Los Angeles Times - 04.04.2020

SPORTS

D S ATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2020::L ATIMES.COM/SPORTS

D

With college sports shut-
tered, his Trojans stuck in
isolationand the status of
next football season in flux
because of the COVID-
pandemic, Clay Helton is
trying to focus on the silver
linings.
Late-afternoon walks
with his wife, Angela. Extra
time with their three kids.
Beautiful sunsets from his
balcony. The work of teach-
ers everywhere. The won-
ders of the Zoom app.
“Everything has a silver
lining,” the USC coach said.
The panic over the up-
coming season remains per-
vasive, as hard decisions on
how to proceed post-pan-
demic approach in the com-
ing months.
Pac-12 Conference Com-
missioner Larry Scott said
this week he hoped deci-
sions on the season’s start
date might be made by May
31, when the conference’s
suspension of team activ-
ities is scheduled to expire.
Helton wouldn’t specu-
late on the future of the sea-
son when reached by phone
Friday. But while he consid-
ered what a return to college
football normality might re-
quire, Helton did suggest
that his team would prob-
ably need a “minimum of
four weeks” of ramp-up be-
fore safely proceeding with
camp in the fall.
That ramp-up period,
Helton said, has been a point
of discussion on recent con-
ference calls with Pac-
coaches. Notre Dame coach
Brian Kelly suggested a sim-
ilar timeline with reporters
this week, while Scott men-
tioned the possibility of a
“longer-than-normal” train-
ing camp “to somehow ac-
commodate for the fact that
we’ve missed spring.”
Not all coaches have re-
quested the same level of
caution. Washington coach
Jimmy Lake, who was hired
this offseason, told report-
ers that he believed “almost
30 days [of practice] would
be good enough” on their
own.
“There are a lot of new
coaches, new coordinators
coming in, even in our
league,” Helton said. “We’re
one of them. To be able to get

Camp

time

may get

tight for

Helton

Coach says USC will

need about four weeks

of preparation before

fall sessions begin.

By Ryan Kartje

“THE GAMEwill open
up at some time,” Clay
Helton says of preparing
for the 2020 season.

Sean M. HaffeyGetty Images

[SeeUSC, D3]

Even in these

most somber

of times,

Dieter Ruehle

will not quar-

antine the

sounds of

summer.

Every day

in his Bur-

bank apartment, the

Dodgersorganist sits down

at his keyboard and remem-

bers.

Some days he plays

“Take Me Out to the Ball-

game,” for a crowd of one,

his partner Natalie Zeyala.

Other days he plays, “It’s

a Beautiful Day for a Ball-

game” for anyone who may

be strolling outside on the

sidewalk.

Still other days he plays,

“Let’s Go Dodgers” ... just

for himself.

“I miss it, I miss it real

bad,” Ruehle said. “Playing

the ballpark music helps me

get through it.”

By all means, play on.

There are many things I

miss about the pandemic-

suspended baseball season,

but mostly I miss the

sounds. It’s the only sport

where you can actually hear

a game being played, from

the crack of the bat to the

thump of the glove to the

sweeping roar or deep sighs

of the crowd.

I miss baseball’s noise. It

is an inextricable part of the

action. Sometimes it is the

action.

I miss the “Moo-kie”

chants that would have

greeted Betts at Chavez

Ravine, and the boos that

would have greeted the

Houston Astros in Ana-

heim.

I miss the recordings of

“We Are Young” when Clay-

ton Kershaw takes the

mound, “Hotel California”

when Cody Bellinger comes

to the plate, and “California

From the console, he finds consolation

ORGANISTDieter Ruehle usually provides the soundtrack of Dodger Stadium,

but the season stoppage has him playing at home to cheer up himself and others.

Luis SincoLos Angeles Times

BILL PLASCHKE

[SeePlaschke,D4]

After weeks of school

districts across Cali-

fornia closing down,

the CIF, which gov-

erns high school

sports in the state, on

Friday officially

canceled the rest of

the competitive

spring seasons. The

decision hits seniors

especially hard.

SPORTS SUCH AStrack and field, baseball, swimming and softball came to an official halt Friday when the CIF scrapped the rest

of the competition for spring teams statewide. That includes events such as the Pacific League track and field finals, shown last year.

Tim BergerBurbank Leader

A BROKEN SPRING

Sports menu

is almost gone

Pro wrestling and

esports enjoy moment

in spotlight, Arash

Markazi writes, but

will popularity last? D

NASCAR shifts

to virtual track

Broadcasts of video

games aren’t real,

though they have the

feel of something

more substantial. D

Foster father, lacrosse

provided a better life

Downey senior Jennifer Soto is

thankful for foster father, who

died of COVID-19 shortly after

she was accepted at UCLA. D

Simi Valley senior

remaining positive

Baseball standout Sebastien

Sarabia will miss playing with his

buddies one last time but he’s

excited about the next chapter. D

This was going to

be the year Cooper

Gilmour would get

scouts’ attention as

a left fielderand

second baseman

for Orange Lu-

theran, which is

ranked No. 1 in the

nation by MaxPreps. Then the

COVID-19 pandemic hit, bringing

high school sports and the rest of

the world to an abrupt halt.

“I’m currently uncommitted.

As a senior, it’s been really tough,”

Gilmour said. “I was hoping to get

a lot of exposure this year from

being on the field.”

This was going to be the last

season Los Alamitos softball

pitcher Tyler Denhart would play

alongside girls she has known

since she was 6, her teammates

and friends on the nationally

top-ranked Griffins. She had

waited her turn to become an

impact player in a perennially

strong program and had seized

her chance, going 6-0 for the 10-

Griffins and enjoying the perks of

Sadly, season’s

end means no

senior moments

HELENE ELLIOTT

ORANGE LUTHERAN’S Max Rajcic and other seniors had

their high school playing careers end abruptly.

Kent Nishimura Los Angeles Times

[SeeElliott,D3]