Inglewood Starts Fast, but Los Alamitos Storms Back to Win Opener (2025)

Inglewood – Caroline Coleman Stadium (IHS)

Inglewood looked to be in control early, but Los Alamitos rallied in the second half to secure a 20-12 victory in the season opener Friday night at Caroline Coleman Stadium.

The Sentinels jumped ahead behind sophomore quarterback Lincoln Jahn, a transfer from Oaks Christian who was cleared to play just before kickoff. Jahn made the most of the opportunity, throwing two touchdown passes in the second quarter to wide receiver Donovin Randolph. The first score came on a 9-yard connection, and minutes later the two linked up again on a 31-yard strike. Both extra point attempts were missed, but Inglewood still carried a 12-0 advantage midway through the quarter.

Los Alamitos answered right before halftime when quarterback Colin Creason found Beckham Hofland on a 9-yard touchdown pass, trimming the deficit to 12-6 and giving the Griffins momentum heading into the break.

The tide turned after halftime. Inglewood’s offense, so sharp in the second quarter, stalled out in the third. The Sentinels came up short on consecutive fourth-down attempts and then fumbled away their next possession. Los Alamitos capitalized, taking the lead on a 15-yard touchdown run by Kamden Tillis. The extra point attempt was no good, but the Griffins had their first lead of the night, 13-12.

In the fourth quarter, Los Alamitos’ special teams delivered a huge play, blocking a punt deep in Inglewood territory. That set up Lenny Ibarra’s 2-yard touchdown run, extending the Griffins’ lead to 20-12.

Inglewood still had a chance late, driving inside the Los Alamitos 20 in the final minutes. But the drive ended with an incomplete pass as time expired, sealing the win for the Griffins.

“Our defense came through all night against a very fast football team,” Los Alamitos head coach Ray Fenton said. “All that hard work in the summer paid off because we were able to come through in the second half.”

For Inglewood, Jahn’s debut provided flashes of promise, but head coach Mil’von James emphasized that his team has work to do. “We’re a very inexperienced team,” James said. “We have to navigate through it and figure out a way to pull out these victories.”