Putting a Lot on the Line : High school football: Esperanza, ranked No. 1 in the Southland, will face No. 8 Los Alamitos tonight. Both are Division II schools.

With an apparent shift in power in Southern Section football this season, tonight’s high school showdown between Anaheim Esperanza and Los Alamitos is for more than Orange Country bragging rights.

Each of the undefeated teams is out to prove that it is not only No. 1 in Division II but in the entire Southland. Esperanza has been No. 1 for the last month in The Times’ poll, which ranks the top 20 teams in the City and Southern sections.

The Aztecs replaced Rialto Eisenhower, a Division I team, after Eisenhower was held to a tie by El Toro on Oct. 2. Los Alamitos made its debut at No. 8 before the season and has moved up one spot since.

In previous years, the higher rankings have tended to go to Division I schools, which have bigger and more established programs. Not so this season. Besides Esperanza and Los Alamitos, Division II teams Pasadena Muir, Newhall Hart and Anaheim Servite are among The Times’ top 10 teams.

“We certainly think we’re playing as good as anyone,” said John Barnes, Los Alamitos’ coach. “If we beat Esperanza by a score of 28-7, what will happen to us in the poll? We think we should then be considered for No. 1. We coaches follow the rankings just like the reporters and fans do. We want to be up there.”

Not everyone agrees on the No. 1 team. Mark Tennis, editor of Cal-Hi Sports, which compiles weekly state rankings, ranks Division I Loyola as No. 1. He has Esperanza No. 3 and Los Alamitos No. 4.

“Unlike last year, it is really not clear cut who should be No. 1,” Tennis said. “Eisenhower was in the top spot most of last season and they deserved it. But there are several teams capable of laying that claim right now. A decisive victory by either Esperanza or Los Alamitos would certainly go a long way in my decision of picking a No. 1.”

Tonight’s game, which begins at 7:30 at Placentia Valencia High, has all the elements of a classic showdown. Each team is 7-0 overall and 2-0 in the Empire League. Los Alamitos defeated Esperanza in last year’s Division III championship game, 8-0, ending the Aztecs’ 27-game winning streak. The Griffins have won 14 in a row.

Esperanza, which has outscored its opponents, 268-17, features a stingy defense that has recorded five shutouts.

Los Alamitos, noted for its passing attack, has outscored its opponents, 249-43, and has not given up a point in its last four games. The Griffins are coming off a 41-0 victory over Placentia El Dorado, which won all six of its previous games.

The game features several marquee players, including defensive lineman Travis Kirschke of Esperanza, and quarterback Tim Carey and wide receiver George Sagen of Los Alamitos. They are among the area’s most top recruited players.

Kirschke, 6 feet 5 and 255 pounds, is considered by some as the best player in the state. Last season, he was chosen top lineman in Orange County by The Times.

Carey, 6-4 and 175, is the county’s top-rated quarterback. He has completed 109 of 166 passes for 1,769 yards, 18 touchdowns and only two interceptions. His favorite target is Sagen, a 6-0, 180-pound senior, who has 38 receptions for 711 yards and eight touchdowns.

“This is the game you wait and hope for,” Carey said. “Since we split our last two games, this should settle who’s the better team.”

The Aztecs won last year’s regular-season meeting, 28-7.

Kirschke said that Esperanza is seeking revenge, since the Griffins ended its two-year winning streak in the title game.

“In the back of our minds, this is the game we’ve been pointing to all year,” he said. “We have a lot to prove.”

Said Carey: “My mom went down and bought tickets for the whole family earlier this week. She wouldn’t miss this game for anything.”