(NEW YORK) — After overcoming obstacles and facing a 14-0 deficit early in the game, the California School for the Deaf in Riverside’s football team secured their second consecutive win in the Southern Section CIF state championship.
“This is surreal. It was shocking…Generally speaking, it’s very, very hard to win that championship game two years in a row,” coach Keith Adams, told ABC News through an ASL translator.
The Cubs players and coaches use American Sign Language to communicate.
The team secured a 54-42 victory claiming the championship title which they described as nothing less than a miracle. The team celebrated their win with a parade held by the school.
The victory held significance for many players on the team. Adams, and Jeremias Valencia, CSDR athletic director, told ABC News the team dealt with multiple injuries throughout the season while also getting adjusted to the departure of their previous teammates who graduated.
“I had never experienced that in all my years of coaching to have so many injuries in such a short period of time,” said Adams.
Adams said the injuries and the new lineups worked in the team’s favor as he was able to discover the strengths of the other players.
Despite the injuries and the doubts they faced it was the team’s unity that allowed them to persevere through these challenges.
“Many of these students have known each other since they were in kindergarten. They’ve played not just football but a lot of sports together,” Valencia told ABC News through an ASL interpreter.
Wins like these help to keep the players inspired, and helps to build their confidence, Adams said.
“So, these wins show them that they can believe in themselves, that they can do things, that they can achieve certain things,” he said. “And so for that, it’s been quite inspiring to see that positive result on the students.”
Talking about what’s next for the team, Adams said they have already started preparing for the championships next year.
Adams said he tells the players to go out there and have fun as they cannot win all the time.
“In life, that’s going to happen, you’re not always going to win, and you have to be prepared for those losses,” he said.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Denver 113, LA Clippers 104
Philadelphia 138, LA Lakers 94
Washington 126, Detroit 107
Portland 114, Indiana 110
Utah 114, New Orleans 112
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
San Jose 2, Washington 1
Buffalo 5, NY Rangers 1
Columbus 5, Boston 2
Florida 5, Ottawa 0
Colorado 4, Tampa Bay 1
Calgary 2, Vegas 1 (OT)
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Chicago 12, Minnesota 10
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
UConn 84, New Hampshire 64
(AKRON, Ohio) — LeBron James was back in Cleveland Saturday night as James’ Los Angeles Lakers defeated his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Still, the Cavaliers paid tribute to the Los Angeles Lakers forward who in February set the record for most career points in NBA history, toppling Hall of Famer and fellow Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
“It’s very special. To be a kid of Akron, I grew up 30 miles south of here and to be able to be drafted here and spend my first seven years here and then come back for four more years and do some special things that the franchise had never seen,” James said. “When I [was] drafted, I said, I wanted to [light] this place up like Vegas, so I feel I did a decent job of doing that while I was here for my 11 years.”
The nostalgic tribute came as James reached another milestone: The LeBron James Family Foundation opened the LeBron James museum, named LeBron James’ Home Court, in Akron, Ohio, on Saturday. The museum offers a glimpse into the life and career of the perennial NBA all-star. James hosted his Lakers teammates at the museum for a walkthrough of the exhibition.
In the heart of James’ hometown, museumgoers will first embark on an immersive multimedia experience where they will enter a recreation of James’ childhood apartment in the Spring Hill neighborhood of Akron. The room will be furnished with items from the 20-year NBA veteran’s past.
As fans continue through the exhibit, iconic jerseys from James’ career are on display including James’ McDonald’s All-American jersey, once donned by a high school James as he captured the country’s attention as America’s top talent. Further inside is the all-white suit James wore at the 2003 draft, where he was chosen by his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the No. 1 overall pick.
Fans of James will then follow the burgeoning star through his early playing days on the Cavs and to his highly publicized decision to sign with the Miami Heat. Through multimedia and game-worn sneakers and apparel, visitors will relive the championships he has won in South Beach, Cleveland and Los Angeles.
