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).”