REVENGE AT THALASSA: HOW LOS ALAMITOS ENGINEERED THE PERFECT REMATCH PERFORMANCE

REVENGE AT THALASSA: HOW LOS ALAMITOS ENGINEERED THE PERFECT REMATCH PERFORMANCE

Fifteen years on the sideline and I’ve seen plenty of championship football. But what Los Alamitos pulled off Saturday night at Thalassa Stadium? That’s the kind of second-half masterclass that separates championship programs from pretenders.

The final: Los Alamitos 33, San Clemente 20 in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship game. But those numbers don’t tell half the story of how Coach Ray Fenton’s Griffins erased a 17-3 deficit to claim their first section title since 2002.

This wasn’t just a win. This was tactical evolution in real-time.

WHAT THE TAPE SHOWS

First Half: San Clemente’s Blueprint Execution

San Clemente came out executing exactly what worked in their 28-9 regular season victory over Los Alamitos back on October 24. Quarterback Preston Beck was surgical early, hitting Jaxson Rex and tight end Shane Kiley with precise 25-yard strikes that stretched the Los Alamitos secondary vertically.

The Tritons’ offensive coordinator deserves credit for the early game script. They attacked the perimeter immediately, forcing Los Alamitos’ linebackers into difficult coverage assignments. When running back Colin Granite punched in touchdown runs from seven and two yards out, it was clear San Clemente had done their homework on the Griffins’ gap integrity.

But here’s what I noticed from the press box: Rex wasn’t just making plays in the passing game. His fumble recovery at the Los Alamitos 5-yard line and his interception returned to the Griffins’ 7-yard line represented textbook defensive playmaking from a receiver who clearly understands leverage and ball skills. That’s the kind of two-way impact that wins championships.

San Clemente’s 17-3 lead felt commanding because they controlled both lines of scrimmage early.

The Momentum Shift: Final Two Minutes of the First Half

Championship games turn on possessions, not plays. And the final two minutes of the first half represented the inflection point of this entire contest.

Los Alamitos running back Kamden Tillis ripped off a 31-yard touchdown run down the right sideline that had everything to do with blocking angles from the offensive line. Watch that play again—right tackle creates the seal, pulling guard opens the alley, and Tillis shows the kind of vision that NFL scouts would appreciate.

Then, with just 39 seconds remaining, quarterback Colin Creason delivered a perfectly placed ball to tight end Beckham Hofland for a 24-yard leaping touchdown grab in the middle of the end zone. Hofland—a 6-foot-4, 230-pound Boise State commit—used every inch of his frame to box out the defender. That’s the kind of red-zone execution that changes the complexion of a game.

17-17 at halftime. Game on.

COACHING ADJUSTMENTS

Ray Fenton’s Second-Half Counterpunch

Here’s where coaching experience matters. Fenton made three critical adjustments at halftime that turned this game:

1. Tempo Acceleration

Los Alamitos shifted into a no-huddle, up-tempo offense that disrupted San Clemente’s defensive substitution patterns. By halftime, Tillis already had 100 yards rushing and Creason had accumulated 156 passing yards. The Griffins recognized they could win the conditioning battle, and they pushed the pace relentlessly.

2. Defensive Line Stunts

The Griffins’ defensive front started winning with interior movement. Cornell-bound defensive end Jackson Renger collected two of Los Alamitos’ seven sacks, but the entire defensive line deserve credit for the systematic pressure that forced Beck into rushed decisions. Watch the film—Renger’s swim move on the edge was NFL-caliber technique.

3. Offensive Personnel Groupings

Fenton began utilizing more 12 personnel (one back, two tight ends) in the second half, which gave Los Alamitos better run-blocking angles and created favorable matchups for Hofland in the passing game. This wasn’t just good coaching—this was tactical evolution within the flow of the game.

The Play That Changed Everything

Early third quarter. San Clemente retakes the lead 20-17 on a 35-yard field goal by Ethan Miller. Los Alamitos drives deep into Tritons territory. What happened next belongs in a championship highlight reel.

Creason executes a shovel pass to Hofland in the backfield. Hofland crosses the line of scrimmage, takes a hit, and the ball pops loose. Here’s where preparation meets opportunity: offensive guard Luke Wehner—a rugby player who understands how to handle a live ball—scoops it up and rumbles seven yards into the end zone.

First touchdown of Wehner’s high school career. 24-20 Los Alamitos.

“I saw the ball in the air, and I grabbed it and ran towards the end zone,” Wehner said after the game. “I think I made a lot of linemen happy today.”

Championship football isn’t always pretty. Sometimes it’s offensive linemen picking up fumbles and doing what comes naturally.

MOMENTUM SHIFTS

The Knockout Sequence

San Clemente’s next possession after Wehner’s score: fumble, recovered by Los Alamitos linebacker Hunter Eligon at the Tritons’ 35-yard line.

Four plays later, Tillis explodes up the middle for a 22-yard touchdown run. 30-20 Griffins.

That’s a 13-0 Los Alamitos run in less than three minutes of game time. That’s not luck—that’s a team that smelled blood and refused to let up.

Lenny Ibarra: The Ultimate Two-Way Weapon

Let’s talk about the best player on the field Saturday night. Army-bound senior Lenny Ibarra finished with 95 rushing yards, three receptions for 43 yards, an interception, and a 65-yard punt that

flipped field position in the fourth quarter.

Ibarra’s stat line from the season tells you everything: 40 receptions for 599 yards and six touchdowns, 980 rushing yards with 18 touchdowns, 112 total tackles (team-high), three interceptions, 13-of-15 on extra points, and team-leading kickoff and punt return yardage.

That’s not a football player. That’s a program.

“It means so much,” Ibarra said after hoisting the championship plaque. “All the work we put in the whole school year. Just to be able to get this moment with this group of guys is amazing.”

Sealing the Deal

Ibarra’s fourth-quarter interception set up Hofland’s second field goal—a 21-yarder that extended the lead to 33-20 with 4:46 remaining. Linebacker Koa Marasco added another interception to close the door.

Game. Set. Championship.

BY THE NUMBERS

Los Alamitos Offensive Statistics:

• Kamden Tillis: 134 rushing yards on 16 carries, 2 TDs
• Lenny Ibarra: 95 rushing yards, 3 receptions for 43 yards, 1 INT
• Colin Creason: 18-of-23 passing (completed final 13 passes), 224 yards, 1 TD
• Beckham Hofland: 5 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD, 2 FGs
• Combined rushing attack: 220 yards

Los Alamitos Defensive Statistics:

• 7 total sacks (Jackson Renger: 2)
• 3 turnovers forced (2 INTs, 1 fumble recovery)
• 3 second-half stops that shifted momentum

San Clemente Key Performers:

• Jaxson Rex: 25-yard reception, forced fumble, interception
• Colin Granite: 2 rushing TDs
• Preston Beck: Effective early, pressured late

CONTEXT & IMPLICATIONS

This championship carries extra weight when you understand the journey. Los Alamitos started 8-0 before consecutive losses to San Clemente (28-9) and Mission Viejo (76-49) in Alpha League play. Lesser teams fold. Championship teams evolve.

The Griffins’ playoff run told the story: 35-28 over Yorba Linda, 35-10 over No. 4 San Juan Hills, 23-10 comeback win over No. 1 Murrieta Valley (trailing 10-0 early), and now this statement victory in the championship.

This is Los Alamitos’ sixth CIF Southern Section football championship and first since defeating Mater Dei in 2002. For San Clemente, their only section title came in 2016 with a 22-17 victory over Del Oro.

Los Alamitos finishes the regular season 12-2 and will face San Diego Section champion Cathedral Catholic next week in the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs. Win that, and they’re heading to the CIF State championship game on December 12-13.

RECRUITING IMPACT

This game showcased multiple Division I commits performing on the championship stage:

• Lenny Ibarra (Army): Dominated both sides of the ball
• Beckham Hofland (Boise State): Clutch receiving and reliable kicking
• Jackson Renger (Cornell): Defensive pressure specialist
• Colin Creason: Transfer from Long Beach Poly who sat out last season, now a championship QB

These performances carry weight with college coaches. Championship tape matters.

FINAL THOUGHTS FROM THE SIDELINE

Ray Fenton said it best after the game: “I’m not smart enough to articulate how I feel and how proud I am of these guys.”

But here’s what I saw from the press box: a coaching staff that made intelligent adjustments, a quarterback who completed his final 13 passes when it mattered most, a defensive front that dominated the second half, and a collection of athletes who refused to accept that early deficit as their destiny.

San Clemente coach Jaime Ortiz built a program that competed at the highest level. His Tritons finished 9-5 and gave Los Alamitos everything they could handle. But championship football comes down to who makes adjustments faster and executes under pressure.

Saturday night, that was Los Alamitos.

Linebacker Koa Marasco summed it up perfectly: “I’m shocked. To do this with my family, with my brothers means the world to me. That’s all I wanted for Christmas, was to win this with my family and my brothers.”

That’s the kind of team chemistry you can’t coach. You can only cultivate it.

WHAT SURPRISED YOU?

After 15 years watching high school football, I want to hear from you. What scheme or player performance surprised you most in this championship game? Was it Wehner’s fumble recovery touchdown? Creason’s 13 consecutive completions? The defensive line’s seven-sack performance?

Drop your thoughts in the comments. Coaches and parents especially—what did you see on film that we should discuss?