High School Sports

In one of their highest-profile games thus far, Bronny and Bryce James played their father's alma mater.

St. Vincent-St. Mary's came out on top 67-61 over Sierra Canyon on Saturday night from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

LeBron James first arrived on the national scene when he was a student at St. Vincent-St. Mary's. He led the Akron, Ohio, school to three state titles before being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft and becoming one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Despite all the hype around the James brothers squaring off against St. Vincent-St. Mary's, neither Bronny nor Bryce is likely to put this game on their highlight reel.

Bronny made just one field goal in the first half and finished the game with seven points, six rebounds and four assists. The 18-year-old fouled out late in the fourth quarter as the Trailblazers were attempting to make a comeback.

Sierra Canyon did cut the deficit to four at 61-57 with 40 seconds remaining, but the Fighting Irish were able to make clutch free throws to preserve the win.

Bryce didn't even make an appearance in the game, though there were fans in the stands who wanted to see him. LeBron was not in attendance after the Lakers played Friday night in Los Angeles and play at home again Sunday.

The loss is just the second of the season for Sierra Canyon, which came into the game ranked No. 25 in the nation by ESPN.com. St. Vincent-St. Mary improved to 4-1 with the win.

While most of the attention was on LeBron's sons playing against his high school team, Isaiah Elohim was the best player for Sierra Canyon with 22 points. The 6'5" shooting guard is a 5-star prospect and 12th-ranked player in the 2024 recruiting class by 247Sports.

Sierra Canyon will look to rebound in its next game on Wednesday against Venice in Los Angeles.

The #JamesGang has become the #KlutchGang.

Klutch Sports, the agency founded by LeBron James' longtime friend and agent Rich Paul, announced the signing of Bryce James, LeBron's youngest son, to an NIL contract Monday.

The agency will handle Bryce James' negotiations with companies seeking to sign the 15-year-old to endorsement contracts during his prep career.

While Bronny James, LeBron's oldest son, has received national attention for his stardom on the prep level, Bryce has been increasingly viewed as potentially the better long-term prospect.

"There are people who told me that Bryce actually might be the better prospect amongst the two," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said in March on the Dan Patrick Show.

Bryce James, a member of the 2025 recruiting class, is yet to have a star-rating designation on any major recruiting website. Bronny James is currently ranked as the No. 43 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class by 247Sports' composite rankings.

Regardless of whether either son winds up reaching NBA stardom, they stand to make a ton of money in NIL contracts as they pursue their prep and collegiate dreams.

Kentucky commit Robert Dillingham, one of the top players in the 2023 college basketball recruiting class, is leaving Donda Academy and signing with the Overtime Elite league.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic first reported the news and said Dillingham will maintain his college eligibility.

Donda Academy principal Jason Angell announced last week it was planning to shut down for the remainder of the 2022-23 school year following antisemitic remarks by rapper Kanye West, who founded the school earlier this year. That decision was reversed hours later.

Dillingham is a 5-star prospect and the No. 9 overall recruit in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He received interest from several high-profile college programs before he committed to UK in June.

The 6'2", 165-pound point guard is a high-volume player who's showcased a tremendous flair with the ball in his hands, and he's started to develop a reliable outside shot that solidified him as a top-tier college prospect.

His stock took off after he helped lead Team USA to a gold medal in the 2021 FIBA U-16 Americas Championship. He was named MVP of the tournament after averaging 15.7 points, 6.2 assists, 3.2 steals and 2.5 rebounds in six games.

Now he'll head to Overtime Elite, a professional league aimed at players aged 16-20 that's emerging as a collegiate alternative for prospects awaiting NBA draft eligibility.

Dillingham, 17, will keep his "priority focused" on playing for Kentucky next season despite the switch from traditional high school ball to OTE, per 247Sports' Travis Branham.

"I couldn't be more excited to join OTE," Dillingham said. "The team and resources they offer are amazing, and this is an incredible opportunity to continue to develop my game and take it to the next level, while competing against elite talent."

Tim Fuller, OTE's vice president of recruiting and player personnel, celebrated the dynamic guard's arrival.

"We are excited to recruit Rob Dillingham to our league," Fuller said. "He brings an elite knack for scoring and an infectious passion for the game. His shiftiness and incredible speed with the ball make him slithery agile with the ball in his hands."

