Eagles denied, done

SANTA ANA — There was no miraculous goal, though an Estancia High coach found himself praying for one as the final minutes of the season ticked down Tuesday afternoon.

Propelled to the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs thanks to a jaw-dropping 79th-minute goal against Norwalk, the Eagles tried for a repeat performance.

No such luck.

Estancia (11-7-3) lost, 1-0, to former Golden West League rival Santa Ana (22-2-3) at Eddie West Field after Friday’s win allowed the Eagles to subvert four years of first-round playoff losses.

“It felt good after going three years without making it past the first round,” said Rony Argueta, the junior sweeper who kicked Friday’s game-winner. “The second [round] — we gave it all, but unfortunately we couldn’t finish.”

The Eagles kicked four shots on goal in the last five minutes of the game, but the desperation attempts were too wide or too high. Saints goalkeeper Valentin Silvas had one save out of the Eagles’ last four scoring attempts.

“I kept on praying, just one more chance,” Estancia assistant coach Robert Castellanos said. “Just give us one more chance. Let’s get the ball in the box just one more time. I felt like time was running out, but I felt once we crossed the [18-yard line] we just couldn’t get a clear shot off.”

Santa Ana scored in the 23rd minute, after midfielder Rodrigo Guerrero sent a cross to senior Danny Chavez, who scored from about three yards out.

The Saints got the ball right outside the box when junior Eagles’ winger Arun Antunez was called for pulling on a jersey.

“That right there, was a mistake,” Estancia Coach Gannon Burks said. “You take that away, and we’re in overtime right now.”

But a critical foul wasn’t the only thing that determined Tuesday’s outcome.

The Saints were a completely different animal than the one the Eagles tied, 3-3, Dec. 12. For one, Chavez wasn’t nearly as pesky in December as he was Tuesday. Not only was Chavez making life difficult for Estancia forwards, he was also the glue in the Saints’ offense.

“He was really, really instrumental, especially in the end, in stopping their attack,” Santa Ana Coach Joe Penaflor said. “He held them down. Our midfield worked really hard to stop any second chances they got. It was a good team defensive effort, probably the best we’ve had.”

Nearly all of the teams Estancia faced this season used their center midfielders to distribute the ball, but in this case, Chavez was the go-to guy. That wasn’t the case earlier in the season, when Penaflor was still developing a plan for the team.

“When played them, we were all over them,” Castellanos said. “They had no answer for us. It’s like night and day ... They clicked at the right time. They’re 10 times better than the last time we played them.”

Stopping Chavez became a priority in the second half, as well as eliminating the potency of the Saints’ wingers. To counter the Saints’ outside threat, Burks stacked the midfield with five players. After spending the first half chasing down Santa Ana, the Eagles were finally able to gain some control.

“With all that pressure we were getting the ball more, and we were becoming more offensive,” Castellanos said. “I think it did work, but we couldn’t find the net today.”

Halfway through the second half, a throw-in gave senior forward Juan Becerra a point-blank shot at the goal from about six yards out — the Eagles’ best look — but Silvas, who had 10 saves, punched it away.

SORAYA NADIA McDONALD may be reached at (714) 966-4613 or at [email protected].