Griffins Strong in Opener : Prep football: Los Alamitos rolls to 48-0 victory over L.A. Washington.

The final score was impressive. The individual statistics of several players also were impressive.

But after Los Alamitos trounced Los Angeles Washington, 48-0, in a season-opener for both teams Thursday night at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach, the people least impressed were the Griffins.

“This is just step No. 1,” said running back Damon Johnson, who rushed for 165 yards and two touchdowns in 20 carries. “We still have a lot of learning to do. We were a little nervous, but we went out and did what we were coached to do.”

First-year starting quarterback Mike Sanford completed 12 of 20 passes for 153 yards and three touchdowns. He acknowledged that it wasn’t a typical Los Alamitos passing performance, but Sanford was relieved to get the first victory.

“It’s good to get it under your belt,” the senior said. “I was a little jittered up coming into this, but that happens. We’re going to be a better team than people think.”

Receiver Steve Shinen and kicker Chris Kluwe also had impressive numbers. Shinen caught eight passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Kluwe, a senior who has already committed to UCLA, kicked five of his seven kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks and had two punts that totaled 90 yards.

Los Alamitos Coach John Barnes didn’t dismiss the importance of a victory by a team that has 21 new starters.

“It’s very important to start this way with an inexperienced young bunch,” Barnes said. “Winning a game makes them believers.”

It didn’t start pretty for the Griffins. Sanford threw an incomplete pass on his first attempt and his second was tipped in the air and intercepted by Andre Smith.

But Los Alamitos regrouped, forcing and recovering a fumble two plays later.

The Griffins turned it in to a seven-play, 61-yard drive, capped by Johnson’s first touchdown, a three-yard sweep to the left.

Johnson capped the next Los Alamitos drive with an 11-yard run up the middle and set up the third Griffin score by rushing three times for 45 yards in a four-play, 63-yard drive. Sanford connected with Shinen to complete the drive and give their team a 21-0 lead with 11:44 left in the first half.