Esperanza Gets Rolling at the Half : Football: Tayui scores four times in 50-14 victory over Santa Monica.

Esperanza’s defense of its Southern Section Division III football championship started a little shaky Friday night. But the Aztecs were back on cruise control by the second half.

Wingback Marcus Tayui ran for four touchdowns as top-seeded Esperanza pulled away in the second half for a 50-14 victory over unseeded Santa Monica in a Division III first-round game at Brea-Olinda High School.

In doing so, the Aztecs (11-0) advanced to the second round against Villa Park and extended their section-leading winning streak to 25 games dating back to last season.

The streak seemed somewhat in danger midway through the first half, with Santa Monica (5-5-1) rallying from a 14-0 deficit to tie it, 14-14, in the second quarter.

But Esperanza--sparked by three second-half interceptions, including a 31-yard return for a touchdown by Jeff Swanson on the first play of the fourth quarter--scored 36 unanswered points.

“Even though it was our second year in the playoffs,” Tayui said, “I think we were a little scared out there in the first half.

“Santa Monica was talking like crazy out there, and that scared us. But I think we used it to our advantage in the end.”

Tayui, who scored on a 15-yard run and three one-yard runs, finished with 55 yards rushing and halfback Jeff Gaeta ran for 104 as Esperanza rolled up 430 yards of total offense.

The Aztecs scored on their first two possessions. Gaeta scored on an eight-yard run and Tayui ran 15 yards for another touchdown as the Aztecs led, 14-0, with 2 minutes 36 seconds left in the first quarter.

Then Santa Monica quarterback Zack Nishimura and his quick receivers left Esperanza’s secondary standing still. Nishimura faked a handoff up the middle and threw to a wide-open Cedric Meadows on the left sideline for a 57-yard touchdown that cut the deficit to 14-6 with 1:37 left in the first quarter.

Nishimura burned the Aztecs again in the second quarter. He threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Sheldon Philip-Guide, then threw to Philip-Guide again on a two-point conversion pass to tie the score at 14-14 with 5:54 left in the second quarter.

On the ensuing possession, Esperanza drove 65 yards in eight plays, capping the drive with a one-yard touchdown run by Tayui.