Esperanza’s Rally Bounces the Barons
Esperanza broke the huddle, ran toward the line at the start of the second half and just kept moving forward.
The Aztecs scored 28 points in the half and beat Fountain Valley, 28-10, to win the Sunset League title outright Friday at Valencia High.
Esperanza (8-2, 5-0 in league) trailed, 10-0, after a listless first half but scored touchdowns on four of its first five possessions in the second half.
“We weren’t doing anything in the first half,” Esperanza quarterback Grant Wagner said. “We were frustrated because we knew we could do stuff and we just weren’t.”
Fountain Valley played as many as nine men up front to contain Esperanza’s rushing attack and as Coach Gary Meek said: “They were daring us to throw it.”
Esperanza, which has won or shared three consecutive league titles, accepted the challenge and Wagner completed 11 of 16 passes for 174 yards. He was 14 of 23 for 211 yards in the game. He also had two touchdown passes in the second half.
His second touchdown pass was to junior Aaron Hill from six yards out to give Esperanza a 21-10 lead with 7 minutes 39 seconds left in the game. Hill had seven catches for 103 yards.
On Fountain Valley’s next possession, the game was delayed about 20 minutes when Baron wide receiver Matt Aman took a hard hit to the chest on an incomplete pass over the middle and was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure according to Fountain Valley Coach George Berg.
“[Aman] checked out well on all the tests he was given [by the paramedics],” Berg said. “It was a really hard hit to the sternum.”
Aman was the latest injury in a painful season for Fountain Valley (7-3, 3-2), which tied for second in the league but will go to the playoffs as the No. 3 team.
The Barons, ranked sixth in Orange County, were already without quarterback Jason Morris (shoulder) and running back John Sanders (knee) and Berg is unsure if either will be back for the playoffs.
Junior Ryan Breska filled in at quarterback and was 12 of 29 for 169 yards and one touchdown. He was 10 of 19 in the first half.
Esperanza had the ball to start the second half and needed nine plays to move 75 yards for a touchdown that came on a nine-yard pass from Wagner to Matt Colin. The Aztecs took the lead, 14-10, on a two-yard dive up the middle by tailback Brent Garrison with 2:18 left in the third quarter.
With the 14 points in the fourth quarter, fifth-ranked Esperanza has outscored opponents, 98-47, in the final quarter this season.
The final touchdown came on a seven-yard run by Jamie Smith with 2:58 left.
“We just didn’t get any rhythm in the first half,” Meek said. “I told the kids not to panic and just go out and play their game.”