Stein Knows the Score With Esperanza

Beware of Los Alamitos football players with long memories.

In December, 1994, Mater Dei ended the Griffins’ 47-game unbeaten streak with a 28-24 victory in the Southern Section Division I semifinals. Los Alamitos players pointed to a rematch, and when they met the Monarchs in the quarterfinals last November, they got revenge with a 23-14 victory.

Now, as far as Los Alamitos senior quarterback Sean Stein is concerned, it’s Esperanza’s turn.

Last Oct. 20, the Griffins were undefeated and ranked No .1 in the nation before their Sunset League game against the Aztecs. Playing inspired football in front of a frenzied home crowd at Valencia High, Esperanza upset Los Alamitos, 21-17.

The loss was the difference in the league race; Esperanza remained unbeaten to win the Sunset League championship.

“Last year, since 10:30 p.m. after we lost, this year’s game has been on my mind,” Stein said. “We have much respect for their program. This game is like Ohio State-Michigan, USC-UCLA; it’s that important.

“It will always be a tough game. It’s a game everyone looks forward to, very hard-nosed. But [winning] is a personal goal to me after we came up short last year.”

Stein, 17, played wide receiver last season in addition to backing up quarterback Kevin Feterik. Stein could only watch in frustration as Esperanza’s defense sacked Feterik 11 times.

“I was free in the end zone one time and turned around to see Kevin being sacked as time was running out,” Stein said. “I didn’t show my emotions, but inside of me it hurt.”

Tonight’s 7 p.m. game at Long Beach Veterans Stadium is the league opener for both teams. As usual, both teams are highly ranked. Los Alamitos is second in the county and third in Division I with a 5-0 record; Esperanza (4-1) is third and ninth, respectively.

Stein is putting up outstanding statistics on a team that lost the corps of its offense to graduation last year, including receivers Tony Hartley (Oregon) and Stan Guyness (USC). Despite missing the Sept. 19 game against L.A. Washington because of back spasms, Stein has completed 70 of 105 passes for 1,157 yards. He has thrown 15 touchdowns, and has been intercepted only once.

“He’s smart and plays hard,” Griffin Coach John Barnes said. “He understands the offense very well. A real competitor, and that’s what I like. He’s very confident and makes good decisions. If he had played all five games, he’d be so far ahead of everyone it would be scary.”

Only one other county quarterback, Anaheim’s Luis Gomez (1,527), has thrown for more yardage this season than Stein, whose quarterback rating of 204.20 leads the county.

‘He’s very accurate, on the money, and those guys catch it,” Esperanza Coach Gary Meek said of Stein and his receivers. “Their system is very efficient. They don’t try to do a lot of things, but what they do, they do well.”

Said Los Alamitos offensive coordinator Barry Sher: “He follows a long line of our great ones here. He’s different in that he’s more of a physical, strong-armed kid, not a finesse guy. But he’s also very accurate. He has good instincts, and he enjoys the excitement of a big game.”

There’s a perception that the statistics of any Los Alamitos quarterback are inflated because the Griffins maximize the passing attack. In other words, it would be hard not to look good as there are so many opportunities to throw.

“To an extent that’s true,” Stein said. “A lot of the success we have is because of our system. But it’s very complex. It’s about knowing what to do on every play. It took me three years to master it. It takes time for every QB here to master it.

“We have a great staff to prepare us. They make sure you have the whole offense in your head. The system doesn’t make all of us good [passers]. But as a quarterback, you can be spoiled here. I’ve got such a beautiful system to run and show off the skills.”

Those skills were best displayed against Loara Sept. 27. Stein passed for four touchdowns and a school-record 441 yards. It is the third-best single-game yardage total in county history, behind Gomez (504 yards this season) and Fullerton’s Mike Wiles (477 yards in 1981).

The effort gave Stein his place in Los Alamitos lore, alongside Feterik, Tim Carey, Mike Good and Todd Gragnano. It also brought Stein the kind of attention on campus he’s not sure he wants.

“You are a high-level power here when you play the [quarterback] position,” Stein said. “But I’m kind of modest. I’ll be cocky when playing--you have to be--but off the field I want to be a normal guy.”

Stein realizes, however, that all the goodwill built up over the last five weeks could be gone instantly if Esperanza wins tonight.

“I have put a lot of emotion into this game. It’s make or break,” Stein said. “Whoever wins this game usually goes on to great things, and the loser has to fight for the playoffs because the league is so tough.”