For the first time this season, Garden Grove will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They are taking a road trip to square off against the Esperanza Aztecs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, Garden Grove was able to grind out a solid victory over Rancho Alamitos, taking the game 20-10. The Argonauts haven't had any issues with the Vaqueros recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.
Aaron Payan
| 09/26/25 vs Rancho Alamitos | 130 |
| 09/19/25 vs University | 50 |
| 09/04/25 @ Santa Ana | 40 |
| 08/22/25 @ Los Amigos | 13 |
Quentin Pacelli was his usual excellent self, rushing for 298 yards while picking up 16.6 yards per carry. He showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 62 yards. Garden Grove also got help from Aaron Payan, who showed off his sure hands for 130 receiving yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Garden Grove was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 318 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 173 rushing yards in eight consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Garden Grove didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Christian Mendoza.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Esperanza). They breezed past Peninsula to the tune of 49-12 on Friday. The high-flying offensive performance was a huge turnaround for the Aztecs considering their seven-point performance the matchup before.
Garden Grove better keep an eye on Travis Frazier. He was instrumental in Esperanza's win, throwing for 213 yards and three touchdowns while completing 76.9% of his passes. The dominant performance also gave Frazier a new career-high in passer rating (157.9). Another player making a difference was Brody Snyder, who rushed for 67 yards and one TD.
Garden Grove's record is now 2-3. As for Esperanza, their record now sits at an identical 2-3.
Friday's game might be decided in the trenches. Garden Grove has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 312.6 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Esperanza, though, as they've been averaging only 28.4 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Garden Grove was dealt a bruising 42-6 loss at the hands of Esperanza when the teams last played back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Frazier, who threw for 258 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 10.8 yards per attempt. Now that the Argonauts know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
