It’s often said that it is difficult to beat a good team twice in the same season.
The Los Alamitos and San Clemente football teams are about to find out if that is true.
They play each other Saturday in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 championship game at San Clemente High.
They met for the first time this season on Oct. 24 and San Clemente beat Los Alamitos 28-9 on Oct. 24 in an Alpha League game at San Clemente High.
Los Alamitos went into that game 8-0. San Clemente was 4-4 and the underdogs in the matchup.
“We’re never picked to win,” Tritons senior right tackle Scotty Johnson said this week. “Everyone picked us to lose to Beaumont in the first round of the playoffs, and to lose big. In our locker room before games we have copies posted on the wall about who picked us to lose.”
San Clemente coach Jaime Ortiz expects Los Alamitos to bring its best to Saturday night’s rematch.
“That’s a class program,” Ortiz said. “They have class kids and they play hard, just like we do. I think they’ve improved immensely and I think we’ve improved immensely, too.”
Los Alamitos coach Ray Fenton said the Griffins will have at least one edge Saturday: revenge.
“When you lose it gives you an advantage,” Fenton said. “It’s all about your mindset. It’s that simple.”
Another Los Alamitos advantage could be that the best player in the game might be wearing a Griffins uniform: senior star Lenny Ibarra.
Ibarra (5-11, 190) has a team-high 40 receptions for 599 yards and six touchdowns. His 980 rushing yards is second on the team and he has 18 rushing touchdowns.
He also leads the team in total tackles with 112, has three interceptions, is 13 of 15 on extra-point kicks, averages 40 yards a punt and leads the team in kickoff and punt return yardage.
Ibarra, who has committed to Army, has impressed everyone, including his teammates.
“Every time we get off the field and he’s done something great again,” Griffins senior offensive guard Braiden McKenna said. “I tell him, ‘You’re a dog, bro. Great stuff. You’re a dog.’”
San Clemente has its share of outstanding players, too.
Senior running back Carson Sloan has rushed for 1,010 yards and 11 touchdowns. Junior receiver Jaxson Rex has 59 receptions for 789 yards and 10 touchdowns and three interceptions on defense. Senior linebacker Patrick Norman has a team-high 103 total tackles and senior defensive lineman Joshua Kerst has 10.5 sacks.
McKenna feels good about the Griffins’ chances to beat the Tritons this time.
“Even though we lost the first time we played San Clemente I’m a lot more confident going into this game,” McKenna said. “We kind of beat ourselves. We know we can pull this off.”