High School Football Preview: Despite youthful roster, Los Amigos has big plans for 2017

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Los Amigos High quarterback Brandon Tinoco throws the ball during practice on Monday in Fountain Valley. (Kevin Chang/ Daily Pilot) (Kevin Chang/ Daily Pilot)

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Los Amigos High’s Brian Pacheco carries the ball during practice on Monday in Fountain Valley. (Kevin Chang/ Daily Pilot) (Kevin Chang/ Daily Pilot)

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Los Amigos High’s Saul Robles, right, makes a catch during practice on Monday in Fountain Valley. (Kevin Chang/ Daily Pilot) (Kevin Chang/ Daily Pilot)

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Los Amigos High’s Joseph Garcia, right, goes through a play during practice on Monday in Fountain Valley. (Kevin Chang/ Daily Pilot) (Kevin Chang/ Daily Pilot)

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Los Amigos High coach Carl Agnew instructs his players during practice on Monday in Fountain Valley. (Kevin Chang/ Daily Pilot) (Kevin Chang/ Daily Pilot)

By Teran Rodriguez

Aug. 24, 2017 8 AM PT

It’s been a while since Los Amigos High’s football program advanced past the first round of the CIF Southern Section playoffs. The Lobos last accomplished the feat in 2014, but despite a youthful 2017 roster, Los Amigos is eyeing a deep playoff run.

According to Los Amigos coach Carl Agnew, the Lobos are projected to start at least nine sophomores this year. Agnew, who is entering his 10th season as head coach, said that this is only the second time he’s dealt with such a youthful roster. Despite the inexperience, Agnew is a believer in his squad.

“We’re excited. It’s a very exciting group,” Agnew said. “We’re really talented, really skilled and [much] faster this year than we’ve been in the last two seasons. I think we can make a deep run if we just stay healthy.”

On top of having a young team, the Lobos — who last reached the CIF semifinals in 2003 — will need to replace Steven Hernandez, last year’s Garden Grove League Offensive Player of the Year. Replacing Hernandez will be sophomores Brandon Pacheco and Joseph Garcia. Agnew thinks that Pacheco will develop into one of the best ball carriers in Orange County.

Junior Brandon Tinoco will be the starting quarterback for the Lobos. Tinoco said that this year’s team won’t be just a one-man show like it was with Hernandez last year.

“Last year all the load was on Steven Hernandez. The load won’t be on just one player,” Tinoco said.

Last year, Los Amigos went 6-5 and 3-2 in the Garden Grove League. The Lobos tied with La Quinta and Rancho Alamitos for second place, but were chosen as the third-place representative from the league to make the Division 12 playoffs, where they lost to second-seeded Rancho Mirage 42-8.

“You’ve got to win to get in. With the new [CIF] playoff system, any loss is bad, so you don’t want to lose too many,” Agnew said.

The Lobos return just two players on offense and possibly two players on defense. Pacheco said the Lobos are small in terms of size, but they won’t be using that as an excuse when the regular season begins.

“We’re going to take it game [to] game,” said the sophomore playmaker. “It’s going to take hard work, effort and not giving up on the field.”

Competing for the league title will be a challenge for the Lobos, especially when facing league juggernaut Garden Grove. No team has had an answer for the Argonauts, who haven’t lost a league game since 2011.

“They’re all going to be tough,” Agnew said. “The big thing is, most of them have a lot of returning players. We’ve got to out-coach teams at times, we’ve got to out-physical teams at times and then we’ve just got to be better than teams at times.”