Griffins claim fourth straight Sunset crown
LONG BEACH ❯❯ Los Alamitos' streak of 60-point games ended, but the Griffins' more-important streak continued Friday.
They won their fourth consecutive Sunset League football championship with a 21-10 win over Edison at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Los Alamitos won its 25th league game in a row. The Griffins' most-recent league loss was to Edison in the final regular-season game of the 2019 season.
Friday's game was the final regular-season game for both teams. They were tied for first place going into this week. CIF Southern Section playoff brackets are out today at 10 a.m.
Los Alamitos (8-2, 5-0 in league) will be either in Division 1 or Division 2, depending upon how many teams are placed into the Division 1 bracket. Griffins coach Ray Fenton said after Friday's game that he was certain his team would play in Division 2.
Edison (6-4, 4-1) is destined for Division 2 or 3.
Edison had been averaging 170 rushing yards a game led by junior running back Julius Gillick's 156 yards a game. Gillick, who went into the game averaging 9 yards a carry, was limited to 78 yards on 26 carries for 3 yards a carry.
Los Alamitos' defensive front led by sophomore defensive tackle Manoah Faupusa with plenty of help from Pearson Sapiga, Hunter Tago-Sue, Kamar Mothudi, Jackson Raguse, Liki Lotulalei was excellent all game. Lotulalei left in the game in the third quarter because of a left leg injury.
“It was a great team win,” Faupusa said. “Everyone was hustling to the ball on defense. Offense did their stuff.”
Griffins junior running back Anthony League, who has had some spectacular games when healthy, rushed for 74 yards on nine carries including an 11-yard run for the Griffins' first touchdown. Lenny Ibarra scored on a 28-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter for the Griffins. Los Alamitos senior quarterback Alonzo Esparza completed 9 of 13 passes for 81 yards.
Senior safety Isaiah Rubin had a clutch interception in the fourth quarter.
Los Alamitos and its hurry-up style of offense scored on its game-opening possession. The Griffins drove 67 yards on nine plays and in 3 minutes and 44 seconds, with League scoring on the 11-yard run.
The Griffins doubled their lead on their second possession, with Jerod Terry scoring on a 7-yard run to complete a 10-play, 64-yard drive to make it 14-0.
Their third possession was only one play, because that third possession started with eight seconds left in the half.
Edison had the ball twice in the first half. The Chargers' first possession started at their 24-yard line and ended on the 13th play, an incomplete pass on fourthand-6 at the Los Alamitos 36-yard line.
They scored on their second possession, a 5-yard swing pass from junior quarterback Save Niumata to Daniel Sonnenberg out of the backfield with 13 seconds left in the first half to make it 14-7.
After a scoreless third quarter Edison's Nico Bammer kicked a 30-yard field goal to reduce the Los Alamitos lead to 14-10. Ibarra's 28-yard touchdown run later in the fourth quarter completed the scoring.