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USC opens the season with 30-7 win over San Jose State

By
Eric Ramos
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LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 04: USC Trojans linebacker Drake Jackson (99) intercepts the ball during a college football game between San Jose State Spartans against the USC Trojans on September 4, 2021, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)

Los Angeles, CA – USC held a 13-7 lead in the fourth quarter when senior defensive back Greg Johnson intercepted a Nick Starkel pass and raced 37 yards for the score. The pick-6 was Johnson’s third career interception and first returned for a touchdown. 

It was the spark the Trojans needed. Drake London finished with a career-high 12 receptions for 137 yards and Kedon Slovis passed for 256 yards and two touchdowns to help USC defeat San Jose State 30-7 in the season opener on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. 

LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 04: USC Trojans wide receiver Drake London (15) catches the ball for a gain during a college football game between San Jose State Spartans against the USC Trojans on September 4, 2021, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)

“Coach called a great call and I was just dropping in my zone, and reading the quarterback’s eyes,” Johnson said. “I noticed that they ran that play earlier in the game, so I just made the most of the opportunity and that’s how I did it. Honestly it felt like a dream. It was something that I’ve always dreamt of. Being from LA and playing in the Coliseum in front of all these amazing fans while getting to do that was just great.”

USC got in the red zone on their opening drive but Slovis was sacked on third-and-goal. The Trojans first score of the season was a 27-yard field goal from Parker Lewis. On the ensuing drive, Drake London’s interception of a screen pass set up the Trojans first touchdown of the season. 

Slovis saw the one on one matchup and heaved a pass to Tahj Washington who jumped over the defender to make the catch in the end zone. USC took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Lewis added a 23-yard field goal in the second quarter and the Trojans went into halftime with a 13-0 lead. 

The Spartans got on the board in the third quarter on running back Tyler Nevens 2-yard touchdown run. USC pulled away in the fourth quarter. Lewis kicked his third field goal of the game and tight end Erik Krommenhoek hauled in a 20-yard touchdown with 2:07 left in the fourth quarter. 

“A good opening ballgame for our kids, and credit to coach (Brent) Brennan in the job that he’s doing in San José State,” USC head coach Clay Helton said. “I think he’s really growing something; that was a good football team out there today and a team that I feel is going to compete in their league again for a championship. Offensively, I thought we started off in rhythm and then fell off a little bit. Credit to them, they made a couple adjustments and then we had a nice late flurry to end the game.”

LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 04: USC Trojans running back Vavae Malepeai (6) runs the ball for a gain during a college football game between San Jose State Spartans against the USC Trojans on September 4, 2021, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360news)

USC opens conference play next Saturday when Stanford visits the Coliseum. 

Pitt wins opener in style

By
Edward Thompson
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U Mass vs Pitt on Saturday, September 4th, 2021. (Edward Thompson / fi360 News)

Heinz Field-Pittsburgh PA– Kenny Pickett threw for 2 TD  passes and the Pitt defense held  UMASS to 209 yards of total offense as the Panthers cruised to a 51-7 season-opening victory on Saturday.

U Mass vs Pitt on Saturday, September 4th, 2021. (Edward Thompson / fi360 News)

Pickett hooked up with Lucas Krull and Jordan Addison for first-quarter touchdowns as the Panthers jumped out to a two-score lead in the first 15 minutes.

The 5th year senior completed  27 of 37 passes for 272 yards and the two touchdowns. Pickett also rushed six times for 39 yards on a combination of scrambles and designed runs. Pickett missed one play after taking a bad hit late in the second quarter that caused UMASS #22  linebacker Gerrell Johnson to be ejected for targeting, and the Pitt offense seemed to feed on the return of its leader.

U Mass vs Pitt on Saturday, September 4th, 2021. (Edward Thompson / fi360 News)

After taking an early lead, Pitt leaned on the rushing game to run the clock out and control the tempo of the game, with four different backs finding the end zone. A.J. Davis scored from 18 yards out in the second quarter.

