Esperanza Hangs On to Beat Capistrano Valley

Esperanza, ranked fifth in the county, needed a one-yard touchdown run from Dahrin Footman with one minute remaining to clinch a 32-25 victory over Capistrano Valley Thursday night at Valencia High.

Footman, who rushed for 136 yards in 22 carries and scored three touchdowns, capped a 74-yard, 11-play drive with his touchdown for the Aztecs (3-0).

But facing a fourth and 10 at the Capistrano Valley 28, quarterback Chris Stretch, who completed 15 of 32 passes for 269 yards, kept the drive alive by hooking up with Brian Forth for a 27-yard pass play. Footman scored on the next play.

“What a screwed-up night,” Esperanza Coach Gary Meek said. “We forgot to show up in the second half, and Capo came out and shoved the ball right down our throats.”

Malaefou Mackenzie did the majority of the shoving, scoring three touchdowns for the Cougars (1-2). Mackenzie, a sophomore, rushed for 138 yards on 17 carries, scoring on runs of one and four yards. He also caught seven passes for 92 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Tim Hirchag.

That score came on the Cougars’ first possession of the second half and made the score 24-14. He scored later in the third quarter on a one-yard run, to shave the lead to 24-20, then caught a pass from Hirchag for the two-point conversion to make it 24-22.

Capistrano Valley took the lead with 10 minutes 23 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter on a field goal by Brett Thompson.

Mark Stephenson was called for roughing the kicker with three seconds remaining in the first half after Esperanza’s Jason Florence missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt.

Stephenson was injured on the play and had to be taken off the field by ambulance and was taken to Placentia Linda Hospital where he was discharged later Thursday night, a hospital spokesman said.