It may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Brea Olinda ultimately got the result they hoped for on Friday. They came out on top against the Esperanza Aztecs by a score of 36-29. For the Wildcats, this counts as revenge for the 21-14 victory the Aztecs walked away with the last time they faced one another back in September of 2022.
Brea Olinda's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ryan Nero, who picked up 68 receiving yards and a touchdown, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground. The dominant performance also gave Nero a new career-high in rushing yards (17). Nathan Aceves handled things on the ground, rushing for 86 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Brea Olinda's defense stepped up as well, laying out Travis Frazier. seven times. The heavy lifting was done by Jake Owens and Jake Brooks, who racked up 4.5 sacks between them. Brea Olinda got some further help from Vincent King: he made four total tackles and defended three passes in addition to snagging an interception which he returned one-yard for a touchdown.
Several Aztecs players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Frazier, who threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 11.0 yards per attempt. Frazier has been hot , having posted three or more passing touchdowns the last five times he's played. Edward Khutshivili was another key player, picking up 95 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
The victory for Brea Olinda keeps them at an undefeated 10-0. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 29.5 points. As for Esperanza, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-4.
Brea Olinda will take on Palos Verdes at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Palos Verdes is on a four-game streak of home wins, Brea Olinda a five-game streak of away wins -- so someone will have to leave a streak behind on the field. As for Esperanza, their road trip will continue as they head out to face Salesian at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Salesian's defense has only allowed 13.4 points per game this season, so Esperanza's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
