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  • Korey Francis helped transform Bonner-Prendie boys’ basketball — and he’s not finished

    Korey Francis helped transform Bonner-Prendie boys’ basketball — and he’s not finished

    If you walk into the Bonner-Prendergast gym in Drexel Hill during the basketball season, you will find more than 30 family members and friends cheering for rising senior Korey Francis.

    Basketball has always been a family affair for the Francises. Korey’s father, Keefer Francis, played at Bonner and went on to play collegiately at Cabrini. His grandfather, uncle, and aunt all played the game as well.

    Now, Francis has become one of the state’s most competitive and complete players, being named Mr. Pennsylvania Basketball and the Catholic League MVP after leading Bonner-Prendie to a PCL semifinal appearance and its first PIAA 5A state championship in program history during the 2025-26 season.

    “I pretty much do everything,” Francis said. “I’m able to defend and guard bigger [players], but I’m also able to score and be a point guard and bring the ball up and set my teammates up to make the right plays.”

    Korey Francis averaged 21.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists last season.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Francis averaged 21.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 52.3% from the field, 36.7% on three-pointers, and 75% on free throws. He enters his senior season with 1,265 career points.

    Francis, who received a basketball as his first birthday gift, began playing for Brookhaven Youth Basketball and Chester Biddy League before joining Team Iverson.

    “Korey was always special growing up,” said Bonner-Prendie head coach Billy Cassidy. “He was the kid you heard about and read about from the time he touched the basketball.”

    Cassidy’s relationship with the Francis family dates back to his own high school years, when he played basketball with Francis’ father at Bonner.

    How Philly hoops shaped D.J. Rivera and his son, Derrick Morton-Rivera, to do ‘what you love’

    When Cassidy was named the head coach in 2022, he knew he wanted Francis to play for him.

    “Korey wanted to make his own mark on the high school, that was his biggest thing,” he said. “Obviously, he had a lot of options and choices to go elsewhere and be the next guy in their programs. He took the leap to come to Bonner to basically turn this program around. He has done that and more already.”

    Francis hasn’t just made an impact on the court. He served as the class president his freshman year, and has now been the vice president of his class for the past two years.

    “The community and making an impact on the school was a huge thing he wanted to do outside of basketball,” Cassidy said.

    Korey Francis has 19 scholarship offers, including St. Joseph’s, Temple, La Salle.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Late last season, Bonner hosted Roman Catholic in an important game for league standings and postseason seeding. Francis went head-to-head with the league favorite for MVP, Sammy Jackson, before delivering what Cassidy said was the defining moment of his season.

    “He dunked on the kid, and the place went nuts,” Cassidy said. “That was the moment everyone realized he was the MVP, which has not been done by a junior many times at all.”

    Although Francis has emerged as one of the state’s best players, he admits confidence didn’t always come naturally to him.

    Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Michael Pereira brings professor-like IQ and ‘Hulk mode’ to Penn hoops

    “Towards the start of my high school career, a lot of games I would be really nervous for, and overthink and not have as much confidence,” Francis said. “But my coach gave me the motivation and the knowledge to know that I’m supposed to be out there.”

    Each year, Francis has added to his body and improved his game, Cassidy said.

    The attention from college coaches began during his freshman year, but following his junior season, the process sped up. He now has 19 scholarship offers, including St. Joseph’s, Temple, La Salle, Virginia Tech, and Xavier.

    When deciding on a school, Francis is looking for more than basketball.

    “I’m looking for a place that feels like family, a place where I feel at home and then a coach that’s going to push me and be able to take me to the next step in my game.”

    Before moving on to college, Francis is focused on his final season at Bonner.

    Korey Francis hopes to bring a Catholic League title back to Bonner-Prendie.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    “I’m just excited to finish out my high school career,” he said, “playing with my teammates that I’ve been playing with since I was younger.”

    His goals are simple: Win another state championship and earn the school’s first Catholic League title since 1988.

    “Basketball requires time to become as good as you want to be,” Francis said. “The more work you put in, the more you get out. Things take time, and being able to stay in the race is better than trying to sprint through it.”

  • Pumpkin spice and Halloween candy are arriving earlier, as seasonal creep is ‘accelerating’

    Pumpkin spice and Halloween candy are arriving earlier, as seasonal creep is ‘accelerating’

    A certain seasonal disorientation is understandable these days, and we’re not talking about whatever is going on with the planet’s climate.

    The Philly-born La Colombe coffee chain began offering its pumpkin spice drinks this week, and while that may seem early for evoking the spirit of Halloween, even among its rivals — Starbucks doesn’t turn to pumpkin until Aug. 25 — La Colombe is miles behind the candy industry, which has been at it for months.

    In early May, as part of its “Halfway to Halloween” promotion, Mars Inc. was offering a “Creepy Crunch” variant of Skittles, Twix “skulls,” and pumpkin-shaped Snickers.

    Over the weekend, as many as 3,000 people showed up for the seasonal grand opening of the Spirit Halloween store in Egg Harbor Township — 37 days before Labor Day, and in an era when summery weather appears to be lingering longer. (Philly’s average temperatures were above normal the last five Septembers.)

    Complaints about the so-called seasonal creep phenomenon are decades old, but what was once a creeping tide has mutated into a tsunami “in the last several years,” in the view of Mark Lang, associate professor of marketing at the University of Tampa and a longtime supermarket executive.

