The biggest game this week is St. John Bosco at Santa Margarita on Friday at 7 p.m. It is a Trinity League opener for both teams.

St. John Bosco (11-4), led by 6-6 senior Christian Collins, is ranked No. 3 in CIF-SS in the computer rankings.

Santa Margarita (19-2), led by senior guard Kaiden Bailey (Georgia Tech signee), is No. 2 behind top-ranked Sierra Canyon.

In the CalHiSports.com state rankings, Santa Margarita is No. 3 and St. John Bosco is No. 5. Sierra Canyon is No. 1 there, too.

Orange Lutheran (14-5), which is No. 10 in the Orange County rankings, plays at county No. 3 JSerra (13-8) on Friday in another Trinity League opener.

The schedule for Tuesday has some standout league matchups. In the Crestview League, O.C. No. 6 Canyon (11-6) is at No. 2 Crean Lutheran (14-5) and No. 14 La Habra (15-4) is at No. 8 Cypress (14-7).

In the Freeway League on Friday, No. 18 Sonora (15-5) plays at No. 15 El Dorado (16-2).

ORANGE COUNTY NOTES

The first version of the computer rankings that the CIF-SS will use for the creation of the playoff divisions were released last week. The second posting is due this week and the rankings will continue each week through Feb. 2. …

Canyon and No. 17 Esperanza (18-1) play each other in a nonleague game Monday, Jan. 12, at Intuit Dome, the home of the Clippers. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. …

Los Alamitos senior Tyler Lopez was named MVP of the Diamond Division for The Classic at Damien. The Griffins’ Joseph Ojeda and Isaiah Williamson were named to all-tournament. Los Alamitos beat Auburn of Washington in the division final. Canyon, Fairmont Prep and La Habra also were in the Diamond Division. …

Esperanza was the champion of the Bronze Division in The Classic at Damien. …

Calvary Chapel defeated Jurupa Hills 63-61 in the Iron Division final of The Classic. Calvary’s Micah Francisco was named division MVP and the Eagles’ Ephraim Coffin was named all-tournament. …

Los Amigos went 3-1 in the Bronze Division of The Classic at Damien. …

Orange Lutheran went 3-1 and won the consolation championship in the Silver Division at The Classic. Lancers Josh King and Noah Zeola were selected to the all-tournament team. King is averaging 24 points a game. …

Fountain Valley won the championship of the Oxford Academy tournament. Barons senior guard Kenneth Nguyen scored 30 points in a 79-53 win over Pacifica in the championship game. He was the tournament MVP. …

Crean Lutheran 6-11 senior Chadrack Mpoyi was named all-tournament in The Classic at Damien. …

Newport Harbor went 4-0 in the Gold Division of The Coast Classic tournament at Estancia. The division had a round-robin format without a championship game. Newport’s Owen Saukkola was named all-tournament. …

The Coast Classic’s Silver Division was played in the 16-team bracket style. Godinez beat Cabrillo 58-57 in the championship game. Jaiden Torres of Godinez was division MVP. …

Cypress won the Governors Division championship of the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic. Guard Ryan Gov was named division MVP.  He scored 32 points in the Centurions’ 83-73 win over Poway in the division final. …

Zain Majeed is averaging 25 points a game for Mater Dei since becoming eligible Dec. 26. He is a 6-8 junior who transferred from IMG Academy in Florida. …

Not all teams post stats at MaxPreps.com. Of those that do, Brea Olinda senior Logan Severson is the California leader in 3-point baskets with 67 in 19 games.

Notable this week: Santa Margarita won the championship of the top division in the Desert Holiday Classic. …  Mater Dei went 4-0 in its division of the Desert Holiday Classic. … Los Alamitos won the championship of the Diamond Division of The Classic at Damien tournament. … Huntington Beach makes its season debut in the Top 25 … Transfers who had to observe the sit-out period became eligible to play on Dec. 26.

BOYS BASKETBALL TOP 25

1. Santa Margarita 19-2: The Eagles won the championship of the top division in the Desert Holiday Classic. They also beat Roosevelt and Fairfax. They are home against St. John Bosco (11-4) in a Trinity League opener Friday.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Crean Lutheran 14-5: The Saints lost to Redondo Union in the semifinals of the Platinum Division in The Classic at Damien. They beat Cypress 72-60 in a Crestview League opener.

