Howry Opens With a High Five

Los Alamitos probably won’t have an easier time defending its No. 1 ranking in the county than it did Thursday night.

The Griffins broke out to a 31-point halftime lead and went on to crush visiting Los Angeles Washington, 59-6, at Cerritos Gahr High.

Senior wide receiver Keenan Howry tied a Los Alamitos record by scoring five touchdowns. Four came on pass receptions of 43, 46, four and 65 yards. The other was a 53-yard punt return.

Howry, who led the county in receptions last year with 72, showed Washington what it was in for by scoring on the Griffins’ first offensive play. After the defense recovered a fumble at the Generals’ 43, Howry roared past a defender, gathered in Ryan Hanson’s pass at the 18-yard line and ran into the end zone.

He might have broken the record he now shares with Mike Cole (who rushed for five touchdowns in 1986) if cornerback Larry Williams, trailing Howry by a step, hadn’t broken up a third-quarter pass to Howry who had nothing but 50 yards of open field in front of him.

“You can’t predict a night like this,” Howry said. “But after the first play we were rolling.”

Howry added he didn’t do all the work himself. “I had a big night because the offensive line and other receivers did a great job of blocking. They deserve the credit.”

Hanson said his receiver was too modest.

“Keenan is a spectacular athlete. So smooth, so fast. He’s everything a football player should be.”

Howry wasn’t the only Griffin who enjoyed a big night. Hanson threw for 264 yards and five touchdowns, the other going to receiver Blasi Ritacco. Josiah Doby rushed for 84 yards and Damon Johnson added 66 yards and two touchdowns, including a 54-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Washington’s only touchdown came on a 99-yard kickoff return midway in the fourth quarter by Nathan Pondexter. Otherwise, the offense struggled, netting only 113 total yards to the Griffins 412 yards.

“Other than giving up the kickoff return I thought our kids played pretty well,” Coach John Barnes said. “But it’s only the first game.”

Which is why Los Alamitos is not waving that number one banner too wildly.

“It’s nice to have it,” Howry said. “But now we have to live up to it every week. We have to be ready to do the job, like we were tonight.”