Daily Pilot High School Football Player of the Week: Ross does it all for Eagles

A month ago, while everyone worked out, Tyler Ross walked up to Estancia High football coach Mike Bargas and showed him a list. The list contained the names of 12 starters out with injuries.

“What’s the plan for this week?” Ross asked Bargas.

Injuries during nonleague action ravaged the team, and Estancia still had one more left to play.

“I purposely schedule a preseason that’s tough and I hope we don’t get beat up,” Bargas said. “We almost got pushed over the edge.”

The Eagles dropped their final nonleague game, losing to Sunny Hills, 64-14, on Sept. 30. The month couldn’t end any sooner for Estancia, which suffered its most lopsided setback in Bargas’ 10 years in charge.

October came, the start of Orange Coast League play. The first two games in league ended the same way the previous four did, with the Eagles losing.

Bargas always tells his players that injuries and attitude will cost them their season. While the injuries took a toll on the team, Bargas said the Eagles had a fantastic attitude during their six-game skid.

Ross gave the team hope. With so many players out, Ross is the kind of player who can make up for injuries.

Ross can run the ball, catch the ball, throw the ball, tackle whoever has the ball, punt the ball, and return kickoffs and punts. Ross performed all those duties for Estancia last week, lifting it to its first win since the season opener on Sept. 1.

The senior proved to be an all-around threat, scoring four touchdowns in the Eagles’ 42-7 win against Costa Mesa in the 50th edition of the Battle for the Bell rivalry game at Jim Scott Stadium.

Ross always seems to shine whenever he plays the Mustangs. Last year, he mostly did it on defense, intercepting two passes.

This year, Ross did it all. He rushed 12 times for 127 yards and three touchdowns, returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, another for 56 yards, threw a 21-yard pass, caught a 13-yard pass, and recorded a 28-yard punt.

“He stepped up for us big time,” Bargas said. “He’s like 6-foot, 180 [pounds], so why not put the ball in the hands of your best athlete?”

Giving the ball to Ross resulted in the Eagles keeping their CIF Southern Section Division 12 playoff hopes alive that night. The top three teams in league secure postseason berths, and with the win against Costa Mesa, Estancia moved into a tie with Saddleback for fourth place.

Going into Thursday’s game with Laguna Beach, which shared second place with defending league champion Calvary Chapel, Estancia was in another must-win situation.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Bargas said.

The Eagles found themselves in a similar predicament a year ago, having to win down the stretch to qualify for the playoffs. They barely missed out, finishing a game out of third place.

For one evening, Ross put Estancia back in the playoff picture. On the opening kickoff last week, Ross ignited the Eagles.

Ross fielded the kickoff at the 15-yard line, and 15 yards later, it looked as though he would go down. He somehow managed to stay on his feet after bouncing off defenders and spinning to get away. He broke to the right, beating the kicker to the sideline to complete an 85-yard return for a touchdown.

Sixteen seconds in, Estancia went ahead, 7-0, and almost 6½ minutes later, it threatened again. The Eagles got inside the Mustangs’ 20-yard line, and then they turned the ball over.

“We’ve done that quite a few times this season, where we do something really good and we end up losing the [momentum],” said Bargas, knowing the fumble gave a winless Costa Mesa team some life.

The Mustangs capitalized early in the second quarter, tying things up at 7-7. Then they decided to kick the ball toward Ross again, and it turned out to be a big mistake.

Ross returned the kickoff 56 yards, leaving Estancia on the Mustangs’ 43. Seven plays later, Ross rushed for a four-yard touchdown to help give Estancia a 14-7 lead.

Ross also helped set up Estancia’s final score before halftime. This one involved a little trickery, as quarterback Eric Carrasco lateraled the ball to Ross to the right. Ross wound up throwing the ball to receiver Trevor Brown, who near the Estancia sideline jumped to make a 21-yard grab.

“It was nice because nobody really expected it,” said Ross, who expected his team to beat Costa Mesa for the third straight year.

Ross put Costa Mesa away on the Eagles’ first offensive play in the third quarter. He ripped a 57-yard touchdown run, allowing the Eagles to take a 28-7 lead.

“Tyler’s a special kid,” Bargas said. “He’s pretty selfless.”

Ross is one to lead by example. He praised the play of his teammates, especially his offensive line, which featured left tackle Jay Enciso, left guard Raul Gonzalez, center Pablo Guerrero, right guard Jorge Castellanos and right tackle Ervin Mauga.

“Because it was the Bell game, it gave them that much more fire to go out and do good, to play their hardest,” Ross said. “It really inspired them to go out and get a win.”

Getting key players back in time for the Battle for the Bell helped Estancia end its losing streak.

Ross still has that injury list he compiled last month. The list is getting shorter, as is the season for Estancia, if it doesn’t win out.

Tyler Ross

Born: June 25, 1998

Hometown: Costa Mesa

Height: 6 foot

Weight: 180 pounds

Sport: Football

Year: Senior

Coach: Mike Bargas

Favorite food: Sushi

Favorite movie: “The Wolf of Wall Street”

Favorite athletic moment: “Winning the [Battle for the] Bell [against rival Costa Mesa].”

Week in review: Ross scored four touchdowns in Estancia’s 42-7 win against Costa Mesa in the 50th edition of the Battle for the Bell rivalry game at Jim Scott Stadium.