Previous ranking: 2

3. JSerra 13-8: The Lions lost to Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks in the championship game of the National Division of the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic.

Previous ranking: 3

4. Corona del Mar 16-1: The Sea Kings finished second in its division of the Desert Holiday Classic. They beat Fountain Valley 64-46 in a Sunset League game, the first loss of the season for the Barons.

Previous ranking: 4

5. Los Alamitos 8-6: The Griffins won the championship of the Diamond Division in The Classic at Damien. They beat Auburn of Washington 60-53 in the division final.

Previous ranking: 7

6. Canyon 11-6: The Comanches went 2-2 in the Diamond Division of The Classic at Damien, then beat Arizona’s No. 3-ranked team Brophy Prep.

Previous ranking: 5

7. Mater Dei 12-7: With their roster improved by recently eligible transfers, the Monarchs won their division of the Desert Holiday Classic.

Previous ranking: 10

8. Cypress 14-7: The Centurions won the championship of the Governors Division in the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic, and lost to Crean Lutheran in a Crestview League game.

Previous ranking: 6

9. Fairmont Prep 10-7: The Huskies went 2-2 in the Diamond Division of The Classic at Damien.

Previous ranking: 8

10. Orange Lutheran 14-5: The Lancers won the consolation championship in the Silver Division of The Classic at Damien.

Previous ranking: 11

11. Pacifica Christian 13-4

Previous ranking: 9

12. Tesoro 17-3

Previous ranking: 12

13. Servite 15-5

Previous ranking: 17

14. La Habra 15-4

Previous ranking: 14

15. El Dorado 16-3

Previous ranking: 13

16. Edison 14-3

Previous ranking: 15

17. Esperanza 18-1

Previous ranking: 16

18. Sonora 15-5

Previous ranking: 20

19. Fountain Valley 16-1

Previous ranking: 21

20. Newport Harbor 13-4

Previous ranking: 19

21. San Clemente 10-9

Previous ranking: 18

22. Huntington Beach 10-7

Previous ranking: Not ranked

23. Villa Park 12-9

Previous ranking: 24

24. Aliso Niguel 11-8

Previous ranking: 25

25. Woodbridge 12-6

Previous ranking: 23

The idea is to replicate — on a smaller scale — the Chateau des Carrieres, a massive multimedia exhibit set inside a former limestone quarry in Southern France.

La Habra resident Kent Roberts and his wife brought the idea home with them several years ago after a visit to the original in 2016 and have since been championing the project that is getting closer to a reality.

“The visuals will be larger than life,” said Roberts, a member of the museum’s nonprofit fundraising arm, Friends of the La Habra Children’s Museum. “One of our first exhibits will probably be from a company that makes underwater films — so when you walk into it, you’ll be surrounded by the ocean.”

“It’ll be like going into the Long Beach aquarium, but being surrounded by four walls.”

Introducing local children to the wonders of the wider world will expand their horizons, he recently told councilmembers, who this fall approved the final site choice for the theater behind the Depot Theater building on the south side of the children’s museum. Some of the old train cars used by the museum might need to be removed or relocated, officials said.

Councilmembers also agreed to pay half of the planning and design costs, up to $50,000, to be allocated from the City Facility Improvement reserves.

The 3,000-square-foot building expansion would house exhibits displaying immersive projections on the floors and the roughly 18-foot walls, along with music or audio.

Established in 1977, La Habra’s was considered the first of its kind in Southern California as a dedicated children’s museum. After multiple expansions throughout the years, the museum now occupies 12,500 square feet and offers exhibits focused on art, science, culture, nature and more.

“The children’s museum has about 90-some-odd thousand people a year go through it, mostly a parent and a child, sometimes in a stroller, up to third or fourth grade. This (immersive theater) will be a new exhibit they can walk directly into,” Roberts said.

Councilmembers also agreed to allocate up to $400,000 toward construction, on the condition that private funding for the project is fully secured before city funds are used. Final building and design plans will need to be reviewed by city officials before the project could move forward.

So far, the museum’s nonprofit has raised about $1.2 million for the theater, but a concrete estimate for total construction costs likely won’t be available until February. Early estimates have fundraising about $4 million short.

That didn’t seem to discourage Roberts, who said, “If I’m short, then I’ve got to raise more money. Story of my life.”

