ANAHEIM — The El Dorado boys basketball team used a 12-0 run late in the fourth quarter to pull ahead and defeat Esperanza, 75-62, Tuesday night at Esperanza High in a nonleague game.
Caleb Hendrix scored a team-high 17 points for the Golden Hawks (10-2), Brian Kee and Marcelo Gonzalez each had 15 points each while Noah Barker added 11 points.
El Dorado players cheer after their teammates score against Esperanza in a non-league basketball game in Anaheim on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Dorado forward Noah Barker, right, turns away from Esperanza’s Dallas Bradford, left, and Ryan Wilson, center, and goes to the basket to score in a non-league basketball game in Anaheim on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Dorado guard Elias Rodarte, left, grabs the rebound in front of Esperanza’s Vincent Garza in a non-league basketball game in Anaheim on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Esperanza’s Nicholas Sosa, left, drives past El Dorado guard Brian Kee in a non-league basketball game in Anaheim on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Esperanza’s Alex Van Otterloo, right, is double-teamed by El Dorado defenders in a non-league basketball game in Anaheim on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Esperanza’s Brody Reeds, right, controls the rebound in front of El Dorado guard Caleb Hendrix in a non-league basketball game in Anaheim on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Dorado forward Noah Barker, left, takes a shot for a basket over Esperanza’s Alex Van Otterloo in a non-league basketball game in Anaheim on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Dorado guard Caleb Hendrix, left, and Esperanza’s Vincent Garza, right, try to control a rebound in a non-league basketball game in Anaheim on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Dorado guard Marcelo Gonzalez, right pulls down a rebound against Esperanza in a non-league basketball game in Anaheim on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Esperanza’s Nicholas Sosa, left, drives around El Dorado forward Jack Boettner in a non-league basketball game in Anaheim on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
El Dorado guard Elias Rodarte, left, puts on the brakes to get away from Esperanza’s Case Crossen in a non-league basketball game in Anaheim on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
An Esperanza cheerleader perform for the crowd during a break in the action at a non-league basketball game against El Dorado in Anaheim on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Show Caption1 of 12El Dorado players cheer after their teammates score against Esperanza in a non-league basketball game in Anaheim on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
ExpandHendrix and Kee both came up clutch in the fourth quarter by each scoring eight points in the period.
Esperanza (9-3) had a 60-59 lead before Kee and Hendrix hit back-to-back 3-pointers. Kee added a basket off a fast break and then Hendrix’s steal and lay up made it 69-60, forcing the Aztecs to call a timeout.
“Caleb’s been the guy that’s carried us,” said El Dorado coach Ryan Mounce, whose team is No. 24 in the Register’s Top 25 rankings. “A three-year varsity guy who plays the most minutes and I’m really proud of his growth. He wants to play in college so these are the games that give him that opportunity.”
Mounce also had high praise for Kee.
“If there’s a guy that’s held the rope for us, it’s been Brian,” he said. “He’s been outstanding, he’s come up with big plays, big shots, and has really turned it around and made defensive production a big thing of his game.”
A trio of El Dorado players, from left to right, Marcelo Gonzalez, Brian Kee and Caleb Hendrix, led the team to a nonleague victory over Esperanza 75-62 on Tuesday, Dec. 17. (Photo by David Delgado)Esperanza received a superb effort from Alex Van Otterloo, who scored a game-high 22 points, including four 3-pointers.
Vincent Garza finished with 17 points and Jordan Fermin chipped in with 10 points for the Aztecs.
“It was a hard-fought game both ways,” Esperanza coach JoJo Ballestero said. “A 13-point loss was a lot closer than it seemed. We had to start rushing shots up, had to foul them, but I’m proud of the effort from our boys. We just gotta find ways to win those games in the end.”
Van Otterloo did not score in the final eight minutes of play.
“Towards the end of that game we had to speed it up a little bit. We went with the guys that were doing a good job defensively. We were going offense-defense, and he was also in a little bit of foul trouble.” Ballestero said of Van Otterloo.
Mounce was proud of his team’s effort during a difficult stretch of rivalry games coupled with finals week.
The Golden Hawks face in-city rival Valencia on Thursday in the fourth annual Kraemer Cup
“To schedule two, emotional, physical games, two days apart with one day of recovery and prep is what I’m pushing them (for), they’re meeting the challenge.” Mounce said.
Mounce also shared his team’s motto after the win: “Hold the rope”
“These guys have held the rope,” he said. “Sometimes it’s been a little calloused with their hands and a little bloody but I’m proud of them.”
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