PREP EXTRA / FRIDAY FOOTBALL PULLOUT : SUNSET LEAGUE : Esperanza Pounds Fountain Valley

Esperanza staked its claim to second place in the Sunset League with a resounding 59-14 victory over Fountain Valley Thursday night at Valencia High School.

The No. 3 Aztecs (7-3 overall, 4-1 in league) totaled 438 yards in offense, led by running back Dahrin Footman’s 183 yards and three touchdowns and quarterback Chris Stretch’s 228 yards passing.

Esperanza scored the first play of the game when Footman returned the kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown.

Footman scored the next time he touched the ball, on a 25-yard run to give the Aztecs a 14-0 lead.

Stretch nearly put the game out of reach with 7 minutes 55 seconds left in the first quarter when he connected with Brian Forth on a 46-yard touchdown pass.

After the Barons’ Mitch Ryerson hit Michael Rumford for a 12-yard scoring pass to cut the lead to 20-7, the Aztecs (4-6, 2-3) scored on their next three possessions before the end of the half.

Ryan Clark connected for a 27-yard field goal, Dannon Brown tackled Ryerson in the end zone for a safety and Footman scored on a 43-yard run to give Esperanza a 39-7 halftime lead.

Fountain Valley’s Matt Harrison scored on a one-yard run to start the third quarter, cutting the lead to 39-14.

Stretch connected with Forth for a 50-yard score and hit Nathan Cardena for an 18-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter.

The final touchdown came on an 11-yard run by sophomore Jamal Footman, Dahrin’s younger brother.