He said the proposed theater will also be available to rent in the evenings year-round, creating an atmosphere “that you just can’t find someplace else.”

“If you’re having a birthday party or an anniversary party, we’ll have visuals on the wall to match the occasion,” he said, “along with music that goes with it.”

Majeed, a 6-foot-8 junior forward who became eligible Friday, scored 20 points as the Monarchs defeated Otay Ranch 98-50 in a first-round game of the Desert Holiday Classic in Palm Springs.

Majeed transferred from IMG Academy. His transfer required that Majeed had to sit out 50 percent of the total days of the boys basketball season.

Junior guard Richie Ramirez led Mater Dei with 23 points. Ramirez is averaging 27 points a game.

Mater Dei, No. 10 in the Orange County Top 25, is 7-6.

In The Classic At Damien:

No. 8 Fairmont Prep 55, Campbell Hall 45: David Abisogun led the Huskies (8-5) with 19 points in their Diamond Division first-round victory.

Fairmont Prep plays No. 14 La Habra (12-3) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Ramona Middle School in La Verne.

No. 2 Crean Lutheran 62, Owyhee (Idaho) 59: The Saints (11-3) won their first-round game in the Platinum Division, the tournament’s top division.

Hunter Caplan led Crean Lutheran with 20 points. Chadrack Mpoyi scored 15 points and Nick Giarusso scored 13.

The Saints play Sandra Day O’Connor (Arizona) on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Damien High. O’Connor (10-4) defeated Corona Centennial on Friday.

No. 5 Canyon 50, San Ramon Valley 47: Rami Awad scored 15 points with three 3-point baskets to lead the victorious Comanches (8-3) in the Diamond Division.

Canyon will play Central (Arizona) in the second round Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Ramona Middle School.

In the Oxford Academy Tournament:

No. 21 Fountain Valley 78, Saddleback 48: Kendall Nguyen’s 18 points led the Barons (13-0). Isaac Chinchilla added 14 points for Fountain Valley.

In the Rancho Mirage Christmas Tournament:

No. 4 Corona del Mar 61, Upland 39: Maxwell Scott scored 20 points with seven rebounds, Oliver Nakra scored 18 points with four 3-point basketball and Luke Mirhashemi contributed assists for the Sea Kings (13-0).

In the Torrey Pines Invitational:

No. 6 Cypress 64, Mira Costa 51: Ryan Gov scored 20 points and Ethan Mai scored 18 for the Centurions (11-5).

Mai made six 3-point shots.

The Centurions have defeated three teams ranked in the Orange County Top 25 since Dec. 12. They beat Orange Lutheran 75-68 in the North Orange County Championships tournament before nonleague wins over San Clemente 57-50 and Fairmont Prep 59-49.

This week’s county rankings have Fairmont Prep at No. 8, Orange Lutheran at No. 11 and San Clemente at No. 18. Cypress is No. 6, having moved up from No. 17 last week.

Cypress beat Fairmont Prep without All-County point guard Ryan Gov, who was out because of a sprained ankle.

Centurions 6-7 senior forward Gavin Kroll scored 25 points and Emmanuel Igbekoyi, also a 6-7 senior forward, scored 22 in the win over Orange Lutheran.

Kroll scored 18 points with four 3-point baskets against San Clemente. He scored 18 points with four 3s and five blocked shots in the win over Fairmont Prep.

“Kroll’s been awesome,” Cypress coach Derek Mitchell said. “His offense overshadows how good his defense was last week, especially against David Abisogun of Fairmont.”

Abisogun, among Orange County’s top 10 players and a Texas State, signee, was limited to 12 points against Cypress.

Senior guard Ethan Mai took over the on-court leadership duties in Gov’s absence.

Mitchell said Gov, who committed to Azusa Pacific University this month, might play against Corona del Mar on Tuesday in the Orange County North/South Challenge at Tesoro High.

NORTH/SOUTH CHALLENGE

The Orange County North/South Challenge is Tuesday at Tesoro.

