PREP FOOTBALL : Miscione, in a Night of Glory, Leads Esperanza

Esperanza High School’s Mike Miscione had just one all-encompassing observation to make after the Aztecs beat Riverside Poly, 28-12, Thursday in Placentia’s Bradford Stadium.

“It’s a return to glory,” Miscione said. “That’s our theme this year.”

Indeed, Miscione was in the center of the glory Thursday. The 6-foot 1-inch, 184-pound senior tailback rushed for 196 yards in 32 carries, scored 2 touchdowns and set up another with a 27-yard halfback option pass.

His accomplishments were all the sweeter in the context of the Aztecs’ frustrating losing season in 1985, their first since 1974, when the program was in its infancy. Miscione’s junior season took on a bitter quality after he stretched ligaments in his ankle in the second game, missed two games and hobbled through five more.

He was dazzling Thursday as the Aztecs (3-0) upset the fifth-ranked team in The Times’ Southern Section poll. Esperanza was ranked eighth in the Orange County prep poll this week but should ascend following their humbling of the Bears (1-2).

“I missed out on this game last year,” Miscione said, referring to a 21-7 victory by the Bears. “(But) we’re forgetting last season. This year, we’re going all the way.”

Aztec Coach Gary Meek said: “Mike never got to show what he could do last year because of his bad ankle. He’s a tough, tough guy. He’s one of the best running backs in Orange County, if not Southern California.”

Miscione was the only Aztec to carry the ball in the first half, apart from three sacks and one gain of 10 yards by quarterback Mike Moneymaker.

The Aztecs dominated Thursday’s statistics with 337 yards of total offense to Riverside Poly’s 144. Moneymaker, starting his third varsity game, maintained his effective style, completing 11 of 18 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted once, on his last pass of the game.

The Aztec defense held running back Kenny White to 49 yards in 9 carries, although Jason McQueen took over most of the responsibility for the rushing game and went on to gain 106 yards in 13 carries.

Both the Bears’ touchdowns came as a direct consequence of their success in blocking Kevin Webb’s punts. Meek said he knew of the Bears’ talents in that department, since they had already blocked three punts in their first two games.

“I was not happy with the blocked punts,” Meek said. “We’re going to have to work on our special teams.”

But he added that Esperanza accomplished a goal it was concerned about: scoring for the first time this season in the second half. In shutting out Marina, 17-0, and El Modena, 28-0, Esperanza failed to score after halftime.

But a pretty 29-yard pass from Moneymaker to Rick Lane in the third quarter broke that spell Thursday, and Miscione followed up with a 20-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Then Esperanza took revenge on the Bears’ special teams when Mark Brower blocked McQueen’s punt at the Aztec seven-yard line and Dean Sage recovered the ball to score.