HUNTINGTON BEACH – The Los Alamitos football players came into their regular-season finale with one thing on their minds: Win and we’re in.
Los Alamitos made it a point not to take Marina lightly, defeating the Vikings, 48-0, at Huntington Beach High behind a focused first-half effort from quarterback Jack Telenko and his endless skill position weapons.
The win gave the Griffins a third-place finish in the Sunset League and a guaranteed spot in the CIF-SS West Valley Division playoffs.
“Three weeks ago we had to start winning every game,” Los Al head coach John Barnes said. “It’s been win-or-go-home since then and now we have everyone healthy and we’re getting good.”
Los Alamitos (5-5 overall, 3-2 Sunset) showed just how good it can be, rolling to a 41-0 halftime lead by making plays on both sides of the ball against Marina (1-9, 0-5).
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Telenko completed 10 of 12 passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns before coming out of the game early in the third quarter.
Telenko threw touchdown passes of 36 and 11 yards to Jacob Gasser, and one each to Holden Edmondson (25 yards) and Dylan Laurent (75 yards).
The big reception wasn’t Laurent’s only visit to the end zone. He intercepted a Marina pass and returned it 60 yards for a score in the second quarter.
Barnes said he made sure his team was focused from the get-go.
“I made a big deal out of it because you don’t want to come out and lay an egg and be sloppy,” he said. “We played a half of real focused football.”
R.J. Gonzalez was the Griffins’ leading rusher with 146 yards and one touchdown on nine carries.
