Los Amigos boys’ basketball beats Loara to win first league title since 2002
Coach Larry Isaacs has been in charge of boys’ basketball at his alma mater of Los Amigos High for 12 years, and there have been some trying times.
The Lobos went 3-23 overall last season, and 1-9 in the Garden Grove League. They had just two total league wins in the last three seasons combined.
A senior looking for redemption has helped spark Los Amigos this season.
Brian Pacheco, a running back, tore his anterior cruciate ligament playing football as a junior. He didn’t play basketball last year or football as a senior.
He is back on the court, and the 6-foot-1 guard has helped Los Amigos rise to the top.
Pacheco scored 18 points, and the Lobos beat Loara 52-43 on Tuesday night at home, clinching the outright league title with one game remaining. It’s Los Amigos’ eighth league title, and the first since 2002, the year that Pacheco was born.
Isaacs was doused with water in celebration as Los Amigos (17-8, 8-1 in league), ranked No. 8 in the CIF Southern Section Division 5A poll, celebrated after the final whistle.
“It just means everything to me,” Isaacs said. “I’m an alum here, so to me, it’s one of the biggest goals of my life, to come back and win a league title for the high school. This group of kids is such a great group of kids ... They just never gave up. They committed to defense, and that’s what made the difference. One of the best defensive teams I’ve ever had.”
Sophomore guard Ata Khalil added 10 points for Los Amigos, including a couple of big baskets late. His jumper with 2:20 remaining in the fourth quarter gave Los Amigos a 47-41 lead. Less than a minute later, Khalil’s put-back gave the Lobos an eight-point advantage.
Sophomore guard Jacob Parsons came off the bench for nine points for the Lobos, including a pair of three-pointers. Senior forward Michael Valencia had seven points.
Senior guard Dakota Nanthavong led Loara (9-18, 4-5) with 11 points.
Los Amigos overcame some adversity in the second half as two of its bigger players, Valencia and junior center Chris Gonzalez, both fouled out.
Pacheco showed he was ready to win, scoring all six of Los Amigos’ first-quarter points to help the home team overcome a slow start.
“He made a game-winning shot in our tournament against Sunny Hills [a 50-49 win on Dec. 2], and we were off to the races after that,” Isaacs said. “It was big-time ... They’re just a great team. They really like each other, they come to practice smiling and ready to go. They work their tails off, and when you have a group like that, it makes it a lot of fun for us as coaches. They just play together as a team. They do the dirty stuff — they rebound and they defend.”
Los Amigos stretched its second-half lead to as many as nine points, on a three-pointer by Valencia late in the third quarter. Loara pulled within two in the first minute of the fourth quarter, as Nanthavong’s layup pulled the Saxons within 39-37.
But they could not get closer. Pacheco made three of four free throws in the fourth quarter to help ice the game.
“The whole team came together,” he said. “We wanted it this year, and we got it. It’s really special.”
Los Amigos closes out league at home against Bolsa Grande on Thursday.
Garden Grove League
Los Amigos 52, Loara 43
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Loara 9 – 10 – 16 – 8 — 43
Los Amigos 6 – 19 – 14 – 13 — 52
L – D. Nanthavong 11, Nguyen 10, T. Nanthavong 8, Beyler 8, Cole 5, San Diego 1.
3-pt. goals – Nguyen 1, T. Nahtnavong 1.
Fouled out – Beyler.
Technicals – None.
LA – Pacheco 18, Khalil 10, Parsons 9, Valencia 7, Gonzalez 4, Vasquez 4.
3-pt. goals – Parsons 2, Khalil 1, Vasquez 1, Valencia 1.
Fouled out – Gonzalez, Valencia.
Technicals – None.
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