THE RANCHO ALAMITOS football team had an impressive debut Friday night, routing Savanna High of Anaheim 49-15 at Bolsa Grande Stadium (Orange County Tribune photo).
By Jim Tortolano
On a night when the fans were sweating and fanning with the record heat, the Rancho Alamitos High football players were cool as cucumbers, running away with a 49-15 win over visiting Savanna High in the season opener for both teams Friday at Bolsa Grande Stadium.
The Vaqueros rolled up a 35-9 halftime lead and coasted to the win in a contest that used a running clock for much of fourth quarter. “I think we played pretty clean,” said Rancho coach Mike Enright. “I’m really proud of the way we played tonight.”
CROSS FALETOI was a force in the air and on the ground for Rancho (OC Tribune photo).
Temperatures that remained in the 90s through game time weren’t much of a factor, Enright felt. “I honestly don’t think it fazed us too much,” he said.
“Football is the ultimate team sport and I think we played a great team game,” said Enright, but when pressed, praised the performances of Nathan Kanyavong, Cross Faletoi and Erick Maitland.
Rancho went ahead 7-0 when Kanyavong ripped off a 45-yard scoring run at the 10:18 mark of the first quarter, and at 6:42, Paul Lira grabbed a Santiago fumble and returned it for a touchdown and a 14-0 RA lead.
The visiting Rebels returned the favor by scoring after recovering a Vaq fumble to cut the lead to 14-6, but the PAT was blocked. That was the closest that Savanna would get.
Maitland added a touchdown at 10:02 of the second quarter for a 21-6 lead. The Rebs countered with a field goal at 6:32, but after that, the rout was on. A 40-yard pass from Faletoi to Mark Diga set up another Rancho score for a 29-8 lead at 5:06. Faletoi ran up the middle for a 14-yard score with 35 seconds left in the first half and 35-9 lead at the intermission.
In the second half, the Vaqs extended the margin with two more scores, a pass from Faletoi to Adrian Galindo and then another to Victor Mendoza.
The Vaqs will be in action next Friday hosting Ocean View High at Bolsa Grande Stadium.
Other Friday night football scores
- Oaks Christian 24, Edison 19: It was an off-night for Griffin O’Connor and the Chargers as they were upset Friday night by the Lions. O’Connor, one of the county’s top quarterbacks, completed 14 of 32 passes for 225 yards but was intercepted five times. Jack Carmichael rushed for 155 yards for Edison (1-1).
- San Clemente 62, Huntington Beach 20: The Oilers fell to 0-2 with the one-sided loss to the Tritons in San Clemente (2-0). Brendan Costello passed for 361 yards for the home team in the win.
- Santiago 28, Costa Mesa 7: The Cavaliers got off to a 14-0 halftime lead and never looked lack in their win at the Mustang home field. Santiago (1-0) was led by Dylan Ourng, who rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
- Westminster 21, Garden Grove 17: The Argonauts (1-1) scored twice early but struggled after the first quarter at Boswell Field. Lion quarterback Noah Melbon ran for two scores and passed for 162 yards. Grove almost caught Westminster when the Argos drove to the Lion 3-yard line, but a last-second pass fell incomplete. GG running back Dominik Sanchez ran for two scores for the red-and-white.
- Bolsa Grande 21, Cerritos 9: The Matadors (1-1) squared their record with the victory at Gahr High School.
- Ocean View 42, Los Amigos 0: Transfer Noah Hickman passed for 140 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 57 yards and another score as the Seahawks (1-0) defeated the Lobos (0-1) at the OVHS stadium. Joseph Garcia was the Lobo star, recording four sacks.
More results will be posted as they become available.
THE VAQUERO defense dominated Savanna all night on Friday in Rancho Alamitos’ 49-15 win (Orange County Tribune photo).