ORANGE COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL : Empire League : Miscione Leads Esperanza Past Kennedy, 46-0

Tailback Mike Miscione scored three second-half touchdowns Friday night, one on a 55-yard run, leading Esperanza High School to a 46-0 Empire League victory over Kennedy in front of 1,250 in Bradford Stadium.

Miscione, who has scored 11 touchdowns in his last three games, had 239 yards in 29 carries against the Irish. He finished the regular season as Orange County’s leading rusher with 1,665 yards and 18 touchdowns in 241 carries.

The Aztecs (5-1-1 in league and 8-1-1 overall) finished third in the Empire and qualified for the Southern Conference playoffs which begin next week.

Kennedy (0-7, 0-10) had held the Aztecs scoreless before Malek Doulat scored on a one-yard run with 53 seconds left in the first half.

The Irish defense recovered three Esperanza fumbles deep in Kennedy territory to stop scoring threats in the first half.

Esperanza dominated the second half. Quarterback Mike Moneymaker connected with Don Herrick for a 76-yard touchdown on the third play of the third quarter. Herrick, who finished with 2 catches for 105 yards, had a 59-yard touchdown reception called back in the first half.

The Aztecs did not allow Kennedy to get past its own 38-yard line in the second half.

John Christensen, the Irish’s leading rusher this season, was held to negative yardage by the Aztecs. David Kemp led Kennedy with 19 yards in 5 carries.