    “It snuck up on us,“ said Lang, an alumnus of both Temple and St. Joseph’s Universities.

    “The guardrails are gone,” he added, saying the creep movement was “racing forward.”

    “I see the movement as accelerating,” agreed Richard George, a St. Joe’s food-marketing emeritus professor.

    However, it is not as though consumers are resisting, he said. For example, Christmas shopping in October is becoming ever more popular. “Consumers want to capture these deals, take advantage of greater product choices, spread out their spending, and avoid some of the stress related to holiday shopping,“ he said.

    But one premature season at a time.

    What is driving seasonal creep?

    Money, for one, Lang said. And competition.

    Sales in the confectionary industry reached a record $55 billion last year, according to Carly Schildhaus, spokesperson for the National Confectioners Association, with Halloween an important bite of that.

    Businesses have to mine everything they can from the peak seasons — which very much include the sales of candy and assorted spooky paraphernalia for Halloween and holiday gifts for Christmas — said Lang, who for 11 years was the No. 2 marketing person at the Publix supermarket chain. And it doesn’t hurt to make those seasons longer.

    “If they don’t beat last year’s seasonal sales, their whole year is off,” he said

    Halloween is becoming the “longest retail season,” according to Mars executive Tim LeBel, who is quoted on the company website as saying, “Culture, not the calendar, is defining the seasons and our strategy.” According to Mars, it would begin in the spring.

    By Mars’ count, 30% of all 20-somethings have participated in “Summerween” events, which have been gaining media attention in recent years. As the word suggests, those are Halloween-themed parties during the sweaty season. (The phrase comes from an animated TV series episode that aired over a decade ago.)

    “Summerween has gained momentum,” said Schildhaus, who also invoked the cultural factor mentioned by LeBel.

    For the retailers, the seasonal creep momentum is more about the economic connection, Lang said.

    Stores are not only competing against one another but also battling “category killers,” like those temporary Halloween stores that put pressure on other shops to offer similar merchandise, he said.

    “Everybody is grabbing at the bag at the same time,” Lang said. “Retailers have to get their piece or the other guy is going to get it. It’s a lack of imagination. I think retailers and vendors are just out of ideas.”

    People gathering for the new Spirit Halloween flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Will the seasons continue to creep?

    The consumer response argues that it will, and George believes the seasons will continue to stretch, and not just Halloween.

    He notes that the big drivers of the movement are the giant retailers, such as Amazon and Walmart, and that Black Friday is no longer merely a Thanksgiving weekend event.

    Online shopping has further blurred seasonal lines, George said, since it “combines technology with information and convenience, making shopping occur whenever consumers are in the mood.”

    But Lang said he was not so sure the elongations would continue to stretch into perpetuity.

    “I hear people saying, ‘Give me a break,’” he said. “When you see Halloween candy in July, it’s like, enough of it.”

    Jumping the seasons induces a certain “holiday fatigue,” he added.

    He said he fears that what was once an occasion “feels like it’s a selling event.”

    For the record, only 139 shopping days until Christmas.

    Staff writer Sarah Nicell contributed to this article.

  • Letters to the Editor | Aug. 7, 2026

    Letters to the Editor | Aug. 7, 2026

    Clean rivers

    A recent Inquirer article reported that Camden County is tackling a sewage problem in the Cooper River, with a real plan to make it swimmable.

    Does the Philadelphia Water Department have a plan for the Delaware River?

    I read in a recent PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center report that 12.7 billion gallons of untreated sewage and stormwater are dumped into the Delaware River every year. I’m glad I’m not a duck or a fish. I am, however, a Philadelphia resident who would enjoy recreating in our local waterways.

    The report also states that half of this sewage discharges from just 10 of 164 untreated outflow pipes. A relatively modest infrastructure investment could dramatically improve water quality for everyone who wants to paddle, swim, or fish here — not to mention the wildlife.

    I ask the Philadelphia Water Department to follow Camden’s lead and commit to a real plan to make the Delaware, the Schuylkill, and the streams that feed them clean and safe, even swimmable.

    Peter Furcht, Philadelphia

    . . .

    Sewage flowing into the Delaware River does not appeal to me, but untreated water has been flooding into our beloved waterways more and more due to the increased heavy rainstorms this summer. While Camden County has made commitments to cleaning up the Cooper River, Philadelphia is far behind. Our city has a combined sewage overflow system in which 60% of water pipes are used for both stormwater and sewage. When there are intense storms, both rain and waste flow into the river.

    According to a PennEnvironment report, this happened 65 times in 2025, with nearly 13 billion gallons of sewage overflow. This included 126 million gallons in Pennypack Creek alone, which flows near my house. Sewage contains viruses, parasites, and bacteria that carry the risk of illness to both people and animals who explore there.

    The Philadelphia Water Department must keep local rivers and creeks clean by improving infrastructure to deal with sewage overflow. In Camden County, there will be a voter referendum this fall concerning funding for a plan to fix this problem. Philadelphia can also find a solution. The Water Department should follow Camden County and implement a plan that makes our rivers safe for drinking and swimming.

    Judith Kotler, Philadelphia

    . . .

    Dozens of times throughout the summer, I receive alarming flash flood alert text messages informing me that very heavy rain is about to pummel my area and to seek shelter. I then worry about all the water flooding into the streets as it tries to flow into the storm drains, eventually overwhelming the sewage system, and polluting our rivers.

