Los Alamitos shows 'grit', 'unity', and star power against Edison for Sunset League title: 5 takeaways

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – Los Alamitos played one of its best games of the season on Thursday to roll to a 52-27 win against Edison.

The win over the previously-unbeaten Chargers, ranked top-10 in the state by many, unofficially secured a Sunset League title and CIFSS Division 1 playoff spot for the Griffins.

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Here are five takeaways from the game:

GRIFFINS AVOID DISASTER IN WILD START

The game started with a fittingly exciting flurry, and a massive momentum swing.

On Los Al's opening drive, a Malachi Nelson pass was deflected into the arms of Edison LB Dom Lopez, who returned the ball deep into Griffins territory.

The tables immediately turned in reciprocal fashion. On the very next play, a pass from Parker Awad was deflected and caught by a Los Al lineman. 

The Griffins' offense quickly got on track and scored on a 27-yard Damian Henderson run. Despite getting its point after attempt blocked, Los Alamitos had a 6-0 lead with 6:05 left in the first quarter.

Edison didn't let the disappointment of the momentum swing get in its way. It took its first lead of the game on the ensuing drive, capped off by a touchdown pass from Awad to RB Carter Hogue. The score was 7-6 Chargers with just under three minutes left in the first quarter.

But that was the only lead Edison would enjoy. Los Al raced up the field and scored again before the first frame ended, largely riding the dominance of Henderson. He got them into the end zone on a 1-yard smash with 24 seconds left.

The Griffins also got back their blocked PAT on a 2-yard conversion, run in by Henderson, to give them a 14-7 lead.

Then Los Alamitos' defense settled in, and they took control of the game.

They quickly stuffed Edison's next drive, forcing a punt two plays into the second quarter on a big third down sack from DE Sinn Brennan.

Henderson injured his ankle on the Griffins' next drive. But it didn't stop them from scoring in under four minutes of game time. Turning a bit more to the passing game, patiently navigating through Edison's defense with an array of screen passes, they got up the field briskly again. They took a 21-7 lead with 8:31 left in the second quarter on a 1-yard punch by Zechariah Misa.

Edison, which had a solid offensive showing in its own right, wasn't out of it yet. It cut the deficit back down to seven points on its next drive when Awad found Tucker Tripp for a touchdown from over 30 yards with 7:03 left in the half.

But Los Al's offense was still just getting started. 

Despite dealing with an ankle injury coming in, USC-bound CB/WR Makai Lemon needed under 30 seconds to record one of two phenomenal highlights on the night. Lemon – who elected not to start on offense so he could save his ankle for defense if needed – found the sideline angle on a screen pass and outran Edison's entire defense for a 73-yard score. 

Los Alamitos took a 28-14 lead with 6:37, finished the half up 31-14, and led by double digits for the rest of the game.

LEMON, HENDERSON, OTHERS TOUGH OUT INJURIES

Henderson returned to the game late in the second quarter, and finished the game with over 250 rushing yards on above 10 yards per carry. 

Lemon also exited the game in the second quarter upon reaggravating his ankle injury, and also returned ready to continue making plays in the second half. In the fourth quarter with Los Al leading 38-21, he picked off Awad in the end zone in diving fashion for one of the more impressive defensive plays you'll see all year. That play put the game away with 9:46 left.

"Makai Lemon... should be a 5-star guy, and has a bright future," said Los Alamitos head coach Ray Fenton. 

"He's banged up on his ankle, and knew we needed him on defense because we're very talented at receiver, so he was willing to give up his offensive position just to play defense. That's very, very uncommon to be that selfless... for a superstar with the ball in his hands."

"Damian is just gritty," Fenton said. "To have an ankle [injury] like that, and you saw him limping... that was a great example of [grit]."

In the third quarter, Edison had opened the half with a short rushing touchdown from Awad, and freshman Carson Clark put Los Al back up 17 points with a sprinting basket catch in the end zone.

A number of Chargers, and other Griffins, soldiered through some bangs and hobbles as well. It's that time of year, but both of these teams always show the depth and toughness to handle it when needed.

HENDERSON PUSHES LOS AL'S STAR POWER OVER THE TOP

Damian Henderson may well be the biggest breakout star of the 2022 season so far. He ran for over 300 yards last month in a 69-49 win over Santa Margarita. And he was dominant on Thursday. The 3-star Colorado State commit has quickly entered the discussion of best RB in the Southern Section as a senior.

Before Henderson entered the fold, the Griffins had two superstars in Nelson and Lemon, and a strong supporting cast with many other nationally-ranked impact players. With Henderson giving them yet more star power, and next-level talent in the running game, the combination was just too much for Edison. It would be too much for all but a few teams in California.

GRIFFINS SHOW IMPROVED CHEMISTRY AND DEFENSE

Fenton says his team is playing some of its best football yet at the right time. He attributes it largely to their improved defense and overall chemistry.

"What I saw yesterday and today is where we've been trying to get to for four years, which is team unity," he said. 

"We covered each other tonight. It was the closest I've ever seen our kids bonding together... and it shows when we play a great football team like [Edison]."

"This is the closest we've been in four years, and it's a great feeling," said Fenton. 

"That to me is bigger than the score. But the score is reflective of our team unity, and I'm really proud of our guys."

Los Al's blocking on offense is also more consistent than in 2021, thanks to improvement from both the offensive line and the skill players in blocking for each other. With the exception of a few long-range dimes from Nelson, nearly all of Los Al's yardage came on screen passes or handoffs that were boosted by multiple levels of effective blocking.

On defense, the Griffins' biggest improvement from earlier in the season came up front. Their defensive line both stopped the run and got to Awad more than almost any of Edison's opponents in the last two years. Awad still had a good few bright spots on Thursday, but uncharacteristically threw two interceptions and got sacked numerous times.

"We've improved on [the pass-rush] for sure. Getting [5-star DL T.A. Cunningham] back is a big difference," said Fenton. 

"And if you can get pressure on the quarterback with only your down four, then that helps you out behind them, when you can drop seven guys. I thought our kids did a really good job of that, and that was the biggest key."

"That's a really good football team, said Fenton. "They're 7-0, ranked super high and deserving of that ranking, and have dominated their schedule. We knew it was going to be a test for us.

"It was a mark of how much we've improved throughout the preseason leading up to this game. The reason we played that schedule was for this game, and it worked out for us."

Ethan O'Connor added a touchdown catch with 6:09 left in the game to put the Griffins up 45-21. Anthony League gave them 52 points on a touchdown run with 3:07 left.

EDISON STILL PRIMED FOR STRONG FINISH

Chargers head coach Jeff Grady has been clear the last two years that the team doesn't even think about playoff division projections, let alone care about it. So, don't expect to hear much about silver linings from this game from the Edison side.

But for a team that came in ranked well within the Southern Section Division 1 playoff bubble, there's a good chance that this loss will knock them down to Division 2. That means instead of facing a national superpower in Mater Dei or St. John Bosco to start the playoffs, they'd come in as one of the top favorites to win a championship.

If that proves to be the case, Edison still is unlikely to look back at this painful loss as a blessing in disguise. But it may result in making the team's November and December a lot more exciting.

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