Maysen Navarro’s three touchdown passes lead Los Amigos past Ocean View
The Los Amigos football team endured a disheartening end to last season, but the Lobos want that experience to serve as the motivation for a better outcome this time around.
As winners of their first two games in Garden Grove League play a year ago, the Lobos appeared to be closing in on their first playoff berth since 2016. With losses in its final three games — the last two by one possession — Los Amigos finished in a three-way tie for third place, and the postseason bid went to Loara.
Los Amigos wants to get invited to the dance, and it started down that journey with a 22-6 win over host Ocean View on Friday night in a nonleague game.
“That was what we were hoping would kind of fuel our fire — the way the season ended and being so close to the playoffs,” Los Amigos coach Romel Guess said. “[We just needed] to get one of those three wins and couldn’t find a way to squeeze it out. We were really young last year. We brought back almost eight starters on both sides of the football, so we were kind of hoping it paid dividends for us this season playing so many young guys and having that hurt at the end of the season the way we went down.”
After the graduation of two-way star Bao Huynh, who was named the Daily Pilot Dream Team All-Purpose Player of the Year at the end of last season, Los Amigos (1-0) went to the air for its offensive success.
Junior Maysen Navarro, a three-year starter, threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers. His 19-yard scoring toss to Erubey Bermudez gave Los Amigos its first lead of 9-6 with 48 seconds remaining before halftime.
Los Amigos started with the ball near midfield coming out of the break, and it built on its lead in short order. Sophomore Adrian Ramirez, who had a game-high 116 receiving yards, made two catches for 39 yards on the six-play drive, including a 23-yard catch and run to the end zone off a run-pass option for Navarro, who made a jump pass to get it to his receiver.
“He had a vertical inside the middle, and it was late,” Navarro said of finding Ramirez on the play. “I read it late, so I’m reading, reading, reading, and then I see him crash finally. I see he’s right there, so I was going to put it right there, like a floater to get it to him. Adrian’s that guy. He’s going to go up there and catch it, and he’s going to score.”
Navarro capped his performance with a 25-yard touchdown pass to the front left pylon for Miguel Radilla on a long, fourth-down play. The Lobos’ place-kicking unit had struggled, getting two attempts blocked, one of which got knocked down by Ocean View defensive lineman Alexis Ayona.
Pedro Hernandez had a team-leading 76 rushing yards for the Lobos, and Navarro added 45 yards on the ground. Bermudez made five receptions for 57 yards for Los Amigos, which plays host to Westminster next Friday.
“It was sad because we won our first two [league] games, and the next three, we just couldn’t win,” Ramirez said in looking back on last season. “I brought it to this season, and now I remember, and I’m just bringing my all this season trying to go for CIF.”
The highlight of the night for Ocean View (0-2) came early, as the Seahawks drove 76 yards on 13 plays on an opening drive that spanned nearly half the first quarter. Haston Allen finished it with a 13-yard rushing touchdown on a delayed draw.
Frankie Armenta threw for 141 yards before leaving the game in the fourth quarter due to an injury suffered on defense. The Seahawks’ starting quarterback was seen being evaluated on the sideline, and Dylan Mayorga took the snaps thereafter.
Jesse Gomez made 10 catches for 54 yards for Ocean View, which plays at home against University next Friday.
“He earned his reps through practice and worked, so we rewarded him with playing time,” Ocean View coach Jimmy Welker said of Gomez. “He has, for the most part, continued to be a guy that we can count on to contribute on Fridays.”
Nonleague
Los Amigos 22, Ocean View 6
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Los Amigos 3 – 6 – 7 – 6 — 22
Ocean View 6 – 0 – 0 – 0 — 6
FIRST QUARTER
OV — Allen 13 run (Armenta pass failed), 6:29.
LA — Bermudez 26 FG, 0:49.
SECOND QUARTER
LA — Bermudez 19 pass from Navarro (Bermudez kick blocked), 0:48.
THIRD QUARTER
LA — Ramirez 23 pass from Navarro (Radilla), 9:29.
FOURTH QUARTER
LA — Radilla 25 pass from Navarro (Bermudez kick blocked), 6:36.
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
LA — Hernandez, 15-76.
OV — Allen, 8-36, 1 TD.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
LA — Navarro, 15-23-0, 204, 3 TDs.
OV — Armenta, 17-24-0, 141.
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
LA — Ramirez, 7-116.
OV — Gomez, 10-54.
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