OTE made headlines earlier this week when it announced a three-year streaming agreement with Amazon Prime Video.

That'll make it easier for Kentucky fans to keep tabs on Dillingham while awaiting his arrival on the Wildcats roster for the 2023-24 campaign.

Richard Reed, a 17-year-old high school football player from California, died late Sunday night from a gunshot wound, according to Rene Ray De La Cruz of the Victorville Daily Press.

Police responded to a call at around 11 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of Jade Road and Purple Sage Drive in Victorville, California, a San Bernardino County sheriff's spokesperson told De La Cruz. Officers found Reed with a gunshot wound, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

No further information was provided, and an investigation has been opened.

Reed, a senior, was a star football player for the Silverado High School Hawks, playing offense, defense and special teams. He was named the Desert Sky League defensive player of the year in 2021.

Victor Valley Union High School District Superintendent Carl Coles said in a statement:

“This is a heartbreaking loss for the students, staff, and families of Silverado High School. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire VVUHSD community, we will keep Richard’s family, friends, teammates, coaches, and teachers in our thoughts and prayers. We will continue to support each other as we face this devastating tragedy.”

The Silverado Hawks are set to play a first-round playoff game Friday, and it is expected to go on as scheduled.

"Many of the players are still in shock, and when we heard the news today, football was the furthest thing from our minds," Silverado High School Principal Heather Conkle said. "But the players are also extremely unified right now. They want to play this game for Richard."

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and his son, Bronny James, were featured in a trailer for the upcoming video game God of War Ragnarök on Tuesday.

The James' were joined by actors John Travolta, Ben Stiller and their children in the PlayStation promotional clip:

LeBron has built a surefire Hall of Fame résumé that's put him in the conversation as one of the greatest basketball players in history with four NBA championships, four MVP awards and 18 All-Star selections, along with numerous other individual accolades.

While he's still chasing titles, there's another goal on his to-do list before he hangs up his jersey for the final time: playing alongside Bronny in the NBA.

"My last year will be played with my son," James told Jason Lloyd of The Athletic in February. "Wherever Bronny is at, that's where I'll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It's not about the money at that point."

The 6'3'' guard is a 4-star prospect in the 2023 college basketball recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He'll be first eligible for the 2024 draft.

James' recent contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers includes a player option for the 2024-25 season, meaning he'll have an opportunity to opt out and join whichever team drafts his son during the 2024 offseason if he's a one-and-done college player.

Meanwhile, God of War Ragnarök is the ninth edition in the God of War video game franchise, which debuted in 2005.

The single-player action game is scheduled for a Nov. 9 worldwide release on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

Arch Manning has been touted as a better quarterback prospect than Peyton and Eli, so it's only fitting the 18-year-old broke his uncle's records for passing yards and touchdowns.

Per ESPN's Tom VanHaaren, Arch became Isidore Newman School's all-time leader in both categories during Friday's 52-22 win over Pearl River.

Manning threw for 356 yards and seven touchdowns. He entered the game needing just 110 yards to pass Eli's record (7,389). He also surpassed Peyton's career touchdown record (93) in the win.

Given his lineage, Arch Manning has been on the football radar for years. He got out ahead of things going into his senior season by committing to the University of Texas over the summer.

Manning's announcement is the only tweet from his account, which was created in February.

Speaking to Steve Serby of the New York Post in August, Eli said his nephew has better athletic traits than him or Peyton.

"He's more athletic than Peyton or I," Eli told Serby. "Maybe a little bit bigger than Peyton or I, and so I think he's got the ability to scramble around and run around—probably more similar to my dad (Archie) than Peyton or I."

Arch has been Isidore Newman's starting quarterback since his freshman season in 2019-20. He has thrown at least 20 touchdowns in each of his four years, including this season through just five games.

Manning's accuracy has been erratic at times so far in his senior year, as he has completed fewer than 60 percent of his attempts in three games. The New Orleans native went 8-of-20 for 90 yards in a Sept. 23 loss to Many.

Despite some of those inconsistent moments, Manning's ceiling remains incredibly high. He is a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Two football players at Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, California, alleged they were assaulted by coaches from another school.

