Los Alamitos scores late TD to escape with victory

PLACENTIA - Finally, the Los Alamitos defense returned the ball to Clark Evans with some sense of urgency.

After Esperanza went three plays and out for the first time all night, Los Alamitos took over on its 17-yard line with three minutes and six seconds to erase a seven-point deficit.

It was too much time.

Keyed by a 31-yard pass to Darryl Jenkins  and a 31-yard draw play, Evans didn't even need two minutes to drive the Griffins into the red zone. As the clock hit 54.6, Evans found Jonathan Cheri wide-open for a 5-yard touchdown, and then hooked up with Paul Richardson in the right corner of the end zone for the two-point conversion.

No. 6 Los Alamitos defeated archrival Esperanza, 22-21, for the first time in four years, taking the Millennium Cup on Friday night.

Of the decision to go for two, Evans said: "I was excited to win the game. Last week we got upset in overtime (against Fountain Valley). I didn't want that to happen again."

Said coach John Barnes: "When you have momentum, you might as well take advantage of it."

Esperanza grinded its way to a 21-7 third-quarter lead, and even when the Aztecs weren't scoring, they kept the ball out of Evans' hands by chewing up clock with an effective run game.

Jared Moore ran for 141 yards and a touchdown, while Drew Huusfeldt  ran for 91 yards and a score.

The Aztecs ran 60 offensive plays to Los Alamitos' 45, although they only outgained the Griffins by 13 yards (345-332). Los Alamitos gained almost half of those yards on its two second-half touchdown drives. 

Evans finished with 190 yards and two touchdowns passing, and 131 yards rushing.

"We did what we had to do to have a chance to beat those guys," Esperanza coach Bill Pendleton said. "Give them credit. They drove the ball 80 yards twice in the (second half). If you can do that, you deserve to win."

The Griffins (8-1, 3-1) remain in a first-place Sunset League tie, with Edison, while the Aztecs (6-3, 2-2) are in a three-way tie for third place, with Fountain Valley and Newport Harbor.

Esperanza plays a probable must-win game at Edison next week, while Los Alamitos closes out the regular season with Newport Harbor.

Contact the writer: jkay@ocregister.com