The schedule (including teams’ Orange County ranking): El Toro vs. Northwood, 9 a.m.; Dana Hills vs. Huntington Beach, 10:30 a.m.; Trabuco Hills vs. No. 21 Fountain Valley, noon; San Juan Hills vs. Tustin, 1:30 p.m.; No. 18 San Clemente vs. No. 23 Woodbridge, 3 p.m.; No. 12 Tesoro vs. Irvine, 4:30 p.m.; No. 4 Corona del Mar vs. No. 6 Cypress, 6 p.m.; No. 2 Crean Lutheran vs. No. 7 Los Alamitos, 7:30 p.m.

Admission is $12 for adults, $5 for students and those of ages 5-12. Free admission is available for children under 5 years old.

The North/South Challenge is dedicated to the late Tim O’Brien, who coached at a few schools in Orange County, including leading Estancia to a state championship in 1991. O’Brien died of cancer in 2020.

NOTES

The sit-out period for transfers who did not make a change of address upon transferring ends Friday. Many teams will improve. Among them is Fairmont Prep, where the Huskies will add 6-2 guard Jordan Ceballos, who showed much promise last season as a freshman at Crean Lutheran, and 6-8 senior forward Eric Gong from St. John Bosco. …

La Habra junior guard Javier Nash is out for the remainder of the season because of torn knee cartilage. He was a key starter for the Highlanders. …

The Charlie Wilkins Memorial Tournament is underway at Westminster High. Orange County teams in that one are Saddleback, Tarbut V’Torah, University and host school Westminster. …

Post-Christmas tournaments in Orange County include the Estancia Coast Classic at Estancia High and the Ringo Bossenmeyer/Tustin Holiday Classic at Tustin High; the latter is named for longtime Tustin coach Ringo Bossenmeyer who retired from coaching after the 2024-25 season. The Estancia tournament includes county teams Marina, Newport Harbor, San Clemente, Western and Woodbridge. The Tustin tournament includes county teams Beckman, Servite, Tesoro and Tustin. …

Many O.C. teams are playing after Christmas in The Classic at Damien tournament. The tournament has nine divisions. Crean Lutheran is in the top division, the Platinum Division.

Notable this week: Cypress rises from No. 17 last week to No. 6 this week after victories over then-No. 15 San Clemente and No. 4 Fairmont Prep. … Santa Margarita stays on top after close wins over Basha and Bishop Gorman in the Tarkanian Classic tournament in Las Vegas. … Canyon’s young team climbs after a win over rival Villa Park. … Los Alamitos continues its rise after a 20-point win over Torrey Pines. … Corona del Mar and Fountain Valley take undefeated records into this week.

1. Santa Margarita 13-1: The Eagles advanced to the semifinals of the top division of the Tarkanian Classic, the Platinum Division, including a win, 86-79, in overtime over Bishop Gorman. Drew Anderson scored 29 points with 19 rebounds.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Crean Lutheran 9-3: The Saints lost to Sierra Canyon, 69-40, a team widely considered No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section. They play in the top division of The Classic at Damien after Christmas.

Previous ranking: 2

3. JSerra 8-5: The Lions won their first two games in the Tarkanian Classic’s Spalding Division by one-sided scores, 88-60 over Bingham and 70-35 over Mojave.

Previous ranking: 3

4. Corona del Mar 11-0: The undefeated Sea Kings did not play last week. They will play No. 7 Cypress in the Orange County North/South Challenge at Tesoro on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Previous ranking: 5.

5. Canyon 7-3: Often with three freshmen on the court at the same time, Canyon beat Villa Park 65-58 in the Challenge For CHOC showcase at Sonora. They will play in the post-Christmas Classic at Damien’s Diamond Division.

Previous ranking: 9

6. Cypress 10-4: The Centurions had a great week, with wins of 57-50 over San Clemente and 59-49 over Fairmont Prep. They play Corona del Mar at Tesoro on Tuesday.

Previous ranking: 17

7. Los Alamitos 4-5: The Griffins impressed again with a 73-53 win over Torrey Pines. They continue their rugged schedule by taking on Crean Lutheran at Tesoro on Tuesday.

Previous ranking: 10

8. Fairmont Prep 7-5: The Huskies beat Oak Hills 52-47 and lost to Cypress 59-49. They will play in the Diamond Division of The Classic at Damien after Christmas.

Previous ranking: 4

9. Pacifica Christian 11-2: The Tritons have won eight in a row since a loss to Rolling Hills Prep. They will play in the Silver Division of The Classic at Damien.

