LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — On Tuesday, March 25, eight Los Alamitos High School seniors showed each other up while competing to be this year’s Next Top Griffin. Participants Liam Gray, Kayden Frazier, Adam Ampudia, Tristian Dalzell, Carter Cronin, Jaden Bober, Gracie Adame and Barron Bliss gave it their all through dancing, campaign videos and individual acts. Ultimately, Jaden Bober was crowned the 2025 Top Griffin. 

“I thought it was a really interesting way to bring the community together,” Naomi Dixon, freshman, said.

The judges who selected the winner were all chosen from local high schools in Orange County to rule out any bias. The judges had never met any of the competitors and were in for a night of surprises just like the audience.

The show included numerous categories for contestants to be judged upon, including a group music video, a talent showcase, contestant-made videos and a questionnaire. Contestants each had escorts who could win the Miss Congeniality award; Bober’s escort, his grandmother, won this title and the hearts of the entire audience.

Bober’s individual performance showcased his band, “Jaden and the Bobers”. His act was hilarious, with Bober running around the stage playing instruments — cymbals, piano, saxophone — that he clearly didn’t know how to play while the actual band played music. The audience and the judges were impressed and amused by the creativity Bober brought onstage.

“Mr. Brown, my film teacher, came to me with the idea of doing the band,” Bober said. “It was just going to be me playing the symbols, and then we expanded it into doing a bunch of instruments. The game-changer was my grandma.”

The competition was strong, especially during the talent portion of the show. Adame, captain of the LAHS dance team, showed off her dance skills by bringing an audience member onstage to see who could do the best worm.

Frazier gave another show-stopping performance by playing Piano Tiles on an iPad with her feet. The audience was intrigued and a little confused at first, but they were soon cheering for her unique skill.

The video portion of the show was a series of funny and quirky videos of the competitors explaining why they deserve the Top Griffin title. Audience members laughed and shouted at the humor and inside jokes. The questionnaire session was equally as funny; when asked what his superlative would be, Ampudia responded that he is “most likely to” win Top Griffin.

As the judges exited the PAC to confer, the audience eagerly awaited the announcement of LAHS’ 2025 Next Top Griffin. The audience screamed and applauded when the hosts announced Bober’s victory, and especially his grandmother’s.

“It was really good and a lot of fun,” tech crew member Raylena Minero said.

Overall, this year’s Next Top Griffin offered an entertaining and special experience for all students and participants. Juniors, get ready to show off your talents, and don’t miss next year’s show!