Los Alamitos had been struggling with some key injuries and had played its way into a must-win situation. The Griffins have gotten the needed wins and are very much alive for a playoff spot as they head into the final week of the regular season. Los Alamitos was in control early and never let Huntington Beach into the game as they defeated the Oilers, 56-10, in a Sunset League game on Thursday at Long Beach Veteran’s Stadium. Behind a solid performance by the offensive line, quarterback Jack Telenko was able to throw for 254 yards and four touchdowns, as well as run for two more.
Los Alamitos had been struggling with some key injuries and had played its way into a must-win situation. The Griffins have gotten the needed wins and are very much alive for a playoff spot as they head into the final week of the regular season. Los Alamitos was in control early and never let Huntington Beach into the game as they defeated the Oilers, 56-10, in a Sunset League game on Thursday at Long Beach Veteran’s Stadium. Behind a solid performance by the offensive line, quarterback Jack Telenko was able to throw for 254 yards and four touchdowns, as well as run for two more. “We’ve gotten healthy and we’ve gotten a lot better,” Coach John Barnes said. Running back Schuyler Whitehead rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns. One of his touchdowns came on a 71-yard run just before halftime that gave the Griffins a 35-3 halftime lead. Huntington Beach came out in the second half and drove the ball into Los Alamitos territory. But the defense stiffened and took over on downs when fourth down attempt by the Oilers came up short. The Griffins responded with a quick strike that came on an 83-yard touchdown pass from Telenko to Holden Edmondson that gave the Griffins a 42-3 lead. Edmondson finished the night with 133 receiving yards, while Dylan Laurent had 73 receiving yards as well. The Griffins close out the regular season with a road game against Marina, which is winless in league play. The Griffins can lock up third place and an automatic playoff spot. But the Griffins are feeling like that could be just a start. Despite the frustration of the injuries and struggles in the early part of the season, Telenko said that younger players have gotten experience and could give the Griffins a little extra depth behind their starting core. “People are stepping up and we can only get better from there,” Telenko said. “We can be really good I think, we have the talent and the skill.” Behind the likes of senior offensive linemen Sean Tulette and Jacob Keller, the Griffin offense is certainly capable of putting up big numbers. Telenko said the team is motivated to make the most of the late season resurgence. Likewise, Barnes said if the team can continue to eliminate mistakes, they can be a dangerous team in the playoffs. He feels like he finally has the team he knew they could be at the start of the year. “It feels to me like the season has just started,” Barnes said. The Griffins play Marina on Friday at 7 p.m. at Huntington Beach High.
