GARDEN GROVE — Alexis Marcelo-Chamu stepped up in the absence of Los Amigos’ most dynamic playmaker, and the Lobos leaned on their potent ground game Thursday night to dominate visiting Estancia and move one step away from an anticipated showdown for the Omicron League title.

Marcelo-Chamu ran for 152 yards and four touchdowns, as Los Amigos rushed to a big, early lead, then cruised to a 28-14 victory at Michael A. Monsoor Memorial Stadium.

Los Amigos (7-1, 3-0 in the Omicron League), with star receiver Dennis Smith out through suspension, ran the ball on its first 18 plays to two first-quarter scores and to more success on the 88-yard, second-quarter march for what proved to be an insurmountable 21-0 edge.

“I don’t think we’ve done that,” Los Amigos coach Romel Guess said. “We’ve been coming out, throwing the ball ... trying to keep teams off balance. Last week, we came out throwing the crap out of it. This was a switcheroo to kind of keep them off balance. We figured they’d be prepping for [the pass]. So we’re going to switch gears a little bit and go heavy and try to run the ball down their throat. And, you know, here we are.”

The approach also fit the circumstances, with Santa Ana winds booming from the east — at Los Amigos’ back in the first quarter — and passes, from both sides, often fluttering through the air.

Estancia (1-7, 0-3) managed nothing on offense — just 24 yards, no first downs before halftime — and not nearly enough to halt the Lobos’ ground game when it was still a game. The Eagles found some footing in the second half, behind Luman Graham’s running and two big Kai Bargas-to-Carter Rodermund completions, to make it a two-touchdown deficit on each of their last two drives.

“We were in kind of a funk at first,” Estancia coach Mike Bargas said. “They were blowing us back and all that, and then we started to figure it out a little bit. But you can’t start to figure it out with a three-touchdown deficit.”

Los Amigos shares the Omicron lead with University (5-3, 3-0), a 27-14 winner Thursday over Garden Grove, and a win next week over Santa Ana (1-6, 0-2) could set up a decisive Oct. 30 clash in Irvine. The Trojans play next week at Buena Park (1-6, 1-1).

“I’m never a guy to look ahead,” Guess said. “That situation is going to play out the way it’s supposed to play out. All our attention goes to Santa Ana ... That’s our rival, across the [Fountain Valley-Santa Ana] border. And we’ll figure out what happens when we get to Uni week.”

The Lobos have won three league championships, two of them shared, in Guess’ first five seasons. Another would be nice, but it’s a low bar, Trell Smith said.

“We’re expected to win this league,” said the junior quarterback, who ran for 49 yards and threw for 131 yards — most of that on a 73-yard sideline screen pass to Avery Wells that led to nothing — to move within 13 of 1,000 passing yards this year and 67 of 2,000 over two seasons. “This league is, honestly, I wouldn’t say not to the best, but they’re just not playing that well against us, and for good reason. We play so well and we execute what we have to do against them.

“In my perspective, I’m not really caring for a league [title]. I’m just trying to get this team ready for [CIF Southern Section] playoffs, myself included.”

His brother, who has four 100-yard-plus rushing or receiving performances and 11 touchdowns, was out after taking two unsportsmanlike penalties, one the Lobos believed to be errant, in last week’s 21-0 win over Buena Park. Marcelo-Chamu took on the load and went past 100 yards for the fourth time this season, with gains of 16, 15, 16 and 24 yards leading to his touchdowns, the last between Estancia’s scores.

“Coming into this game [without Dennis Smith], I felt like I had to be the one to step up and take the charge and be score-maker and the play-maker ...” Marcelo-Chamu said. “I wanted to ball out, and my linemen, they’ve always picked me up. Before the game, they were, like, ‘You’re scoring first drive.’ And I believed it.

”I was aiming for three touchdowns, but I got four.”

Los Amigos, already with five injured starters, lost its defensive captain, middle linebacker Joshua Bermejo, with what looked to be a severe ankle injury midway through the first quarter. Josiah Sandoval stepped into a unit that surrendered just 54 yards through most of three quarters before giving way to reserves. Guess said Bermejo told him, “I think I’m good,” after the game.

Estancia lost do-everything senior Juan Silva — Eagles’ top receiver, safety, kicker and punter, and kick returner — and defensive end and tight end Nick Hulce to injuries. Mike Bargas said Silva’s shoulder injury could be serious.

“We’ll see what happens,” he said. “I’m always optimistic, but I think that maybe those guys will not be back next week, and we’ve got only one more week after that. So we’ll just have to lick our wounds and see what we’ve got.”

Omicron League

Los Amigos 28, Estancia 14

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Estancia 0 - 0 - 0 - 14 — 14

Los Amigos 14 - 7 - 0 - 7 — 28

FIRST QUARTER

LA — Marcelo-Chamu 15 run (Evaristo kick), 7:47.

LA — Marcelo-Chamu 1 run (Evaristo kick), 2:09.

SECOND QUARTER

LA — Marcelo-Chamu 4 run (Evaristo kick), 4:59.

THIRD QUARTER

None.

FOURTH QUARTER

E — Rodermund 28 pass from Bargas (kick failed), 10:58.

LA — Marcelo-Chamu 3 run (Evaristo kick), 4:50.

E — Bargas 4 run (Wright pass from Bargas), 0:39.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

E — Graham, 16-91; Burciaga, 5-19; Bargas, 1-4, 1 TD; Orihuella, 1-(-1); Team, 1-(-12).

LA — Marcelo-Chamu, 20-152, 4 TDs; T. Smith, 10-49; Flores, 7-40; Wells, 1-0; Team, 1-3.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

E — Bargas, 5-14-0, 81, 1 TD.

LA — T. Smith, 7-16-0, 131.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

E — Rodermund, 2-52, 1 TD; E. Rodriguez, 2-21; Graham, 1-8.

LA — Wells, 3-80; Flores, 2-18; Marcelo-Chamu, 1-27; Velez 1-4.