    What Philadelphians may not know is that the Philadelphia Water Department has a combined sewer system, which means that when heavy rains overwhelm the system, raw sewage mixes with stormwater and then flows untreated into a nearby river or stream. Sewage in our rivers puts people at risk of getting sick, harms our wildlife, and opposes the goal of the Clean Water Act. Research shows that contact with contaminated waterways less than 24 hours after a combined sewer overflow increased the risk of acute gastrointestinal illness by 39%-75%, compared with recreational activity more than 24 hours after an overflow.

    Philadelphia’s aging infrastructure wasn’t built for today’s population or the increasingly intense storms driven by climate change. The PWD needs to accelerate investments in green and gray infrastructure to rein in combined sewage overflows and protect public health, wildlife, and our waterways.

    One of my favorite summer activities is going kayaking, and this year I kayaked on the Delaware for the first time. I hope I will be able to enjoy recreating on the rivers that cradle Philadelphia for years to come.

    Emily Levine, Philadelphia

    Protect and serve

    Thank you for your multifaceted coverage of our immigration crisis. Will Bunch’s coverage of the immigration “speed trap” in Mount Holly Springs, Pa., evoked memories of the two opportunities I have had to work in cities with community policing. Officers took seriously their pledge to protect and serve, working to build community, encouraging all residents to call if they needed help, and to come forward if they had witnessed a crime. It was a win-win situation for police and the community they served. That is a different kind of police force than one willing to help capture Wu Shaoping and others like him, a force willing to fracture families for an extra allowance with little connection to road safety. For U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, working with local police, delaying renewal requests of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients and other immigrants in the process of improving their status makes more sense these days than continuing the work done in Minneapolis.

    ICE is helped by a partisan Congress and a U.S. Supreme Court willing to send Haitian families back to a country where the U.S. government has warned Americans not to travel, with “violence having left thousands dead and displaced more than 1.4 million people.”

    Clearly we have moved way beyond the “worst of the worst.” It is now the work of the electorate to protect and serve both our neighbors and our democracy.

    Thank you for keeping us informed.

    Sister Veronica Roche, Westmont

    Voter suppression

    Sen. Dave McCormick, Pennsylvania’s junior U.S. senator, has predictably taken exception to The Inquirer’s analysis of the SAVE America Act, which is currently before Congress. In a recent letter to the editor, he goes so far as to urge Inquirer readers to consider other sources of information for “a more thoughtful and honest appraisal of what the bill does.” According to the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice (presumably a reliable information source), if the SAVE Act were passed, it would block millions of eligible American citizens from voting. Viewed in a broader context, the SAVE Act is of a piece with other voter suppression measures being actively promoted by President Donald Trump and his allies. Such measures include wide-ranging congressional redistricting efforts, which are tantamount to state-sponsored, racist gerrymandering. More recently, Trump issued an executive order dictating new, restrictive standards for determining vote-by-mail eligibility, despite the lack of any lawful authority to do so. Any voter bringing common sense to bear on this issue (as McCormick recommends) must surely recognize that these tactics are more about improving the prospects of Republican candidates in future elections than about enhancing election integrity. In fact, earlier this month Trump gave away the game with the telling observation that, in the event the SAVE Act is passed, “we will not lose an election for 100 years.” In short, today’s GOP is fixated on maintaining majorities in both houses of Congress, by hook or by crook.

    Patrick J. Hagan, Ardmore

    Turn files into trials

    Remember how the Jeffrey Epstein files got released and nothing happened? Because they were in the wrong hands. On July 15, a bipartisan group of congressional representatives introduced HR 9694, the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, which allows state attorneys general and district attorneys access to the entire Epstein file. I and other activists have been advocating for this amendment since February because it addresses the two biggest roadblocks to “turning the files into trials”: 1) the fact that the U.S. Department of Justice has said (and demonstrated) it’s not going to prosecute — so turning the file over to a different set of prosecutors is the only way prosecutions are going to happen, and 2) the fact that a large body of highly probative evidence — the videotapes Epstein allegedly made of sex acts, which is evidence of crimes actually being committed, with perps recognizable with facial recognition software and timestamps that can establish the exact age of the victim — simply can’t be released to the public because of the graphic nature of that evidence. Giving the files to state AGs is the only way we’re going to get justice for the survivors, and establish that we, as a society, will never, ever, ever allow these crimes to go unpunished. If we really care about protecting children, we’ll pass this law.

    Linda Falcão, Baltimore

    Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.

