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Los Alamitos’ football team and quarterback Malachi Nelson took the national stage Saturday but American Heritage of Florida seized the spotlight.
The Patriots used a powerful ground attack to sprint past the Griffins 56-27 in the GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
American Heritage (2-0), ranked 19th in the nation by MaxPreps, rushed for more than 400 yards.
USC-committed wide receiver Makai Lemon led Los Alamitos (1-1), ranked No. 4 in Orange County and No. 25 in the nation, with 17 receptions for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns from Nelson, also committed to the Trojans.
Lemon’s numbers would have been even higher but he had a 65-yard TD reception and 97-yard kickoff return for a score negated by penalties.
Ohio State-committed running back Mark Fletcher rushed for two early touchdowns to set the tone and help American Heritage open a 28-14 lead at halftime. Fletcher finished with 19 carries for 224 yards and two scores.
The Patriots took a 42-14 lead in the third quarter on the first of two touchdown runs by quarterback Blake Murphy. They scored moments after Lemon’s 65-yard catch was negated and an interception by Nelson.
The Louisiana-Monroe commit added a long, zig-zagging touchdown run to open a 49-14 lead and invoke the running clock later in the third quarter.
Nelson finished with about 250 yards passing.
Los Alamitos played with transfer running back Damian Henderson but was without transfer defensive end T.A. Cunningham, a touted Georgia transfer who hasn’t been cleared by the CIF-SS.
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