Empire League : Esperanza Falls for a Decoy : Los Alamitos Wins With Surprising Running Attack

The Empire League race took another strange turn Friday as Los Alamitos beat Esperanza, 23-14, in Bradford Stadium at Placentia.

It was the way the Griffins (2-1, 5-1) won that really threw the favored Aztecs (1-1-1, 4-1-1) for a loop.

The Griffins, usually a passing team, rushed for 188 yards and 3 touchdowns against a normally tough Aztec defense.

Los Alamitos quarterback Mike Williamson, the county’s fifth-rated passer, completed just 4 of 12 passes for 38 yards and an interception.

But that didn’t hurt the Griffin offense because tailback Neil Sorensen was having his best game of the season.

He carried 24 times for 116 yards and touchdowns of 16 and 1 yard.

“They hadn’t run the ball on anybody all year and then they run it on us,” Aztec Coach Gary Meek said. “For some reason, we just weren’t very physical inside.”

And Sorensen wasn’t the only successful rusher for Los Alamitos. Fullback Mike Cole gained 66 yards in 13 attempts and scored a three-yard touchdown.

“Nobody has done this to Esperanza, nobody,” Barnes said. “This gives us a chance to make something of this season again. Otherwise, we would have just been fighting for a playoff spot.”

The Aztecs looked invincible during their first possession, moving easily from their 29 to the Griffin 20 in 15 plays. But tailback Mike Miscione had to scramble to recover a fumbled pitchout for a loss of eight yards on third down. Brian Aube’s 27-yard field goal missed.

“We knew Esperanza is very confident and they’re very fast starters,” Barnes said. “So I told our kids that we had to start quick. When they (the Aztecs) didn’t get that first one, it took their confidence down a little.”

The Griffins responded by moving 80 yards and taking a 3-0 lead on Dino Syrengelas’ 39-yard field goal with 37 seconds left in the first quarter.

After the Griffin defense stopped the Aztecs, Los Alamitos took a 10-0 lead on Sorensen’s 16-yard run and Syrengelas’ kick with 9:58 left in the half.

Esperanza scored both its touchdowns on dramatic pass plays. The first came 41 seconds before halftime when quarterback Mike Moneymaker, who completed 15 of 30 passes for 167 yards, combined with Clint Holt on a 71-yard play.

The Griffins scored again early in the third quarter. Aztec Doug Saunders fumbled the kickoff and the Griffins recovered at the Esperanza three-yard line. Cole scored from there and the Griffins held a 17-7 lead.

Esperanza scored one play later on a 59-yard pass from Moneymaker to Don Herrick, but the Aztecs’ next two chances withered in an onslaught of incomplete passes and penalties.

“What can I say? We didn’t play very well,” Meek said. “We moved the ball well, but we didn’t take the opportunity to score. We missed a couple passes and didn’t throw the ball real well at times.”

The Griffins were also effective in halting the Aztecs’ talented tailback, Mike Miscione, who had his least productive game of the season with 30 yards in 12 carries

“They’re such a good, physical, well-coached football team,” Barnes said. “I guess I’m just surprised at our own team. But it’s a good surprise. I think we were physically better than them tonight, and that’s something Los Alamitos has never been before.”

Cypress 57, Kennedy 14--Troy O’Leary and Blaise Bryant each scored three touchdowns in the Centurions’ victory in Handel Stadium.

O’Leary returned kickoffs of 90 and 50 yards and caught a 50-yard pass from David Brunet for a score. Bryant gained 193 yards in 13 carries and scored on runs of 1, 11 and 81 yards.

Cypress is 2-1, 4-2. Kennedy is 0-3, 0-6.

El Dorado 25, Katella 20 -- Junior Chris Nelson led the Golden Hawks, rushing for 259 yards in 25 carries and 2 touchdowns, in front of 450 at Glover Stadium in Anaheim.

El Dorado quarterback Doug Yates scored on a one-yard run and passed 35 yards to Rick Bowen for the Hawks’ (2-4, 2-1) other scores.

Knights’ quarterback Jeff Youngstone gained 99 yards in 12 carries, including a 28-yard scoring run in the first quarter. He also completed 8 of 13 passes for 164 yards and 2 scores--71 yards Ted Brown and 19 yards to Mike Farrell.

The Knights (2-3, 0-2) also got 86 yards in 20 carries from Todd Muzi.