  • Horoscopes: Friday, Aug. 7, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). Reality makes a wonderful starting point and a terrible ceiling. You don’t have to expect less. But it would help to get better at predicting what each situation is likely to give you, while remaining open to surprise.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Even those you know very well are capable of surprising you, though you may need to lead the charge. What have you always wanted to know, but never asked? What have you noticed but never thought to compliment? There’s a deeper potential for this relationship.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). A quick wit is rarer than you imagine. It’s not about having lines ready to deploy. It’s being in the moment, noting the situation in real time and being confident enough to risk saying it aloud.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). When you’re into a thing, it hits different. You just know. You can’t always explain it, and you really shouldn’t have to. Keys don’t explain why they fit the lock. It just works, and you’re suddenly in a new room.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Your moods move like weather, heart-first. Your heart will be full. It will also yearn, sparkle and beat to a shared rhythm, and skip beats, too, in response to the surprises and attractions of the day.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Even if you’re totally decided about the next move, you’ll still hear all sides. You may secretly know that you’re not going to back down or give in, but it wouldn’t be diplomatic to lead with that. Besides, information is power.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You can certainly work within constraints, but it’s better to break at least one of the rules. Maybe it’s the one about timing. You can’t rush greatness. Give yourself room to experiment, or at least get the details just how you like them.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). When people want something, but aren’t saying what it is, you can feel that as though the unspoken has an actual weight. Direct questions won’t be ideal today, and anyway, you’re much cleverer than that. You’ll tease out the information.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). When you get tired, should you push through or ease up? Today it will be more productive to rest a while and recover your energy. New insights will come to you when you’re refreshed.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Before chasing the next goal, take more time celebrating the last one. Because when you revel in what’s working, you become a magnet for easy success. It doesn’t have to be so hard to pursue what you want.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Every day asks for a little tolerance. Today asks for more. Hanging in there with the tough stuff will be the main growth opportunity of the day: accepting and enduring the reality until the time it can be changed.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). What would you gladly practice for years whether you were paid to or not? This one makes you read the whole book, join the special club, keeps you in pursuit until you’re a master. The more you put into it, the more you love it.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 7). It’s your Year of Tutelage when you learn exactly what you want and need to know from the best teacher there is: experience. Every quest, adventure and lucky turn becomes part of the curriculum. More highlights: A family tradition or obligation becomes one of your greatest satisfactions. You’ll earn a distinction that puts you in remarkable company. A fresh look and healthier routines leave you feeling remarkably comfortable in your own skin. Gemini and Aries adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 13, 20, 21, 17 and 5.

  • Dear Abby | Husband places blame for everything on his wife

    DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been living with my mom for a little over a year. Our 4-year-old lives here also. Mom has guardianship of her because of our past. A month ago, my husband decided he was leaving. I didn’t leave with him because of my daughter. Now he acts like everything that was wrong in our marriage is my fault.

    We are supposed to be working on our relationship. All he does is point out everything that’s wrong with me. We have been together for 11 years. He says I don’t put him first. I love him with all my heart. I don’t know what to do. Maybe you can give me some advice?

    — NOT ALL MY FAULT IN THE SOUTH

    DEAR NOT ALL MY FAULT: It is easy to assign blame to someone else, but when a marriage crumbles, rarely is it the fault of only one partner. Offer your husband an opportunity to air his grievances with you and a licensed marriage counselor. I wish you had mentioned who he feels is higher on your list of priorities than him. If it’s your daughter, your priorities are ordered correctly. Not knowing the man or the “past” to which you alluded, it’s possible he’s looking for an excuse to leave you and start over.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: I have a stepson, stepdaughter-in-law and stepgrandchild. My husband and I treat them whenever we are together. Although we always pay for everything, we are never invited to their house. We host every holiday and pay for that as well. At Christmas, we host, decorate our home and a tree, and buy presents for them along with providing the holiday meal, etc.

    In general, my stepfamily are nice people. However, I’m finding myself more and more annoyed with the one-sidedness of our relationship, not only the financial end but the effort as well. Last year, the gift I received from them was a handmade tree ornament I later threw out. I don’t know what to do. Any advice would be much appreciated.

    — TIRED OF ONE-SIDED RELATIONS

    DEAR TIRED: In some families, the parents feel it’s their role to be the providers. In others, there is more reciprocity. Because you are becoming increasingly annoyed, and the son, daughter-in-law and grandchild are not your blood relatives, discuss this with your husband before your resentment builds further.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: I have been with my boyfriend for six years. We are in our late 40s, and we both work full time. For the past six months, he has had zero interest in showering daily. I see him do it on the weekend occasionally. He drives a semi locally and is home each night.

    How does one even bring this matter up? Should I be concerned? Do I dare raise the subject, and if so, how? Maybe this shouldn’t bother me, but it does. I don’t want to embarrass him or hurt his feelings; I just need your advice.

    — CONCERNED IN IOWA

    DEAR CONCERNED: Not everyone showers on a daily basis. Any change in a partner’s behavior deserves a mention. Because this is new behavior, ask him why he has chosen to shower less often. If his hygiene needs improving, for both your sakes, you can’t avoid the subject.

  • Union drops opening match of the Leagues Cup to Cruz Azul

    Union drops opening match of the Leagues Cup to Cruz Azul

    The Union dropped the first of three Leagues Cup matches, 1-0, to Cruz Azul Thursday at Subaru Park.

    José Paradela scored a third-minute goal that put the Liga MX side in control of the match, securing three points for fourth-seeded Cruz Azul in the Cup’s Phase 1 standings.

    The loss severely dampens the No. 5 seed Union’s odds of advancing to the knockout stage of the tournament, which pits 18 Liga MX teams against 18 qualified MLS teams.

    Ryan Richter balances wanting a deep Leagues Cup run for the Union with a packed August

    After three Liga MX vs. MLS matchups, the top four teams from each league advance to a single-elimination bracket.

    This is the Cup’s second season utilizing an eight-team bracket. In 2025, no MLS team that lost in regulation in any of its three matches advanced to the knockout stage.

    Paradela’s goal for Cruz Azul came before some spectators had settled into their seats.

    Paradela launched a left-footed strike from the edge of the 18-yard box that beat an outstretched Andrew Rick, who started in place of usual goalkeeper Andre Blake.

    While one could question how much stock the Union should place in the Cup competition amid the attempted revival of their MLS campaign, Ryan Richter approached Thursday with a mostly first-choice lineup, aside from Rick.

