GARDEN GROVE — Former Garden Grove League foes Los Amigos and Santiago kept their rivalry alive in nonleague play to begin the 2024 season.
Los Amigos started this season the same way it ended last year’s regular season by defeating Santiago, this time 46-7 on Thursday night at Garden Grove High.
The Lobos (1-0) were led by running backs Raul Cruz (nine carries, 89 yards) and Isaac Galindo (10 carries, 86 yards), who combined for five rushing touchdowns
Los Amigos also received an important contribution from senior wide receiver Chris Flores, who hauled in six catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.
“I commend all of our seniors, because we’re senior-heavy,” Lobos coach Melo Guess said. “Chris Flores is a big part of our offense and what we want to do. I expected him to have a big game, I expected all those dudes to have big games because that’s the expectation here.”
The Lobos scored four touchdowns in the opening 12 minutes. Cruz opened the scoring with a 33-yard run, Isaac Galindo added a pair of rushing TDs and Chris Flores added a 3-yard catch for a score
Santiago (0-1), which this year will be in the new Tango League, began the game with an onside kick that Los Amigos, now in the Sigma League, recovered after a fortunate bounce at their 43.
Cruz ended that drive by breaking loose near the left sideline and taking it in for a score.
The Cavaliers answered back when Ozzy Granados avoided a tackle in the backfield before racing up the sideline for a 54-yard TD run to tie the score 7-7.
Granados suffered an injury in the Cavaliers’ last drive of the first quarter and did not return.
Santiago head coach Doug Ozsvath said was too soon to tell if Granados or others will miss any upcoming games.
“Ozzy’s an explosive kid, and it was no surprise to see him break off that run,” Ozsvath said. “He’s got a lot of speed and when we lost him it was tough, but we’re better than what the scoreboard showed right there.”
On the Lobos next possession, Flores’ 34-yard reception helped set up Galindo’s first TD run of the night. Galindo scored again from 5 yards out with 3:18 left in the quarter.
Santiago lined up to punt on the previous play and a high snap went over the head of Cavaliers punter Sebastian Luna. He had to fall on the loose ball on the 5-yard line, and that set up the Lobos for an easy score.
Flores added to his huge stat line near the end of the first quarter by hauling in a 41-yard catch while being double-teamed. Jayvin Le connected with Flores on the next play for a 3-yard TD pass that made it 26-7.
Guess also had some praise for Le, his new starting quarterback.
“He came out and made some plays,” Guess said. “He was effective on the ground, he made some big throws and he did what we asked of him tonight.”
“Los Amigos looked really good, they were executing in every phase of the game, offense, defense and special teams,” Ozsvath said. “We just gotta dust ourselves off. We got 24 hours to be sad about it and then it’s time for us to start focusing on Westminster.”
Galindo added his third TD of the night in the fourth quarter and Hector Arroyo also ran one in for the Lobos.
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