The Panthers will travel to play the Tennessee Volunteers of the SEC next Saturday September 11 at noon on ESPN.

U Mass vs Pitt on Saturday, September 4th, 2021. (Edward Thompson / fi360 News)

The Boilermakers heat up slow but burn the Beavers

By
Jamie Bright
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Photo by Andre Hollis fi360 News

West Lafayette, Indiana – Purdue kicks off the season with a slow start but finishes off Oregon State behind tightend Payne Durham two touchdown performance. The Boilermakers are now 1-0 with their 30-21 victory.

Durham second touchdown was the examination point with 2:17 left in the game on 3rd & 2 running wide open for a 49 yard receptions. The Beavers sold out for a run and Durham slipped out in the secondary.

Payne Durham with a catch. (Photo by Andre Hollis fi360 News)

Purdue offense is slow and controlled making sure that sophomore quarterback Jack Plummer could manage the game and not have to win the game solely on his arm. Plummer did throw for 313 yards and two touchdowns with throws to seven different targets. Fellow sophomore David Bell caught 8 receptions for team high 134 yards averaging 16.8 yards per catch.

The Beavers came in with a solid gameplan scoring first to take an earlier lead. They were lead by  B.J. Baylor who had nine carries for 24 yards and two touchdowns. Fellow backfield mate Trey Lowe carried for a team high 27 yards.

This rushing attack is a far cry from last season where they really took it to their opponents on the ground establishing the run to set up the pass. Oregon State showed some sparks of greatness but not enough to overcome Purdue’s 4th quarter push.

(Photo by Andre Hollis fi360 News)

Late in the second quarter Cam Allen interception with 2:23 left in the half lead to the Boilermakers second field goal of the half to stretch the lead to 13-7 over the visiting Beavers.

The Beavers would bring this game close in 4th quarter battling with the game being up for grabs. The 23-21 score was the closest they could come before Plummer became a household name at least at the first game.

The Beavers will host Hawaii this Saturday September 11 while the Boilermakers will travel to Connecticut on Saturday 11th.

(Photo by Andre Hollis fi360 News)

The Hollywood Black Comedy Festival at YOUTUBE Theater

By
Jevone Moore
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Inside stage monitor Hollywood Black Comedy Festival view of the Youtube Theater at SoFi Stadium Friday, September 3, 2021, in Inglewood, Calif.
Comedian Earthquake

The Hollywood Black Comedy Festival broke the seal off for the YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Los Angeles on Sept. 3, 2021.

The Comedy Festival will hold title of being the theater first ever opening performance. Deon Cole hosted, the event that featured an all-star lineup including Corey Holcomb, Earthquake, Luenell, Ryan Davis and Tony Roberts.

Deon Cole

The laughs jumped off from the start and continued to roll each set. Deon put together a great line up for fans who set eyes on the theater for the first time.

Fun Fact YouTube:

The 227,000 square-foot venue is three-stories and places a major emphasis on live experiences. The farthest seat in the house is only 164 feet from the 6,100 square-foot stage. The idea is to create an intimate environment for fans and artists.

Deon Cole

Tomorrow night the Hollywood Black Comedy Festival, Cole will also be presenting Deon Cole and Friends – featuring Corey Holcomb, Luenell and Tony Roberts – at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland on Sept. 4.

Ryan Davis

Fever proves to be a headache for LA Sparks

By
Isabel Gonzalez
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Photo by fi360 News

The Los Angeles Sparks were a minute away from snapping a three-game losing streak. Instead, the Indiana Fever handed them a 74-72 loss and complicated their playoffs chances even more.

The Sparks came into the game just half a game out of 8th place. The Fever currently have the worst record in the league, but the last-place team was not going to be an easy opponent. 

Neither team started the game with great rhythm. The offensive struggles the Sparks have been experiencing this season seemed to continue as they only scored 13 points in the first quarter. Indiana wasn’t particularly brilliant on offense either, so the Fever only managed a 35-30 lead at halftime.

