Esperanza (11-1) vs. Long Beach Poly (12-0)

By BEN BOLCH

Dec. 2, 2000 12 AM PT

7 TONIGHT LONG BEACH VETERANS STADIUM

The fourth-seeded Aztecs must shake things up to have any shot at success against Division I’s top-seeded team. Esperanza can’t just hand the ball off to running back Temitope Sonuyi 25 times and let him carry the team, as usual. Poly’s defense is simply too tough. Aztec quarterback Ryan Sausedo and receivers Anthony Vicencia and Dan Pace will need to be at their sharpest. The Jackrabbits, seeking to return to their fourth consecutive championship game, will rely on junior running back Hershel Dennis.

KEY PLAYERS

Esperanza

RB Temitope Sonuyi

2,446 yds., 30 TDs

QB Ryan Sausedo

51%, 640 yds., 7 TDs

WR Anthony Vicencia

49 rec., 807 yds., 4 TDs

Poly

RB Hershel Dennis

1,456 yds., 25 TDs

QB Markee White

55%, 1,294 yds., 14 TDs

WR Josh Hawkins

34 rec., 635 yds., 10 TDs

High School Sports

Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

Esperanza (11-1) vs. Long Beach Poly (12-0)

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