SANTA ANA – If January’s outcomes are any indication of what’s to come, Esperanza could find itself playing championship ball in March.
The No. 9 Aztecs went on the road Friday night and knocked off their third consecutive ranked opponent, besting No. 7 Foothill, 69-62, in a Crestview League showdown in front of a lively crowd at Foothill High.
Esperanza (16-7, 2-0) is 8-0 since the start of the New Year, and in the last 10 days alone, has beaten then-No. 5 Villa Park, current No. 5 Yorba Linda and the Knights, all at home.
“It’s night and day,” said Aztecs coach Mark Hill, comparing his team’s current play to its December showings. “Offensively, we’re scoring more points. Defensively, we’ve gotten so much better. Especially having another 6-foot-5 guy on the court in (Brendan) Harrick, it helps us in terms of rebounding. It’s been a real pleasure watching this team grow.”
Harrick, a Servite transfer, was ineligible to play against Foothill (16-6, 1-1) when Esperanza met its league foe in the Orange Holiday Classic championship game back on Dec. 30, which is the last time the Aztecs lost a contest.
Alongside Kezie Okpala, Harrick and his walking mismatch of a teammate combined to score 19 of Esperanza’s 23 first-quarter points.
The Aztecs led by nine after the first quarter, and stretched that lead to 39-25 by halftime.
Connor Stinson and Paulo Arujo accounted for 22 of the Knights’ 25 first-half points. Foothill’s supporting cast shot 1-for-10 from the field in the first 16 minutes.
Jacob Sanchez and Lucas Araujo found their stroke at the start of the fourth, fueling a 9-0 Foothill run that cut the Aztecs’ lead to 53-51.
Jared Obermeier’s 3-pointer and four straight Okpala points highlighted a 7-1 response that iced Esperanza’s eighth straight win.
Okpala finished with a game-high 27 despite foul trouble. Harrick and Travis Kettering each added 14 points apiece. Stinson had 24 points to lead the Knights.
“This shows the character this group has,” Hill added. “To win league championships, you got to be able to win on the road.”
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