    Quinn Sullivan returned to the starting lineup for the first time since tearing his ACL at the end of the 2025 season, across from his younger brother Cavan Sullivan.

    “[It throws] you into the fire,” Quinn Sullivan said of his first start back. “I love it. We know any Mexican team’s going to bring the intensity and the fight, the hitting and the afters. I’m all for it, as long as it’s not too out of line. … Physical match. Sixty-five minutes on my legs. I’m definitely going to be sore tomorrow.”

    It is the second time the Sullivan brothers started together for the Union. They also started together against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup.

    “It was great to see [Quinn] back,” Cavan Sullivan said. “Obviously he still has some restrictions, but it’s great to see him back, [being] dynamic, beating guys. We had a couple linkups, some unsuccessful, some successful. I’m really happy.”

    Cruz Azul fans cheer on at the start of the Leagues Cup match against the Union in Chester.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer

    Seven minutes after his goal, Paradela was shown yellow for obstructing a free kick awarded to the Union at the edge of the attacking third.

    It appeared Omar Campos added a second goal to Cruz Azul’s lead in the 13th minute, but a Video Assistant Referee check determined Gabriel Fernández was offside in the build up, disallowing the goal.

    Jesús Bueno was shown yellow in the 23rd after a dangerous challenge on Cruz Azul’s Érik Lira. Bueno, making his first start for the Union since April, brought his left leg up near Lira’s shoulder to contest the possession.

    Cruz Azul set social media ablaze by putting its flag on the Rocky statue before Leagues Cup opener against Union

    Under high heat and oppressive humidity that necessitated a hydration break past the 30th minute, Cruz Azul held on to its 1-0 lead through a physical opening half. Both the Union and Cruz Azul finished the first half with an equal number of shots and fouls (3).

    The Union continued to press in the second half, registering seven shots between the 45th and the 65th minutes. Both Cavan Sullivan and Milan Iloski registered near misses on potential equalizers in the 59th and 61st, respectively.

    “I was very proud of the way we went for this game in the end,” Richter said. “The goal just didn’t come. But there [were] a lot of positives we can take from it.”

    Richter made his first pair of changes in the 66th minute, bringing on Indiana Vassilev for Quinn Sullivan and Bruno Damiani for Ezekiel Alladoh.

    Another trio of swaps came in the 79th minute, with Neil Pierre, Agustín Anello and Jovan Lukić replacing Japhet Sery Larsen, Nathan Harriel and Bueno.

    Union midfielder Danley Jean Jacques (left) on the ball during the first half against Cruz Azul.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer

    Iloski broke through on goal in the 85th, but his shot sailed over the crossbar. Iloski was held scoreless Thursday, snapping a six-game scoring streak.

    The Union wanted a penalty in the 90th minute after Iloski’s cross appeared to make contact with the arm of a Cruz Azul defender inside the 18-yard box, but referee Juan Gabriel Calderon Pérez did not award a spot kick.

    Play on

    [image or embed]

    — Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd.bsky.social) August 6, 2026 at 10:19 PM

    “I didn’t speak to the ref about it, but, yeah, I think it was a penalty,” Richter said after the match.

    “They said that they were checking it,” Richter added. “[It is] disappointing. I think it would have been the fair decision.”

    Instead, the Union suffered their first loss since returning from the FIFA World Cup break.

    Up next …

    The Union will face Necaxa in their second Leagues Cup match on at Subaru Park on Sunday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).

  • Kyle Schwarber breaks out of his slump as Phillies hit eight doubles in 7-3 win vs. Nationals

    Kyle Schwarber breaks out of his slump as Phillies hit eight doubles in 7-3 win vs. Nationals

    With several hours still to go before Thursday’s first pitch against the Nationals, a stifling humidity settled around Citizens Bank Park. To get his pregame swings in, Kyle Schwarber could have easily retreated to the air-conditioned batting cages underneath the stadium as he normally does.

    But instead, the Phillies slugger shifted his daily routine to take an early hitting session with coach Kevin Long outside on the field. As he searched for the end of a slump that had reached 0-for-18, Schwarber wanted to see the ball fly.

    “Sweating bullets out there. That was fun,” Schwarber said. “But being able to try to find the little reset there.”

    Andrew Painter expected to make his next start; Derek Hill avoided injury from collision

    The extra work seemed to pay off, as he later delivered a pair of singles and drove in a run in the Phillies’ 7-3 win over Washington. One thing Schwarber didn’t do was hit a double. But his teammates more than made up for that, setting a season-high with eight total doubles from seven different Phillies.

    Schwarber hopes his results on Thursday are a sign he’s turning the corner from a slow start since the All-Star break. The power is still a work in progress. His homer drought has stretched to 15 games.

    “Once I got into that third, fourth at-bat there, and even the fifth at-bat — even though it did result in a strikeout — I felt like that I was starting to get into the positions that I wanted to get into, and the field that I wanted to get into,” Schwarber said.

    Even when he’s at his hottest, Schwarber doesn’t step into the box trying to hit a homer. In fact, he’s usually thinking about staying in the middle of the field and hitting line drives. It just so happens that when he makes that kind of contact, it often goes out beyond the fence. While that hasn’t happened lately, Schwarber is hopeful that it’ll come if he sticks with the process.

    “I just want to try to have the best at-bats I can, keep the quality contact there, keep the chase to a minimum, and find a way on base for our guys,” Schwarber said.

