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  • Villa Park fans cheer on their team during the Spartans'...

    Villa Park fans cheer on their team during the Spartans' 65-45 loss to Esperanza on Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Esperanza players wait to to take the court for their...

    Esperanza players wait to to take the court for their game against Villa Park on Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Esperanza's Brandon Alpern tries to stop Villa Park's Julien Franklin...

    Esperanza's Brandon Alpern tries to stop Villa Park's Julien Franklin during Tuesday night's game at Villa Park High.

  • Esperanza's Jared Obermeier, left, and Kezie Okpala defend Villa Park's...

    Esperanza's Jared Obermeier, left, and Kezie Okpala defend Villa Park's Isaiah Williams during Tuesday night's game at Villa Park High.

  • Esperanza's Brendan Harrick shoots past Villa Park's Jason Reed during...

    Esperanza's Brendan Harrick shoots past Villa Park's Jason Reed during the Aztecs' 65-45 victory Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • The Villa Park band closes out the entertainment after the...

    The Villa Park band closes out the entertainment after the Spartans' 65-45 loss to Esperanza Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Villa Park fans cheer on their team during the Spartans'...

    Villa Park fans cheer on their team during the Spartans' 65-45 loss to Esperanza Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Villa Park's Evan Battey shoots over Esperanza's Brendan Harrick during...

    Villa Park's Evan Battey shoots over Esperanza's Brendan Harrick during the Spartans' 65-45 loss Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Esperanza's Kezie Okpala tries to stop Villa Park's Danon Whitehead...

    Esperanza's Kezie Okpala tries to stop Villa Park's Danon Whitehead from scoring Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Esperanza's Jared Obermeier hits a 3-pointer over Villa Park's Danon...

    Esperanza's Jared Obermeier hits a 3-pointer over Villa Park's Danon Whitehead during the Aztecs' 65-45 victory Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Villa Park cheerleaders perform during a timeout during the Spartans'...

    Villa Park cheerleaders perform during a timeout during the Spartans' 65-45 loss to Esperanza Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Esperanza's Anthony Koclanakis, left, is fouled by Villa Park's Evan...

    Esperanza's Anthony Koclanakis, left, is fouled by Villa Park's Evan Battey during the Aztecs' 65-45 win over the Spartans on Tuesday night. Battey scored 27 points.

  • Villa Park fans cheer on their team during the Spartans'...

    Villa Park fans cheer on their team during the Spartans' 65-45 loss to Esperanza on Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Villa Park cheerleaders listen to the national anthem before the...

    Villa Park cheerleaders listen to the national anthem before the Spartans' game Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Villa Park cheerleaders lend their magic fingers to a Spartan...

    Villa Park cheerleaders lend their magic fingers to a Spartan free throw attempt during the Spartans' 65-45 loss to Esperanza on Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Villa Park fans cheer on their team during the Spartans'...

    Villa Park fans cheer on their team during the Spartans' 65-45 loss to Esperanza on Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Esperanza fans cheer on their team during the Aztecs' 65-45...

    Esperanza fans cheer on their team during the Aztecs' 65-45 victory over Villa Park on Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Esperanza coach Mark Hill keeps an eye on things from...

    Esperanza coach Mark Hill keeps an eye on things from the sidelines during the Aztecs' 65-45 victory over Villa Park on Tuesday night.

  • Villa Park's Isaiah Williams tries to pass out of pressure...

    Villa Park's Isaiah Williams tries to pass out of pressure from Esperanza's Garrett Geiger, left, and Brendan Harrick during the Spartans' 65-45 loss Tuesday night.

  • Villa Park's Isaiah Williams reacts in the final moments of...

    Villa Park's Isaiah Williams reacts in the final moments of the Spartans' 65-45 loss to Esperanza on Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Esperanza's Brendan Harrick shoots past Villa Park's Ray Michel during...

    Esperanza's Brendan Harrick shoots past Villa Park's Ray Michel during the Aztecs' 65-45 victory over the Spartans Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

  • Villa Park's Evan Battey is stopped on the way to...

    Villa Park's Evan Battey is stopped on the way to the hoop by Esperanza's Tiny Poling during the Spartans' 65-45 loss to the Aztecs Tuesday night at Villa Park High.

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The Crestview League is a four-team league. Each team has only six league games. That makes every league game critical.

Esperanza started Crestview League play impressively Tuesday with a 65-45 win over Villa Park. The game at Villa Park High was the league opener for both.

Kezie Okpala scored 29 points for Esperanza, which could have been considered the underdog. Villa Park is No. 5 in the Orange County top 10, while Esperanza is not ranked.

Esperanza (13-7 overall) is ranked in its CIF-Southern Section playoff division, coming this week at No. 8 in Division 2AA. Villa Park (15-6) is No. 5 in Division 1A.

Villa Park played without starting guard and second-leading scorer Myles Franklin, who missed the game because of an ankle injury. Spartans coach Kevin Reynolds said Franklin, averaging 18 points a game, might only miss two more games.

Evan Battey led Villa Park with 27 points, two more than his average. He scored the Spartans’ first 11 points.

Villa Park made only 17 of 52 shots, for 33 percent. Esperanza was 22 for 48 from the field, for 46 percent.

The Aztecs had a 28-20 lead at halftime. Okpala opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer and Esperanza kept rolling from there.

Villa Park made a brief run in the fourth quarter, when the Spartans trimmed the Aztecs’ lead to 15 points. Esperanza quickly pulled away again as Travis Kettering made a 3-pointer and Okpala converted a 3-point play.

Esperanza coach Mark Hill said he knew Villa Park would be an easier opponent with Franklin missing.

“He’s a big key to that team,” Hills said. “But Battey stepped up and I was afraid of that all day.”

Kettering scored 14 points. Brendan Harrick, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, scored 13 with six rebounds. Harrick transferred from Servite and before becoming athletically eligible had to sit out the first month of the season because he did not make the change of residence required by CIF rules to become immediately eligible.

“Our defense got better since he got here,” Hill said of Harrick. “We rebound so much better when he’s on the floor, too.”

Okpala is happy that league play is underway.

“We played at a different pace,” said Okpala, a 6-6 junior who can score in a variety of ways. “We played with more of a sense of urgency.”

Also in the Crestview League:

No. 8 Foothill 57. Canyon 41: The defending league-champion Knights (14-5, 4-0) were led by Luca Araujo’s 22 points at Foothill.

In the Empire League:

Cypress 59, Pacifica 58: Brad Belshe scored 21 points for the visiting Centurions (12-5, 3-0).

In the North Hills League:

No. 7 Yorba Linda 78, El Modena 50: Isaac Douglass had another big night, scoring a game-high 21 points for the visiting Mustangs (15-5) in a league opener.

In nonleague:

No. 7 Crean Lutheran 72, Whitney of Cerritos 32: Micahel Bagatourian scored 33 points with 13 rebounds for the host Saints (14-4).

Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com