The Sparks scored 26 points in the third period, and they kept some of that momentum going to lead by eight points with under four minutes left in the fourth. Los Angeles is a defense focused team, but the Fever tied the game with 1:12 left on the clock.

https://twitter.com/IndianaFever/status/1432870798704918530?s=20

Indiana stole the ball with 16 seconds left and Teaira McCowan was sent to the free throw line shortly after. She made both, putting the Fever up 74-72.

After a Los Angeles timeout, Nia Coffey missed a three-point shot that was rebounded by Brittney Sykes. Sykes was fouled but missed both free throws. She attempted a jumpshot after the second miss but that one also did not go in.

Los Angeles was missing Kristi Toliver (hand) and Chiney Ogwumike (knee) with injury. The Sparks bench stepped up and outscored the Fever’s bench 29-14, but that wasn’t the stat that made the most impact at the end of the night.

Nneka Ogwumike, who led the Sparks offense with 17 points, pointed out that rebounds played a huge role. Indiana outrebounded Los Angeles 39-20.

“I think that we weren’t sharp on defense,” Ogwumike said when asked about the last few minutes of the game. “And quite frankly the rebounding disparity was just too much. I know I gotta be better on that.” 

Indiana also got to the free throw more times. They had 24 free throw attempts and made 20 of those. Meanwhile, the Sparks made 10 out of only 15 attempts. This difference in opportunities at the charity line, coach Derek Fisher said, came down to his team needing to attack the paint more while also being more physical in the offense.

The Sparks did lead in assists 21-11, which was something Fisher was content with. 

“Assist ratio has been a trend that has been going in the right direction,” the coach said. “We’re making an attempt to share the basketball and play the right way.”

The Sparks have one more game to wrap up their six-game road trip. They will take on the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday Sept. 2 at 5pm PT.

UCLA Shows Statement Win Over Hawaii

By
Manny Nunez
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Pasadena, CA – If you want to compare expectations between the two Pac-12 schools in Southern California, UCLA has a much more interesting storyline. Chip Kelly opens his fourth season as the Bruins head coach. However, in each of his opening season games, he has come away empty handed. While he has had losing seasons throughout his tenure, opening season matchups have usually dictated what direction the Bruins will be going, and that has been a problem for Kelly. Righting the ship with what he has built over the years is what the Bruins are hoping for, having ten returning starters and quarterback Dorian Thompson Robinson back at the helm for this third year under center.

Photo by Jevone Moore / fi360 News

Everything that needed to go UCLA’s way did. In a 44-10 dominant win over Hawaii, it was a message sent to the Pac-12 early saying this team is ready to compete.

“We are excited as a team, and we have been chomping at the bits since the end of last season. We don’t know what we are going to get in all three phases of the game. Until you play your opponent, you are not sure. There are a lot of things to clean up, but the great thing is we are right back to work on the right side of things.”

Photo by Jevone Moore / fi360 News

UCLA’s defense, while allowing 269 total yards, did their part in producing for their offense. Hawaii Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro did manage to throw for 216 yards. But the Bruins defense managed to force three turnover on downs and an interception. Hawaii only reached the red zone once, which did end up being a touchdown in that drive. The Bruin defense collectively forced a total loss of 37 yards and forced two interceptions, pinning Hawaii under heavy pressure throughout the game.

“Our entire team played their hearts out, but our defense had a lot of energy. We played well with a lot of one-on-one matchups, and with it being a hot day we had to do a lot of rotations. Off of film, we learned a lot from this game.”

Things were unsettling in the beginning after the Bruins managed a big stop deep in Hawaii territory on their opening drive. Only six yards were managed in the Bruins first possession as they started with the ball in the redzone, settling for just a field goal. Credit the defense on UCLA’s next drive forcing another punt. This gave Thompson-Robinson and running back Brittain Brown to use their arms and legs for their first touchdown of the season.

By then the Bruins took advantage of a weak Hawaii front seven on the ground, utilizing Brown and Michigan transfer Zach Charbonnet. Combined they rushed for 184 yards, while as a team UCLA ran for 246 yards and four touchdowns, three coming from Charbonnet.

