Los Alamitos Rewrites Script With ‘The Play’ to Win

Los Alamitos quarterback Todd Gragnano looked over the Cypress defense, looked to wide receiver Chad Millan, and knew he had to change the play.

With the score tied 7-7 and the Griffins on their 10 with 7:28 remaining, Gragnano had called a deep curl pattern. But he changed his mind at the line of scrimmage, and called for Millan to run a deep post pattern in hopes of getting behind Cypress’ coverage.

Gragnano’s decision paid off as he completed a 90-yard touchdown pass to Millan to give Los Alamitos a 14-7 victory over Cypress Thursday night at Veterans Stadium. It was the Griffins’ sixth consecutive victory over Cypress.

“It’s pretty impossible to stop that pass route,” said Gragnano, who has 14 touchdown passes this season. “It’s sort of like ‘The Play’ for us. It works every time.”

The Griffins, 6-1 overall and 2-0 in the Empire League, ran the play only once against the Centurions (3-4, 1-1).

“I knew I could get open,” said Millan, who had dropped two earlier passes. “I just wanted to make sure I caught the ball.”

Cypress drove to the Griffins’ 44 with 1:04 remaining, but the threat ended when a snap sailed over quarterback Bobby Hubbard’s head for a 28-yard loss with 44 seconds left.

Los Alamitos Coach John Barnes said the Centurians frustrated his team in the first half, holding the Griffins to 99 yards in total offense.

“I thought (Cypress Coach John) Selbe had as good a game plan as anyone we’ve played, especially defensively, in the last four years,” Barnes said. “We were really confused out there in the first half. We were kind of disoriented at halftime. There was a lot of yelling and screaming in the locker room.”