HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : Esperanza Ties Los Alamitos

Quarterback Jon Aed’s five-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter helped third-ranked Anaheim Esperanza to a 14-14 tie against second-ranked Los Alamitos in the Southern Section Division II final Saturday night before 9,000 at Cerritos College.

The Empire League rivals also played in last year’s Division III championship, with Los Alamitos winning, 8-0.

Los Alamitos took a 14-7 lead on a 50-yard scoring play from quarterback Tim Carey to wide receiver Don Ruberio with 2:06 remaining in the third quarter. But Aed led the Aztecs (12-1-1) on a 92-yard scoring drive that took most of the final quarter to complete.

Throwing into a stiff wind in the fourth quarter, Carey had two possessions to pull out a victory, but both came up short. Carey, a senior who will play at Stanford next year, completed 14 of 26 passes for 195 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

“It’s anticlimactic,” said Carey, who finished the season with 3,397 yards. “We’re the champs. I guess that’s a good way to end.”

Aed attempted only seven passes and completed three for 38 yards, but all the yardage came on Esperanza’s final scoring drive.

The Aztecs scored their other touchdown on a four-yard run by Tom Joyner in the second quarter.

Los Alamitos (13-0-1) tied the score in the third quarter on a 53-yard option pass from Ruberio to wide receiver George Sagen.

Los Alamitos ran its unbeaten streak to 20 consecutive games, best in the section.