Esperanza Tailback Has a Pronounced Advantage

Another season, another powerful running back for Anaheim Esperanza High School.

But this one has a name that’s not so difficult to pronounce.

Shaun Wildenstein, who has taken over at tailback for Temitope Sonuyi, rushed for 233 yards and three touchdowns in 25 carries as No. 10 Esperanza hammered No. 23 Upland, 49-7, in the season opener for both teams Friday night at Upland.

Wildenstein, who was taken out after the third quarter, displayed a hard-charging style similar to that of Sonuyi, who turned down offers from larger colleges to play for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“I take after him a lot,” Wildenstein said of Sonuyi, The Times’ Orange County player of the year last season. “He was my inspiration last year.”

Esperanza Coach Gary Meek said Wildenstein is “exactly like Sonuyi. He’s got that same speed and he’s a great runner.”

Wildenstein, a junior, scored his touchdowns--on runs of two, 13 and 48 yards--in the first half as Esperanza built a 20-0 lead early in the second quarter. His most impressive run came on the 48-yard touchdown, when he broke a couple of tackles past the line of scrimmage and spun out of a few more near the goal line.

Upland scored its only points soon thereafter when quarterback Vinnie Hare pitched to running back Martin Harris, who ran right for a two-yard touchdown.

But Esperanza struck again before halftime on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Rick Taloa to Ben Alvarado, who caught the ball in the corner of the end zone. Taloa, who split time at quarterback with Andy Webb, re-injured a stress fracture in his left foot on the play and will have X-rays today.

Upland, the defending Southern Section Division II champion, was able to get its rushing game going only during brief spurts. Geramie Bascomb finished with 93 yards in 24 carries.

Hare completed eight of 23 passes for 103 yards and threw a pass that was intercepted by Esperanza cornerback Ryan Domene and returned 95 yards for a touchdown with 34 seconds to play.

As was customary with Sonuyi, Wildenstein thanked the Aztecs’ huge offensive line for his performance. “I have to give most of the credit to the line,” Wildenstein said. “We expected to have a hard-fought game and it was, we just executed a lot [better than Upland].”