LONG BEACH – The Los Alamitos defense knew Eastlake of Chula Vista’s powerful Wing-T offense would be a tough task heading into Friday night’s nonleague matchup.
But when the stakes were at their highest in the fourth quarter, the No. 7 Griffins’ run defense made its final stop seem simple.
Jacob Gasser hit 40-yard go-ahead field goal and the Los Alamitos defense stopped Eastlake on fourth-and-1 at the Titans’ 44 to preserve a 17-16, come-from-behind victory at Long Beach Millikan High.
“We toughened up in the second half,” Los Alamitos coach John Barnes said. “(Eastlake) is hard to stop. This is a great character game for us.”
Following Eastlake’s turnover on downs after just four plays, Los Alamitos ran the clock down for 5 minutes, 42 seconds before taking one final knee to complete the comeback.
Denzal Brantley carried the load on the ground for the Griffins (2-0) with 24 carries for 63 yards. But there was no carry more crucial than Matt Locher’s powerful 10-yard push into the end zone with 34 seconds left in the third quarter. The senior bowled his way through Eastlake’s defensive line to cap a nine-play, 80-yard drive that cut the deficit to 16-14.
After forcing a three-and-out on the ensuing possession for Eastlake (1-2), Los Alamitos drove 58 yards in 12 plays before kicking the go-ahead field goal.
But not everything came smoothly. Los Alamitos fumbled on its fifth play from scrimmage and trailed 10-7 at halftime. Isaiah Strayhorn’s third quarter touchdown gave Eastlake a 16-7 cushion at the 3:33 mark, before the Griffins stormed back.
