Los Al began 1999 with only two returning starters, but one of them was middle linebacker Paul Publico, the Sunset League Defensive Player of the Year, and an All-County, All-CIF performer.  One of the new starters was running back Damon Johnson who would be the Sunset League Back of the Year.  After three impressive wins, the Griffins moved back to #1 in Orange County, and cemented that with a 28-0 win over St. John Bosco in front of a Fox Sports television audience.  The start of Sunset League play saw Los Al down to rival Esperanza 10-7 with 1 minute 30 seconds to play. 

Four straight completions by Mike Sanford, the last a 17-yard fade to a diving Jerry Wenze in the left corner of the end zone, gave the Griffins an electrifying 14-10 victory. 

In a wild, high-scoring game, Los Al outlasted Edison 44-36 as Johnson turned in a 274-yard, 5-touchdown performance.  The only loss of the regular season was a 34-27 setback to Fountain Valley, the Griffins’ only loss to the Barons this decade. Seeded fourth in the playoffs, Los Al showed why with a 28-0 victory over Lakewood, to set up a match against Del Rey champs Loyola in what would be one of the all-time highlights of Griffin football history.

After a late Loyola field goal, Los Al found itself down 17-14 on their own 46 with the clock under ten seconds and running.  Sanford, who completed 25 of 37 passes that night for 246 yards, looked to the flat and hit Wenze who managed to get to the 43-yard line before stepping out to stop the clock. 

This set the stage for All-American kicker and punter Chris Kluwe, who calmly endured two Loyola timeouts, then kicked an Orange County record 60-yard field goal to send the game into overtime.  Then behind 23-16, the Griffins tied the game 23-23 with a Sanford-to-Nick Fitzgerald 5-yard pass, and then on the first play of the second overtime, Sanford hit junior Tony Holder for a 25-yard touchdown.  The Griffins won with Matt Abrams’ sack of the Loyola quarterback on a fourth and goal.

In a somewhat anticlimactic CIF semi-final 9,000 fans at Veterans’ Stadium saw the Griffins go down in defeat to Long Beach Poly 35-9.   The loss however couldn’t diminish the Griffins’ 11-win season to top off an incredible decade – an incredible 109 wins in the 90’s.