SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : DIVISION III : Esperanza Holds Off Stubborn Villa Park

Esperanza came up with the big defensive plays when they were needed the most and beat back a determined Villa Park challenge to win, 12-0, Friday night in the second round of the Division III playoffs at El Modena High School.

The Aztecs (12-0) won their 26th consecutive game and will meet Schurr (10-2), a 28-14 winner over Loara Friday, in next week’s semifinals.

Villa Park (8-4), which was the last team to defeat the Aztecs (in the 1989 playoffs), might have deserved a better fate. The Spartans matched the Aztecs with hard hitting the entire game and twice threatened to score. But Esperanza’s defense, led by Travis Kirschke, Scott Beckett and Matt Stewart, came up with the key plays to preserve the victory.

Esperanza took a 6-0 lead with 5:14 to play in the first quarter on Marcus Tayui’ 20-yard run, but the snap from center was mishandled on the conversion, and James Wren kicked the ball into the Villa Park line.

Villa Park’s defense, led by Jason Braun, Grant Pearsall and Jim Wilson, then held the Aztecs until shortly before the half. But Esperanza quarterback Josh Buscaglio, who had missed six consecutive passes, found Jason Long wide open for a 59-yard touchdown pass with seven seconds left.

Villa Park drove to first and goal on the Aztec four late in the third quarter, mostly on a 46-yard pass from quarterback A.J. Strapp to Braun, but Spartan running back Brian Tsui was thrown for losses of one yard by Kirschke and four by Kirschke and Beckett to halt the drive.

The Spartans also had first and 10 on the Aztec 13 in the fourth quarter, but Beckett stopped Strapp at the five on fourth down.