PREP FOOTBALL / GARDEN GROVE LEAGUE : La Quinta Beats Bolsa Grande to End Losing Streak

The streak is finally over. With the help of Jhamal Dawkins, who rushed 37 times for 136 yards and three touchdowns, La Quinta ended a 15-game losing streak with a 28-13 victory over Bolsa Grande in a Garden Grove League game Thursday night at Bolsa Grande.

With the victory, the Aztecs (1-8, 1-4) shed what was the county’s longest losing streak. Bolsa Grande (0-9, 0-5) inherits that distinction, having lost 11 in a row.

“It feels good to finally get rid of that monkey on our backs,” La Quinta Coach Fred Valko said. “Our kids have played hard all season and they deserve this victory.”

The victory wasn’t easy for the Aztecs, who in the fell behind in the second quarter when Joey McMahan scored on a five-yard touchdown run to give Bolsa Grande a 6-0 lead.

But La Quinta finally found an offense that worked. “I felt that we were a more physical team than they were,” Valko said. “So we just handed the ball to Dawkins.”

The Aztecs took a 7-6 lead at halftime after Dawkins scored his first touchdown on a one-yard run.

Afterward, La Quinta controlled the game, holding the ball for all but 52 seconds of the third quarter. The only Aztec mistake was a fumble by quarterback Mike Daniels that was returned by Miguel Guadarrama for a touchdown and a 13-7 Bolsa Grande lead.

La Quinta, unfazed by the mishap, drove down field with a 14-play drive that was capped by a one-yard touchdown run by Dawkins.

After Justin Harville recovered an untouched pooch kick, Daniels scored on a 16-yard run to give La Quinta a 21-13 lead.