The Los Alamitos football team has left itself with no margin for error heading into the final three weeks of the season. Which is trouble for a team that Head Coach John Barnes said has hurt itself with mistakes in recent weeks.
Key turnovers and penalties stood out after the Griffins could not keep pace with Fountain Valley and fell to the Barons, 20-7, in Sunset League game on Thursday at Long Beach Veteran’s stadium. The loss dropped the Griffins to 0-2 in league and 2-5 overall.
“We’ve been a mistake prone team that last four weeks,” Barnes said after the loss.
The Griffins were unable to contain the run game of the Barons, as quarterback Chad Olberding led Fountain Valley with 147 yards and a touchdown. The Griffins had 214 passing yards from Jack Telenko, with 152 of those yards going to receiver Holden Edmondson. But the Griffins struggled to run against the Baron defense and key turnovers killed Griffin drives.
After falling behind 14-7 late in the second quarter, the Griffins had a big punt return well into Fountain Valley territory, but a personal foul penalty put the ball back near midfield. A pass from Telenko to Edmondson set the Griffins up at the Baron 39 yard line, but two plays later another personal foul penalty moved the ball back to midfield and the Griffin drive sputtered.
The Griffins received the second half kickoff, but could do little with it. Fountain Valley (5-2, 2-0) responded on the ensuing drive to add a field goal and push their lead to 17-7. On its ensuing drive the Griffins moved the ball to midfield and a big pass would have set them up in scoring position, but the Griffins fumbled and Fountain Valley recovered at their own 20 yard line. Rhythm
Los Alamitos defense kept the Baron offense out of the end zone, but Fountain Valley was able to add another field goal. The Griffins drove two more times for potential scores, but Fountain Valley had interceptions to kill both drives.
Fountain Valley had taken a 7-0 lead at 5:13 of the first quarter on a 10-yard run up the middle by George Sykes. The Griffins responded with 78-yard drive that tied the score at 7-7. Schuyler Whitehead opened the drive with a 14- yard run and two plays later added a nine-yard run to the 49 yard line.
Telenko connected with Edmondson on an 11-yard completion that moved the ball to the Baron 40 yard line. A Baron penalty and a five-yard run by Whitehead moved the ball to the 30 yard line. After a seven-yard loss, Telenko found Dylan Laurent, who had gotten behind the defense for a wide-open 37-yard touchdown pass to tie the game.
The loss puts the Griffins a must-win-out situation if they hope to earn a playoff spot. Fountain Valley and Edison are both atop the standings at 2-0, while Huntington Beach and Newport Harbor are both 1-1. The Griffins will play at Newport Harbor on Friday at 7 p.m.
