Two-Minute Drill: Estancia bound for playoffs
ESTANCIA
Estancia High’s 17-6 Orange Coast League home win over Laguna Beach Friday, combined with results around the league, allowed the Eagles (6-2, 3-0 in league) to clinch one of the league’s three guaranteed berths into the CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs.
The Eagles, ranked No. 4 in the division, have now made the playoffs the last six seasons and nine of the last 10. The first 40 seasons of the program’s existence, the Eagles made the playoffs nine times and won just three playoff games.
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•Estancia’s come-from-behind triumph was the fifth in a row this season for the Eagles, giving them three win streaks of at least five games in the last three seasons. The 2011 team won seven straight, before falling in the Southern Division semifinals.
The 2011 squad that began that season 10-2, is the only other Estancia team in the last 25 years to start with a better record than the Eagles’ 6-2 mark.
Coach Mike Bargas’ Eagles are tied with Saddleback atop the league standings. Estancia will attempt to claim the outright league title by closing with wins against Godinez (0-8, 0-3) on Friday night at Segerstrom High and Nov. 7 at home against Saddleback (5-3, 3-0).
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•The Eagles’ fifth straight win was anything but easy, as the visiting Breakers (1-7, 0-3), who have now lost seven in a row, took leads of 3-0 and 6-3 and did not trail until sophomore Dylan Laurent scored from 22 yards out with 11:04 left in the game.
Laurent, who compiled 84 of his 112 rushing yards in the second half, added a second touchdown run, from 12 yards, with 3:03 left.
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•Bargas singled out his defense as the leading factor in the victory. The Breakers collected 247 yards of total offense, but their three trips to the red zone produced a total of six points.
Laguna Beach’s last-ditch comeback attempt ended at the Estancia one-yard line when a toss play on fourth-and-goal was stuffed short of the goal line with 32 seconds left.
Estancia held on downs on the Breakers second-to-last possession that reached the Eagles’ 32-yard line. Laguna Beach’s final first-half possession, which reached the Estancia 33, resulted in a missed 51-yard field-goal attempt.
— Barry Faulkner
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CORONA DEL MAR
•The Corona del Mar High football team has shown no signs of letdown in Pacific Coast League play.
The Sea Kings blanked University, 35-0, on Friday night to improve to 7-1, 3-0 in league.
CdM, the top-ranked team in the CIF Southern Section Southwest Division, has won 13 straight league games since a 42-37 loss to Beckman in the 2011 league finale. That game was memorable, as CdM nearly rallied from a 32-point deficit. The Sea Kings got revenge that year, topping the Patriots, 14-13, in the Southern Division title game.
The Sea Kings have been dominant in their 13-game league winning streak, as no team has lost by less than a touchdown. Friday’s win was CdM’s fourth shutout in the span.
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•Sophomore quarterback Chase Garbers was again impressive for CdM starting in place of junior quarterback Peter Bush (ankle). Garbers completed 12 of 13 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns, doing most of the damage in the first half.
Garbers showed off his strong arm on one of the passes, a 47-yard touchdown bomb to senior receiver Cole Collins over the middle in the second quarter.
“It’s so cool to have a sophomore and a junior quarterback,” senior defensive lineman Justin Hess said. “Peter’s obviously been out, but whenever one of them goes down, the other one takes up the reigns. Chase is really picking up the team, leading the offensive, doing a great job. I know when Peter comes back, it’s competitive, but they’re both here to help the team out. It’s really cool to have that, especially with two underclassmen.”
Bush could be ready to return soon. CdM Coach Scott Meyer indicated that both quarterbacks have earned playing time.
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•Missing its top three quarterbacks, University started Andre Campbell, typically a receiver, at quarterback. Campbell attempted just four passes, as the Trojans opted to run many plays out of the Wildcat formation.
University netted just 88 yards from scrimmage. Its top play was a 15-yard run by junior Matt Abellaneda, late in the fourth quarter with the game already decided.