Previous ranking: 6

10. Mater Dei 7-5: The Monarchs went 1-1 over the first two days of the Tarkanian Classic. They had an 87-61 win over Coeur d’Alene as Richie Ramirez scored 41 points and Luke Barnett scored 33.

Previous ranking: 7

11. Orange Lutheran 10-4

Previous ranking: 10

12. Tesoro 12-2

Previous ranking: 11

13. El Dorado 11-1

Previous ranking: 12

14. La Habra 11-3

Previous ranking: 13

15. Edison 9-2

Previous ranking: 14

16. Esperanza 13-1

Previous ranking: 16

17. Servite 11-3

Previous ranking: 18

18. San Clemente 6-7

Previous ranking: 15

19. Newport Harbor 9-3

Previous ranking: 19

20. Sonora 10-4

Previous ranking: 21

21. Fountain Valley 11-0

Previous ranking: 22

22. Foothill 5-5

Previous ranking: 20

23. Woodbridge 10-3

Previous ranking: 23

24. Villa Park 10-6

Previous ranking: 24

25. Aliso Niguel 9-5

Previous ranking: 25

Nate Chung #24 of the Villa Park Spartans and Dean Dohrmann #3 of the Canyon Comanches go for the ball. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Jorden Salem #12 of the Villa Park Spartans, left, and Pierce Haugen #21 of the Canyon Comanches go for the ball. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Pierce Haugen #21 of the Canyon Comanches is wrapped up by Jorden Salem #12, left, and James Garcia #14 of the Villa Park Spartans. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Rami Awad #1 of the Canyon Comanches tries to shoot over Jorden Salem #12 of the Villa Park Spartans. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Hayden Hakala #2, left and Jorden Salem #12 of the Villa Park Spartans strip the ball from Rami Awad #1 of the Canyon Comanches. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Ali Shafie #2 of the Canyon Comanches guards Hayden Hakala #2 of the Villa Park Spartans. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Mohammed el Baba #0 of Canyon gets past Hayden Hakala #2 of Villa Park during a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Pierce Haugen #21 of the Canyon Comanches gets past Jacob Lopez #13 of the Villa Park Spartans. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Jonah Kim #10 of the Canyon Comanches is guarded by Jorden Salem #12 of the Villa Park Spartans. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Rami Awad #1 of the Canyon Comanches tries to get around Jorden Salem #12 of the Villa Park Spartans. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Mohammed el Baba #0 of the Canyon Comanches and Jacob Lopez #13 of the Villa Park Spartans go after a loose ball. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Mohammed el Baba #0 of Canyon reaches in for the ball against Nate Chung #24 of the Villa Park during a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Jed Cain-Graves #4, left, and Chris Hauck #3 of the Villa Park Spartans guard Rami Awad #1 of the Canyon Comanches. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Bryson Taiulu-Allen #5 of the Canyon Comanches goes up to block a shot by Nate Chung #24 of the Villa Park Spartans Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Hayden Hakala #2 of the Villa Park Spartans tries to shoot over Ali Shafie #2 and Rami Awad #1 of the Canyon Comanches. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Mohammed el Baba #0 of the Canyon Comanches tries to take the ball from Sebastian Perez #15 of the Villa Park Spartans. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Jed Cain-Graves #4 of the Villa Park Spartans and Mohammed el Baba #0 of the Canyon Comanches go after a loose ball. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Rami Awad #1 of the Canyon Comanches tries to get past Jed Cain-Graves #4 of the Villa Park Spartans. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Dean Dohrmann #3 of the Canyon Comanches gets past Solomon Gatewood #34 of the Villa Park Spartans. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Dean Dohrmann #3 of the Canyon Comanches drives to the hoop against Sebastian Perez #15 of the Villa Park Spartans. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Solomon Gatewood #34 of the Villa Park Spartans goes up to block a shot by Rami Awad #1 of the Canyon Comanches. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Solomon Gatewood #34 of the Villa Park Spartans guards Bryson Taiulu-Allen #5 of the Canyon Comanches. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Canyon fans cheer for their team. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Sebastian Perez #15 of the Villa Park Spartans tries to get past Mohammed el Baba #0 of the Canyon Comanches. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Bryson Taiulu-Allen #5 of the Canyon Comanches guards Chris Hauck #3 of the Villa Park Spartans. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Sebastian Perez #15 of the Villa Park Spartans is guarded by Pierce Haugen #21 and Bryson Taiulu-Allen #5 of the Canyon Comanches. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Sebastian Perez #15 of the Villa Park Spartans is tied up by Bryson Taiulu-Allen #5 of the Canyon Comanches. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Nate Chung #24 of the Villa Park Spartans tries to get past Bryson Taiulu-Allen #5 of the Canyon Comanches. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Jorden Salem #12 of the Villa Park Spartans shoots over Pierce Haugen #21 of the Canyon Comanches. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Pierce Haugen #21 of the Canyon Comanches guards Jorden Salem #12 of the Villa Park Spartans. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

