Estancia defense keys 20-7 win over Wesmtinster
Barry Faulkner
WESTMINSTER - The Estancia High defense may “flex,” but, as it
proved in an impressive 20-7 nonleague football triumph Friday at
Westminster High, the Eagles are far less likely to break this fall.
Estancia intercepted All-Golden West League quarterback Kelly Coburn four
times, including two in the end zone and another at its own 2-yard line,
to help come within 124 seconds of becoming only the second team in
school history to open the season with back-to-back shutouts.
Westminster capped a six-play, 35-yard touchdown drive after an 8-yard
punt to finally dent the scoreboard with 2:04 left in the game. But not
before the Eagles stuffed Lion ballcarriers short of the goal line twice
after first-and-goal at the 6.
“We’re playing defense,” said Estancia second-year coach Dave Perkins,
who saw his Eagles surrender 318 points in 10 games last fall,
fourth-most in Orange County.
This season, however, veteran assistant Bob Brockie, who has worked with
Perkins previously but is in his first year at Estancia, has installed
the flex scheme and has his charges executing and believing.
“Bob has the kids in the right place at the right time and they’ve really
bought into what he’s asked them to do,” Perkins said. “I’m real thankful
to have (Brockie).”
Coburn, a senior, will be thankful not to see secondary standouts
Marshall Hendricks (two interceptions to double his season total), Andy
Romo (one interception), Freddy Rodriguez (several passes broken
up), and linebacker Fahad Jahid, among others, this fall.
Jahid, who was also impressive at fullback, dropped in coverage to
collect the first pick of the game on the Lions’ first possession. He
returned it 20 yards to the Westminster 39 and the Eagles (2-0) were
rolling.
Jahid then capped the eight-play march with a 1-yard plunge up the middle
and the first of two John Alderete conversion kicks gave the visitors a
7-0 lead with 3:41 left in the first quarter.
Westminster drove to the Estancia 9 with the ensuing kickoff, but a
dropped pass in the end zone on fourth down gave the Eagles possession
and they went 91 yards on 14 plays.
Hendricks highlighted the drive, which sapped nearly seven minutes from
the clock, with runs of 14 and 13 yards. He also also caught a quick
slant pass from Kenny Valbuena and raced 29 yards up the middle.
Jeremy Valdes, rotating at quarterback with Valbuena, found the end zone
on a 3-yard bootleg with 5:19 left in the half and Estancia’s
opportunistic defense came up big on Westminster’s first subsequent snap.
Linebacker Cesar Romero recovered a fumble at Westminster’s 21 and
Hendricks took just one play to cash it in, sprinting around left end for
all the points the Eagles would need.
Hendricks finished with 74 yards on 12 carries to give him 217
all-purpose yards, while Jahid added 58 rushing yards on 13 attempts.
This one, however, was not about offense for the Eagles, who limited
Coburn to 12 completions in 34 attempts.
“We could have had a couple more interceptions,” Perkins said of several
Coburn offerings dropped by his defensive backs.
Josh Veach and Ivan Garcia each had sacks for the winners, who also
received fine defensive play from Matt Mueller, Kyle Westman, David
Rodriguez, Sean Freeman and Alderete, among others.
“We should have done better,” said Romo, a junior outside linebacker. “We
need to work harder in practice but (the early success) is feeding us and
keeping us pumped.”
Westminster (1-1) did manage 348 yards of total offense, but couldn’t
crack the Eagles in the red zone until the closing moments.
Estancia, which pulled in the offensive reins after claiming the early
lead, amassed more than 31 minutes of possession.
“We’re trying to get a little better each week,” Perkins said. “We got
better this week and we’ll see what happens (Friday at Garden Grove).”
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