Los Alamitos Recovers 6 Fumbles to Slip Past LB Millikan, 17-10

Los Alamitos High School’s opportunistic defense recovered six fumbles Friday night and led the Griffins to a 17-10 nonleague victory over Long Beach Millikan in front of 4,000 in Hanford Rants Stadium at Cerritos.

Not surprisingly, it was a Millikan fumble which set up the Griffins’ winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Jerry LeDoux recovered Millikan quarterback Cliff Mosely’s fumble on the Ram two-yard line with 5:06 left and the score tied at 10.

Two plays later, Los Alamitos took a 17-10 lead when sophomore Roger Roadstrom scored on a three-yard run.

Millikan, which outgained Los Alamitos, 357-97, in total yards, mounted one final drive in the closing minutes. Starting from their 27, the Rams marched to the Griffins’ five-yard line before quarterback Mosely was hit and fumbled the ball at the two. It was recovered by Los Alamitos’ Pat Brown.

“With an option team that’s playing its first game of the year, you have to look for fumbles,” said John Barnes, Los Alamitos coach. “They’re a very good team, but we found a way to win. I don’t know how, but we did. That has to be a good sign.”

The score was tied at the end of the first quarter, 3-3, but Griffin tight end Don Dubry put Los Alamitos ahead with a five-yard touchdown catch from quarterback J.T. Snow with three minutes left in the half.

The Rams nearly tied the score in the closing seconds of the half, but wide receiver Ed Robinson fumbled at the Los Alamitos nine-yard line after a 54-yard reception.

“That was the key play,” Barnes. “That kept us ahead, 10-3, and gave us momentum going into the second half.”