Prep talk: Ball boy for St. John Bosco promises future wins

It was in the tunnel at the Coliseum last year after a loss in the Southern Section Division 1 football final when St. John Bosco’s 11-year-old ball boy, Ryu Sanchez, went up to coach Jason Negro and told him, “When I play for you, we’re never going to lose.”

Fast-forward to Friday night at Veterans Stadium. Sanchez, a year older, was the ball boy again. The Braves lost to Mater Dei in the Division 1 final. He’s still not retreating from his promise. Negro, though, will have to wait until 2027 for his arrival because he’s in sixth grade.

His older brother, Caleb, was St. John Bosco’s quarterback last season and ended up the starter for Columbia, helping the team earn a share of the Ivy League title. Ryu already is closing in on 6 feet tall. He’s another quarterback in the making. ...

Rio Hondo Prep won its 16th Southern Section football title by beating Warren in the Division 7 final. What’s amazing is that Rio Hondo has a student body of 140 compared to Warren’s more than 3,500. ...

Playoff pairings will be announced Sunday afternoon for the CIF state championship football playoffs. There will be 15 state championship games Dec. 13 and 14 after this week’s regional championships. The Open Division final is expected to match Mater Dei against De La Salle on Dec. 14 at Saddleback College.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].