GARDEN GROVE – Moby Contreras was finding gaps for big gains on the ground for Los Amigos, and Nick Brown was connecting with his assortment of receivers as Rancho Alamitos’ aerial game was firing on all cylinders, a recipe for a real shootout between the Garden Grove League rivals.
In the first quarter alone, the Lobos and Vaqueros combined for 353 yards, 17 first downs and 30 points Friday night at Bolsa Grande High, but injuries slowed the stars and the defenses took command from there.
It was Los Amigos (5-3 overall, 3-0 league) that adjusted best, pulling away for a 30-16 victory that sets up a showdown with Garden Grove (7-1, 3-0) for the league championship next week.
Lobos coach Carl Agnew said facing off with Garden Grove for the third straight year – the Argonauts won the past two meetings, 56-14 in 2012 and 49-0 last year – is what his team “wanted and expected to do.”
“Hopefully, third time is a charm,” he said. “We’ve got to get healthy and give them everything we’ve got.”
Contreras, Orange County’s leading rusher, ran for 217 yards – the sixth time he’s gone over 200 this season – and three touchdowns to lead the Lobos, who pulled ahead in the final seconds of the first quarter, extended their advantage to nine points by halftime, then put Rancho Alamitos (5-3, 1-2) away midway through the final period.
The senior running back had 148 yards by the end of the first quarter – the vast majority on an 80-yard TD run on Los Amigos’ first play and a 40-yard scamper to set up his 5-yard scoring run to provide a 16-14 edge.
Contreras was hit in the back early in the third quarter, left the game for a spell, and carried the ball just six more times, including an 11-yard fourth-quarter sprint for the Lobos’ final score. He has 1,603 yards this season.
Los Amigos quarterback Luis Casas throw for 66 yards and a score and ran for 86 yards.
Brown exceeded 300 yards passing for the fifth time this year, completing 20 of 41 throws for 311 yards and one touchdown and Devin Velez caught six of the passes for 145 yards.