“When I transitioned in the spring it was tough,” Charbonnet said. “I needed this time to get ready, and our coaching staff and players are doing their part to get me and this team ready to play.”

Last season the Bruins had a statement win over Cal. It didn’t propel them to a winning season, but in each of their four losses they were only decided by six points or less. Experience seems to be key for coach Kelly. With LSU next up and with their issues they had last year, a 2-0 start to the Bruin season may finally have the Pac-12 create a bit more buzz for more teams.

“This is a very mature team,” Kelly said. We have 16 graduate students on this team. This team is hungry and these guys really are a strong suit of really hoping to go places.”

The return of Friday Night Lights

By
Dennis Freeman
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BELLFLOWER (News4usonline) – You really don’t miss something until it’s been taken away from you. High school football was taken away from us last fall. It’s great to have it back again.

Driving by St. John Bosco High School, I got the fever. As I drove by the Panish Family Stadium, I could see an overflow of people in the stands watching the Braves play Central on their home turf.

By the way, St. John Bosco defeated Central 35-12 to kick off their season opener. But the bigger story here besides the 2019 national champions securing their first win of the season, is the fact that I was getting pumped.

The reason being is for the first time in two years, high school football was being played out all over the Southland with fall shortly around the corner.

Without a doubt, this was a most welcome sight to see. Yeah, I know. State and local officials scrambled to put prep sports on the books in the spring as a way to help high school student-athletes get some sort of resemblance of normalcy after losing most of 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was a great effort on the part of health and elected officials (local and state) to make that happen. And they did. But there’s something about Friday Night Lights at the beginning of a school year that makes everything seem right. For students, for parents, this is what America does.

Sitting and watching high school football on a Friday night is something that has been embedded in the country’s fabric as a way of life for many people. The words escape me on how best to describe what I saw.

I would say it is a miracle that we have high school football at all as a two to three-hour escape from the outside noise of the crunching weight of the hustle and bustle of life.

Think about it? At this time last year, the U.S. like the rest of the world were pretty much in full shutdown mode because of the pandemic. There were no places to go, nothing to see but our living quarters. The game-changer, thanks to modern science and technology, was the availability of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Some of the normal activities we did pre-Covid-19, like sitting in the stands of a high school football game, have returned. It’s a blessing. And because of this domino effect, I was able to get the urge to go out and sit with my wife in the stands of a local high school our daughter attends and catch some football.

The game, which pitted Bellflower High School and Pioneer High School in a nonleague CIF-Southern Section contest, was just the prescription the doctor ordered. From an entertainment standpoint, the Bellflower-Pioneer battle had everything you could want in an athletic contest.

You had late-game drama. There was the nail-biting atmosphere of the two teams trading scores like flipping hotcakes. Whether it came in the form of an injury, turnovers, or penalties that canceled out big plays, both teams had to overcome adversity.

Thanks to a late touchdown (1:02 remaining in the game) in the fourth quarter and an interception to seal the deal, Bellflower came away with a 22-18 win in front of their celebratory fans. Whether a team wins or loses is not why we missed our Friday Night Lights.

It was good seeing kids being kids again. It was great to see and hear parents yelling at the top of their lungs for their team to play defense. It was good seeing the home team’s school band performing and getting fans revved up with some funky music they were playing. It was good having cheerleaders be cheerleaders, urging their side to support their team.

It was wonderful seeing high school students running up and down the bleachers and hanging out in bunches with their friends. It was good to feel normal. The joys and exuberance of youth is something that lifts our souls and makes many of us fuddy-duddies feel young again. We must continue to harness and embrace the youth of our future.

We cannot go backward and turn back the clock. But what we can do as a nation is to never allow anything to rob our future. The future is in our youth. Feeling the essence of what Friday Nights Lights means reminds us why we so appreciate our young people.

LA Sparks kills the Dream again

By
Isabel Gonzalez
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Los Angeles, CA – No overtime was needed this time, but the LA Sparks and Atlanta Dream had another interesting ending.

