Lyford High School's varsity football team maintained its perfect season (8-0 overall, 5-0 in District 32- 3A) and has punched a ticket to the postseason after defeating Hidalgo 35-16 last Friday.

Johnny Esparza had another big night throwing for 195 yards, three touchdowns and going over 2,000 passing yards for the season. On the receiving end of Esparza's scoring strikes were Jacob Carranco (twice) and Jorge Lerma. Esparza also ran for a pair of scores.

"Offensively I think we did a great job against a very aggressive Hidalgo defense especially with their good size and physical play," Head Coach Jaime Infante said. "We did a good job of handling the pressure they brought and this team is coming around and gelling at the right time."

On defense, the Bulldogs were a constant nightmare for Hidalgo.

"I thought we did a great job on the defensive side of the ball," Infante said. "We created several turnovers with our aggressive style of play which I thought made the difference in the game. Hidalgo had six turnovers and lost five which I attribute to our aggressive defensive play which has improved over the last several weeks."

The Bulldogs host Rio Hondo at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

"We have to stop their running game, the key to beating them is stopping their offense," Infante said. "They like to run first and that is the style of offense they use and if we can contain and not allow them to run the clock on us I think we will be in good shape."

Having already clinched a playoff spot, Lyford could secure the district title with a win on Friday. Infante attributes this season's success to his organization's collective tunnel vision.

"I think it has been the focus and work ethic of our kids, I think that has been the key to our success this year," Infante said. "Our seniors have a done a great job of leading our team and have stayed focused on what our goal is, which is to become district champions."

ALSO IN ACTION - Lyford High School's junior varsity and freshman football teams visit Rio Hondo at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday. Lyford Middle School's seventh and eighth grade football teams host Rio Hondo at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday.