PREP FOOTBALL : Empire League : Winning and Losing Are Secondary as Loara Dedicates Game to Dear

The Esperanza High School football team’s 23-0 victory against Loara at Glover Stadium Thursday was a very happy event for the Aztecs. It means the Aztecs stand a good chance of extending Coach Pete Yoder’s string of consecutive CIF Southern Section playoff appearances, which is at 10.

For Loara, it was a sad night. But the team’s emotions went far beyond the result of their final 1985 Empire League football game.

The Saxons (4-3, 7-3) had dedicated the game to assistant coach Gib Dear, who has worked with Coach Herb Hill since they were assistants at Garden Grove 1954. He accompanied his friend to Rancho Alamitos in 1956, and later helped make Hill’s program at Loara one of the classiest in the county.

Dear, the coach in charge of the Saxon backs, learned last week that a cancer in his lung had spread to his brain. On Thursday, Glover Stadium was decked out in banners that expressed the school’s love for a member of Loara’s original coaching staff 24 years ago.

“You’re the Best, Coach Dear,” one poster in the Loara end zone said.

The team wore small insignias on their jerseys, just above the heart, that said simply, “Gib.” Yet Hill said he warned the team that there could be no miracles, only the results they earned. And Thursday, for whatever reason, the Saxons could not succeed in producing an upset against the bigger Aztecs.

Esperanza’s record (5-2, 5-5) reached the .500 point for the first time this season after the Aztecs were able to exploit a number of Loara errors. The game began inauspiciously for the Saxons when quarterback Wade Clester threw four perfect passes that could have netted a total of 80 yards, only to have two dropped by receivers and two called back on illegal motion penalties.

It never got much better for them. The Aztecs scored their first touchdown less than a minute into the second quarter after a 75-yard drive. It was highlighted by a 37-yard pass to John Ledesma from quarterback Greg Beckman, who finished with 8 completions in 16 attempts for 132 yards. Tailback Mike Miscione (20 carries for 90 yards) scored on a six-yard pass from Beckman, tumbling over the tackle of linebacker Chris Wright.

The Aztecs got a source of inspiration when Rich Poole ran back a Clester punt from the 22-yard line later in the second quarter. Twice it appeared that Poole had been dragged down, but he emerged from the crowd as if by reincarnation, and fled nearly the length of the field for a dramatic touchdown. An Aztec made a good block on Clester, the last Saxon with a hope of preventing the big play.

After that, it seemed like big play night for Esperanza, as Loara would defend well on most running plays, only to fall vulnerable to an occasional big draw play or long pass. And when Loara had a chance to at least break onto the scoreboard in the second quarter on Clester’s attempted 35-yard field goal, Esperanza’s Bob Entrican and Don Herrick blocked it.

It was 12-0 and getting colder for Loara by halftime. But on the Aztec side, several coaches wore shorts--as if it were summer.

The opening of the fourth quarter saw two Saxons hurt seriously enough to require a trip to the hospital. One was tackle Steve Thompson, who injured his neck on a tackle of Miscione and had to be removed from the field on a litter. The second was Clester, who hurt his right ankle while playing defense.

When both of the Saxons’ best offensive players, Wright and Andy Janney, lost fumbles in the fourth quarter, the Aztecs were quick to capitalize with a Lee Malcolm touchdown and a 28-yard field goal by Brian Aube.

“This is a good team,” Yoder insisted. “I’ve said that all along. This team ought to be going to the playoffs. Right now, we’re one of the top teams in the county.

“We’ve had a lot of adversity, the way our (nonleague) schedule was and having Miscione injured and losing some close games that came down to the wire. But the kids bounced back and right now, we can play with anybody.”

Esperanza has never missed the playoffs since Yoder’s first year there. What would the playoffs be like without the Aztecs?

“It just wouldn’t be right,” Yoder said.

The Aztecs will finish third if Los Alamitos beats El Dorado tonight. If El Dorado wins, it earns second place, dropping Los Alamitos to third and leaving a wild-card berth as the only hope for the Aztecs. Esp--Miscione 6 pass from Beckman (kick failed)

Esp--Poole 78 punt return (pass failed)

Esp--Malcolm 3 run (Klisura pass from Beckman)

Esp--FG Aube 28

Attendance--1,600