Kristi Toliver missed a three-point jump shot with under five seconds left on the clock. The score was tied at 64, but Nneka Ogwemike wanted to end it in regulation time. She got the offensive rebound and made the winning shot. It was reviewed, but eventually it was declared good.

“They are definitely showing a high level of mental toughness and sticking together. That’s something we talked about all season,”said head coach Derek Fisher. “They haven’t given up on each other throughout the course of the game.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/1428578239308464128

Ogwemike said she thought Toliver was the right person to have taken that shot and that she thought it was going to go in. After all, Toliver has established herself as a three-point shooter. 
She scored the first basket for Los Angeles, and it happened to also be their first three-pointer of the night. Her second, which also came in the first quarter, helped her pass Mwadi Mabika for most three-pointers in Sparks history.

Toliver went 4-of-5 from the field and finished with 10 points, five assists and four rebounds. She can play, but she can also teach. Earlier on Thursday, the news came out that she will be joining the Dallas Mavericks as an assistant coach.

“I want her to obviously shine as a coach, but she can’t stop being a player with me. Not until I say so,” joked Ogwumike after saying how happy she was for her teammate.

Ogwumike was the Sparks leading scorer with 17 points. She’s dealt with injury this season, but she’s remained a consistent scorer. She’s seen double digits in all eighth games she’s played.

The 66-64 result was the Sparks’ third straight win. They’ve won all their games since resuming the season, which was definitely needed to improve the 6-13 record they had before the break. But things won’t continue to be so easy. The Sparks will hit the road for six consecutive games and not return to Staples Center until September 9 when they host the Connecticut Sun.

It will be challenging, but Fisher sees it as an opportunity.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for us to really show where we are as a team and the lessons we have learned,” he said. “Winning on the road is difficult to do in any sport. Right now we have to focus on the one game we have in front of us.”

The LA Sparks travel to New York to take on the Liberty on Sunday, August 22.

Sparks Give Dream Nightmare in OT Thriller

By
Brianne Ingram
-
Photo by fi360 News

Los Angeles, CA – The LA Sparks were in the driver seat all throughout overtime as they battled against the Atlanta Dream Tuesday night to take home the win 85-80 in Los Angeles.

The Sparks were relentless when it mattered most.

Photo by fi360 News

Kristi Toliver hit a turnaround fade away jumper at the buzzer to tie the game at 74 to send her team into overtime.

Staples roared in pure pandemonium.

“When there’s a big moment and a game is on the line, that’s always my favorite time. I just wanted to get to my spot. That spot was the elbow. I felt Kobe in me. It felt good to see one go in at a big moment. But that all starts from Fish and just how he instills that confidence in us every single day. So, I’m glad that I was able to deliver,” said Toliver.

The fans were on their feet for the entire duration of overtime and served as the sixth man for their home team.

“Credit to the fans,” said Erica Wheeler. “We’re in LA. You could be anywhere in the world. So, for them to support us and give us that sixth man energy we definitely appreciate that.”

The Dream went cold in OT.

Photo by fi360 News

Baylor alum Odyssey Sims was on fire for the first three quarters but cooled down the rest of the game. She scored 23 points through the third period and led all scorers with 26 points and 6 assists.

The crowd was simply electric, and the Sparks fed off their energy in overtime.

The LA Sparks were being aggressive down low and were dishing it to each other left and right.

Ball movement was the name of the game in this victory as the Sparks finished with 29 assists as a team.

“I think we moved the ball better in the second half and were just making the right decisions. We trust each other. I think we wanted the game more,” said Wheeler.

Photo by Brianne Ingram fi360 News

The LA Sparks were down by as many as 10 in the third quarter 39-49, but they never stopped fighting.

“In the third quarter when they kind of knocked us around a little bit and it was 49-39. They could have packed it in and said it was too hard to do it tonight. But they kept playing and fighting for one another. We can build on that. As a coaching staff that is something that I am very proud of their effort in that regard,” said Head Coach Derek Fisher.

