LOGAN — For a group of 12-year-old baseball players from northern Utah, the most important play of their season didn’t happen on a diamond, but on the edge of a dance floor.

The “Valley Boys,” a U12 team from Richmond, recently traveled more than two hours each way to support a 4-year-old girl named Delilah at her dance recital—a performance that lasted less than two minutes, but represented a massive milestone in her 20-month battle with cancer.

The bond began six months ago at the Nixon Strong Baseball Tournament, an event that pairs youth teams with children undergoing cancer treatment. While many pairings end when the final out is recorded, the Valley Boys turned their assignment into a genuine friendship.

“From the moment they met her, the boys connected in the most genuine way,” said Alexis Grove, Delilah’s mother. “They got on her level, let her paint their nails in the dugout, and ran the bases with her. It quickly turned into a meaningful bond.”

That bond was put to the test recently when Delilah became severely ill and was hospitalized. Her family feared she would miss her dance recital, an event she had looked forward to as a way to reclaim a piece of the childhood stolen by nearly two years of intensive medical treatment.

When the team learned Delilah had been cleared to perform, the players and their families organized a caravan to ensure they were in the audience.

“Their presence was not convenient or easy, but it was intentional,” Grove said. “The recital itself lasted less than two minutes. But those two minutes represented a moment of triumph, resilience, and joy—and the boys made sure she never danced alone.”

For Delilah, who has missed typical peer connections and childhood opportunities due to her illness, the team has provided a rare sense of belonging. Grove noted that the players’ empathy shows that the impact of youth sports can extend far beyond wins and losses.

The story also highlights the ongoing mission of the Nixon Strong Baseball Tournament, which aims to bridge the gap between young athletes and families facing pediatric cancer. The tournament is currently accepting registrations for its upcoming event in June.

As Delilah continues her recovery, she does so with a roster of older brothers in baseball cleats cheering her on from the sidelines.

Joel Castillo, of Monroe, was on a mission to transport over 300 gifts to the S.W.A.G Community Center in Bridgeport to bring joy to 120 children this Christmas, but his Honda Pilot was stuffed. The fact that this was community effort saved him from making several trips for the party, held on Dec. 11.

“Jerry Peck, who coaches the Monroe Lions’ eighth grade team, volunteered with his truck, which is red like Santa’s sleigh,” Castillo, a Masuk Spanish teacher, said with a smile during an interview in his classroom last Monday.

The annual S.W.A.G (Students With Academic Growth Inc.) program event was organized by Castillo with assistance from Masuk students, University of Bridgeport softball players, Rhode Island Thunder softball players and coaches, and other volunteers.

On Dec. 11, Masuk students organized the gifts onstage and handed it all out to the children, and an arts and crafts section was staffed by eight UB softball players. Among the volunteers was Castillo’s daughter, Alyssa, who was a star player at Masuk and now plays for UB.

“Special thanks to Dawn Stearns,” Castillo said of UB’s coach.

Castillo coaches in the Rhode Island Thunder softball program. He said fellow coach, Pete Sinapi, told his team about the party and his players teamed up with Castillo’s students to make 170 cookie bags.

After the kids had their treats, they enjoyed a dance party. Castillo’s son, Jordan, served as deejay.

Drew Hall, an assistant softball coach in the Rhode Island Thunder program, volunteered to dress up as Santa and visit the children, along with Jen Olimpieri, a teacher at Middlebrook Elementary School in Trumbull, who went as Mrs. Claus.

Castillo said the 120 children, ranging from months old to age 14, are from families in Bridgeport’s East End, where he grew up.

The greatest gift

Castillo first became involved with the S.W.A.G Community Center Christmas party four years ago, when his childhood friend, Gary Nelson, who runs the center, approached him with the idea.

“I was afraid to take on this project, because I didn’t know I’d get the support to fulfill all of the kids’ wish lists,” Castillo recalled.

But Sofia Nwosu, a student member of the Spanish Club at Masuk, offered to help by reaching out to people she knew, and other student clubs at the high school also came forward.

Then Castillo thought of his colleagues through teaching and coaching youth sports, his friends and family.

The list of 50 children included their names, ages and wish lists. Castillo snapped his fingers, while recalling how quickly they completed the wish list. “I asked Gary for more kids,” he said.

This year, Castillo said he came to Masuk with a stack of sheets.

“I presented it to my students and my family — everybody who crosses my path,” he said. “Most say, ‘sure, I’m willing to help.’”