Jesse Ramos told Fred Robledo of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that his son, Adrian Ramos, got into an altercation with the Damien High School football head coach and another assistant coach after their game Friday. The 19-year-old student allegedly had his helmet ripped off and ended up with a bruise under his eye.

A second student also filed a police report, per Melissa Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

"A 19-year-old Bishop Amat student alleges two subjects battered him, and at least one of the subjects involved is a Damien High School Football Team coach," La Verne Police Chief Colleen Flores said in a statement. "The La Verne Police Department is actively investigating the incident, and no further details are available at this time."

Damien head coach Matt Bechtel has been placed on administrative leave while the archdiocese of Los Angeles conducts an internal investigation into the incident.

According to Hernandez, the altercation began following Friday night's rivalry game between the teams. Bishop Amat head coach Steve Hagerty allegedly refused to shake Bechtel's hand after the game, and Bechtel confronted him. Players and coaches from both teams soon got invovled.

Bishop Amat won the game 35-7.

The Dauphin County (Pennsylvania) District Attorney has announced charges against 10 Middletown High School students stemming from alleged sexual assaults and hazing by members of the football team.

According to Gina Martinez of CBS News, an investigation began after a video posted to social media appeared to show a player being sexually assaulted during a team practice on Aug. 11. A police report was filed on Aug. 12, leading to a monthlong investigation in which more than 80 people were interviewed.

The police determined six students were assaulted over the past year, with the victims all between 14 and 16 years old.

The alleged August assault took place in the team's turf room with no adult supervision for 23 minutes. According to the district attorney, "police learned that three other students were also assaulted over the last year during various incidents, with at least one incident occurring at a residence."

Two 17-year-olds were identified as the main perpetrators in all of the assaults, and they were charged with multiple juvenile counts of criminal attempt to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, unlawful restraint, simple assault and hazing.

"This investigation did not involve just hazing or 'boys will be boys' conduct," Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Gettle said in a statement. "Rather, two of these individuals committed repeated sexual assaults and encouraged others to participate under the guise of hazing."

The eight other students face varied charges, including unlawful restraint, simple assault and hazing.

Gettle also indicated all the cases will be handled by the juvenile system because each suspect is under 18 years old.

Middletown Area School District Superintendent Dr. Chelton Hunter said in a statement that the district wants to "express our disappointment and concern for the actions of these students."

Linden (New Jersey) High School football player Xavier McClain died Wednesday as a result of a traumatic brain injury suffered while playing in a game earlier this month.

"Together we prayed for a miracle and hoped for a different outcome," Linden mayor Derek Armstead said in a Facebook post. "I trust that God knows better. HE needed an angel and decided to call Xavier home to be with HIM. With your prayers, Xavier fought a good fight. In the end, he succumbed to the injuries that he sustained a couple weeks ago while playing football during the LHS Tigers’ game vs Woodbridge."

McClain was originally injured on a kickoff return in a Sept. 9 game against Woodbridge, per Mike Kinney of NJ.com. He was attended to for around 10 minutes on the field before being rushed to a local hospital and being placed on life support.

The sophomore standout was playing a starring role for Linden on both sides of the ball, serving as a cornerback and dynamic X-factor on offense, per Kinney.

"My wife and I spend time in their home and our children played together. Tragically, their worst fear came true. Norm and Lisa are devastated. Children are supposed to outlive their parents, not the other way around. I asked that you continue to keep the family in your prayers," Armstead said.

Joe Pastrana, who is the defensive coordinator for Vallejo High School in California, was reportedly shot and injured while breaking up a fight on the school's campus Tuesday.

While the Vallejo Police Department did not release Pastrana's name, Cheryl Hurd and Diana San Juan of NBC Bay Area reported "there was an outpouring of concern from friends and students who say" he was the one who was shot.

"The fact that he was here, he potentially saved a child’s life," Vallejo Police Department Chief Shawny Williams said.

According to Antonio Planas of NBC News, police said that "the staff member was struck by at least one bullet and suffered a non-life-threatening injury."

Police also said they do not think those who shot Pastrana are students at the school.

The school was placed on lockdown after the incident because there were approximately 200 student-athletes on campus with a college fair and multiple classes occurring.