Jorden Salem #12 of the Villa Park Spartans gets past Jonah Kim #10 of the Canyon Comanches for a shot. Villa Park played Canyon in a boys basketball game at Sonora High School on December 19, 2025 in La Habra, CA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)

LA HABRA – It was just like old times.

The Canyon and Villa Park boys basketball teams had not played each other for three years. Their rivalry was among the fiercer ones in Orange County sports for many seasons, including when they were in the same league.

Releaguing separated the two programs. Canyon and Villa Park met again on the basketball court at Sonora High on Friday night in the two-day Challenge For CHOC. Canyon won 65-58.

The game was the expected rough rumble. Plenty of body contact, some smack talk, and both schools had boisterous student sections in the gym.

Canyon, No. 9 in the Orange County Top 25 rankings, is 7-3. No. 24 Villa Park is 10-6.

Sophomore guard Jonah Kim led Canyon with a game-high 20 points. Kim made four 3-point baskets. Canyon freshman guard Dan Dohrmann scored 16 points with three 3-pointers and senior guard Rami Awad scored 13 points with six rebounds.

Villa Park sophomore guard Sebastian Perez scored a team-high 17 points with three 3-pointers. Spartans senior guard Hayden Hakala scored 13 points and freshman guard Jorden Salem scored 12 points.

Awad enjoyed the experience.

“It was a really fun environment,” Awad said. “All the students coming together. All the Canyon and Villa Park kids know each other.

“It gets a little chippy, but it was fun.”

Canyon coach Nate Harrison was happy that a Canyon-Villa Park boys basketball game was played again.

“It’s a rivalry game,” Harrison said. “We’d love to do it every year.”

Canyon blazed to a big, early lead. Dohrmann opened the scoring with a 3-pointer and added a driving layup to pace Canyon to an 8-0 start. The Comanches led 19-13 at the end of the first quarter.

Canyon controlled the second quarter to take a 42-26 lead into halftime.

Harrison would later say that he expected Villa Park to make a run in the second half, and that did happen. The Spartans outscored Canyon 13-3 for a stretch in the third quarter. A 59-46 lead early in the fourth quarter quickly was reduced to a 61-56 advantage, with Salem scoring seven points in the quarter, but that would be as close as Villa Park would get.

“We love winning these kinds of games,” Harrison said. “We’re going to be physical, we’re going to play hard, we don’t mind all the yapping. We love it. We love it.”

Canyon and Villa Park, like many CIF Southern Section basketball teams, will have potentially improved rosters on Dec. 26, the day the sit-out period for transfers ends. Both teams will then add depth and possibly a new starter or two.

Saturday’s schedule for Challenge For CHOC, which raises money to benefit Children’s Hospital of Orange County, includes a La Habra vs. Sonora girls game at 1:30 p.m., a Cypress vs. Fairmont Prep boys game at 6 p.m. and a Sonora vs. Troy boys game at 7:30 p.m.

Junior guard Marcel Aguilar made two free throws with two seconds remaining to provide the tying and winning points at Western High.

Aguilar scored 26 points in the game and was named tournament MVP.

The Sailors improved to 8-3.

It has been an up-and-down season for Newport Harbor, which is no surprise to Sailors veteran coach Bob Torribio. The team has only one returning starter, senior forward Owen Saukkola, who was All-Sunset League second team last season.

Saukkola and senior guard Hudson Witting were selected to the all-tournament team.

Torribio said it can be difficult for high school basketball players to understand the need to give their best effort against every opponent.

“This is the first time playing varsity basketball for a lot of our guys,” Torribio said. “It’s hard to explain to teenagers that it’s going to be like this every night.”

