Back in the saddle

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - The Estancia High football team had its unbeaten

record and nearly its CIF Southern Section Division IX ranking stripped

away with a 21-12 loss last week to an Anaheim team which ended a 24-game

losing streak.

Tonight, when the Eagles (3-1) host Santa Ana Valley (3-1) at 7 o’clock

at Orange Coast College, Estancia Coach Dave Perkins will discover if the

setback also cost his players their confidence.

“One positive, after getting beat last week,” Perkins said, “is that with

a Thursday game, we can get right back in the saddle. We need to see if

we can make some corrections and redeem ourselves. We fumbled three

straight plays last week, which has never happened to a team I’ve

coached. Maybe we got rid of all those mistakes last week.”

The Eagles, ranked No. 10 in Division IX, will need to limit mistakes to

compete with the Falcons, who have posted an identical record against,

arguably, stronger competition.

Valley’s opponents have a combined 7-9 record thus far, while Estancia

foes are 5-11.

Perkins said his team’s 3-0 start may have inflated expectations too

much.

“People seem to forget we were 1-9 last year and we haven’t been a

perpetual winner,” said Perkins, in his second season at Estancia. “We

still have a lot to learn and last week was a lesson for us. You never

want to lose or play poorly and we did both last week. But, in the long

run, (the Anaheim loss) may wind up paying off for us.”

The Eagles have garnered dividends all season from senior two-way

standout Marshall Hendricks. At running back, he has produced 575 yards

on 71 rushing attempts. He has scored eight touchdowns and has 760

all-purpose yards.

Defensively, Hendricks has half the Eagles’ eight interceptions and the

Falcons’ penchant for the pass might provide the Eagles the opportunity

to pad that total.

“They like to throw the ball, but they’re an eclectic offense,” Perkins

said. “They’ll line up with a single back and trips to one side, but

then, primarily when they get close to the goal line, they’ll line up in

an I formation with two tight ends.”

Estancia’s defense, which utilizes the double flex alignment, surrendered

just 25 points its first three games, before Anaheim nearly matched that

total.

Offensively, Estancia hopes its wing T can improve upon the 152 yards it

produced last week.

A Valley defense which blanked the Eagles last year and allowed only 97

rushing yards, returns one of its key performers in 6-foot-3, 233-pound

senior linebacker Eliu Fatu.

“(Fatu) gave us fits last year,” Perkins said.