Julia Kinahan, a Masuk student, gave 10 sheets to her mother, Tina, who is a nurse, and she took it to Griffin Hospital so her colleagues could help out.

Castillo’s wife, Angie, took 10 sheets to Middlebrook Elementary School, where she is a teacher, and other family members also pitched in.

“If people don’t have time, they give me money to shop,” Castillo said. “It was wonderful to see everybody coming together. I didn’t realize I knew so many people.”

Four years ago, the Christmas party was held on Dec. 16, which is Castillo’s birthday.

“I realized how special it was to bring smiles,” he said. “The effort made me feel special. The greatest gift was to help others. I don’t see celebrating my birthday any other way than to give back.”

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JACKSON COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT/Gray News) – Authorities say three children, the oldest of whom was 3, were killed in a house fire in Kentucky. A fourth child, the parents and a grandparent were all injured in the fire.

The Kentucky State Police received a request from local authorities to help with a Jackson County house fire just before midnight Tuesday. A preliminary investigation revealed three children, ages 7 months, 2 and 3, were killed in the fire, according to a press release.

A 4-year-old child was taken to the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital before being transferred to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, for further treatment.

Three adults were also taken to UK Chandler Hospital for treatment of injuries from the fire. They have been identified as 23-year-old Tyler Monst, 22-year-old Morgan Johnson and 76-year-old Florence Johnson.

The children’s uncle says Monst and Morgan Johnson are their parents, while Florence Johnson is his mother.

“Christmas is meant for joy and happiness, and obviously, this community is not experiencing that this year,” said Chief Zachary Bryant with the McKee Police Department.

Neighbor Orvel Hisel says he saw multiple first responders head down the road to the scene. There are expected to be numerous fundraisers for the family announced in the coming days.

“It’s just a sad time for our whole community. The loss of children and lives,” Hisel said. “What kind of means can we help that family? There’s a child that’s been flown to Columbus. That’s a ways off. If the family can go there, they are going to want to.”

KSP’s press release said the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the deaths remain under investigation.

Copyright 2025 WKYT via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maury Young’s reason for running might surprise you.

Simply put, it makes him feel free.

For the past two seasons, Young surprised many but never himself. The Seahawks senior distance running standout said he regularly sets goals, and after making a trip to the CIF State cross-country championships as a junior, the expectations rose while the list got shorter.

What was left? The school record.

The record book may not stay forever Young, but it is for now. Young made the school standard his own during a sterling senior season that also saw him return to the state meet.

For his achievements, Young is the Daily Pilot Boys’ Cross-Country Athlete of the Year.

Young went into the Ocean View record book on Oct. 18, when he lowered his lifetime-best 3-mile time to 14 minutes 36.2 seconds in the Orange County championships at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado.

The time bettered the previous record of 14:51, established by Haissam Sabra at the Dana Hills Invitational in 1986.

“I always tell my coach what I want to do,” Young said. “Before a race, I’ll tell him, ‘I want to run this time,’ or, ‘I want to get in this position,’ and most of the time, that’s where I get and that’s what I get. O.C. Champs, I was already feeling sick, but I knew my training wasn’t bad. I knew my health wasn’t bad. It’s just [that] I was sick. I knew the only biggest problem I was going to have running was my breathing. … I tried to run a faster time, but I’m really grateful for the time that I did run.”

Young also claimed the Empire League championship, adding to his accomplishments after taking home the Golden West League title the previous season.

As a senior, Young was a known commodity, oftentimes serving as a measuring stick for others. Young remembers what it was like to look up to others, including Edwin Montes, who graduated from Ocean View in 2019.

Ocean View coach Daniel Hurtado compared Young to Montes and brothers Ryan and Jason St. Pierre, all key contributors to the Seahawks’ rise.

Ryan St. Pierre led the pack when Ocean View captured the Golden West League team title in 2016. Edwin Montes and Jason St. Pierre started on back-to-back state-qualifying teams, including the Seahawks’ initial state berth in 2017.

“With Edwin, there were multiple times, [same with] Maury, a minute faster than all of your teammates,” Hurtado said. “Most of his workouts, he did by himself. There were multiple instances at the park where I would just be writing down his splits, and I almost wished there were more people around to be like, ‘Did you see that?’

“It never looks like he is running as fast as he is, and that’s the same feeling I would get when I was coaching Edwin,” Hurtado added. “There’s just a fluidity on his stride. Then again, the competitiveness, knowing when to compete because the competition matters more than the times, and when to go for times. That’s something I feel like it reminded me of the St. Pierres.”