Their resilience as a squad truly shined through.

“We talked at halftime and our biggest adjustment was our competitive spirit. But we came out and we were resilient. This was a character game. We were able to show that high character, that spirit, that togetherness, and that grit. That’s who we are,” said Toliver.

Brittney Sykes led all Sparks with 17 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals.

In her second game back, Nneka Ogwumike flirted with a triple double by scoring 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists.

Ogwumike went down in the second quarter grabbing her left knee that she previously injured and left for the locker room. She then returned in the third quarter and played for the rest of the game.

Six Sparks scored in double figures including all Sparks starters.

Chiney Ogwumike is progressing towards a return to action and has been upgraded from week-to-week to day-to-day from right knee soreness.

The Sparks seek their 18th consecutive home win and go for round two against the Atlanta Dream on Thursday, August 19th at 7:30 pm at the Staples Center.

Nneka, Toliver, Sparks Prevail Over Fever in Return to Staples

By
Brianne Ingram
-
Photo by Brianne Ingram

Los Angeles, CA- Nneka Ogwumike finished with an exclamation point in her return from a left knee sprain by scoring a buzzer beater layup at the Staples Center on Sunday evening. 

Photo by Jevone Moore

Brittney Sykes threw a cross court pass in transition to Ogwumike. She scored to seal the deal as the LA Sparks (7-13) prevailed over the Indiana Fever (4-17) 75-70 in return to their home floor at Staples Center, and their first game back from the Olympic break.

The Staples Center crowd went berserk after the sound of the final buzzer.

“To be honest I knew it was like the end of the game, but I just wanted to finish the game,” said Ogwumike. “So, I’m just really glad that Slim passed that to me because I would have looked really stupid if she didn’t. For me it’s just kind of symbolic of me finishing things out. Just wanting to savor every moment. So, I’m glad that she passed it to me because I just wanted to put my stamp on that game with the energy that hopefully my team felt.”

Sykes commented on her assist to Ogwumike.

Photo by Brianne Ingram

“We joked about it in the cold tub, and I knew that if I didn’t throw it, it would have been a whole other story to talk about after the game. I saw the time … and I was like let me just lob it up enough where she can catch it, lay it up, and she got it. I was happy. That’s like a perfect way to end the game. Nneka and KT’s first game back. She deserved that layup.”

The 2016 WNBA MVP Ogwumike scored 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Ogwumike expressed how she felt in her return from injury that kept her sidelined for most of the first half of the season.

“It feels great to be back. It always feels so good to be back in Staples Center. I just kind of entered this game with a mindset of wanting to have fun. I wanted to be able to do what I can for my team. I haven’t played in a long time. I’m just glad that I was able to help my team win.”

Kristi Toliver drives the lane.

Two-time WNBA Champion Kristi Toliver also made her return from an eye injury that she suffered against the Washington Mystics on June 24th. She had four points and six assists.

“We are a completely different team with those two on the court,” said Amanda Zahui B. “It’s a beautiful thing. It creates for everyone else. They just read the game and their IQ is really high. I’m just really happy.”

The LA Sparks were in control for most of the game with their biggest lead being 12 points.

There were six lead changes and seven ties, but the LA Sparks never allowed the game to get away from them.

Sykes led all Sparks scorers with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and she reached her 1500 point career milestone.

“Cheers to 1500,” said Sykes. “I’m truly grateful.”

The LA Sparks returned to Staples for the first time since September 15, 2019, and won their 16th consecutive regular season game on their home floor.

The Sparks fans lit up with excitement as the WNBA resumed the second half of their season.

“For these people to come out and support us tonight and bring energy and bring noise, I do think our players felt and appreciated the fans tonight,” said Head Coach Derek Fisher. “And just being in this building. It’s a different kind of stage. I think you feel more like you’re in the big time when you’re in this building. We’re fortunate to get this win.”

The LA Sparks take on the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, August 17th at 7:30 pm.

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