What Up, Long Beach?!

We were at the 2025 Dirtbags Leadoff Dinner last Friday at the Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach to celebrate the start of the season and talk to new coach TJ Bruce, his mentor and old coach Mike Weathers, emcee John Rami and PGA Tour golfer John Mallinger who is helping with the Dirtbags Collective.

We caught up with Wilson and St. Anthony coaches and players at the CIF Southern Section Championship Luncheon to talk about playing for titles on Saturday.

The Terry Donahue Memorial California Showcase has been the official sponsor of football coverage here at The562 and on the podcast we’re talking about how high school football players can take advantage of this opportunity to continue their academic and athletic careers in college.

We’re previewing the five Long Beach high school football games on Friday for Millikan, Long Beach Poly, Lakewood, Wilson and St. Anthony.

There are many rule changes for the NCAA and its member schools that will impact college athletics for years to come. It’s unclear if that makes life easier or harder for mid-major universities without football programs, and that’s what we sat down and talked to Long Beach State athletic director Bobby Smitheran about last week.