Eagles contenders yet again

One of the basic requirements of football is the ability to line up correctly. But for the Estancia High football team, being optimally aligned has more to do with the Eagles’ placement in the Orange Coast League.

The Eagles have had three undefeated league campaigns in the last five years and are 23-3 in their last 26 contests against Orange Coast League competition. In Coach Mike Bargas’ eight previous seasons at the helm, Estancia is 27-9 in league and 23-30 in all other games, including 2-7 with six first-round exits in seven trips to the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

And while Estancia’s nonleague schedule features three schools that went a combined 6-24 last season — including Loara (1-9), against which the Eagles open the season Thursday at 7 p.m. at Western High — the Eagles, ranked No. 9 in the Southern Division preseason poll, are once again among those considered an Orange Coast League title contender.

“Our preseason should be pretty tough for us [including 2014 CIF playoff teams Irvine and Ocean View],” Bargas said. “But if we can get through that, I think it puts us in the driver’s seat to compete for a league championship again.”

Estancia’s five Orange Coast League rivals were a combined 15-37 in 2014 and only Saddleback (6-5) joined Estancia (8-3) as league representatives with a winning record.

The Eagles, however, have already sustained significant losses this season that had nothing to do with graduation.

Junior Dylan Laurent, the league MVP last season and a two-time Newport-Mesa Dream Team performer at Estancia, transferred to Los Alamitos last spring. Laurent, a versatile performer who played tailback, receiver, cornerback and was a dangerous return man, led the team in rushing yards (758), receiving yards (383), interceptions (seven), offensive touchdowns (15), and also returned two punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns. Laurent also had 77 tackles in 2014.

“A lot of people thought that was a devastating blow, and it could be when we look back on this season,” Bargas said. “But our kids and our coaching staff believe that no one is bigger than the program, so we’ll try to pick up the pieces.”

In addition, linebacker Jeffrey Alai, who made 102 tackles and earned all-league recognition as a junior, elected not to return this season, Bargas said.

And senior Chris Moya, an All-CIF kicker who shared league Special Teams Player of the Year honors, is sidelined indefinitely by an administrative issue and may miss the season.

But despite having only four players who started the majority of last season, including third-year starting quarterback Connor Brown and two-way senior linemen Jason Jones and Juan Lozada, and little help from a freshmen team that went 1-9 in 2014, Bargas believes the program has proven it can find its way to the upper division, if not the top of the OCL.

“My first eight years here, we’ve won the league championship 50% of the time,” Bargas said. “And I think we have enough talent to keep it going.”

Depth, particularly in the trenches, is a concern, but Brown, the OCL Offensive Player of the Year as a junior who has thrown for 2,722 yards in two previous seasons, could help compensate for any growing pains on the offensive line.

“He has a great arm, he is a big guy (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) and he has proven his worth throwing the football,” Bargas said of Brown, who with four rushing touchdowns is responsible for two-thirds of the total scored by returners. “So I think we’re more prone to throw the ball this season. And I usually prefer my quarterback under center, but Connor likes the shotgun, so we’ll do more of that. We’ll also use more spread and one-back formations.”

Jones (6-4, 230), the primary captain who starts at left tackle and had 55 tackles at defensive end in 2014, could be one of the better players in the Newport-Mesa area, Bargas said. And, like Brown, Jones is expected to generate interest from college recruiters, according to his coach.

Senior fullback and outside linebacker D.J. Davis is another proven commodity.

Lozada (5-11, 195), who Bargas said has a 4.2 grade-point average and aspires to become a brain surgeon, figures to fortify the spine of the lineup at right guard and defensive end.

Junior Jordan Balcazar is slated to be the featured ballcarrier at tailback, having produced 56 of the mere 183 rushing yards produced by those returning from last season.

—

Estancia Eagles

League: Orange Coast

CIF Division: Southern

Coach: Mike Bargas (ninth season, 50-39)

Staff: Mike Bargas (offensive coordinator); Chris Bargas (defensive coordinator-secondary); Lance Chavez (offensive line); Matt Redding (receivers); Brian Burgess (running backs); Chris Flores (linebackers); Bob Fields (defensive line); Darren Testa (secondary); Mike Ortiz (freshmen coach, eye in the sky).

2014 record: 8-3, 5-0 in league. Lost in first round of CIF Southern Division playoffs

Offensive scheme: Two-back, multiple

Defensive scheme: 4-3

Returning starters offense: three

Returning starters defense: three

Returning with honors: K Chris Moya

—

2015 Schedule

September

3 – Loara (at Western)

11 – Pacifica (home)

18 – at Irvine

25 – University (home)

October

1 – Ocean View (home)

9 – Calvary Chapel* (home)

16 – Costa Mesa* (Jim Scott Stadium)

23 – at Laguna Beach*

29 – Godinez* (home)

November

6 – at Saddleback*

*denotes league game

All home games at Jim Scott Stadium

All games 7 p.m.