Guests will also be taken through James’ off-the-court efforts to give back to his community. The exhibit will feature a timeline of his foundation’s evolution from a Bike-A-thon in 2009 to the launch of his I PROMISE education program in 2018.
All ticket proceeds will go straight back into his foundation, where it will be distributed to I PROMISE students, parents, educators and family members, the Lebron James Family Foundation said.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Milwaukee 108, Portland 102
Boston 113, Atlanta 103
Minnesota 119, Memphis 97
Orlando 130, Charlotte 117
Phoenix 116, New York 113
Brooklyn 118, Chicago 109
Cleveland 105, Toronto 102
Denver 132, San Antonio 120
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Detroit 4, Minnesota 1
St. Louis 4, Chicago 2
Carolina 3, Columbus 2
Nashville 3, Winnipeg 2
Edmonton 8, Anaheim 2
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Atlanta 24, New Orleans 15
Indianapolis 27, Tampa Bay 20
Jacksonville 24, Houston 21
NY Giants 10, New England 7
Pittsburgh 16, Cincinnati 10
Tennessee 17, Carolina 10
Denver 29, Cleveland 12
LA Rams 37, Arizona 14
Kansas City 31, Las Vegas 17
Philadelphia 37, Buffalo 34 (OT)
Baltimore 20, LA Chargers 10
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Texas A&M 73, Iowa St. 69
Texas 86, Wyoming 63
Colorado 85, Iona 68
FAU 84, Virginia Tech 50
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Houston 1, Sporting Kansas City 0
Los Angeles FC 1, Seattle 0
Joshua Dobbs’ debut as the Minnesota Vikings quarterback was anything but ordinary.
On Nov. 5, he took the field just days after being traded to the team because the first two quarterbacks were injured. He hadn’t yet learned the names of his fellow players, the Vikings playbook or even where he should suit up.
Still, he excelled, throwing two touchdowns and running for another.
In a new sit-down with ABC’s Martha Raddatz for “This Week,” Dobbs, a scholar with an aerospace engineering degree and a perfect 4.0, talked about his journey, how he gives back and what he’s planning to do after football.
“I quickly learned I love sports, but I also loved aviation,” Dobbs said in the interview. “I love math and science. And so that’s kind of where the beginning of the aerospace background began when I was younger. You know, I got to school, I said I want to do something I’m good at and something that I like and interested in. And so, when I was trying to figure out what to study, aerospace engineering really knocked out both buckets.”
Dobbs credits his parents, Stephanie and Robert, for nurturing his passions, although they keep their own well under wraps.
After images of the pair at his football games went viral, Dobbs reposted an Instagram with the caption “Josh Dobbs’ parents still wish he worked for NASA.” (He was previously an extern with the space agency.)
“They are very stoic on camera. I need a little more energy out of them, I can’t lie,” Dobbs told Raddatz.
“A little smile, you know, maybe like hand up, a cheer, a high five, something,” he added. “So we’re working, we’re practicing. We’re working on it.”
What Dobbs is working on when not playing football is introducing kids to science, technology, engineering and math through his foundation, the ASTROrdinary Dobbs Foundation.
“I’m able to show kids that are extremely interested in sports that you can also have other passions off the field, off the court, outside of, you know, your hobbies and sport,” Dobbs said. “You can have other passions in your studies, and STEM is a tremendous field.”
Though he’s focused fully on this football season, he said he is also making plans for what comes next.
“My future dream is to have my pilot’s license. And then from there, you know, get into the engineering world. I think there’s some tremendous opportunities, obviously, in space,” Dobbs said.
Just how out of this world is he thinking?
