The Los Alamitos High football team opens its season on Friday with a home game against Western High of Anaheim. The Griffins and Pioneers will kick off at 7 p.m. at John Barnes Field on the campus of Los Alamitos High.
The Griffins move into the Alpha League after the re-leaguing process for this year’s football teams. Los Al had won the past four Sunset League titles and their closest competitor, Edison, is also in the new Alpha League. Mission Viejo and San Clemente make up the other two teams in an Alpha League that should be a tough test for whichever team ends up at the league champion.
Senior quarterback Alonzo Esparza returns to lead the Griffin offense and has few weapons at his disposal. Junior receiver Tron Baker missed last season after knee surgery, but is back and could have a big season. Junior running back Jerod Terry also returns and is expected to be a primary ball carrier.
Western High is among the new five-team Delta League, where they have been reunited with former Empire League foes Cypress and Tustin. But Head Coach Dan Davidson has been rebuilding the Pioneer program for several years since their struggles in the Empire. The Pioneers won the past four Orange League titles and even captured a CIF-SS Championship in 2022, after finishing as co-champions of the Pac-4 League.
Davidson said his team looks forward to the challenges of facing a team like Los Alamitos, because his program is working to get to the level of play that teams in the Alpha League deliver. The Pioneers hung with the Griffins early last year, but Los Alamitos eventually pulled away for a 63-25 win.
Cypress vs La Mirada, 7 p.m. Friday at Western High
Cypress has moved into the Delta League and they open against La Mirada team that finished 3-7 last year and fourth in the Gateway League. The Centurions are re-building, especially on the offensive side of the ball this year.
Defensively, Cypress could be tough to deal with, but youth and inexperience in key offensive positions could make it difficult for them to rise to the top of a tough six-team Delta League.
Kennedy at Pacifica, 7 p.m. at Bolsa Grande High
Kennedy moves from the Empire League to the Lambda League, but they open the season against Pacifica, a team that also played in the Empire League last year. Pacifica was placed in the Omicron League. Kennedy finished 6-4 last year, but earned a playoff berth in the Division 10 bracket. They defeated Crescenta Valley 28-14 before falling to Xavier Prep, 10-7, in the second round.
Kennedy will be led by senior quarterback Devin Almazan, who has some solid receivers to target. They reportedly lost running back Rider Street, who was a huge part of their offense, but the Fighting Irish still have enough talent to challenge for the Lambda League title.