Los Amigos loses to Santiago 42-27

Following Thursday’s double-digit loss that eliminated any chance at a CIF Southern Section Division 12 playoff appearance, the Los Amigos High football team finds itself with ample reason for optimism.

The Lobos, who rely heavily on underclassmen, went toe-to-toe for almost 3½ quarters with a senior-laden Santiago squad at Garden Grove High.

Los Amigos junior quarterback Brandon Tinoco delivered one of the best performances of his first varsity season, and sophomore workhorse back Brian Pacheco eclipsed the century mark on the ground while rushing for three touchdowns.

Silver linings or not, though, host Los Amigos is not looking for excuses following a 42-27 loss to its Garden Grove League rival.

The Lobos (2-7, 1-3 in league) will miss the postseason for the first time since 2010.

“We’re a young team, but that’s no excuse in Week 9,” Tinoco said. “I give credit to my offensive line. I didn’t get sacked once. But as a team we have to forget about this one, pull together and try to get a win against La Quinta next week.”

Tinoco completed 21 of 35 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown, with his only mental lapse coming on a fourth-quarter interception with the game out of reach. His top target was Christian Santana, who had seven catches for 112 yards and one touchdown.

Pacheco complimented his quarterback’s effort by rushing 27 times for 121 yards, but it was not enough to overcome the all-around performance by Santiago’s De Mondray Purnell.

Santiago rode a monster night from Purnell to keep its Division 13 playoff hopes alive and beat Los Amigos for the first time in eight years. It took merely seconds for the senior wide receiver to make his impact felt, taking an end-around 70 yards to the house untouched on the first play from scrimmage.

“It was exciting, my first rushing touchdown,” Purnell said. “Once I got to the middle of the field and started pulling away, I was like, ‘Ah, it’s going to be a good game.’”

A good game would be an understatement.

Los Amigos never found an answer for the versatile speedster, who would account for all of Santiago’s three first-half touchdowns. In doing so, Purnell accomplished the rare feat of rushing for a touchdown, catching a touchdown and returning a kickoff for a touchdown in the same game.

His other two scores would come via a 91-yard kickoff return and a 44-yard pass from senior quarterback Angel Tajimaroa. Purnell finished with five receptions for 105 yards.

Although the Cavaliers held the lead from the opening seconds to the final snap, the game was a back-and-forth contest that, barring a trio of big plays from Purnell, easily could have been decided by the final possession.

Santiago running back Dylan Ourng had 17 carries for 146 and two touchdowns.

Eliminated from playoff contention, Los Amigos coach Carl Agnew suggested that he will probably sit some of his seniors for next week’s regular-season season finale against La Quinta in order to receive a better look at his underclassmen, some of which put the program’s bright future on display on Thursday.

“We have 18 sophomores on our team, and 14 have started for us,” Agnew said. “We had to rely on a lot of them tonight again. That’s a senior-heavy team, and when you can compete with seniors, you know something special is coming. It’s definitely a teachable moment. We have 95 percent of this team coming back next year. We’re excited to look ahead toward the future.”

*

Santiago 42, Los Amigos 27

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Santiago 14 – 6 – 8 – 14 — 42

Los Amigos 7 – 7 – 0 – 13 — 27

FIRST QUARTER

S – Purnell 70 run (Alvarez kick), 11:39.

LA – Santana 15 pass from Tinoco (Escalante kick), :20.

S – Purnell 91 kickoff return (Alvarez kick), :07.

SECOND QUARTER

LA – Pacheco 1 run (Escalante kick), 3:39.

S – Purnell 44 pass from Tajimaroa (kick failed) :32.

THIRD QUARTER

S – Ourng 1 run (Ourng run), 2:41.

FOURTH QUARTER

LA – Pacheco 1 run (Escalante kick), 11:57.

S – Ourng 5 run (Alvarez kick), 7:30.

S – Hernandez 1 run (Alvarez kick), 2:49.

LA – Pacheco 3 run (pass failed), :02.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

S — Ourng, 17-146, 2 TDs.

LA — Pacheco, 27-121, 3 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

S — Tajimaroa, 8-14-0, 139, 1 TD.

LA — Tinoco, 21-35-1, 223, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

S – Purnell, 5-105, 1 TD.

LA – Santana, 7-112, 1 TD.

JOSH CRISWELL is a contributor to Times Community News. Follow him on Twitter: @joshccriswell