“I’m still trying to figure out if being astronaut, going to space, is in my cards,” he said, “but I think it’ll be pretty cool.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Orlando 126, Toronto 107
Indiana 157, Atlanta 152
Cleveland 122, Philadelphia 119
Phoenix 120, Portland 107
LA Lakers 131, Utah 99
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Gonzaga 76, Syracuse 57
Florida State 77, Colorado 71 (OT)
James Madison 82, Southern Illinois 76
Duke 95, La Salle 66
Purdue 71, Tennessee 67
Marquette 73, Kansas 59
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Milwaukee 142, Washington 129
Denver 107, Detroit 103
Charlotte 121, Boston 118 (OT)
LA Clippers 124, San Antonio 99
Miami 118, Chicago 100
New Orleans 129, Sacramento 93
Minnesota 117, New York 100
Golden State 121, Houston 116
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Tampa Bay 5, Boston 4 (OT)
Florida 5, Edmonton 3
Nashville 4, Colorado 3
Dallas 6, NY Rangers 3
Los Angeles 4, Arizona 1
Vancouver 3, San Jose 1
Calgary 4, Seattle 3 (OT)
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Philadelphia 21, Kansas City 17
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Philadelphia 121, Brooklyn 99
Toronto 142, Detroit 113
Orlando 128, Indiana 116
Cleveland 121, Denver 109
Sacramento 129, Dallas 113
Boston 102, Memphis 100
Phoenix 140 Utah 137 (2OT)
Oklahoma City 134, Portland 91
LA Lakers 105, Houston 104
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Toronto 4 Minnesota 3 (OT)
Philadelphia 5, Columbus 2
Pittsburgh 3, Vegas 0
Buffalo 3, Chicago 2
St. Louis 3, Anaheim 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Cleveland 13, Pittsburgh 10
Dallas 33, Carolina 10
Detroit 31, Chicago 26
Green Bay 23, LA Chargers 20
Houston 21, Arizona 16
Jacksonville 34, Tennessee 14
Miami 20, Las Vegas 13
NY Giants 31, Washington 19
San Francisco 27, Tampa Bay 14
Buffalo 32, NY Jets 6
LA Rams 17, Seattle 16
Denver 21, Minnesota 20
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Arizona 101, Texas-Arlington 56
UConn 77, Indiana 57
Houston 69, Dayton 55
Miami 91, Kansas St. 83
Southern Cal 81, Brown 70
Michigan St. 81, Alcorn St. 49
Texas 81, Louisville 80
Illinois 88, Southern U. 60
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Miami 122, Brooklyn 115
Oklahoma City 128, Golden State 109
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Los Angeles 2, Florida 1
San Jose 5, St. Louis 1
Ottawa 5, Detroit 4 (OT)
New Jersey 5, Pittsburgh 2
Arizona 3, Columbus 2
Vegas 6, Montreal 5
Tampa Bay 4, Chicago 2
Calgary 5, Vancouver 2
Seattle 4, NY Islanders 3 (SO)
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Baltimore 34, Cincinnati 20
(NEW YORK) — Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton has many titles: Seven-time world champion. Entrepreneur. Activist. Philanthropist. Sir.
Hamilton holds the record for most wins in Formula One (103), most pole positions (104) and most podium finishes (107). Some say he’s the best driver to compete in the series — ever.
The 38-year-old Brit’s accomplishments extend beyond the grid. Neat Burger, his vegan fast-food chain, is expanding globally. Hamilton’s Mission 44 nonprofit helps young people from underserved communities find careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and motorsports. X44 Vida Carbon Racing, his Extreme E racing team, is breaking barriers in motorsports. The racing star has also been lauded for championing causes like LGBTQ rights, environmental protections and social justice.
Hamilton and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team are seeking their first Grand Prix win of the season on Saturday. Mercedes’ dominance in the series has been waning and the team lost the Constructors’ Championship in 2022 and 2023 to rival Red Bull.
“We were winning for such a long time, and when you win for so long, we all get complacent and take things for granted,” Hamilton told ABC News ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. “I think this has been a great time for us to really pull back, have our feet on the ground and start back up and dig deep. And I think for me, it’s just always knowing that we can be better each day.”