NOTES

Trabuco Hills finished third in the Western Showcase with a 55-45 win over Valencia in the third-place game. …

Fairmont Prep lost its three games in the Bosco Classic tournament by a combined margin of 16 points. Fairmont’s David Abisogun scored 20 points in a 62-56 loss to St. John Bosco, the No. 4 team last week in the CalHiSports.com state rankings. …

The two-day Challenge for CHOC event is Friday and Saturday at Sonora High. Among the games is Canyon vs. Villa Park, a renewal of one of the great rivalries in Orange County boys basketball, on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Also,  Cypress vs. Fairmont Prep on Saturday at 6 p.m. and Troy vs. Sonora on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. …

Orange County teams playing in the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas are Santa Margarita, which is playing in the Platinum Division, and JSerra and Mater Dei, which are both in the Spalding Division. …

Pacifica Christian went 3-0 in their three games in Washington State. Donovan Hogan averaged 18 points and six rebounds a game for the Tritons. …

Los Alamitos senior Tyler Lopez scored 21 points with eight rebounds, three steals and two assists in the Griffins’ 57-50 win over Rolling Hills Prep, which was No. 25 at the time in the CalHiSports.com state rankings. …

Corona Centennial beat Mater Dei 71-57 in the championship game of the San Juan Invitational. Richie Ramirez led Mater Dei with 22 points. Ramirez and Mater Dei’s Luke Barnett were named to the all-tournament team, as were Rocco Jensen of San Juan Hills. Michael Ahern of Capistrano Valley Christian and Kaden Harris of Calvary Chapel.

Notable this week: Los Alamitos enters the Top 10 after a 57-50 win over state-ranked Rolling Hills Prep. … Orange Lutheran lost to Cypress 75-66 in the North Orange County Championships. … Corona del Mar (11-0) remains undefeated. … Two teams enter this week’s rankings: Fountain Valley (10-0) at No. 22 and Newport Harbor (8-3) at No. 19. … The Sailors won the Western Showcase tournament last week.

BOYS BASKETBALL TOP 25

1. Santa Margarita 11-1: The Eagles beat Village Christian and Millikan. Their next game is in the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Crean Lutheran 9-2: The Saints beat state-ranked teams Archbishop Riordan and Crespi.

Previous ranking: 3

3. JSerra 6-5: The Lions went 1-2 last week. They are in the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas this week.

Previous ranking: 2

4. Fairmont Prep 6-4: The Huskies went 0-3 against some standout competition in the Bosco Classic.

Previous ranking: 4

5. Corona del Mar 11-0: The Sea Kings were 4-0 last week, including an 83-59 win over Villa Park.

Previous ranking: 5

6. Pacifica Christian 9-2: The Tritons went 3-0 in a tournament in Washington state.

Previous ranking: 6

7. Mater Dei 6-4: The Monarchs lost to Corona Centennial in the San Juan Invitational championship game. They are in the Tarkanian Classic this week.

Previous ranking: 8

8. Los Alamitos 3-5: The Griffins beat Rolling Hills Prep, the No. 25 team in last week’s CalHiSports.com state rankings.

Previous ranking: 13

9. Canyon 6-3: Canyon was 3-1 in the North Orange County Championships, finishing with a 65-52 win over Rancho Verde.

Previous ranking: 9

10. Orange Lutheran 8-4: The Lancers beat La Serna and Sonora, lost to Cypress in the North Orange County Championships.

Previous ranking: 7

11. Tesoro 11-2

Previous ranking: 10

12. El Dorado 10-1

Previous ranking: 11

13. La Habra 10-3

Previous ranking: 12

14. Edison 9-2

Previous ranking: 14

15. San Clemente 6-5

Previous ranking: 15

16. Esperanza 12-1

Previous ranking: 16

17. Cypress 8-4

Previous ranking: 18

18. Servite 10-3

Previous ranking: 17

19. Newport Harbor 8-3

Previous ranking: Not ranked

20. Foothill 5-5

Previous ranking: 23

21. Sonora 8-4

Previous ranking: 19

22. Fountain Valley 10-0

Previous ranking: Not ranked

23. Woodbridge 9-3

Previous ranking: 20

24. Villa Park 9-5

Previous ranking: 21

25. Aliso Niguel 8-4

Previous ranking: 22

Howard’s Appliance Inc., the longstanding retail chain in Southern California that cited tariffs and declining consumer spending for its collapse, filed for bankruptcy protection late Wednesday, Dec. 10, listing up to $17.2 million in liabilities.

