Meek Is Harsh After Esperanza Wins

Esperanza football Coach Gary Meek proved one thing for sure Thursday.

No one can be as harsh as he when it comes to evaluating the Aztecs, who are ranked sixth in Orange County.

Despite a convincing 28-13 victory over Upland, Meek’s first words were, “We’ve got to be the stupidest football team in America.”

Meek was frustrated about several things. The first was the loss of senior running back Jamaal Footman, who suffered a shoulder injury and is expected to miss at least one game. He was taken to the hospital for X-rays, which showed a slight shoulder separation, Meek said.

The second was the loss of senior linebacker Tony Colacion, who was ejected late in the game after an altercation on a punt play. Under Southern Section rules, he will have to sit out Esperanza’s game against Long Beach Poly next Friday.

Meek’s anger quickly subsided and he even smiled someone when asked about the solid play of the defense, the passing of senior David Parrish and the catching of senior receiver Bryan Moore.

Footman was hurt midway through the first quarter and left with five yards in four carries. He has gained 219 yards this season.

Brent Garrison, a junior, took over in Esperanza’s one-back set and finished with 87 yards and a touchdown in 22 carries.

Parrish was sharp, completing 13 of 24 passes for 164 yards. Moore, a 6-foot-5 receiver in his first year of football, also had a big game.

Twice he and Parrish hooked up on timing plays where Moore used his height to get to passes that went for touchdowns. Moore had four catches for 87 yards.

The first scoring pass--good for 30 yards--gave Esperanza (2-1) a 14-7 lead with 3 minutes 50 seconds left in the first half. The second was for 28 yards and put Esperanza up 28-7 with 7:33 left in the game.

Junior Justin Birrell, an end, led the Esperanza defense. He had two sacks, shared another, and also had a late interception that stopped Upland’s final drive.

The defense had four sacks for minus-24 yards and limited Upland (1-2) to 20 yards rushing.

“They are a running team,” Meek said, “not a passing team and we forced them to pass. . . . But we’re nowhere near being a solid football team right now.”