The conversation below has been edited for clarity:
ABC News: I am in Las Vegas with Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One world champion. How excited are you to race on the legendary Las Vegas Strip?
Lewis: I’ve watched “Casino” God knows how many times growing up. I was just driving through the streets here and seeing all the lights. [Las Vegas] has been on the plan for a while … and we are finally here. I can’t believe it. I can’t wait to get on the track.
ABC News: I heard you’re a huge car enthusiast and have quite the collection. What’s in your garage now?
Lewis: I wouldn’t describe myself as a huge car enthusiast [laughs]. I would say I’m more into art. But growing up cars have been everything for me. My dream car was a McLaren F1. That’s my jewel, my crown jewel. That’s the one I dreamed of having when I was 10 years old and the one I worked hard to have. So that’s my baby. I got a couple of Ferraris, got a couple of Mercedes, a couple of muscle cars like Shelby Cobras. And then I have a lot of motorbikes. I love motorbikes, too. So anything with an engine basically.
ABC News: How often do you get to drive these cars?
Lewis: I never do [laughs]. I don’t drive a lot, if I’m really honest. The only time I ever drive is when I’m in LA. I just got the new Mercedes-Maybach that Virgil [Abloh] did. And I was fortunate enough to know Virgil, God rest his soul. I like driving fast on the track, but I don’t get to do that on the road. So I don’t drive too often.
ABC News: You recently opened a Neat Burger location in Manhattan. Are you going to be expanding to other cities in the U.S.?
Lewis: That’s the goal, yes. It’s taken a long time for us to bring Neat Burger from the U.K. to the U.S. But it’s going really well.
I went plant-based like eight years ago. I was exposed to what was happening in the world … and I was like, OK, I’ve got to read up on this, I need to figure out how I can move in that direction. There’s more and more people who are living more conscious. [Neat Burger] has done really well in the U.K., especially through [the] pandemic. And I hope that we continue to expand it. It’s gonna take some time. Everyone loves a good burger and fries.
ABC News: It is true that Roscoe, your bulldog, is also vegan?
Lewis: It is. When I tell people that, you know, jeez, the amount of people that frown. I had two bulldogs. They were on normal dog diets. The little girl, Coco, she died at 6, had a heart attack. She died way too early. They were already struggling with breathing and skin allergies and all these things, which bulldogs are known for.
So I was like, I’m gonna take meat out and see how it goes. I put [Roscoe] on a vegetable diet basically. Lentils and vegetables. The dude is 11 years old and is running around like a pup. He has no skin allergies anymore. I never have to take him to the vet.
ABC News: That’s incredible. Have you convinced George [Russell] or Toto [Wolff] or anyone else in the Mercedes garage to permanently give up meat and dairy and embrace the vegan lifestyle?
Lewis: No, I’m not that type. I think everyone has the right to an opinion. If you want to try it, try it.
I’ve put on muscle. I’ve gained weight. I feel healthier than ever. I run farther than ever. I won six world titles since I’ve went plant-based.
I consciously feel a lot better knowing that I’m not contributing to the horrific industry that is the meat industry and the dairy industry. When I’m working with brands, I’m like, let’s not use leather straps. Let’s not use leather. Let’s not continue to buy leather for cars. How do we find new fabrics and develop new technologies from recycled materials?
ABC News: How much time have you spent in simulators preparing for Saturday’s race?
I drove the simulator last Thursday for Vegas. It’s an interesting track. The strait is so long. If you’re full gas for a long time, you’re like, geez, I might have to get my iPhone out and just like check my text messages and check my watch. Like it goes on forever.
ABC News: A lot of people are talking about the colder temperatures on Saturday. There’s also the late start, which will impact everyone’s performance. What’s the biggest factor you’re dealing with right now?
Lewis: The cold. This is definitely going to be the coldest race that we’ve done, I’ve probably done in Formula One. The cars are designed and built to perform in higher temperatures.