Howard’s was based in La Habra for years before consolidating operations in 2024 to a new headquarters at 111 N. Baldwin Park Blvd., in the City of Industry. It was acquired in April by S5 Equity, a private equity firm based in Newport Beach, to help with the cash-starved company’s turnaround.

Lawyers for the company filed plans for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles. In Chapter 11, the company continues to operate under the supervision of a court-appointed trustee, with the goal of emerging from bankruptcy as a viable business.

Details are still scant on how customers can recover payments on appliance orders, especially during the chain’s Black Friday sale after the Thanksgiving holiday. Many customers have frantically tried to either get their appliances — delivered or picked up at a store — or get reimbursed for payments made as long ago as October.

Howard’s bankruptcy filing estimated company assets between $1 million and $10 million, and total property in the amount of $11.5 million. It also had $273,500 in unpaid taxes with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.

Company officials declined to comment on the bankruptcy filing, though the law firm Golden Goodrich in Costa Mesa told the Southern California News Group on Monday that Howard’s struggled to “overcome tariffs, declines in consumer spending, and other macroeconomic challenges.”

President Donald Trump has made his battle over tariffs with foreign nations a major administration policy to raise revenue for the country and revitalize the economy and create jobs domestically.

Several appliance makers were listed among the 20 largest unsecured claims for “trade debt,” which is money a business owes to its suppliers for goods or services bought on credit.

These included GE Appliances Retail of Louisville, owed $1.42 million, LG Appliances of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, owed $1.13 million, Electrolux Home Products of Carol Stream, Illinois, owed $894,400, R&B Wholesale Distributors of Ontario (an appliance service center), owed $431,200, Thermador of Irvine, owed $274,700, Samsung Electronics of Los Angeles, owed $239,600, and Viking Range LLC of Chicago, owed $118,300.

The Los Angeles Angels baseball team, local television stations FOX 11 (KTTV) and KTLA 5, and Google are owed $150,000, $562,500, $138,600 and $117,000, respectively, for advertising services.

Top Staffing Solutions of La Mirada is owed $203,800 for employee search services.

The company began in 1946 as a radio repair shop in San Gabriel and later evolved into one of Southern California’s leading independent appliance retailers, expanding into televisions and mattresses.

A week after Black Friday sales, the chain suddenly closed all of its Southern California stores, offering only two days’ notice to employees on Dec. 4, and nothing to customers with orders in limbo. A week ago, roughly 100 employees were notified of their pending layoffs during a Zoom video conference call and told business operations would cease Saturday, Dec. 6.

Last supper

About a third of the company’s employees on Wednesday afternoon gathered at Koobikland, a Persian restaurant in Orange.

“We were just saying our goodbyes. We had no opportunity before. We were told about our layoffs on a Zoom call and given 15 minutes to say goodbye to everyone,” said Adam Kohan, a deputy general manager for retail and trade partner with the Howard’s in Laguna Hills. “One hour later, we were closed.”

“This was our Christmas gift to us. It cuts deep to me. Maybe we weren’t treated right, but we have to treat ourselves with dignity,” he said of the restaurant gathering.

Howard’s, whose website went down beginning Friday, operated at least 17 stores before it was acquired. That store count was down to eight as of last week with locations in Tustin, Huntington Beach, La Habra, Laguna Hills, Long Beach (Marina Pacifica neighborhood along Pacific Coast Highway), Alhambra, Covina and Riverside.

S5 Equity, an investment firm led by the Steinhafel family, made its first acquisition in 2022, when it partnered with Prelude Wine Holdings to buy Wiens Cellars in Temecula. In March 2025, it bought Minnesota-based Heartland America, a discount catalog and online retailer for consumers seeking to buy electronics, houseware and apparel.

The Steinhafel family has connections with Steinhafels Furniture in Wisconsin, as well as Gregg Steinhafel, who resigned as president and chief executive officer of Minnesota-based Target Corp. in 2014 following a data breach that exposed 40 million credit and debit card accounts.

S5 Equity is led by managing partner and founder David Steinhafel, the sole shareholder of H Retail Holdings LLC, which runs Howard’s.