Los Alamitos Takes Advantage of Lakewood

CERRITOS —  Los Alamitos High School’s 30-8 nonleague victory over Lakewood Thursday night was easy enough. Lakewood made sure of that in the first quarter at Gahr High.

Penalties hurt Lakewood, but not as much as the ball snapped 10 feet over punter Matt Reed’s head and out of the end zone for a safety less than three minutes into the game.

And the fumble that set up a 22-yard touchdown run by Los Alamitos running back LaQuan Beckton was costly. So, too, was the interception that set up Beckton’s five-yard scoring run around right end.

But what really stood out was Lakewood’s inability to move the football, except into the hands of Los Alamitos’ players.

The Griffins took full advantage and led, 24-0, at the end of the first quarter and 30-0 at halftime.

The most telling statistic was Lakewood’s 22 yards of offense at the half.

“It was nice,” Los Alamitos Coach John Barnes said. “They made it easy.”

It was Los Alamitos’ fourth consecutive rout of Lakewood and came at a time when the Griffins seemed to be struggling to win. Los Alamitos came into the game with a 2-2 record.

“With two losses at Los Alamitos, it’s like a morgue over there,” Barnes said. “They don’t know how to take it.”

Thursday, the Griffins gratefully accepted any and all gifts, and there were many.

In the first half, Lakewood (2-3) had five penalties for 38 yards, a fumble, an interception, a safety and a 32-yard loss when a second snap sailed over Reed’s head.

The Lancers seemed beaten by the end of the first quarter.

Only a one-yard run by Kevin Howard with 5:57 left in the game kept the Lancers from being shut out.

“The defense played with recklessness in practice all week,” Barnes said. “The defense was the best sign tonight.”

Lakewood gained 92 yards for the game, three fewer than Beckton, who carried 19 times and scored on touchdown runs of one, 22 and five yards.

Los Alamitos quarterback John Collins completed seven of 11 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Cashman caught three passes, including a nine-yard touchdown in the second quarter, to push his county-leading total to 39.