Local Sports Events Archives

CIF approves indoor sports, issues updated guidance which includes mandatory testing

March 5, 2021 4:17 PM Blake Arthur

The CIF State office has issued an update on guidelines regarding high school sports, specifically with respect for indoor sports following a settlement that granted play for indoor sports in California. .@CIFState Interpretation of Updated Guidance pic.twitter.com/XJjWDlTdT6— CIF Southern Section (@CIFSS) March 5, 2021 Protocols must be followed, including mandatory testing, either daily antigen testing

Desert Valley League teams to play football this season, schedule still to be finalized

March 3, 2021 4:42 PM Blake Arthur

All eight Desert Valley League teams are going to play football this season. The question is: how many games for each team? Following Tuesday’s news that high school football can return to play, DVL athletic directors and coaches met Wednesday to discuss the course of action for their league, deciding that they will go forward

Outdoor high school sports in Riverside County, including football, approved to play

March 2, 2021 9:37 AM Blake Arthur, Taban Sharifi

It’s go time! High school sports are finally back, specifically football. Following Tuesday’s updated COVID-19 case-rates in Riverside County, outdoor local high school sports have been approved to play, ending a lengthy layoff that has sidelined local student-athletes. As we’ve been reporting, 14 was the magic number. The threshold was 14 coronavirus cases or less

Morongo Unified School District approves sports to return, could signify same for other local districts

March 1, 2021 7:03 PM Blake Arthur

The Morongo Unified School District held a special meeting Monday night, voting 5-0 in favor of allowing high school sports to return to play. “Full send,” said Michael Usher, head basketball coach and assistant football coach at 29 Palms. Locally, that means Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley high schools have been cleared to begin the

Local athletes compete again; high schools prepare for more sports to return

February 26, 2021 11:58 AM Taylor Begley

As we approach the one year mark from when local high school sports shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, the light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to appear. This afternoon, La Quinta and Xavier Prep competed in a cross country meet. This was the second competition locally and first for each

Coachella Valley high school baseball program in need of help after equipment vandalized, stolen

February 25, 2021 3:03 PM Blake Arthur

Coachella Valley high school baseball needs your help. The Arabs had most of their equipment vandalized and/or stolen, leaving them with basically nothing. A GoFundMe account has been made by head coach Bobb Boetto. If you feel like making a financial contribution, you can make a donation there. We gotta be better as a community.

Bill Johnson to serve as interim head football coach for Coachella Valley high school

February 24, 2021 7:02 PM Blake Arthur

If there is a high school football season this year, Bill Johnson will be the man to lead the Arabs, at least for now. Johnson replaces former Arabs head coach Brett Davis who recently accepted a position in his home state of Oklahoma. Johnson has coached football at CVHS since 2012, working in multiple roles.

Football after all? Shortened season looks likely for local high school programs

February 24, 2021 3:52 PM Blake Arthur

Finally football? Well, not yet but there is a growing optimism in regards to high school sports, specifically football as a season may happen after all. Football could start by March if the COVID-19 case-rate in Riverside County reaches the threshold of 14 cases or less per 100,000 people. Right now, Riverside County is at

Tiger Woods won’t face charges, LA County sheriff says single-car crash was “purely an accident”

February 24, 2021 5:21 PM CNN Newsource

The rollover car crash that seriously injured Tiger Woods outside Los Angeles on Tuesday was an accident and investigators won’t pursue any charges against the golf great, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Wednesday. “We don’t contemplate any charges whatsoever in this crash,” Villanueva said in a Facebook Live chat. “This remains an accident.

Local high school sports, specifically football, on brink of return with recent drop in cases

February 23, 2021 2:02 PM Blake Arthur

According to the latest coronavirus case numbers in Riverside County, local sports could be returning very soon. CIF-SS Latest Return to Play Updates pic.twitter.com/e04HHl8CeW— CIF Southern Section (@CIFSS) February 23, 2021 As we reported last week, once case numbers are 14 or less per 100,000 people, sports are allowed to start. As of Tuesday, Feb.

