, Lobendahn admitted he has at times contemplated a position switch during a difficult season.

“That’s always running through my head, I guess,” Lobendahn said, “but I’m just trying to focus on my job and make sure I do it right.

He also expressed concern about supplanting another starter on the offensive line, noting, “I’m not trying to take any of my other guys’ jobs.”

His backup, redshirt freshman Brett Neilon, earlier started in the season opener against UNLV when Lobendahn was injured.

On his Sunday teleconference with reporters, Helton reiterated his stance on Lobendahn’s position on the offensive line. He isn’t on the move.

QUICK HITS

Among USC’s players to sustain injuries against Cal included running backs Vavae Malepeai (ankle sprain) and Ware (shoulder sprain), as well as Lobendahn (ankle sprain). They will be reevaluated when the team returns to practice later in the week. … USC opened as a 3.5-point favorite over UCLA for Saturday’s rivalry game at the Rose Bowl.

Orange County receiving leaders after the quarterfinal round of the CIF-SS playoffs.

Leaderboards are based on stats available each Monday morning.

The Register’s football defensive player of the week:

Name: Noah Tango

School: Brea Olinda

Year: Senior

Noteworthy: He had 14 tackles and assisted on six others in the Wildcats’ 23-20 win over Norte Vista of Riverside in a CIF-Southern Section Division 9 quarterfinals playoff game. Tango is not the biggest linebacker in Orange County at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds. But he probably perfectly exemplifies Brea’s team. “We’re never the fastest or the biggest team on the field,” Tango said. “That mentality works for us. We know we have to work together as a team.” The Wildcats play host to North Torrance in a semifinal Friday.