Ocean View placed second to Fullerton, 40-58, in the Empire League and came close to making it to the state meet as a team. Young said every time he needed motivation, he didn’t have to look further than his teammates, citing a bond formed from a preseason trip to Big Bear.

“My coach is big on our team’s connection,” Young said. “We have this Big Bear trip where we all kind of open up. Everyone on my team, I know their story, and they know mine. Every time I am unmotivated, [then] every time I see them, I’m motivated and it’s gone. Every hard feeling, everything I’m down about, it’s gone. When I’m running, I kind of block all of that off, and it’s just me and my team.”

Ocean View boys’ cross-country coach Daniel Hurtado hugs his runners after his team finished eighth in the Division 4 race of the CIF Southern Section finals on Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College.

(James Carbone)

COACH OF THE YEAR

Daniel Hurtado

Ocean View

Ocean View fell short of its goal to advance to the state meet as a team this year, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. The Seahawks were the first team left out of the dance, finishing 16 points behind Big Bear for seventh place in the CIF Division 4 final. Under Hurtado’s leadership, Ocean View, the second-place team in the Empire League, was one of three local boys’ cross-country teams to advance to the section finals this season, a group that also included Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach.

Huntington Beach senior Michael Appell crosses the finish line third in the Sunset League finals on Saturday, Nov. 1.

(Andrew Turner)

FIRST TEAM

Michael Appell

Huntington Beach | Sr.

The Oilers’ frontrunner broke the 15-minute barrier in September with a time of 14:54.5 in the Woodbridge Classic, giving him a new personal record and something to build on for the rest of the season. Roughly a month later, he was a top-five finisher in the medium schools varsity race of the Orange County championships. He placed third in the Sunset League finals, helping the Oilers finish fourth as a team and qualify for the CIF preliminaries.

Ocean View senior Connor Dixon competes in an Empire League cluster meet on Sept. 10 at Central Park in Huntington Beach.

(Vincent Carabini)

Connor Dixon

Ocean View | Sr.

Dixon saved his best for last, as the senior established a new lifetime-best time of 15:31.5 on the Mt. San Antonio College rain course during the CIF finals. His 36th-place finish was a 41-position improvement from his junior year, a big reason the Seahawks found themselves in the hunt to make it to state as a team. The performance marked his fourth personal record of the season.

Fountain Valley junior Logan Kwong completes the course in the Sunset League finals on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Central Park in Huntington Beach.

(Andrew Turner)

Logan Kwong

Fountain Valley | Jr.

Kwong’s consistency saw him deliver four sub-16-minute times in six 3-mile races, including a personal record of 15:33.7 in the boys’ sweepstakes race of the Orange County championships. He finished eighth in the Sunset League finals, helping the Barons secure a spot in the CIF preliminaries with a second-place team showing behind Los Alamitos.

Sage Hill’s Zack Longo competes in the boys’ Division 5 race of the CIF Southern Section cross-country finals on Nov. 22 at Mt. San Antonio College.

(James Carbone)

Zack Longo

Sage Hill | So.

Longo won’t be a longshot to make some noise in the postseason as his career progresses. The emerging talent dropped his lifetime-best time to 15:29.9 at the Dana Hills Invitational, adding top-10 finishes in the Pacific Hills League finals (seventh) and the Brentwood Small School Invitational (ninth). He closed with a time of 15:37.6 (23rd) in the CIF Division 5 final.

Fountain Valley senior Ulysses Rios leads the pack during the Sunset League finals at Central Park in Huntington Beach on Saturday, Nov. 1.

(Eric Licas)

Ulysses Rios

Fountain Valley | Sr.

When he stepped on the scene as a sophomore, Rios had already contributed to the team score in a Surf League championship for the Barons two years ago. As a senior, Rios navigated to the front of the pack to pace Fountain Valley. He was the runner-up in the Sunset League finals, seven seconds behind Los Alamitos senior Matthew Mayhue. He broke the 15-minute barrier with a time of 14:49.8 in the Orange County championships at Oak Canyon Park.

Corona del Mar senior Kevin Steinman, right, races to the finish line in the Sunset League finals on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Central Park in Huntington Beach.

(Andrew Turner)

Kevin Steinman

Corona del Mar | Sr.

