SUNSET LEAGUE : Esperanza Avoids Letdown, Doesn’t Let Up on Marina

On a night when Esperanza had every reason to be flat, the Aztecs still got up enough to beat Marina, 27-0, in a Sunset League football game Thursday at Valencia High.

Esperanza (6-2, 3-0 in league) was coming off a 21-17 upset of Los Alamitos, which at the time was the top-ranked team in the county and the nation.

The Aztecs were also without Jamal Footman, their top running back, and starting wide receiver Todd Brighton. Both were out with the flu.

But led by the defense, which recorded its third shutout of the season, Esperanza dominated the game.

“I’m glad to be through with this game,” Esperanza Coach Gary Meek said. “The real coaching jobs come when you play after a big, big win. . . .This one scared me.”

Esperanza’s running back troubles were solved for the night by senior J.B. Guffey, who went for a season-high 104 yards and a touchdown in 18 carries. Footman is the team’s leading rusher with 535 yards.

Guffey scored on a four-yard run with 9 minutes 2 seconds left in the third quarter to put Esperanza, ranked second in Orange County behind Mater Dei, ahead, 21-0.

Esperanza’s offense was sluggish in the first half until the Aztecs came alive in the closing minutes.

Leading 7-0, Esperanza’s defense forced Marina (3-5, 1-2) to turn over the ball on downs at the Aztec six with 4:46 left.

Esperanza needed only six plays and about two minutes to move 94 yards for a touchdown, which came on 43-yard pass along the right sideline from quarterback Dave Parrish to wide receiver Ryan Wilkins.

Parrish was three for three for 66 yards and Guffey ran three times for 28 yards in the drive. Parrish, who was 11 of 21 for 173 yards, also had touchdown passes of 20 and eight yards to tight end Pat Swanson.

Wilkins finished with two catches for 62 yards and also intercepted two passes from his safety position. He has six interceptions this season.

Marina’s Mike Williams rushed for 128 yards in 26 carries, including 99 in the first half. But the punishment he took carrying the ball coupled with the effort he put forth at his safety position forced him out the game early in the fourth quarter.