Carey Proves It for Los Alamitos : Football: After earning starting job this week, quarterback leads Griffins to 22-6 victory over Marina.

Tim Carey nipped in the bud any rumblings of a quarterback controversy at Los Alamitos High School. After being handed the job this week, he went out Thursday and proved he deserved it in a 22-6 nonleague victory over Marina.

Carey and Don Ruberio, both juniors, competed for the job throughout the summer. Carey, the better passer of the two, got the nod and demonstrated why by putting the Griffins in the end zone on their first two possessions at Gahr High School.

“Things went just the way I wanted from the start,” Carey said. “I was really nervous before the game, but this offense can sure make you look good.”

True enough. The Griffins’ no-huddle, snap-it-as-soon-as-you-get-it offense had the Vikings on their heels most of the game.

It was the first varsity start for Carey and it showed when he threw wild on the first play. However, he then took the Griffins on an 82-yard, 6-minute 4-second drive.

Scott Cronin scored on a two-yard run, but it was Carey’s show. He completed three of four passes for 35 yards on the drive and also scrambled 12 yards for a first down along the way.

Carey completed 13 of 21 passes for 151 yards in three quarters of work. He threw 16-yard touchdown passes to Raoul Morris and Paul Kaplan. Ruberio finished up, completing five of eight passes for 37 yards.

“It was a very good performance for Tim in his first start,” Coach John Barnes said. “There were some kinks in the offense, but it’s a complicated system.”

The Griffins had plenty of opportunities to break the game open, but Marina’s defense came up with the big play each time.

In the second quarter, Morris was stopped short of a first down on a fourth-and-three play at the 12. In the third quarter, Marina’s Robert Fiesler blocked a field goal. Later, Carey made his only mistake, throwing an ill-advised pass into double coverage, and it was intercepted by David Anderson.

“That’s the only thing tonight that I wish I could do over again,” Carey said.

The Griffin defense was more than able to make up for any mistakes.

The Vikings were limited to 95 total yards. Quarterback Chris Della Croce was three of 14 for 48 yards and didn’t complete a pass in the second half.

Marina also turned the ball over twice and gave up a safety on a bad punt snap.

Linebacker Alex Lin intercepted a pass to set up the Griffins’ second touchdown. He also recovered a fumble and had a sack.

The Vikings’ only score came on a 33-yard pass from Della Croce to Mark Mahone.