EMPIRE LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Esperanza Manages to Hold Off El Dorado

Esperanza High School could never quite accomplish what it seemed bent on doing in an Empire League game against El Dorado Wednesday night.

The Aztecs tried, but failed to blow a 14-point lead, hanging on for a 67-58 victory at Esperanza.

After leading, 32-18, late in the second quarter, Esperanza let El Dorado come within, 34-28, early in the third quarter. Then after the Aztecs built the lead to 45-32 with 1:25 left in the third quarter, they watched the Golden Hawks trim it to 59-58 with 1:18 left to play.

But Esperanza made six of eight free throws in the final minute to pull out the victory.

“That’s the character of this team,” Esperanza Coach Mark Hill said. “Last year, they would have fallen apart. We’ve been able to bounce back this year.”

For Esperanza (13-9 overall, 5-1 in league), Seth Romans scored a game-high 20 points, Walter Forcatto had 19 and Joe Foss added 16.

Esperanza’s collapsing, two-three zone held El Dorado’s Jerome Facione to 13 points, six below his average.

Mike Bradach had 19 points, 13 in the second half, to lead El Dorado (11-9, 2-4).