You’re going to see the bodywork in the cars be more closed because they’re going to be running to a minimum to keep the heat in. The tires that we have are usually running in hot climates. They’re not used to running in these climates. Maybe they’ll be fine, but we could see more pit stops than ever. But otherwise, I don’t worry about things like that. I’m excited to be here. I love being in the States. The audience here has been really, really amazing.
ABC News: If there was another Formula One race in the U.S., where do you think it should be?
Lewis: New York City.
ABC News: OK, I agree!
Lewis: Driving through all the streets … that would be epic.
ABC News: Lewis, you’ve been competing in Formula One since 2007. How have you leveraged that experience on the track? Does more experience equal more wins?
Lewis: Not necessarily. With experience comes, I think, probably also more responsibility. I think in 2007, I knew how to drive incredibly quick. But I didn’t know as much about longevity. I didn’t know about health. I didn’t know about being a team player and how to galvanize a group of people. With that experience, I feel like I’m able to be a better team player than ever before. And that leads to championships and wins.
ABC News: The last two years have been very challenging for the team. You haven’t won a Grand Prix since 2021. How do you stay positive? How do you stay motivated when you’re not winning?
Lewis: It’s a good question. Growing up, I won a lot. I always had at least one win each year.
I think the last two years have been a great experience to really be fighting with the team. We were winning for such a long time and when you win for so long, we all get complacent and take things for granted.
I think this has been a great time for us to really pull back, have our feet on the ground and start back up and dig deep. And I think for me, it’s just always knowing that we can be better each day. I know I can be fitter. I know I can do more, I can be more efficient with my work, with my time.
I have days where I’m like, I don’t want to work out, this sucks. But you just gotta keep pushing. You gotta keep getting up.
And one of the things that really keeps me motivated is Mission 44, a nonprofit organization I started. In Austin, I brought 60 young girls to the track and showed them the F1 Academy. They got to speak to the young female drivers and engineers. I hope they’re inspired now to be engineers or, you know, just push forwards.
ABC News: What’s the pressure like to win that eighth world championship?
Lewis: We’re not fighting for a world championship right this second. I think the pressure is, as you’re getting older, it gets harder to train. It’s harder to stay fit. It’s managing your time. It’s how you communicate with a team of people and keep them all focused. And, you know, I guess the pressure right now is to catch up to Red Bull, the team we’re trying to fight.
Coming back in February and getting in the car, I will know immediately whether it’s a car that we can fight with or not. That’s always a nervous experience for everybody.
ABC News: How personally involved are you with the car? Are you talking to the team every day?
Lewis: Heavily. When I was younger, that was not necessarily the case.
I’m on like a group chat with my engineers, we’ve been talking every day for the last four days, even over the weekend, about setup for this weekend. Even today, we’re talking about the temperatures, we’re talking about wing levels and ride heights and setup we’ll be having. I’m checking with the head of aerodynamics like every week: “What have you tried this year? These are things I’ve seen on other cars. Have we tried that?”
When I go back to the factory every week, I’m having meetings with people from different heads of different departments. When you see people working at their desks, you see how committed people are. They spend so much time away from their families. They’re so committed and that inspires you.
ABC News: Will we ever see a female Formula One driver?
Lewis: I personally do think so. There’s a lot of work that needs to go in the background to continue to allow access.
We got to improve the pipeline. That’s what the F1 Academy is doing, it’s showing that there are opportunities. There are over 40,000 jobs in our industry. How do we encourage more and more people to get into STEM? That’s why I had all these young girls come [to Austin]. And you know, we’re talking about a new team that’s coming in. So that’s two new seats.
ABC News: When you finally end your illustrious racing career, do you see yourself staying engaged in the sport, maybe as a team principal or owner?
Lewis: I don’t think I’d be a team principal. I would love to be a team owner. Because I do believe in like Black equity. I think diverse equity is important.
ABC News: Best of luck to you, George and the entire team on Saturday.
