Introducing Prep Rally, a newsletter devoted to SoCal high school sports

Everything is bigger in Southern California.

Two championships in 2020 (Lakers, Dodgers). An events schedule that places Los Angeles squarely at the center of the sports universe over the next decade (Super Bowl 2022, College Football Playoff national championship game ‘23, World Cup ‘26, Summer Olympics ‘28).

In no sports space, however, is Southern California’s cultural influence felt more deeply than in grassroots and high school sports. Keep an eye on any professional draft board, college recruiting newsletters and the Team USA roster for this summer’s Tokyo Olympics; the region’s status as the country’s premier feeder system is inarguable.

Which makes 2020 and the impact of the coronavirus that much more devastating. It has been nearly a year since the pandemic shut down high school sports in Southern California. Seniors saw their careers abruptly terminated. Fall and winter athletes had, at best, their showcase opportunities deferred. There was no return to high school competition in 2020 unless you were willing to move to, say, Utah or Texas. Or flout the law.

Finally high school sports are back. And the Los Angeles Times is here to make sense of what promises to be gloriously chaotic spring.

On March 22, The Times will launch Prep Rally, a high school sports newsletter authored by the dean of Southland prep coverage, Eric Sondheimer.

In more than four decades of covering area high schools, Eric has covered, among many others, John Elway and Giancarlo Stanton, Reggie Miller and Cheryl Miller, Jordin Canada and Evan Mobley, offering the first windows onto the stardom of hundreds of local athletes before they became national and global stars.

Every Monday morning, we’ll bring you hot teams, cold lists, answers to readers’ questions — the most thorough, dialed-in prep coverage in the state. And every Saturday morning, we’ll bring you the latest football scores.

As has been a Sondheimer hallmark, the coverage will not be limited to football and basketball but will encompass all the sports that make the Southland America’s playground.

“This is a chance for people who love to follow high school sports to keep informed about what is happening from Orange County to the Antelope Valley, from San Fernando Valley to the San Gabriel Valley, from Ventura County to Riverside County,” Sondheimer says. “It’s about highlighting athletes and coaches, discussing trends in sports and looking at recruiting and identifying players before they become household names.”

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