Loyola No Match for Los Alamitos

Los Alamitos High receiver Bradley Mandas caught two touchdown passes to lead the second-seeded Griffins past Loyola, 31-7, Saturday night in a Southern Section Division I semifinal at Edison Field.

Los Alamitos (12-0-1) will make its first appearance in a Division I championship game when it plays Santa Ana Mater Dei next Saturday at Edison Field.

Mandas’ second touchdown reception of the game, on a 40-yard pass from quarterback Jeff Kline midway through the third quarter, gave the Griffins a commanding 21-7 lead.

Mandas finished with three catches for 74 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter that helped put Los Alamitos ahead, 7-0.

C.J. Wellinger scored the only touchdown for Loyola (9-4) when he hauled in a 10-yard pass from Scott Deke with 39 seconds left in the first half.

Randy Estes scored on a four-yard touchdown and gained all 63 of his rushing yards in the second half for Los Alamitos, which had never reached a Division I title game until now despite five semifinal appearances.

-- Ben Bolch