    The Phillies offense racked up 16 hits, knocking around Nationals starter Miles Mikolas for six runs. Luis Arraez started the double party in the first inning, driving in Trea Turner and Bryce Harper with a line drive to right field.

    Justin Crawford was the only other Phillies starter to finish without a double, but like Schwarber, he contributed in other ways. Crawford laced an RBI single in the second inning, and executed a sacrifice bunt in the sixth. After Bryson Stott hit his second double of the game, Crawford’s bunt advanced him to third and he scored on Schwarber’s single.

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    “It was nice to see the guys swing the bats tonight, kind of up and down,” said interim manager Don Mattingly. “Everybody with contributions, getting out there early was nice, and to be able to keep scoring was one of those things that you feel good about.”

    The Phillies’ early lead could have been even bigger, but both Arraez and Crawford were waved home on aggressive sends from third that backfired, as each were thrown out at the plate.

    Starter Cristopher Sánchez didn’t look as sharp as usual, but he held the Nationals to two runs. He gave up six hits, including a solo homer to Andrew Pickney for his first major league hit, and walked two. Sánchez allowed baserunners in every inning he pitched except for the first.

    He wasn’t making many bats miss with his sinker, which only generated one swing-and-miss on 23 swings. But Sánchez still struck out six, five of which came on his changeup.

    Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez allowed baserunners in every inning he pitched except for the first. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    “I try to pitch as good as I can when I have traffic on the bases and try to get out of those jams, and I always go out there trying to put the team in the best position to win,” Sánchez said through team interpreter Diego D’Aniello.

    In the fifth inning, Sánchez loaded the bases on a single and two walks. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham came out to the mound to give him a chance to steady his breathing in the heat, and afterward Sánchez rebounded with a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning.

    But the long at-bats and long innings had driven his pitch count up, and his night ended there at 98 pitches.

    “Just seemed like he was tick off tonight,” Mattingly said. “They’ve been tough on him all year, it feels like. They’ve put the ball in play. They single him, foul him off a little bit. I thought the fifth was huge. Him getting out of that jam was huge for us. You can tell he kind of emptied the tank there at the end.”

    It was not an ideal situation for a club that used eight bullpen arms in an extra-innings loss the night before, but the offense provided enough of a cushion. Orion Kerkering, José Alvarado, Jonathan Bowlan, and Jhoan Duran made appearances after also pitching on Wednesday.

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    “We wanted Sánchy obviously to be able to go further and keep more guys out of the game. But obviously, good to see those guys bounce back,” Mattingly said.

    A run scored on Kerkering in the sixth after he gave up a triple to Jacob Young and a single to Keibert Ruiz. He battled back with consecutive strikeouts to strand runners on the corners.

    The Phillies played some solid defense, too. The new-look infield turned a double play to help out Sánchez in the fourth. Over at third base, Stott caught a foul pop-up just before his momentum took him a few steps into the Nationals’ dugout.

    In the ninth inning, Bryan De La Cruz entered the game in right field as a defensive substitution for Bryce Harper, and made a sliding grab on a line drive.

    The Phillies infielders celebrate after their 7-3 win on Thursday night.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    The Phillies have won their second consecutive series since getting swept by the Marlins last week. They did it without a single homer from their home run leader. But they expect those to come along soon.

    “I think it’s just a matter of time with him,” Mattingly said of Schwarber. “He’s not one of the guys that I sit there and think about, worrying if he’s going to bounce back or not. He’s going to catch fire again.”

  • Flyers sign ‘feisty’ restricted free agent Nikita Grebenkin to two-year deal

    Flyers sign ‘feisty’ restricted free agent Nikita Grebenkin to two-year deal

    Nikita Grebenkin is always smiling. He’s probably got a big grin right now after he and the Flyers agreed to a new deal. The restricted free agent signed a two-year, $2.2 million contract with an average annual value of $1.1 million on Thursday.

    The Flyers have one more restricted free agent to sign in defenseman Hunter McDonald.

    Acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a trade at the 2025 NHL deadline that sent Scott Laughton home, Grebenkin was a sparkplug this past season when he was in the lineup.

    The 23-year-old Russian, who played in seven NHL games with the Leafs, made the Flyers out of camp after a strong preseason. He had four goals and 10 assists in 55 regular-season games, notching his first NHL tally Nov. 4 against the Montreal Canadiens. The goal came at a critical time as the Flyers, who entered the game on a two-game losing streak, took a 3-0 lead in the first period before Montreal scored four times in the second. Grebenkin tied the game in the third, and the Flyers won in a shootout.

    Although he was in and out of the lineup until late March, when he suffered an upper-body injury and missed the rest of the season, he had some memorable moments.

    Fans gather for Flyers’ Community Caravan in Ocean City with renewed optimism about the team’s future

    In October, and playing in just his fourth game as a Flyer, he instigated a fight with Seattle Kraken defenseman Cale Fleury, body-slamming him to the ice, after Garnet Hathaway was awkwardly hit.

    “It was awesome. Didn’t see it coming,” defenseman Cam York said after the Flyers’ win. “But he’s a feisty guy, I think, and any time one of our guys gets hit like that, you want to stick up for him. It’s who we are here; we’re a family, and just part of what we do.”

    He gestured to the hometown faithful to get them amped on his way to the penalty box and played just 7 minutes, 38 seconds in the game, after earning 17 minutes’ worth of penalty time for his fight.

