ANAHEIM — Rancho Alamitos wasn’t at full strength Thursday, March 25 for its showdown against Loara and one of the top football recruits in Orange County.
But the way the Vaqueros saw it, they had everything they needed.
“We wanted it more,” senior Seymore Brown III said after Rancho Alamitos seized control of the Garden Grove League race with a 21-13 victory against the Saxons and senior lineman Ahmed Hassanein at Glover Stadium.
Rancho Alamitos (3-0, 2-0) took a major step toward the outright league title, and perhaps the third straight overall for the first time in school history, behind the offense paced by Brown and Oye Akerele and a defense led by linebacker Frank Nguyen.
Brown, a senior tight end, caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jacob Castro after setting up the first-quarter score with a spectacular, one-handed grab for a 28-yard gain to the Loara 8. Castro didn’t start at quarterback because of an injury, Vaqueros coach Mike Enright said.
Akerele, a senior running back, added rushing scores of 5 and 14 yards in the second half. Brown also spent time in the backfield, combining with Akerele for 135 yards rushing.
Nguyen, a senior linebacker, helped the Vaqueros hold Loara (1-1, 1-1) to 68 yards rushing.
“I knew (Hassanein) was going to come out here and play hard. I knew their entire team was going to play hard,” said Brown, who rushed for 63 yards and added 62 receiving. “We came out and played our hearts out. I know they did, too, but we wanted it more.”
Rancho Alamitos took a 21-13 lead on the second play of the fourth quarter on a 14-yard TD run Akerele, who finished with 72 yards on 18 carries. The Vaqueros’ drive started at the Loara 35 after a 49-yard kickoff return by Evan Monge. The short possession ended with the third PAT by Alejandro Lopez.
Loara responded with its own long kickoff return but the good field position, and the ensuring possession, were wiped out by penalties. The Saxons were flagged 10 times overall for 105 yards.
Hassanein deflected a fourth-down pass to force an incompletion and get the Saxons the ball back with 4:15 left in the fourth but the Vaqueros’ defense held. The unit was missing middle linebacker Kyle Culbert and lineman Max Govea among others due to injury.
“I got some tough kids,” Rancho Alamitos coach Mike Enright said. “People don’t realize how beat up we are, and kids are out there playing hurt just because they wanted a chance to have this. We have a chance to win a third championship in a row.”
Rancho Alamitos next plays Santiago (0-1, 0-1), which beat the Vaqueros last season to help force a three-way tie for the league crown with Loara. The Saxons beat Santiago 32-14 last week.
Hassanein, a Boise State-bound defensive lineman, dominated with two sacks, a tackle for loss and at least two quarterback hurries. He also played right tackle.
Quarterback Isaiah Muniz tossed a 42-yard TD pass to Kevin Garcia late in the first half and also rushed for a 7-yard score in the third quarter. Rancho Alamitos stuffed his 2-point conversion run, after a penalty moved the ball closer to the end zone, to maintain a 14-13 lead late in the third.
“All we want is that three-peat,” Nguyen said, “to make history. To make our legacy.”
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