Los Amigos Struggles Past Pacifica

The explosiveness is gone from Roger Takahashi’s offense this year, but the defense and emotion remain, and that was enough to carry Los Amigos to a 26-7 victory over Pacifica Thursday night at Garden Grove High.

The victory keeps Los Amigos (5-0-1, 3-0) in a tie with Rancho Alamitos for first place in league. Pacifica is 3-1-2, 1-1 in league.

Takahashi’s teams have been known to pile up 300 and 400 yards rushing a night the last few years. But through three quarters, the rushing game was sputtering. In 22 carries, Los Amigos backs gained 25 yards.

“I knew it was pretty bad,” Takahashi said.

As bad as it was, Los Amigos still led, 12-7, entering the fourth quarter because its defense shut down Pacifica’s passing game and its special teams scored 10 points on a 39-yard Jose Perez field goal and 67-yard return of a free kick by James Brewer.

Pacifica was in the game until it failed to convert on fourth down and three at its 43 with nine minutes left in the game. Los Amigos’ offense took it from there.

Javier Acevez completed three consecutive passes to move the ball to Pacifica’s 19. Two plays after a fourth-and-one conversion by backup quarterback Ao Sualua, Najaa Kee scored from 10 yards out.

Kee scored again with 45 seconds left on a 35-yard run. He finished with 67 yards in 10 carries, but 45 of those yards came on his last two carries.

“The defense had the intensity early and the offense finally picked it up from them,” Kee said.

Takahashi thanked his defensive coaches, David Olson, Andrew Bonsall and and Bart Recktenwald for keeping his team in the game.

“They put us in position to win,” he said. “They had a great scheme.”

Pacifica Coach Bill Craven, who lost all 11 starters on offense from his Southern Section Division VIII runner-up team, said his team struggled all night.

“That’s what happens when you have an inexperienced quarterback,” Craven said.

Pacifica quarterback Matt Reis completed seven of 17 passes for 91 yards and he was sacked five times for losses totaling 27 yards.

“We knew they’d come in and try to pass after last year, so we did a lot of stunts,” said Kee, who had two of the sacks from his outside linebacker position.”

In the waning seconds, Takahashi had ice water dumped over his head.

“This was a big one for Coach T. Pacifica is a big rival of ours,” Kee said.

Said Takahashi: “This was huge. We knew beating Rancho and Pacifica were the two steps we had to take to winning the league title. We wanted this one badly. The [ice water] shows how much respect we have for Pacifica.”