Eagles dig deep, hold on

SANTA ANA — Estancia High went three deep on the tailback depth chart and, at least equally as important, four deep on the down marker to help key its 14-6 Orange Coast League football victory Saturday night over Godinez at Segerstrom High.

The Eagles (5-3, 1-1 in league), ended a two-game losing streak and won for the first time in 29 days to remain in contention for one of the league’s three guaranteed berths into the CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs.

Playing without star senior tailback Alex Abalos and his 1,155 rushing yards this season, due to an ankle injury, Estancia lost senior backup Sean Davis to a shin problem three plays into the second half.

Davis had bulled through Grizzlies defenders for 118 yards on 20 carries before spending the rest of the night on the training table. But sophomore Alex Trancoso stepped in to make sure the offense kept moving the chains.

Trancoso contributed 63 yards on 13 carries to help the Eagles hold off a game Godinez squad (2-7, 0-3), which is now 0-7 in league games as a varsity program.

It was fourth-down conversions that helped the Eagles set the tone in the first half, as they converted on fourth-down plays in each of their second-quarter touchdown drives.

After Godinez went 34 yards on nine plays after Estancia punted out of its end zone, to close to within eight points with 7:58 left, the Eagles’ defense twice stopped the hosts on fourth down in the final 4:37 to preserve the win, their first since an Oct. 2 triumph over La Quinta.

The Eagles converted a fake punt early on their first possession to help swing the field-position battle.

A six-yard sack on third down by junior end Omar Gutierrez, giving him 9.5 for the season and 19.5 for his 18-game varsity career, pinned Godinez on its own 11-yard line. The subsequent punt went just 20 yards.

Nine plays and 31 yards later, Estancia senior quarterback Alek Kirshner hit junior fullback George De La Torre with a six-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring.

Senior Jeff Kirchberg, who used the bye week to take over as the team’s kicker, booted the first of his two conversion kicks to create a 7-0 advantage with 10:29 left in the half.

On the drive, Davis surged four yards up the middle on fourth-and-three at the Godinez 24-yard line.

Godinez missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt on its ensuing possession and the two teams then exchanged fumbles.

Estancia senior outside linebacker Josh Dominguez made a big hit to separate the running back from the ball, and also recovered on his own 27 with 3:48 left in the half.

Kirshner scrambled 12 yards to the Godinez 20-yard line on fourth-and-six and, three plays later, hit Alex Calabrese, who toe-tapped inside the back line of the end zone for a 10-yard scoring reception with 11 seconds left in the half.

Estancia failed on fourth down with its first possession of the second half, then punted twice and fumbled the ball away, before finally being able to run out the clock after the final defensive stop.

Estancia lost two fumbles, but recovered three Godinez fumbles, a second recovery by Dominguez and another by senior end Coleman Brown.

Kirshner threw for 42 yards, completing five of 13 without an interception. He also rushed for 39 yards to help the Eagles produce 14 of their 16 first downs on the ground.

Kirshner produced nearly half of his five touchdown passes for the season against the Grizzlies.

Estancia Coach Mike Bargas credited the play of his offensive line, which included a rotation of seven players from tackle to tackle, as well as Gutierrez at tight end.

Estancia 14, Godinez 6

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Estancia 0-14-0-0--14

Godinez 0-0-0-6--6

SECOND QUARTER

Est – G. De La Torre 6 pass from A. Kirshner (Kirchberg kick), 10:29.

Est – Calabrese 10 pass from A. Kirshner (Kirchberg kick), 0:11.

FOURTH QUARTER

Gdz – Pena 1 run (kick failed), 7:58.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

Est – Davis, 20-118; A. Trancoso, 13-63; A. Kirsher, 7-39; G. De La Torre, 2-6; Abernathy, 1-3; Team, 2-minus 2; Carlyle, 1-minus 5.

Gdz – Silva, 13-58; Pena, 7-26, 1 TD; Williams, 7-18.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

Est – A. Kishner, 5-13-0, 42, 2 TDs.

Gdz – Silva, 7-16-0, 82.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

Est – G. De La Torre, 2-18, 1 TD; Calabrese, 1-10, 1 TD; Carlyle, 1-10; Davis, 1-4.

Gdz – Calvo, 3-22; Sanchez, 1-29; Mojica, 1-21; Pena, 2-10.