Griffins Fall Short in Season Opener, Lose to Inglewood 20-7

Los Alamitos opened its season on a night built for celebration, but the Griffins couldn’t quite turn the energy into a win, falling to Inglewood 20-7 in a “Yeehaw USA”-themed opener that packed the stands with students, staff, and future Griffins from across the district.

The atmosphere set the tone well before kickoff. Los Alamitos hosted its first annual Teacher Tailgate, drawing staff and administrators from across the district for food and pregame festivities, while the stands filled with students dressed in red, white and blue for the western-and-USA mashup theme. The night also doubled as Future Griffin Night, with kids from all six district elementary schools and both middle schools on hand to watch, along with local Pop Warner athletes serving as ball boys on the sidelines. The band, cheer team, and color guard delivered a full halftime show to keep the energy up regardless of the scoreboard.

On the field, Inglewood controlled the game early. They scored in the first quarter but missed the extra point, then added a second touchdown with 1:06 left in the half — also missing on their conversion attempt — to take a 12-0 lead into the break. Los Alamitos’ defense kept the game within reach through the first half despite the deficit.

Inglewood extended the lead out of halftime, converting a two-point attempt after their third touchdown to make it 20-0. The Griffins’ defense answered in the third quarter with the game’s biggest turnover, as senior captain Leo Swietlikowski — playing both receiver and defensive back — hauled in an interception to give the offense a spark.

Los Alamitos cashed in during the fourth quarter, with quarterback Correa Zach finding Caeson Miller for a touchdown, followed by a successful one-point conversion to cut the deficit to 20-7. The Griffins couldn’t complete the comeback from there, and Inglewood closed out the win. The fourth quarter also saw a lengthy stoppage after an Inglewood player was injured and taken off the field by ambulance.

Los Alamitos will look to bounce back on the road against Huntington Beach on Thursday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m.