Max Douglass, the CIF Division 4 titleholder and the Daily Pilot Boys’ Cross-Country Athlete of the Year in 2024, was a tough act to follow. Steinman gave it a go and heated up late, placing fourth in the Sunset League finals, then following it up with a second-place finish in the Sea Kings’ heat of the CIF preliminaries. It proved vital, as CdM made the section finals with a cushion of just six points over Brea Olinda.

Fountain Valley senior Empire Vo-Courtney placed sixth in the Sunset League finals on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Central Park in Huntington Beach.

(Andrew Turner)

Empire Vo-Courtney

Fountain Valley | Sr.

In the category of you can’t make this stuff up, the Barons started an Empire. Vo-Courtney hadn’t broken 16 minutes before this season, then did it in five of six 3-mile races as a senior. He posted his personal record of 15:37.8 in the Central Park Invitational, then replicated the outing at the same venue in the Sunset League finals in a sixth-place showing.

SECOND TEAM

Name, School, Year

Aidan Algazi, Corona del Mar, Sr.

Zachary Byerley, Edison, Jr.

Khyler Bonaparte, Newport Harbor, Jr.

Elisha Case, Ocean View, Jr.

Ross Day, Corona del Mar, Jr.

Liam McRae, Laguna Beach, Sr.

Maddox Vann Nguyen, Marina, Jr.

Nate Yoo, Sage Hill, Jr.

Pine Bluff, Ark. (KATV) — Life lessons in youth athletics tend to stick with kids for years, and even a lifetime.

Past memories of competition typically remain with the majority of those who live to still share accounts of those days to anyone willing to listen.

Lucas Armstrong, a key community figure in the city of Pine Bluff, has remained steadfast in his effort to assure those times that shaped countless young people never go in vain through athletics, mentorship, and community service.

Through the Youth Basketball Association, those stories continue to echo today amongst those who were under his tutelage.

“So when I took over the team, they were the Merrel Center Tarheels,” said Armstrong.

“Jacqueline Robinson, over the Merrill Center, she is the one who was dealing with kids, trying to keep them off the street. I just came in and gave them basketball structure.”

During discussions with Robinson, Armstrong navigated through coaching opportunities until getting his first coaching opportunity under YBA in 2016.

“As that was happening, we had Parks and Recreation basketball league [Pine Bluff Parks and Recreation] starting, and that’s when we started the Tarheels,” said Robinson.

One player, out of the original 75 who received an opportunity to suit up and compete did not take the opportunity for granted.

Lakeith Smith expressed gratitude for Robinson and Armstrong’s effort in giving young people an outlet, even if it meant meeting them where they are to help see them strive.

“She is really like the foundation. As long as we stayed out of trouble, she wanted to be a part of it, said Smith.

“She had a summer school program, and he [Lucas Armstrong] used to come up there and I guess he saw us play one day and wanted to start a team.”

Smith later went on to become the first recipient of a scholarship award worth $500 under YBL.

After one team started up in 2016, even more began to sprout under the league. The league name was titled “Youth Basketball Association”, until Armstrong’s arrival.

“I grew up in it,” said Armstrong, on his early experiences in YBA.

The Pine Bluff native later returned with a new approach that prioritizes community, looking to help strengthen the league.

“When I looked at it the first year, it had gone down. We didn’t have that many kids. When we took it over that first year, and we brought it back up instantly. I brought the community in, and that’s how we started to build the league back up.”

Under Armstrong, the league leaned more into community and displayed acts of gratitude to those who may or may not even support.

Outreach efforts, as well as additional acts of kindness started to spread across Pine Bluff as the league continued to grow.

“We started doing back-to-school events, honor programs where we recognize those who came before us,” said Armstrong.

Since 2017, under his leadership, YBL has remained a basketball hub for youth who have went on to continue playing after their time is up.

Watson Chapel junior Maranda Emerson shares her journey to scoring 1,000 career points

As Amstrong’s time with YBA/YBL reaches a decade, he desires to introduce a new tool that millions of people across the U.S. can access and launch their own youth sports league.

Structured as an immersive, innovative resource for an aspiring coach or league owner, the Playbook Academy has a slew of information offered in a layout for users to learn at their own pace.

“My goal is to go around the United States speaking and helping build communities through the youth sports industry.”

Launched in November of 2025, the Community Playbook Academy offers online courses that youth sports organizations of all sizes can benefit from.

It is subscription based, priced at $65 a month.