Officials give preview of the $250 million Coachella Valley Arena

February 23, 2021 4:34 PM John White

The Coachella Valley will soon be home to a new $250 million arena that will be home to an American Hockey League that will be affiliated with the new NHL expansion Seattle Kraken. Originally set to be built in downtown Palm Springs, the arena will now be built near Palm Desert just off of Interstate

Local baseball players take part in start of college season

February 22, 2021 8:49 PM Blake Arthur

For a lot of college baseball teams across the country, their season started over the weekend. With baseball being one of the strongest sports in the desert, some of those teams featured former local standouts. “Opening weekend was great. I had a great time competing with my teammates and just being able to win the

A new look at plans for Coachella Valley Arena, scheduled to break ground in May 2021

February 17, 2021 4:20 PM Blake Arthur

The brand-new $250 million dollar arena in Palm Desert is scheduled to break ground in May 2021. Coachella Valley Arena, the temporary name for the state-of-the-art facility, will serve as the home of the AHL hockey team, starting in 2022. The arena will also be used for other entertainment, such as concerts and live sporting

Arizona, UNC take Prestige team title as co-champions

February 17, 2021 10:59 PM Blake Arthur

The 21st Prestige, one of the most competitive college golf tournaments of the year, is complete after three days of play at the Greg Norman Course at PGA WEST in La Quinta. Always competitive, the tournament finished with co-champions in the University of Arizona and the University of North Carolina. https://twitter.com/UNCmensGolf/status/1362247684413935622?s=20 The Wildcats and Tar

The Prestige college golf tournament plays on under strict safety protocols

February 15, 2021 10:01 PM Blake Arthur

The 21st Prestige, one of the top college golf tournaments in the country, teed off on Monday at the Greg Norman Course at PGA WEST. A record 24 teams this year, all of them competing over three days in La Quinta, in quest of winning one of the most coveted prizes in NCAA men’s golf.

An inside look at the first local high school sports competition in 11 months

February 12, 2021 2:22 PM Taylor Begley

Normally, you wouldn’t see cheerleaders at a cross country meet, but this meet between crosstown rivals Shadow Hills and Indio was different. It marked the first local high school sports competition in 11 months. “That’s one of the goosebump moments,” Shadow Hills Athletic Director Michael Walsh said of when he was finally able to tell

Albatross for the ages: Local golfer holes out from 249 yards for “greatest shot ever hit”

February 11, 2021 10:38 PM Blake Arthur

“Oh, baby!” That was Rudi Siebert’s reaction after he hit the shot of a lifetime on Thursday. The 54-year-old holed out for an albatross from 249 yards. Siebert was playing the par 5, 6th hole at Palms Golf Club in La Quinta and used a 3-wood to make two, three shots better than par for

Where local high school sports stand right now

February 11, 2021 11:23 AM Taylor Begley

High school sports competitions officially return Friday for one local district, but what about all the other schools? “I’ve never seen kids so excited to be out for cross country,” Coachella Valley High School Cross Country Coach Gil Contreras laughed. Reason being, cross country is the only local high school sport allowed to compete right

High school cross-country meet set for Friday, other schools working for sports to return

February 10, 2021 7:23 PM Blake Arthur

A cross-country meet on Friday between Indio and Shadow Hills high schools appears to be inspiring others to follow suit if allowed under CDPH guidelines. https://twitter.com/TaylorKESQ/status/1358139120451690496?s=20 Desert Sands Unified School District sent out the following information about the start of cross country competition this upcoming Friday: “Based on the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)

Certain Fall sports at College of the Desert in serious jeopardy for 2021-2022 season

February 9, 2021 6:10 PM Blake Arthur

Our world right now is a mystery. We are living in ever-changing, unprecedented times. With that said, it appears that some sports at College of the Desert for the 2021-2022 season are not likely to happen. Andrew John of The Desert Sun was first to report that Fall indoor/contact sports such as football, basketball, volleyball