EMPIRE LEAGUE FOOTBALL : Esperanza Back on Track; Loara Is Shut Down, 35-0

Esperanza Coach Gary Meek said he wanted his team to re-establish itself against Loara following last week’s loss to top-ranked Los Alamitos.

The Aztec defense responded by dominating during a 35-0 Empire League victory.

Esperanza (8-1, 4-1) took an early 14-0 lead before its offensive unit took the field. After Loara took the opening kickoff and drove to the Aztec 15, Jason Goettsche picked up a dropped lateral and ran untouched 75 yards for the opening touchdown.

The Saxons (0-9, 0-5) moved the ball again following the kickoff, but a heavy Aztec rush on quarterback Bill Milligan forced another fumble, and Brian Snell picked up the ball and returned it 25 yards to make it 14-0 with 4:12 left in the opening quarter.

The Aztec offense then went to work, generating a pair of second-quarter drives that resulted in touchdowns. Quarterback John Aed capped a nine-play, 69-yard drive with a five-yard pass to Ken Hall with 5:34 left in the half, then found Hall for a six-yard touchdown pass on the next possession to make it 28-0 at the half.

Esperanza’s defense held Loara without a first down in the second half, when it limited the Saxons to 15 offensive plays.

The Aztecs preserved the shutout with a late goal-line stand. After three Saxons blocked Jim Wren’s punt with less than two minutes to play, Milligan returned the ball to the Esperanza 7. Les Cobb moved the ball to the one on first down, but the Aztec defensive line then stopped the third of three consecutive runs with 1:15 left.

Tom Joyner led the Aztec runners, gaining 90 yards in seven carries, including a 42-yard touchdown run that closed the scoring with 3:17 left in the third quarter. Joyner was one of eight backs used by Meek in the game.