Winter is near, the air is cold and students at Esperanza are eagerly awaiting winter break! But before they head away from home to visit family, for some of our school’s best athletes there is work to be done. Specifically on the basketball court, in our school’s newest renovation of the main gym, and on our school’s soccer field, where work is put in all week long, between science projects and high school relationships. The focus is on both our basketball players and soccer players, some of the best in the county, Esperanza boys who have just recently kicked off their 2021-2022 seasons. 

We recently interviewed varsity star and leading scorer Brady Francis for men’s basketball who had a few things to say about the upcoming season. The former league MVP says that “the men’s basketball team is excited for the upcoming season and expects to be back to back league champs”. He also told me that transfers JP Sandiford and Jaxson LaGraffe “will play vital roles in the success of the team” so we should “Expect big things from the team this year” as he puts it. So far this season as of December 15 men’s basketball is 4-5 with a recent loss to Whittier Christian. 

Taking the grass field is varsity player Seth Shay and his squad. They started their season on December 1 at home in Anaheim. However, the team unfortunately has gone 2-2-1 starting with key losses against Villa Park and Valley Christian. Yet, they are looking to bounce back and take the winning column on Friday, December 17 versus Brea Olinda. Before the season began we asked Seth Shay about his expectations for the team as he responded saying “I am looking forward to the soccer season this year, as I think we have the potential to exceed expectations and do a lot better than people think, if we put in the work”. There is no doubt about it that this sort of optimism and drive can help Esperanza’s men’s varsity team grab a few more wins in the near future.

While both men’s basketball and soccer varsity teams are off to mediocre starts, with their leaders encouraging words, we can expect that both teams will be giving it their all the next few weeks to represent their schools. So, before you leave back home for Christmas and before you take a break to play the new Nba2k or rocket league mobile, go support our boys, and watch Esperanza soccer and basketball aim to reach the winning column! Do you believe in our boys? Either way, we know that they believe in themselves. Go Aztecs!