LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – As fans dressed in red, white and blue stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the bleachers, the Los Alamitos High School varsity football team makes yet another touchdown, prompting uproar from the crowd. LAHS football games have typically been held at Long Beach City College’s Veterans Stadium, but this year is different — the first three games of the season are on the Griffin’s home turf.

On Friday, Aug. 23, LAHS welcomed students and families onto campus to watch the varsity Griffins smash their competition, Western High School, with a final score of 71-0, for the first home game of the year. LAHS recently added another set of bleachers, so seating was available on both sides of the field. However, the stands were still filled to the brim with enthusiastic students, even during an unexpected power outage.

Towards the middle of the first quarter, the stadium lights unexpectedly shut off, and the scoreboard went black. The game went into a standstill for about 20 minutes, with fans anxiously waiting until the power returned and the Griffins continued to play.

“We have so much construction going on in our facilities (that) things like this happen often,” LAHS football coach Mr. Fenton said in an Orange Country Register article. “No fault (to) our school or admin, it just happens when you’re digging holes and you have all that stuff going on.”

While the game did attract a huge crowd, students’ experiences during the game varied — some were able to get a great view of the field, while others suffered in the overcrowded stands.

During the game, LAHS offered plenty of snacks and treats, merchandise and even food trucks outside the field, but many students were unable to take advantage of all that was available because of the tight quarters of the stands and the fear of losing a hard-earned seat in the bleachers.

Though junior Sophia Lopez agreed that the football game was a great time, she did not appreciate the tight quarters on campus.

“It was insane at how crowded it was. We struggled just to leave (our seats) to get water,” she said.

Junior, Josie Steveson, believes the experience would have been better if the game was held at Veterans Stadium, where a larger crowd could be accommodated with less congestion.

“I think (the game) was really fun, but I like games at Vets Stadium or other better places because LAHS is just too small and not set up for big games,” she said.

Even some of the Griffin community and other crowd members agree that LAHS is better off with Veterans Stadium or another off-campus location than on our “home turf.”

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LAHS Football Booster Club Facebook page

A Facebook user expressed their disappointment about the seating situation on campus during Friday's home game. The user also compared parking prices of the LAHS campus and other locations that Griffins have played.

Towards the end of the second quarter, many students began to leave the stands because it was clear who the winner would be, with Western still not gaining any touchdowns and LAHS dominating the field. But others stuck around to watch the halftime show — LAHS color guard and marching band put on an impressive performance for the crowds.

Jillian Keil, a freshman and member of color guard, said this was her first time performing in front of such a huge crowd.

“I was really nervous at first, but the whole band program has such a good energy, and being around my friends in (color guard) made it feel really special,” she said.

After halftime, students continued to endure the cold night to watch the varsity Griffins make play after play, ending on a final score of 71-0. Afterwards, students and families poured out of the tight stands, exhausted but proud of their football team.

The Griffins have put another win under their belt, but the question still remains: Is LAHS an ideal location for football home games? The next two games will also be on campus, so students and fans can only hope for a better, smoother experience.

The next LAHS football game will be on Friday, Aug. 30, at 7 p.m. on the John Barnes Field against Narbonne High School. Information on tickets can be found here.