“It was something we knew we had to get done,” number 14, Makai Lemon said after the game. Despite hearing chants of “Overrated!” and “F*ck Los Al!” from Newport’s student section throughout the game, both Los Al’s defense and offense played efficiently, scoring a touchdown in the first 27 seconds of the game.

Micheal Henderson, senior, talks about the importance of school pride even if the student section was less crowded than expected due to the game not being on the home field.

“If I can make a kid smile at a [football game], then I’m happy,” Henderson said. Even though there were fewer students present than typical, over 250 came to support the team as the temperature dropped and the wind picked up.

The Griffins currently have a .8 season, losing just two games overall to American Heritage (27-56) and Basha High School (33-28). T.J. Fenton, the head coach, has begun to place a higher priority on enhancing drive and expanding “Pick 6″ tactics in an effort to intercept the ball and reduce unnecessary player contact.

Despite standout performances by Malachi Nelson, number 7, and Lemon, number four, Damian Henderson, has begun to step up and scored a slew of touchdowns throughout the four quarters. Likewise, T.A. Cunningham, number 99, made his season debut after recovering from a serious injury. The 6’6”, 270-pound defensive end possesses the exceptional ability to stop almost every opponent on the team.

“Both are honestly forces to be reckoned with,” Nelson said. However, the team’s unwillingness to halt rushes is still a major concern. Opponents have started to take advantage of this and recycle similar plays that the coach is aware Los Al cannot stop, especially over the 2022–2023 season.
“It’s just something we gotta work on,” Nelson said. With the team ranked seventh in California and 45th overall, all eyes are on Los Al to see how the rest of the season pan outs and, most importantly, who will succeed Nelson and Lemon following their graduation this year.

Next week’s game will be against Corona del Mar on Thursday at 7:00 pm. More information can be found here.