Los Amigos football ends 14-year league title drought with win over La Quinta
The Los Amigos football team had much reason to celebrate Thursday, having risen from the ashes of a disappointing finish last season to enjoy a night the likes of which the program has not had in 14 years.
Junior running back Pedro Hernandez rushed for 152 yards and four touchdowns, leading Los Amigos to a 34-7 win over host La Quinta that assured the Lobos at least a share of the Garden Grove League title.
As the final seconds ran off the clock at Garden Grove High, the Lobos doused head coach Romel Guess with the obligatory Gatorade shower.
“They came in and barely got me with the first one,” Guess said after the Lobos celebrated the program’s first league title since 2008. “They came in with the second one, got me pretty good there on the second time and got me here freezing, man. I’m hard on my boys, but I love them to death.”
Long after the sideline coolers had been poured out over their coach’s head, the Lobos received a motivational speech from quarterbacks coach Charles Galbreath, who led them in a rallying cry: “Success is not final.”
It is a lesson the Lobos learned the hard way last season, when they opened with wins in their first two league games but were kept out of the playoffs after dropping their last three. La Quinta was one of the teams to beat Los Amigos in that stretch, keeping the Lobos out of the postseason.
Guess said his team had a full practice in pads the day before the game.
“I would have thought I would probably be more emotional,” Guess said. “We were ultra-prepared for this. I kind of saw it happening, man. … It’s probably why I’m not so emotional. It’s maybe the way we dominated the game, maybe because we over-prepared.”
Junior quarterback Maysen Navarro called the league-opening loss to Rancho Alamitos a “rude awakening,” especially for the offense. Los Amigos (8-2, 4-1) won out the rest of the way, positioning itself to win the league title outright if Santiago (6-3, 2-2) defeated Rancho Alamitos (8-1, 3-1) in another league finale scheduled to be played Friday.
Los Amigos ran for 225 yards as a team behind an offensive line of Jovanny Regalado, John Rios, Luis Marquez, Juan Hermosillo, Jesse Garcia and JJ Hernandez, as well as tight end Nico Campos.
“I scored four touchdowns, but that couldn’t be without my whole team,” Pedro Hernandez said. “I got my receivers blocking, I got my quarterback meshing, and especially my line. I can’t do anything without them.”
Miguel Radilla had a team-best 48 receiving yards and an interception on defense. Adrian Ramirez added 45 receiving yards, and Navarro scored a rushing touchdown in the first quarter.
Charles Grover scored on a quarterback draw in the fourth quarter for La Quinta (2-8, 1-4).
“I’m proud to lead this team to a championship run,” Hermosillo said. “This is the first time since 2008 that we won the league championship. That’s how long — 14 years.”
Garden Grove League
Los Amigos 34, La Quinta 7
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Los Amigos 13 – 14 – 7 – 0 — 34
La Quinta 0 – 0 – 0 – 7 — 7
FIRST QUARTER
LA — Hernandez 1 run (Hernandez kick blocked), 7:42.
LA — Navarro 11 run (Radilla kick), 2:08.
SECOND QUARTER
LA — Hernandez 65 run (Radilla kick), 7:45.
LA — Hernandez 2 run (Radilla kick), 1:26.
THIRD QUARTER
LA — Hernandez 1 run (Radilla kick), 7:11.
FOURTH QUARTER
LQ — Grover 15 run (Palacios kick), 3:07.
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
LA — Hernandez, 13-152, 4 TDs.
LQ — Starnes, 12-44; Grover, 5-25, 1 TD.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
LA — Navarro, 8-9-0, 71.
LQ — Grover, 0-4-1, 0.
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
LA — Radilla, 3-48; Ramirez, 4-45.
LQ — None.
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