    Philadelphia Flyers right wing Nikita Grebenkin (29) fights Seattle Kraken defenseman Cale Fleury (8) on Oct. 20. Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer

    In January, he also mucked it up all night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, eventually dropping the gloves with Max Crozier in the third period. “Really feisty, finishing the body, getting into the corner, going to the net,” coach Rick Tocchet said after the game. “ … He was just engaged. It’s really nice to see. He’s an identity player for us there tonight.”

    With his contract renewed, the question is whether Grebenkin will be ready to go. The winger missed the final 13 games and the playoffs. “Initially, we thought it was going to be something short, and it just never got better,” general manager Danny Brière said at his end-of-season availability. “Now we’re looking at different options for him. So he’s the only one that I would say ‘maybe,’ if it doesn’t improve.”

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    Grebenkin skated during development camp, participating in drills and showing off that grin. A team source told The Inquirer in late July that Grebenkin is progressing well and the hope is he will be ready for training camp, which starts on Sept. 17.

    If he is indeed good to go, the Flyers would love to have him in the lineup.

    “He’s another young winger. He brings us a different flavor, a little bit of flair, a little bit of getting under the skin of the opponent with the big smile,” Brière told The Inquirer in June. “We hope that he can recover and be there. He could be a different type of player for us that we could use.”

  • Fans gather for Flyers’ Community Caravan in Ocean City with renewed optimism about the team’s future

    Fans gather for Flyers’ Community Caravan in Ocean City with renewed optimism about the team’s future

    On May 27, 1975, Barbara Flank’s father woke his then 4-year-old daughter, carried her downstairs, and sat her in front of the television.

    “You might only see this once in your lifetime,” Flank remembered her father telling her about what was happening on the screen. The Flyers were on the verge of defeating the Buffalo Sabres, 2-0, in Game 6 to claim their second consecutive Stanley Cup.

    Ever since that night, Flank, who grew up in Atlantic City and now lives in Somers Point, has been a diehard Flyers fan.

    On Thursday, Flank joined hundreds of fellow fans at the Ocean City Sport and Civic Center for the Flyers’ 10th annual Community Caravan presented by Xfinity. It was an offseason celebration that showcased the excitement surrounding the team coming off a playoff appearance and a busy summer building momentum for the future.

    Fans showed up dressed head to toe in the Flyers’ signature orange and black, lining up for autographs from former players, exclusive giveaways, and a chance to meet Gritty.

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    The event featured Flyers-themed merchandise, including Gritty beach towels, reusable tote bags, visors, slim koozies, and Gritty memo pads. Fans posed for pictures with Gritty and had the chance to shop official Flyers apparel from the merch pop-up — Porter Martone and Trevor Zegras jerseys were the most popular items. There were also obstacle courses, ping-pong tables, and hockey sticks for people to play with.

    The main purpose of the event is to continue to keep fans engaged during the offseason, President of Flyers Charities and Alternate Governor of the Flyers Blair Listino said.

    “This is really to bring our fans together with our alumni and partners and get them involved in the community,” Listino said. “As we know, a lot of people spend their summers down at the Shore, so it is intentional to have these events down here. We want to make it convenient for the fans so we can get a lot of engagement.”

    The caravan made stops in Voorhees, Cape May, Mays Landing, and Ocean City and will end in Exton on Aug. 19.

    Lauren McMally hands out a beach towel to a fan during the Flyers’ Community Caravan on Thursday.Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer

    One of the tents at the caravan featured an interactive game from the student wellness app the Flyers developed with Athlon last year. Designed to provide students in Philadelphia and South Jersey school districts with “brain breaks” both in and out of the classroom, the app places users in a virtual Flyers environment where they skate across the ice, jump over obstacles, and duck to avoid Gritty, Listino said. Fans were able to try the game during the event for a chance to win Flyers prizes.

    Engaging with the former players was the highlight of the event for Wallingford native Jason Kilpatrick, who has been a Flyers fan since he was born in 1979. He took off work on Thursday to attend the event with his 7 and 10 year old sons.

    “I went right up to Brian Propp and I was like, ‘You’re one of my childhood heroes. It’s so nice to meet you,’” Kilpatrick said. “It was nice to connect with him. I remember when I was my son’s age watching him play in the Stanley Cup finals, so that was pretty cool.”

    Trevor Zegras inked a major contract extension with the Flyers. Next up: Lending his time and service to the Shoulder Check cause.

    Propp was joined by fellow Flyers alumni Doug Crossman, Riley Cote, Bob Kelly, and Todd Fedoruk. Each spent time signing autographs and interacting with fans.

    Long lines wrapped around the venue throughout the afternoon as fans waited to get in, a sight Fedoruk said reflects the growing enthusiasm surrounding the franchise.

    “It is a lot better when they’re winning,” Fedoruk said. “The caravan is something that grows year after year, and it’s good to get involved in the community. Five years ago, I was doing this event and 150 people showed up. You got the diehard Flyers fans to show up, but when they start winning even more people come out.”

    Gritty greets fans during the Flyers’ Community Caravan on Thursday.Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer

    The buzz around the offseason moves made by management were at the top of conversation for many people attending the event. Fifteen-year-old Tommy Klem, who was in Ocean City for vacation with his family, said the Leo Carlsson pursuit and other deals during the offseason sent a message to the rest of the league.

