Sports

WORDS OF WISDOM?
“I would never shut up about things that are wrong.”
— The Lakers’ LeBron James responding to criticism
about his political activism.

Merisa Jensen, Sports Editor, (661) 441-6162, mjensen@avpress.com
TALKING
POINTS
Editor’s Note
Due to an earli-
er deadline of 8 p.m.
throughout the pan-
demic, some games
might not make it into
the print edition of your
Valley Press. Please find
the following full stories
on our website at www.
avpress.com: National
Hockey League: Gold-
en Knights at Ducks,
Kings at Wild. Men’s
College Basketball:
UCLA at Colorado.
Morikawa’s late
stumble gives Work-
day contenders a
chance
B R A D E N TO N,
Fla. — PGA champi-
on Collin Morikawa
made seven birdies in
an eight-hole stretch
Saturday and made it
look as though no one
could catch him. All it
took was two bad holes
to turn the Workday
Open into a chase.
Morikawa shot a
5-under 67 at the Con-
cession Golf Club, a
reasonable score ex-
cept for what it could
have been. When he
drove to the front of the
green on the 316-yard
12th hole and made an
8-foot birdie, he was at
17-under par and no
one else was closer than
five shots.
He wound up lead-
ing by two shots over
Brooks Koepka, who
got his mistakes out the
way early and shot 70,
and Billy Horschel. who
had a 69.
Rory McIlroy, who
made a double bogey
for the second straight
day, was hopeful of
getting to 10 under to
at least give himself a
chance. He did one bet-
ter with a 66, including
an eagle on the par-5
13th that gave so many
players fits, and wound
up just four shots be-
hind.
Morikawa was at
15-under 201.
Nelly Korda leads
LPGA as Sorenstam
falls to bottom of
pack
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Nelly Korda surged into
the lead Saturday in the
Gainbridge LPGA with
a 4-under 68 that left
her in position to make
it consecutive wins for
the Korda family to
High School Athletics | College Signing
Two-Sport Scot
QH senior
Weese signs to
Macalester
By ALAN HENDRY
Valley Press Staff Writer
QUARTZ HILL — Ben Weese had of-
fers to play football in college, but he didn’t
think he would be able to continue to run
track as well.
The Quartz Hill senior played on the
varsity football team for three years, getting
promoted during the Rebels’ championship
run his freshman year, and he was on the
track team, running sprints, for four years.
“It was surprising,” Ben said of being
able to compete in both sports in college.
“I always use track to help with football, so
they kind of go hand-in-hand. I didn’t think
I would be able to play football and track.”
Weese will have the opportunity to do
both at Macalester College in Saint Paul,
Minnesota, a Division III school. Ben signed
a National Letter of Intent on February 9 at
Quartz Hill High, in front of family, friends
and coaches.
“It feels great. I’m really excited to be a
Fighting Scot and to be able to go to the
next level,” Ben said. “It’s an honor to be
able to play football still.”
Ben plays strong safety on the football
field, as well as defensive back and running
back. He runs the sprints on the track team.
“At a program like Macalester, a small
school like that, where you can play multiple
sports,” Quartz Hill football coach James
Vondra said. “He was exciting to watch. We
put him at fullback on offense every once in
a while just because of his aggression. It was
an honor to have him in our program. He is
one of those kids with a four point whatev-
er GPA. He always took the AP classes, the
Major League Baseball | Angels
FINAL YEAR? — In this Sept. 12, 2020, file photo, Los
Angeles Angels designated hitter Albert Pujols waves to players
in the Colorado Rockies dugout in the second inning of a game
in Denver.
Motorsports | NASCAR Xfinity Series | Contender Boats 250
Antelope Valley Press, Sunday, February 28, 2021 C1
NBA | LeBron James
LeBron
rejects
criticism
By GREG BEACHAM
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES —
LeBron James responded to
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s criticism
of his political activism with a
promise that he will never just
shut up and dribble.
The Los Angeles Lakers
superstar also pointed out that
Ibrahimovic clearly didn’t
feel the same way about
spotlighting social injustices
when the soccer great called
out racism in his native Sweden
just three years ago.
The AC Milan striker
and former LA Galaxy star
criticized James and other
socially conscious athletes
ALAN HENDRY/Valley Press Thursday in an interview with
OFFICIAL — Quartz Hill senior Ben Weese signs a National Letter of Intent to play Discovery Plus. Ibrahimovic
football and run track at Macalester College in Saint Paul, MInnesota on February 9, called it “a mistake” for James
surrounded by his father Jimmy Weese (left), younger brother Ollie and mother Danielle and other athletes to get
Carbajal at a small ceremony at Quartz Hill High School. involved in political causes,
honors classes. So academically he was one football coach. “As he progressed through saying they should “just do
of our leaders. and starting working on more speed stuff, what you do best, because it
“On the field he was one of our leaders he’s grown to love the track side of it as well. doesn’t look good.”
by example. He’s not one to verbally get “It’s been great. It’s been a long journey, James responded forcefully
into your face, but he was our strong safety. just watching him grow from youth sports to Ibrahimovic’s stance after
He was the one that lined up our defense. the Lakers’ 102-93 victory over
into high school. Watching his passion and
He was the one that called our defense in the Portland Trail Blazers on
love for the game, as well as his academics,
the secondary and our coverage. We knew Friday night.
get him to this point that he is able to go to
he would be able to do that because of his “I would never shut up
college and play and do what he loves to
mental capacity, very high football IQ. He about things that are wrong,”
do.”
just never quit. He never asked to come out. said James, who had 28 points,
Vondra said Ben was a leader for the 11 rebounds and seven assists.
Just one of those guys who quietly did his Rebels.
“I preach about my people
job, but was fun to watch.” “He’s a leader,” Vondra said. “He was
and I preach about equality,
Ben has been playing football since he our team captain coming into this year. He’s
social injustice, racism,
was 7 years old. just one of those guys you wish everybody
systematic voter suppression,
“He got into track to begin with just keep-
was like him. He was always pound-for- things that go on in our
ing in shape in the offseason,” said Ben’s fa-
ther, Jimmy Weese, a Quartz Hill assistant See WEESE, C2 See LEBRON, C2
Pujols says he’ll decide future
after this season with Angels
By GREG BEACHAM “Hey, that’s the life we’re liv- career for 21 years deserve bet-
Associated Press ing on social media,” Pujols said ter than just me or her posting
ANAHEIM — Albert Pujols Saturday with a chuckle. “It’s sad something on Instagram,” Pu-
woke up from a nap last Monday that everybody just had to run jols said in his first interviews of
in Arizona to find several hun- with it.” spring training. “This thing just
dred messages and missed calls The 41-year-old slugger quick- got blown out of proportion. My
ly reiterated what he has been mind is not even there. My mind
on his phone.
saying for months: He hasn’t de- is on staying focused, healthy,
While he was sleeping, the Los
cided whether he will continue and hopefully trying to help this
Angeles Angels slugger’s wife, playing after the conclusion of
Deidre, had put up a compli- ballclub win this year, and that’s
his 10-year, $240 million contract it. If I feel at the end of the year
mentary Instagram post about with the Angels this fall, and he
Associated Press that that’s it, I’ll announce it (and)
her husband that was widely won’t make or announce a deci-
go home. But I’m not even there
interpreted to mean Pujols had sion until after the season.
yet.”
decided to retire after this season, “I think our organization, my
his 21st in the majors. friends, people that follow my See PUJOLS, C2
College Basketball | Utah 71, No. 19 USC 61

