Powerful Los Alamitos Ranks as Clear-Cut Choice to Win Title

It has been 15 consecutive games spanning three seasons since Los Alamitos High School last lost an Empire League game.

Since losing to Loara in 1986, the Griffins have won league championships and appeared in the Southern Section Division III championship game the past two seasons.

Overall, Los Alamitos was 12-1-1 last season, 12-2 in 1987 and 9-2 in 1986.

A third consecutive league title is quite likely and another trip to the Division III championship game is not that farfetched, either.

The Griffins have Orange County’s top quarterback, senior Todd Gragnano. Their offensive line is sturdy and should provide Gragnano with the time he needs to pass effectively.

The defense is a hard-nosed group, just as in past seasons. Last year, the Griffins gave up an average of 8.3 points a game.

Add to this imposing cast a running back with blazing speed and the Griffins’ stock rises even more.

Erik Mitchell, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound senior, transferred to Los Alamitos this summer from Mayfair High in Lakewood, bringing impressive numbers with him.

The first is a personal-best time of 10.5 seconds in the 100 meters, which makes him the fastest back Coach John Barnes has had in his 10 years at the school. The other numbers are 1,129 yards gained on 124 carries last season, a 9.1-yard average per carry, and 10 touchdowns.

“Los Alamitos is the team to beat if you want to be the league champion,” said Herb Hill, Loara’s coach.

The other league coaches feel the same way. They pick Los Alamitos to win a third consecutive title.

The only one who’s not convinced is Barnes, and he’s probably just being polite.

“You don’t ever take things for granted,” Barnes said. “I look at our team and the aggressive nature we’ve had in the past wasn’t there this past summer. I don’t think we’re invincible, that’s for sure.”

Should Los Alamitos falter, there will be a wild scramble for the top. There doesn’t seem to be much breathing room among El Dorado, Esperanza, Katella and Loara. Cypress, which hasn’t advanced to the playoffs since 1980, once again appears to lack the strength to contend.

Esperanza, which is coming off a 5-4-1 record, should improve to be the best of the rest. The Aztecs return 11 starters and 30 lettermen from last season’s team.

A look at the teams:

CYPRESS--The Centurions have been the league’s punching bag for the better part of this decade, having won just two games, one in league play, in the past two seasons.

But this season, the Centurions have an experienced, senior-dominated team. Eight starters are back from last season’s squad.

Joe Toohey and Ramon Reid, two honorable-mention all-league defensive linemen, and Bryan Dawson, an all-league running back, are three of the team’s best players.

EL DORADO--The Golden Hawks will have a new look. Coach Rick Jones has taken over for Carl Sweet, who resigned to become the school’s athletic director.

This is Jones’ first head coaching job, after spending the past two seasons as an assistant at Millikan.

And Jones is not the only newcomer to the El Dorado varsity. Only two players--Brian Wolf and Brian Hayes--played much last season.

“Those are the only real experienced guys,” Jones said.

Wolf is a linebacker/running back and Hayes is a tight end/linebacker.

Geoff Jones, a lineman, Bill McAdam, a tight end/defensive back, and Steve Smith, a center/defensive tackle, are talented juniors who are being counted on heavily.

“We’re doing a lot of learning and teaching of the fundamentals,” Jones said. “It’s going to be pretty straightforward this season.”

ESPERANZA--The proud Aztec program fell with a thud last season. There was a loss to Katella, the first in school history, plus a 45-14 nonleague loss to Bishop Amat and a 21-0 loss to Los Alamitos.

This season should mark a return to normalcy, however. Esperanza is ninth-ranked in the Southern Section Division III preseason poll.

The Aztecs have a solid nucleus returning. Keith McDonald and Mike Aed, who split time at quarterback, are back. So is Lance Brown, who provided the bulk of the offense with 734 yards rushing last year.

Gary Meek, the Aztecs’ third-year coach, is hoping for a more consistent offense and has restructured the defense in hopes of returning to prominence.

KATELLA--The Knights made great strides in the past two seasons under Coach Larry Anderson but . . .

“We have a very small squad of 30 kids; we have a lot of holes and a lot of inexperience,” Anderson said. “We have three kids out who have never played football in their lives. Depth is a real problem.”

And now for the good news: The strong arm of quarterback Dennis Briggs, a junior, could lead Katella to its third consecutive playoff appearance.

Anderson said he plans to pass the ball twice as much as last season, up to 15 times a game. He also has changed from an I-formation backfield to split backs to increase passing efficiency.

“It’s going to be a lot tougher to match up,” Anderson said. “For what we lack in numbers or size or experience, we’ll make up for in attitude and work ethic.”

LOARA--Coy Collins, a senior running back, is healthy. And that’s good news for the Saxons.

Collins, who was as good a back as there was in the league as a sophomore, missed much of his junior season with an ankle injury.

“He’s a very talented young man,” said Hill, who has announced he will retire at the end of the season, his 28th at Loara.

Sean Conner will start at quarterback. Manny Alvarez and Albert Avila are two veteran linemen. Brett Banta and Greg Ramsey both play receiver and defensive back. Ramsey is a fine high jumper and hurdler.

League coaches believe Loara will be one of the teams to beat.

“I hope they think so,” Hill said with a laugh. “Maybe they ought to come over and give our guys a pep talk.”

LOS ALAMITOS--The Griffins are No. 2 ranked in the Division III preseason poll behind Paramount, the defending champion.

In addition to Gragnano and Mitchell, the Griffins boast a number of excellent blockers and tacklers.

Offensive linemen Jason Garrido, Byron Whitten, Paul Underwood and Joe Engelhaupt played extensively last season.

Hart Brown, a defensive tackle, is being recruited by everybody, according to Barnes. He is 6-4, 235, and scored a 1,400 on his SAT.

Brian Havens will ensure the Griffins’ reputation for fine linebackers continues.

EMPIRE LEAGUE

1988 Overall, League Records in Parentheses

SCHOOL COMMENT Los Alamitos (12-1-1, 5-0) The Griffins go for their third title in a row El Dorado (6-6, 3-2) Rick Jones is Golden Hawks’ new coach Katella (6-4-1, 3-2) Knights will pass more with QB Dennis Briggs Esperanza (5-4-1, 1-3-1) Aztecs hope to return to playoffs Loara (5-4-1, 1-3-1) Coach Herb Hill will retire after this season Cypress (1-7-2, 0-3-2) Eight returning starters back from last season