Aside from the modules, online lessons will be provided every week on how to build a sports organization.

“It covers everything I’ve done over the last 10 years. There are people out there who aspire to help kids through sports, but don’t know how just like I didn’t know at one point,” said Armstrong.

YBL’s impact on athletes have carried over to those who also feel the need to provide tools and guidance — a new generation of individuals aiming to push youth athletics to greater heights in Pine Bluff.

“It’s basically showing you step by step how to create your organization, how to get it under a non-profit, and really show you how important it is to develop the talent within the league,” said Ryan Hayes, a mentee under Armstrong.

“In order for you to put a product out, and for people to be receptive to that product, you have to sacrifice and give time which is what we do now to train these kids.”

Hayes, through the mentorship of Armstrong, started his own training organization for youth, called the Dribble Academy.

When asked what’s the best approach to help push youth development in sports, Hayes emphasized engagement.

“You have to be hands on with it, which requires sacrificing a lot of your time. So with me being alongside him when he was creating the playbook, I’m actually seeing what is on paper, but what’s actually in reality as well.”

Guy Dossi, Sports Editor

Dear Santa,

Well, it’s that time of year again – the time when hundreds of thousands of young children, and one 37-year-old sports editor, sit down to write you their annual letter. I know you’re busy fielding Christmas present requests, but I was hoping that maybe this year you could find it in your heart to make one or two of my wishes come true.

First, as the father of a 2-and-a-half-year-old and a 6-month-old, I want the same thing every parent in my situation wants: sleep. To say I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a while would be an understatement.

I remember when we were a one-child family. Back then, I got plenty of sleep. When the baby cried, he needed to eat – a request only the lovely Mrs. Dossi could fulfill – so I simply rolled over and went back to sleep.

With just one child, if one parent needed a little extra R&R, the other could be on baby duty while the tired one caught some Zs. With two, that’s no longer the case. Sleep schedules are completely different, with one awake while the other is sleeping. There aren’t many time slots that allow Mama and Dada to get caught up on our slumber.

And there’s nothing quite like getting only a handful of hours of sleep before being woken up with a foot in my face or seeing a little boy’s smile just inches from my nose saying, “Hi, Dada.”

Speaking of my little boy, Santa, is there any chance you – or maybe even Mrs. Claus – could potty train him? I know that eventually he’ll be out of diapers. He can’t be going to the prom with his Huggies sticking out from his tuxedo trousers. But getting him to simply sit on the potty has been a battle we are just not winning.

Our little boy has become quite the talker and has an impressive vocabulary. But there’s nothing more demoralizing than changing his smelly, rancid diaper while he lies on his back saying, “That’s disgusting. That’s gross, Dada,” as I’m knuckles-deep in baby poo. I’m well aware it’s disgusting and gross. I don’t need the reminder.

We’ve tried potty training a couple of times, and each attempt has ended with the diaper going back on. At this point, I’d settle for him feeling comfortable using the cat’s litter box. At least it would be a step in the right direction.

Another thing I’d like for Christmas is for my little girl to stay this little. I won’t lie – the first few months of her life, she was not an easy baby. Her brother was the reason we wanted a second child, and she may be the reason there won’t be a third.

Then, one day, she went from being the worst baby imaginable to the sweetest, cuddliest, cutest baby I’ve ever seen. She just sits there, smiling and cooing, melting every heart in the room. Because she was so difficult early on, I’m really enjoying this stage and savoring just how adorable she is.

I know she’s going to grow, and those little coos will turn into words. While I’m excited for the day she says, “I love you, Dada,” I’m not looking forward to her discovering the dreaded word every parent fears: no.

So if there’s any way she could stay like this – at least until next Christmas – that would be great.

As for the lovely Mrs. Dossi, what do you get the woman who already has everything? She has two beautiful children and a husband who is constantly funny, never insensitive and just happens to be right about everything. You don’t need to bring her anything this year. Being married to me must feel like Christmas morning 365 days a year.

As you can see, Santa, my list isn’t very long this year. I would ask for the Dodgers to have a losing season, but I’m pretty sure you’re also on their payroll, so I’ll stick with realistic requests.

I look forward to a full night’s sleep, no longer changing poopy diapers, and being greeted every morning by the smile of my beautiful wife – not the cry of a little boy who doesn’t want to eat his pancake because the fork he was given was green instead of blue.

And even if none of my Christmas wishes come true, I’m still a pretty lucky Guy.

Merry Christmas, Santa.