Rancho Alamitos’ Choulamany Paces Victory

In his first start as a varsity player, Moukda Choulamany rushed for 168 yards and a touchdown, leading Rancho Alamitos over Pacifica, 21-7, in a Garden Grove League game Friday at Rancho Alamitos.

Choulamany played wide receiver and running back, and saw limited time in his last few games because of an ankle injury. Choulamany, a 5-foot-6 senior, accounted for eight of the Vaqueros’ nine rushing first downs.

Together, Kevin Allen and Choulamany amassed 117 of Rancho Alamitos’ 146 first-half yards. Choulamany brought in all 94 second-half rushing yards.

Rancho Alamitos (3-2-1, 2-1) took five plays to score, on its first possession. With the ball on the 17, quarterback John Frank threw to Mario Ramirez, who made a fingertip catch and stumbled into the end zone.

Pacifica (3-3, 2-1) could not convert on their subsequent possession, so the Vaqueros took the punt on their 45, and 12 plays later Frank ran in on a 1-yard keeper. Pacifica eked out 25 first-quarter yards, 17 in the final minute.

Rancho Alamitos scored again in the second quarter. Adam Maldonado intercepted Jeff DePippo on the 50, and ran to the Mariner 35. On the next play, Choulamany emerged from a clump of defenders and sprinted into the end zone.

DePippo scored Pacifica’s lone touchdown on an 11-yard keeper at the start of the fourth quarter, after a six-minute, 96-yard drive.