Snider wins at Homestead

start the season.
Annika Sorenstam
sank to the bottom.
Korda, whose old-
er sister Jessica won
the Diamond Resorts
Tournament of Cham-
pions last month to start
the new LPGA Tour
season, dropped only
one shot on a breezy
day at Lake Nona to
lead by one over Patty
Tavatanakit.
Sorenstam, playing
for the first time in more
than 12 years after re-
tiring, had no expecta-
tions and no excuses.
She kept leaving herself
in bad spots around the
green and finished with
a 79. That put her in
last place by four shots,
22 shots behind Korda.
The 50-year-old
Swede was making a
one-time appearance
because the tourna-
ment was brought to
her home course, and
she was happy enough
to make the cut on the
number.
“We put every effort
into every single shot,”
she said. “Just wasn’t
See NOTES, C2
after Gragson slams car
By MARK LONG
Associated Press
HOMESTEAD, Fla. —
Noah Gragson had close to a
9-second lead, the outside lane
wide open and the white flag
waiting for him ahead.
The JR Motorsports driver
was on the verge of an elusive
victory at Homestead-Miami
Speedway. And then the un-
thinkable happened. A lapped
car blew a tire and turned right in
front of him. A fraction of a sec-
ond earlier or later and Gragson
would have cruised by and ended
up in victory lane.
Instead, Gragson had no-
where to go and no time to stop.
He slammed into David Starr
and ended his day in disappoint-
ing fashion.
Myatt Snider was the bene-
ficiary. Snider won the Xfinity
Series race Saturday, taking the
checkered flag in overtime after
Gragson’s untimely wreck with
two laps to go in regulation.
“What are you going to do?”
Gragson said. “You’ve got (idiots)
in the way every single week.”
The 26-year-old Snider cele-
brated his first victory in 36 starts
with a reverse lap around the 1
1/2-mile track.
The Richard Childress Rac-
ing driver spun his tires on the
first of two restarts in overtime,
but got a second chance thanks
to a late caution after AJ All-
mendinger spun. Snider didn’t
make the same mistake twice,
driving by RCR teammate Ty-
ler Reddick and turning the final
No. 19 USC loses at Utah,
third loss in last four games
By JOHN COON
Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY —
Alphonso Plummer scored 19
points, Timmy Allen added
OT WIN
15 points and eight assists and
Myatt Snider
Utah pulled away late in the
celebrates after
winning the second half to beat No. 19 USC
NASCAR Xfinity 71-61 on Saturday.
Series auto race Plummer made five
on Saturday at
3-pointers and Ian Martinez
Homestead-
scored 10 points off the bench
Miami Speedway
to help the Utes (10-11, 7-10
in Homestead,
Fla.. Pac-12) beat a Top 25 opponent
Associated Press for the first time this season.
Drew Peterson scored 19
two laps without much of a test.
points, and Evan Mobley added
“It’s just amazing to finally be
in this position,” Snider said. 11 points and eight rebounds for
Associated Press
The biggest challenge for the suddenly struggling USC (19-6,
13-5), which shot 37% from the CONTACT — Southern
first-time winner — the second California forward Isaiah
in as many weeks in NASCAR’s field and lost for the third time Mobley, center, pulls down a
second-tier series — was finding in four games. rebound as Utah’s Timmy Allen
victory lane. Snider missed the Sloppy basketball defined (1) and Ian Martinez (2) defend
turn before having to back up the first half as the Trojans and during the first half of an NCAA
college basketball game on
and try again. Utes combined for 19 turnovers
Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Reddick was second, followed before halftime.
by Brandon Jones, Daniel USC set a defensive tone by and Isaiah White scored three
Hemric, Jeb Burton and pole- pressuring Utah into several baskets apiece to fuel the 18-4
early turnovers, opening the run that gave USC that double-
sitter Austin Cindric. The race
door for the Trojans to take digit cushion. Two of White’s
See XFINITY, C2 an early 18-8 lead. Peterson baskets came off turnovers.