Football: Esparza a load to bring down for McCamey

A few factors allowed McCamey senior running back Jose Esparza to rush for 296 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries in the Badgers’ 44-41 loss to Van Horn on Friday.

For one thing, the improving McCamey offensive line had little trouble pushing around the Eagles. That helped a little.

Also, Van Horn often double-covered receiver Ethan Richardson with a safety over the top. It took away a defensive player from the box. That helped, too.

But mostly, the 5-foot-8, 203-pound Esparza continued to punish people after the first hit. That helped a lot.

“You’re not gonna bring him down on first contact,” Badgers head coach Ronnie Molina said. “I bet 75 percent of his yards were after the first contact.”

 Esparza wasn’t allowed much contact after injuring a shoulder against Reagan County on Sept. 11. He only played one half the next week in a 6-0 loss to Forsan.

The time away hurt.

“For me, it was difficult because it felt like I was leaving my team behind,” Esparza said. “During practices, I’d always encourage them, tell them they could do it without me.”

Esparza came back to become the team’s most consistent rusher, and in eight games he’s collected 772 rushing yards on 111 carries. And despite logging significant playing time last year, Esparza tallied his first career touchdown against Ozona on Sept. 25.

Part of Esparza’s success this year can be attributed to conditionin. He has lost weight — “he always comes in here to remind me,” Molina said — on his own, and his increased shiftiness compliments his power.

Against Van Horn, “it was pretty easy,” Esparza said. “They kept going for my feet.”

The prettiest run Friday might have been his 45-yard score early in the fourth quarter.

Molina thought Esparza had nothing there.

No problem.

“I just had to juke a lot of guys,” Esparza said.

Added Molina: “That was probably carry 26 or 27 when that happened, and it got us right back in the game. I did a little Wildcat with him at quarterback. He likes that. He wants me to have him throw the ball a little this week.”

With Esparza rolling up yards on the ground, that is highly unlikely.

He’s had big rushing games before. Nothing like Friday’s, however.

And although the loss bothered him and the rest of the Badgers — it could have guaranteed a spot in the playoffs out of District 8-1A — the performance allowed him a silver lining.

“I was surprised,” Esparza said. “I congratulated my line after that. I told myself, ‘Did I really just do that?’”

THE BASICS: Jose Esparza

>> School: McCamey.

>> Height: 5-foot-8.

>> Weight: 203 pounds.

>> Class: Senior.

>> Position: Running back.

>> Favorite athlete: Terrell Owens.

>> Favorite food: Pizza with Canadian bacon.

>> Highlights: Esparza rushed for 296 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries in a loss to Van Horn. 

>> Alpine’s Havier Vargas had 15 tackles, three for loss, and one forced fumble in a win over Kermit.

>> Crane’s Cody Black had 19 carries for 160 yards and one touchdown in a win over Sonora.

>> Fort Stockton’s D.J. Galvan rushed for 282 yards and six touchdowns on 16 carries in a win over Fabens.

>> Monahans’ Colby Denton had 163 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries in a win over Brownfield.