Edison faces a favorite

Tonight’s games:

Esperanza(5-0) vs. Edison (2-4)

(at Huntington Beach High, 7 p.m.)

Edison, the defending Sunset League champion, takes on Esperanza,

a team considered by experts as one of two favorites for the 2002

crown.

The Aztecs have lived up to that preseason billing.

Edison has been decimated by injuries to key starters and has

dropped two straight games heading into tonight’s contest. This

Chargers were awarded, this week, a forfeit victory over San

Clemente.

San Clemente had beat them 13-10 back on Sept. 13.

Esperanza’s offense was in high-gear last week in a 45-22 victory

over A.B. Miller. Quarterback Rick Taloa threw for nearly 300 yards

and the Aztec rushing tandem of Eric Lyman and Michael Kirschner

combined for four touchdowns and nearly 300 yards.

Taloa has thrown for 850 yards and seven touchdowns with just one

interception in five games.

The Esperanza offense is averaging 43 points per game. It’s

defense is yielding 16 points.

Edison is attempting to rebound from last week’s 32-7 loss to

unbeaten Servite.

Along with Esperanza tonight, the Chargers have taken on three

opponents in the past three games with a combined 14-1 record.

Last year’s score: Chargers 35, Aztecs 14

The Series

’94 Aztecs 26, Chargers 16

’95 Aztecs 17, Chargers 10 ’96 Aztecs 17, Chargers 6

’97 Aztecs 27, Chargers 26

’98 Aztecs 52, Chargers 35

’99 Chargers 41, Aztecs 34

’00 Aztecs 49, Chargers 43

’01 Chargers 35, Aztecs 14

(Esperanza leads, 6-2)

Huntington Beach (4-1) vs. Los Alamitos (4-0-1)

(at Veterans Stadium, 7 p.m.)

The Oilers get the chance to show the rest of the league that they

belong near the top when they do battle with highly-regarded Los

Alamitos.

The Griffins return home for the first time in three weeks and are

coming off a 36-34 victory over Carson.

Ryan Bagley rushed for 215 yards, Jeff Kline ran for a pair of

scores and receiver Brandon Tripp caught three, short touchdown

passes in the win.

The Griffins rotate Kline and Justin Elway at quarterback.

Huntington Beach, which relies on a rushing game centered around

Patrick Harrigan, could find success against a Los Al defense that

surrendered 211 yards to Carson.

Last year’s score: Griffins 42, Oilers 7

Westminster (2-3) vs. Ocean View (1-4)

(at Westminster High, 7 p.m.)

Ocean View is seeking its first Golden West League victory against

Westminster.

The Seahawks are coming off a 34-21 loss to league-leading Orange

in a game where Ocean View led just once and quarterback Alex

Hickerson threw for 196 yards and a touchdown.

Ocean View will need to tighten up its rush defense if it hopes to

emerge victorious. In last week’s loss to Orange, the Seahawks gave

up more than 350 yards on the ground.

Westminster, whose only league win came at the expense of

last-place Estancia, played well and led throughout most of last

Friday’s 33-28 loss to Santa Ana.

Last year’s score: Lions 29, Seahawks 7

Friday’s game:

Fountain Valley (1-4) vs. Marina (2-3)

(at Westminster High, 7 p.m.)

Two old rivals meet Friday when the Barons and Vikings go under

the lights at Boswell Field.

Fountain Valley and Marina each have played tremendously difficult

nonleague schedules, their respective records a reflection of the

tough competition.

Three of the Barons’ four losses have come against highly-ranked

teams in Mission Viejo, San Clemente and Santa Margarita.

Marina’s three losses are to Newport Harbor, Mission Viejo and

Orange Lutheran -- all ranked teams.

The common opponent, Mission Viejo, beat Fountain Valley, 48-0, to

open the season, but had to rally late to edge Marina, 10-7, in week

No. 3.

Marina brings a modest, one-game win streak into the matchup,

having most recently rallied to defeat El Toro, 13-10.

Fountain Valley, meanwhile, gained some much-needed momentum

heading into league play as the Barons whipped Santa Ana Valley,

37-3, last Friday, for their first win of the season.

The Baron defense is giving up an average of 29 points per game,

which could be good news to a Marina offense that is scoring an

average of 20 points per outing.

Last year’s score: Vikings 29, Barons 27

The series

’74 Barons 29, Vikings 8

’75 Barons 21, Vikings 0

’76 Barons 51, Vikings 0

’77 Barons 48, Vikings 21

’78 Barons 23, Vikings 14

’79 Vikings 21, Barons 12

’80 Barons 22, Vikings 21

’81 Vikings 20, Barons 3

’82 Barons 17, Vikings 14

’83 Vikings 15, Barons 10

’84 Barons 31, Vikings 21

’85 Vikings 35, Barons 0

’86 Vikings 14, Barons 6

’87 Barons 20, Vikings 14

’88 Barons 36, Vikings 20

’89 Barons 21, Vikings 18

’90 Barons 22, Vikings 21

’91 Vikings 14, Barons 7

’92 Vikings 14, Barons 14

’93 Barons 41, Vikings 7

’94 Barons 31, Vikings 8

’95 Barons 46, Vikings 26

’96 Barons 42, Vikings 14

’97 Barons 26, Vikings 0

’98 Barons 31, Vikings 14

’99 Vikings 20, Barons 3

’00 Barons 38, Vikings 7

’01 Vikings 29, Barons 27

(Fountain Valley leads, 19-8-1)