SUNSET LEAGUE : Los Alamitos’ Streak Reaches 44

There was no letdown and no let-up. There was only the consistency that has allowed Los Alamitos to run its unbeaten streak to 44 games.

After surviving the hype and the challenge of its last two games--last-minute victories against Edison and Esperanza--the top-ranked Griffins were as sharp as ever, and quarterback Kevin Feterik cut up Fountain Valley for 402 yards in a 45-14 victory.

It clinched the Sunset League title for Los Alamitos (9-0, 4-0 in league), which ends the regular season next Thursday against Huntington Beach (1-7, 0-3). Fountain Valley is 4-5, 2-2.

“We’re always ready to play,” said Feterik, who completed 18 of 26 passes for three touchdowns; he was intercepted once. “We take every game one game at a time, and play every team like it’s the hardest team we’ll play.

“Every team treats us like it’s their Super Bowl, but we came out and executed from the beginning.”

After Feterik’s first pass was dropped--he had two dropped in the game--he hit Brad Melsby over the middle. Melsby escaped an arm tackle, got a block downfield from wide receiver Tony Hartley and completed an 80-yard touchdown play.

On the next drive, Feterik connected with Hartley on a 51-yard score. Feterik’s 12-yard scoring pass to Melsby made it 28-0.

Feterik left the game after three quarters, one yard short of Mike Good’s school-record 403-yard performance in the Southern Section Division II championship game last year. Feterik’s performance ranks fifth in Orange County history.

Melsby caught nine passes for 218 yards and Hartley caught six for 137.

“I thought we played real well offensively, and defensively we played well early,” Los Alamitos Coach John Barnes said. “We had a great goal-line stand and came back and scored (going 98 yards in eight plays to make it 21-0 on Ryan Gragnano’s 12-yard run); I was real tickled.

“I told the kids this is a chance to win a Sunset League title and play like champions.”

They didn’t let him down.