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  • Los Amigos fans enjoy Friday night's game against Rancho Alamitos...

    Los Amigos fans enjoy Friday night's game against Rancho Alamitos at Garden Grove High School.

  • Rancho Alamitos' Joe Navar, right, escapes the grasp of Los...

    Rancho Alamitos' Joe Navar, right, escapes the grasp of Los Amigos' Abraham Perez during Friday night's game.

  • Los Amigos fans enjoy Friday night's game against Rancho Alamitos...

    Los Amigos fans enjoy Friday night's game against Rancho Alamitos at Garden Grove High School.

  • Jesse Candelaro of Rancho Alamitos breaks away from the Los...

    Jesse Candelaro of Rancho Alamitos breaks away from the Los Amigos defense during the second quarter at Garden Grove High School on Friday.

  • Los Amigos fans enjoy Friday night's game against Rancho Alamitos...

    Los Amigos fans enjoy Friday night's game against Rancho Alamitos at Garden Grove High School.

  • Johnny Alvarado of Los Amigos battles with Arturo Salazar of...

    Johnny Alvarado of Los Amigos battles with Arturo Salazar of Rancho Alamitos during the first quarter at Garden Grove High School on Friday.

  • Jose Olivera of Los Amigos breaks away from the Rancho...

    Jose Olivera of Los Amigos breaks away from the Rancho Alamitos defense during the second quarter at Garden Grove High School on Friday.

  • Joe Navar takes a breather in the end zone after...

    Joe Navar takes a breather in the end zone after putting Rancho Alamitos on the scoreboard in the second quarter against Los Amigos at Garden Grove High School on Friday.

  • Battle of the 5's. Rancho Alamitos' Joe Navar carries the...

    Battle of the 5's. Rancho Alamitos' Joe Navar carries the ball past Steven Hernandez of Los Amigos during the second quarter at Garden Grove High School on Friday.

  • Blake Culbert of Rancho Alamitos gains some ground on Los...

    Blake Culbert of Rancho Alamitos gains some ground on Los Amigos during a quarterback keeper in the first quarter at Garden Grove High School on Friday.

  • Jorge Najera of Los Amigos gains some ground against Rancho...

    Jorge Najera of Los Amigos gains some ground against Rancho Alamitos defense at Garden Grove High School on Friday.

  • Rancho Alamitos' Joe Navar blows therough the Los Amigos defense...

    Rancho Alamitos' Joe Navar blows therough the Los Amigos defense en route to the end zone for a second quarter touchdown at Garden Grove High School on Friday.

  • Victor Lopez of Rancho Alamitos makes a diving catch in...

    Victor Lopez of Rancho Alamitos makes a diving catch in the second quarter against Los Amigos at Garden Grove High School on Friday.

  • Jose Olivera of Los Amigos breaks away from the Rancho...

    Jose Olivera of Los Amigos breaks away from the Rancho Alamitos defense at Garden Grove High School on Friday.

  • Rancho Alamitos' Blake Culbert goes back to pass during the...

    Rancho Alamitos' Blake Culbert goes back to pass during the second quarter against Los Amigos at Garden Grove High School on Friday.

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GARDEN GROVE – Rancho Alamitos expected to claim a playoff berth Friday night regardless of what occurred in its Garden Grove League showdown with Los Amigos, but a 24-7 victory likely means the Vaqueros will finish second after four straight third-place finishes.

That’s something, Coach Mike Enright said, after his defense took command in the second half of a tight game, slowed down the Lobos’ running game, and spearheaded an impressive triumph at Garden Grove High.

Blake Culbert completed 29 of 40 passes for 228 yards and Miguel Rosales ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns as Rancho (7-2, 3-1), ranked eighth in the Southern Division, beat the Lobos (3-6, 3-1) for the first time since 2011.

“The higher you can finish, the better it is,” Enright said. “I told my team last year: Get in the playoffs and anything can happen, and (we reached the Southern Division) final. This team, it’s the same way. Keep playing hard and good things will happen.”

Both teams clinched postseason spots when Garden Grove beat La Quinta, and they could share the league title if the Vaqueros beat Bolsa Grande (expected) and Los Amigos upsets Garden Grove (highly unlikely) next week.

Los Amigos was held more than 100 yards below its 295-per-game rushing average, and Jose Olvera gained just 18 yards on nine carries in the second half after going for 137 before halftime.

Rancho went ahead on a 5-yard Culbert pass to Joe Navar in the second quarter, added to it with Emmanuel Cuevas’ 41-yard field goal on its first drive of the second half, then made it 17-0 on a 1-yard Rosales burst.

Los Amigos replied with an 80-yard drive – its only sustained possession of the second half – with Olvera running the final yard.

Los Amigos coach Carl Agnew acknowledged after the game that clinching a playoff berth took some of the sting out of the defeat.

“A little. It definitely does,” he said. “At least with Grove taking care of business over there, we know we’re in the playoffs, but unless we beat Grove nexy week, I guarantee we’re going to play the North Hills League No. 1 (to open the playoffs), and it’s going to be tough to beat them. It’s either going to be Canyon, El Mo or Brea Olinda. It doesn’t matter which it is, it’s going to be tough.”