GARDEN GROVE – It was a game eight years in the making.
La Quinta defeated Rancho Alamitos for the first time since 2008, 42-17, in a Garden Grove League game Friday night at Bolsa Grande High.
Dylan Do (two touchdowns) and Michael Nadeau (three passing TDs) were the standout performers for the Aztecs (6-1, 2-0) as they both had runs of at least 60 yards.
Do’s 61-yard carry opened the scoring for La Quinta, and Nadeau had a 60-yard run that led to another touchdown. Kyle Nguyen made the score 14-0 with a fourth-and-goal sweep for a touchdown.
La Quinta’s defense made four interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown by Jason Ly in the third quarter. Jose Arredondo and Joey Nguyen had two sacks each while Chris Fields recorded two interceptions.
The first half was marred by penalties and turnovers as both team struggled to sustain momentum.
Just before halftime, Chris Infante intercepted Nadeau and gave the Vaqueros excellent field position. But the Aztecs kept Rancho Alamitos (4-3, 1-1) out of the end zone as it settled for a 28-yard field goal by Israel Martinez.
The Vaqueros cut La Quinta’s advantage to 14-10 early in the third quarter when Blake Culbert scored on a 34-yard run but they did not get any closer.
Midway through the third quarter, Do scored his second touchdown on a 16-yard catch. Ly made the score 28-10, returning an interception 65 yards for a touchdown.
In the final quarter, Nadeau hit Anthony Alvarez and Nguyen with TD passes of 25 and 24 yards, respectively, to put the game away for the Aztecs.