    “It kind of shows they are progressing through the rebuild and they’re not going for all these 28-, 29-year-old guys, but they’re going for the guys they can build off on in the future,” Tommy said.

    He and his father, Tom Klem, have remained loyal to the Flyers despite living in Granby, Conn., deep in Boston Bruins fan territory, he said.

    Tom was christened on the day the Flyers won their first Stanley Cup in 1974, and has stayed a fan ever since.

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    “My mother is from Bensalem, so I grew up a fan of all the Philadelphia teams,” Tom said. “My sons haven’t had the long hard misery that I’ve had as a fan, but we are optimistic about the future of the team.”

    Fedoruk, who spent seven seasons with the Flyers after being drafted 164th overall in 1997, agreed that the offseason only strengthened their chances of making another playoff run.

    “That’s a big message that the organization sent to the entire league this summer with the offer sheet, the dynamics of it, and just the moves that they made,” Fedoruk said. “They’re doing what a team should be doing.

    “I think the other teams are going to be aware of that, but mostly the players are going to know that this is a destination city. You’re going to want to come and play here. And that’s probably due to the fan base and the job the front office has done.”

    Fans line up to meet former Flyers players on Thursday.Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer
  • Jaylen Brown insists ‘winning is the agenda’ as he joins star-studded Sixers

    Jaylen Brown insists ‘winning is the agenda’ as he joins star-studded Sixers

    Jaylen Brown sat immersed in his new basketball community Thursday afternoon, ready to move forward.

    The All-NBA wing had stepped inside the Francis J. Myers Recreation Center’s gymnasium in Southwest Philly. An absence of air-conditioning in early August did not prevent kids wearing blue T-shirt jerseys — with Brown and the No. 7 on the back — from creating a human tunnel to welcome the 76ers’ star. Mike Gansey, the Sixers’ president of basketball operations, marveled at the scene, saying, “This is Jaylen Brown right there, man. … This is a special, special day to be a Seventy-Sixer.”

    It was Brown’s official introduction to Philly after last month’s blockbuster trade from the rival Boston Celtics, part of the Sixers’ stunning and swift roster revamp that also lured the legendary LeBron James and fortified the bench.

    Brown proclaimed that, “on paper,” these new-look Sixers boast “excellent” talent but cautioned that those names “don’t really mean nothing” when it comes to future on-court success. The 29-year-old also shrugged off a question about if there are enough touches to go around on a roster now full of high-usage stars, and acknowledged he is “not sure completely yet” what these Sixers will need most from him.

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    So his initial focus is on winning — and to “just be myself.”

    “That’s one thing that I can promise this city, the organization, and the coaching staff,” Brown said during his news conference, “that I’m going to come in every single day and be myself. Put my best foot forward. Lead with my integrity, lead with my mentality, and lead with my capacity and my will to win.

    “We’ll figure out the Xs and Os and the ins and outs. But winning is the agenda, so that’s the first thing that’s on my mind.”

    Inquiries are valid about where Brown envisions his fit on a roster that also features All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey, former NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, and second-year standout guard VJ Edgecombe.

    Brown is coming off the best individual season of his career, when he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists and finished sixth in MVP voting. Brown also publicly called it his “favorite season” on more than one occasion, because he was the unquestioned top offensive option while fellow superstar wing Jayson Tatum recovered from Achilles surgery and helped a Celtics team that many outsiders had written off finish second in the Eastern Conference’s regular-season standings.

    That will not be the case on these Sixers now expected to legitimately chase a title in a deep Eastern Conference headlined by the defending-champion New York Knicks. Sacrifice, transparency, and communication between those stars will be critical, Brown said Thursday.

    In turn, Brown vowed to earn the “trust and respect” of his new teammates. He is excited to learn from James, an all-time great and four-time champion. Those two premier newcomers are already in multiple group chats with the established Sixers, which Brown said are active “damn near every day.” Reserve forwards Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker were in attendance at Thursday’s news conference.

    “I don’t care about the MVP award or the Finals MVP,” Brown said. “None of that stuff really moves me. It’s nice, but the only thing that’s going to move me is doing something collectively, so a championship.

    “That’s what I’m looking forward to, trying to start that journey and building toward [it].”

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    Brown reflected fondly on his 10 seasons in Boston, where he spent one-third of his life and became a five-time All-Star and Finals MVP. He declined to fully rehash his messy and public departure — when his game and personality were heavily scrutinized by professional and social-media pundits — though acknowledged he is still processing “to some degree” the emotions of such a jarring professional and personal change.

    “It’s been a crazy transition,” Brown said. “ … It has been a lot.”

    But now Brown has officially begun immersing himself in his new basketball community. After his afternoon rec center visit, he headed to Citizens Bank Park to throw out the first pitch of the Phillies-Nationals game. Sixers training camp begins in less than eight weeks.

    Sixers forward Jaylen Brown throws the ceremonial first pitch before the Phillies played the Washington Nationals on Thursday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    He sees the same impressive roster that has vaulted his new team into contender status. He also recognizes that a list of names and past individual accomplishments are not guaranteed to translate to the court.

    So he will start his Sixers tenure by prioritizing winning, and being himself.

    “Obviously, on paper, we look great,” Brown said. “But let’s all slow down. It takes real work every single day in order to make something like this happen. …

    “I’m looking forward to doing whatever it is I need to do, whoever I need to talk to, to make sure that we’re on the same page and everybody’s focused on the same thing. If we do that, then we’ll be where we want to be.”