Esperanza holds off Fountain Valley

PLACENTIA - It was one of those games in which the team that made the fewest mistakes would win.

Esperanza won the turnovers battle and won the game Thursday in a 17-14 victory over Fountain Valley in a Sunset League opener at Valencia High. (Full game stats.)

Esperanza, ranked No. 10 in Orange County, is 5-1 overall. Fountain Valley is 4-2.

Fountain Valley committed four turnovers, with two interceptions, one returned for an Esperanza touchdown, and two lost fumbles. Esperanza threw two interceptions and had a punt blocked in the end zone that was recovered for a Fountain Valley touchdown.

Kyle Middlebrooks rushed for 127 yards for Fountain Valley on 21 carries. The junior got 36 yards on one run, a touchdown, and 35 on another. Take away those two carries, and Middlebrooks, who was averaging 10 yards a carry and 164 a game, averaged 3 yards a carry.

“We had to contain him,” said Esperanza senior nose guard Sean Avila, who had an interception and a sack. “He’s so fast.”

The mistakes started early. On Fountain Valley’s first possession, a fumbled pitch out was recovered by Esperanza’s Taylor Drees at the Barons’ 23. But Esperanza gave it right back two plays later on an interception by Fountain Valley’s Matt McWilliams.

After an exchange of punts, Esperanza took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Dane Poole returned 45 yards for a touchdown. Middlebrooks then displayed that speed on his 36-yard touchdown run, on which he almost slipped but maintained his balance after bursting through the line, then outran the Aztecs secondary to the end zone. That made it 7-7.

Turnovers and strange plays dominated the scoreless second quarter. The Barons’ Scott Bailey recovered a fumble on an Esperanza punt return, but could not convert.

When Fountain Valley later punted, the Barons thought they recovered an Esperanza muff, but officials, after a lengthy meeting, decided the play should be replayed. Poole then sacked the Fountain Valley punter at the Barons’ 23, giving the Aztecs the ball there. Esperanza could not take advantage, as Fountain Valley’s Hayden Toney made an interception at the Barons’ 18 and returned it to midfield.

Avila made his interception on the third play of the third quarter, leading to a 30-yard field goal by Aria Nabipur to give the Aztecs a 10-7 lead. Fountain Valley went ahead, 14-10, later in the quarter when the Barons’ Artie O’Keefe blocked a punt that was recovered in the end zone by Ryan Steadman.

In the fourth quarter, Esperanza quarterback Drew Huusfeldt scored the winning points on a 33-yard touchdown  run on which he slipped through two tackles.

The Aztecs finished with 155 yards of total offense. Fountain Valley compiled 103 yards of total offense.

Esperanza is allowing only 9.3 points a game this year. Only twice have Aztecs’ opponents scored in double figures: Thursday, and in their only defeat, a 14-9 loss to Mira Costa of Manhattan Beach.

“Defense is our strength,” Esperanza coach Bill Pendleton said. “No doubt about that.”

Esperanza plays Marina next Friday at Orange Coast College. Fountain Valley will play at Newport Harbor next Thursday.

• Click here for full game stats.

Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com