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  • Garden Grove's Ruben Mendoza slips through a tackle by Santa...

    Garden Grove's Ruben Mendoza slips through a tackle by Santa Ana Valley's Juan Medina.

  • Santa Ana Valley's Juan Medina chases down Garden Grove running...

    Santa Ana Valley's Juan Medina chases down Garden Grove running back Joseph Camarillo during the first half of Thursday's game.

  • Garden Grove's team captains watch the coin toss before their...

    Garden Grove's team captains watch the coin toss before their game against Santa Ana Valley on Thursday.

  • Santa Ana Valley's Malcom Wesley struggles for extra yards during...

    Santa Ana Valley's Malcom Wesley struggles for extra yards during Thursday's game. Garden Grove took on Santa Ana Valley at Garden Grove High.

  • Garden Grove players don their helmets as they head onto...

    Garden Grove players don their helmets as they head onto the field for their first game of the season. The Argos took on Santa Ana Valley.

  • Garden Grove coach Ricardo Cepeda has some final words for...

    Garden Grove coach Ricardo Cepeda has some final words for his players before the Argonauts took the field for the first game of the season. The Argos played Santa Ana Valley.

  • Garden Grove's Brandon Coleman and Fitu Lupematasila knock the ball...

    Garden Grove's Brandon Coleman and Fitu Lupematasila knock the ball out of the hands of Santa Ana Valley's Malcom Wesley in the first half.

  • Garden Grove's Fitu Lupematasila and Brandon Coleman (8) jar the...

    Garden Grove's Fitu Lupematasila and Brandon Coleman (8) jar the ball from Santa Ana Valley's Malcom Wesley.

  • The Garden Grove players gather together for words of encouragement...

    The Garden Grove players gather together for words of encouragement before they took the field for the first game of the season on Thursday.

  • Santa Ana Valley's Chris Hernandez is surrounded by Garden Grove's...

    Santa Ana Valley's Chris Hernandez is surrounded by Garden Grove's defense as he stretches for extra yards Thursday.

  • Garden Grove players run through their final drills before heading...

    Garden Grove players run through their final drills before heading onto the field for their first game of the season.

  • Garden Grove Argonauts don their helmets as they head onto...

    Garden Grove Argonauts don their helmets as they head onto the field for their first game of the season. The Argos took on Santa Ana Valley in Garden Grove on Thursday. Garden Grove took on Santa Ana Valley at Garden Grove High School on Thursday. In GARDEN GROVE, CA on Thursday, August25, 2016.Cutline goes here. (Photo by Bill Alkofer, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER)

  • Garden Grove strong safety TJ Taufetee and middle linebacker Fitu...

    Garden Grove strong safety TJ Taufetee and middle linebacker Fitu Lupematasila helped lead the Argonauts to a season-opening 43-6 victory against visiting Santa Ana Valley on Thursday night.

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Dan Albano. Sports HS Reporter.

// MORE INFORMATION: Staff Mug Shot taken August 26, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER.

GARDEN GROVE A Garden Grove football program that has averaged almost 12 victories the past four seasons was noticeably absent from the preseason CIF-SS Division 8 poll earlier this week.

“It’s alright,” said Argonauts coach Ricardo Cepeda, his CIF championship ring from 2014 sparkling Thursday night before a season-opening game against visiting Santa Ana Valley.

“We’ll use it as motivation. Our kids have a lot to prove.”

The Argonauts started to build their case behind running back Joseph Camarillo and a big-play defense led by middle linebacker Fitu Lupematasila and safety TJ Taufette.

Camarillo scored two first-half touchdowns on opportunities created by his defense as the four-time defending Garden Grove League champion beat Orange League contender Santa Ana Valley, 43-6.

“It was personal (with the rankings),” said Camarillo, who rushed for 120 yards and scored three touchdowns.

Lupematasila collected two of the Argonauts’ three interceptions, including one returned 45 yards for a touchdown on the opening possession of the second half for a 21-0 lead.

Santa Ana Valley played three quarterbacks in place of junior standout Jason Wilkerson, who recently transferred to Villa Park, Falcons coach Larry Mohr said.

“It’s hard,” Cepeda said of losing a starting quarterback. “I went through four quarterbacks last year. I know.”

Camarillo took a shovel pass on third-and-8 from an under-press Ruben Mendoza and raced 28 yards for the first score with 6:48 left in the first half. The strike came after an interception by Lupematasila near his 20 and a return to his 41.

Camarillo added a 6-yard touchdown run with 1:38 left in the second quarter, capping a quick 52-yard drive. Garden Grove scored after stopping Santa Ana Valley’s Chris Hernandez on fourth-and-1 near midfield. The Argonauts’ substituted lineman Peslao Gauta in for the play and tackled Hernandez in the backfield.

Hernandez finished with 159 yards, including an impressive 32-yard touchdown run to make it 29-6 with 1:33 left in the third.

Earlier in the third, Mendoza tossed a 41-yard touchdown to tight end Wesley Nelson, who juked two defenders en route to the end zone.

Contact the writer: dalbano@scng.com