Los Alamitos Beats San Clemente 28-27 in a Last Second Thriller (2024)

Long Beach – Veterans Stadium

The Los Alamitos Griffins secured a dramatic 28-27 victory over the San Clemente Tritons on Thursday night at Veterans Stadium, thanks to a last-second blocked extra point by Johnny Howze. With playoff hopes on the line, both teams fought down to the wire in a high-stakes Alpha League matchup.

The No. 11 Griffins (5-4, 1-1) took the lead with just 34 seconds left on Lenny Ibarra’s third touchdown, pushing the score to 28-21. But the No. 10 Tritons (4-5, 0-2) weren’t finished, storming downfield on a hook-and-ladder play to bring them within reach of the end zone. San Clemente quarterback Jack Ferguson connected with Jaxson Rex for a touchdown with only 13 seconds left, making it 28-27 and setting up a potential game-tying extra point.

Howze broke through the Tritons’ line to block the extra point, securing the Griffins’ one-point win. “I got one hand on it,” said Howze, whose left hand was still stinging after the block. His effort was an example of a strong defensive night for Los Alamitos, which also included a second-quarter block on a 25-yard San Clemente field goal attempt.

Griffins head coach Ray Fenton praised his team’s resilience. “Both teams were coming in at 4-4, feeling like this was a playoff game. Both teams played crazy schedules… I was just glad to see our guys be gritty today.”

Los Alamitos will close their season against nationally top-ranked Mission Viejo next Friday, hoping to secure an automatic playoff seat. San Clemente, needing a win to improve their playoff chances, will take on Edison in their final game.