The Los Altos Conquerors showed resilience, composure, and championship grit Friday night, rallying from a 14-point deficit to defeat the Diamond Bar Brahmas, 49-35, in a thrilling Hacienda League matchup. With the win, Los Altos (9-0, 4-0) clinched at least a share of the league title and can secure its first outright championship since 2016 with a victory over Walnut next week.
A Championship-Caliber Comeback
Diamond Bar (3-6, 3-1) came out firing on Senior Night and Homecoming, building an early 14-0 lead behind the energy of its crowd and a balanced offensive attack. The Brahmas struck first with a 71-yard scoring drive capped by a 3-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Ryan Manning to Jacob Smith. Moments later, running back Dominic Tortorelli added a one-yard touchdown plunge to extend the lead.
Diamond Bar on their second consecutive possession, takes it in for the touchdown on third down and one Dominic Tortorelli pushing his way into the end zone. The Brahmas lead Los Altos 14-0 with 3:37 left in the 1st qtr. @chchampsports@PeteMarshallLaw@latsondheimer… pic.twitter.com/8xoSqTtgce
Los Altos responded early in the second quarter when quarterback Diego Castillo scrambled for a 26-yard touchdown run on fourth down. On the Conquerors’ next drive, Castillo converted another fourth down, finding Benjamin Cortez in the end zone from 21 yards out to tie the game, 14-14.
Diamond Bar regained the lead late in the first half when Manning rolled right and launched a 35-yard touchdown strike to Zein Abdelaziz, putting the Brahmas ahead 21-14 at the break.
The back-and-forth battle continued as both offenses traded scores throughout the third quarter. Tortorelli’s 134 rushing yards and two touchdowns kept Diamond Bar in control, while Castillo’s dual-threat performance helped Los Altos keep pace. The senior signal-caller finished with 263 passing yards, three touchdown passes, and 89 rushing yards with two more scores.
Wide receiver Josiah Cortez was Castillo’s top target, hauling in five catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns, including an electrifying 80-yard catch down the right sideline that tied the game at 35-35 early in the fourth quarter.
Running back Evan Rojas delivered the go-ahead score on a 3-yard run with 6:36 left in the game, capping a 10-play, 88-yard drive that gave Los Altos its first lead of the night at 42-35.
After forcing a Diamond Bar punt, Los Altos appeared poised to run out the clock, but the Brahmas’ defense held firm and got the ball back with under a minute to play. Manning moved the offense to midfield before the Conquerors’ defense made the decisive play. Facing fourth-and-five with 21 seconds left, Manning’s pass under pressure was intercepted by Nicholas Castillo, who returned it 49 yards for a touchdown to seal the victory.
Los Altos head coach Dale Ziola praised both his team’s heart and Diamond Bar’s effort in what he called a “title fight.”
“It was everything a league championship game should be — a title fight! I am so proud of these kids,” Ziola said. “They jumped out to a 14-point lead, and we struggled early. But the kids had some real conversations at halftime and decided what kind of team they wanted to be.”
Ziola credited several standout performances, including Nate Sanchez’s key kick return, Daniel Blas’s perfect 7-for-7 performance on PATs, and the relentless defensive effort led by Marques Garcia, Adan Rodriguez, and Evan Rojas, whose late sack helped shift momentum. He also praised the offensive line for giving Castillo the time and space to make plays.
“This game is why we love high school football,” Ziola said. “It wasn’t just one guy — it was all of them coming together and playing for one another.”
Looking Ahead
Los Altos will look to complete a perfect regular season and capture the Hacienda League championship outright when it faces Walnut next week. Diamond Bar will travel to face Chino.
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