“We saw some Wildcat stuff last week [in a 41-3 win over Woodbridge],” Meyer said. “It was a pretty easy adjustment for us. We kind of just jumped into what we did last week against Woodbridge.”
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•CdM remains ranked No. 4 in the CIF State Division II South Bowl Rankings released by CalHiSports.com.
CdM is behind La Canada St. Francis (8-0), Redlands East Valley (7-1) and La Mirada (7-1). St. Francis and La Mirada are the top-two ranked teams in the CIF Southern Section Southeast Division, while Redlands East Valley is the top team in the Inland Division.
Last year the Sea Kings won the CIF State Division III title.
— Matt Szabo
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SAGE HILL
•The Sage Hill Lightning enter the week facing a similar scenario to the one they encountered a year ago when they reached its ninth game of the season.
In the final two weeks of its 2013 campaign, the Lightning needed a strong finish - two victories, in fact, to stay in the league race and in contention for a CIF Southern Section East Valley Division playoff berth. They met that challenge, defeating both Downey Calvary Chapel and Crean Lutheran in their final two games. Then, they were awarded a postseason bid.
Saturday in Downey, Sage starts the same two-game leg when it takes on Calvary Chapel. The Lightning, 0-2 in league and 3-5 overall, needs a victory to remain relevant for another week, in the chase for another possible postseason trip.
“This is the exact same situation we were in last year,” Sage Coach Tom Kirchmeyer said. “We needed to win those two games to have a shot, even, at being considered for CIF. We won those two games a year ago, the final game we beat Crean [Lutheran] in the last three minutes, and then we were fortune to get that playoff bid.
“The kids rose to the occasion last year in the final weeks of the season. I think they will be ready to meet the challenge again. We are focused, like we are for any opponent we play in a given week, for Calvary (Chapel). If we come away with a win, we are one step closer to achieving our goal of staying in playoff contention.”
Both Sage and Downey Calvary Chapel are 0-2 in league play with two games to go. Crean Lutheran sits at 1-1 and hosts second-place Brethren Christian (2-1) Thursday.
Defending league champion St. Margaret’s sits atop the standings at 3-0. The Tartans play a nonleague game Thursday against Los Angeles Dymally.
“This season has been a fast season,” Kirchmeyer said. “The kids have been having fun and they still have a shot to finish with a good season.”
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•Sage Hill is coming off a 48-14 loss to Brethren Christian, but the Lightning, although down two touchdowns at halftime (28-14), played the ninth-ranked Warriors (6-2-1 overall) toe-to-toe in the opening half. The Lightning drove into BC territory on its first three possessions, scored on long touchdown passes on their next two possessions, reached the BC 35 on possession No. 6, and its final seventh and final of the first half was only a two-play possession that came in the final 14 seconds.
A fumble and two interceptions stopped drives. The Lightning also was victimized by a BC squib kick late in the first quarter that set up the Warriors’ third touchdown.
“Schematically, we had a great game plan,” Kirchmeyer said. “Our first drive lasted 12 plays but unfortunately, ended with a lost fumble. We had other drives that lasted eight or nine plays but again, turnovers kills us.”
Sage’s touchdowns came on long pass plays. The first was a flea-flicker from senior quarterback CJ McCord to a wide-open junior receiver Jacob Fisher that resulted in a 76-yard scoring play near the midway point of the second quarter. The Lightning struck again three minutes later when McCord threw to senior receiver Vince Wetmore who turned the play into a 44-yard score.
McCord threw for 233 yards and Wetmore caught six passes for a team-high 96 yards. Fisher was right behind Wetmore with three receptions totaling 90 yards.
“Vince Wetmore and CJ McCord both have had a really solid year for us, so far,” Kirchmeyer said. “We have several senior players who were contributors last year who have risen to the occasion this year and have had big senior years. They continue to put in the hard work.
“Our kids have grown from Week 1 to Week 8. They keep fighting and have been competitive. That’s a testament to their work ethic.”
— Mike Sciacca