Rivalry revived

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - It’s been six years since Corona del Mar High last

played Estancia in football. But with two schools which have battled 26

times under four previous league affiliations, it’s doubtful the Eagles

or the Sea Kings have lost that loveless feeling toward their

Newport-Mesa District rivals.

The two teams will reintroduce themselves Friday at 7 p.m. at Orange

Coast College in their first clash as Pacific Coast League combatants.

But there’s more on the line than bragging rights, as the winner will

claim sole possession of the league lead.

With a win, Estancia (5-2, 2-0 in league and ranked No. 9 in CIF Southern

Section Division IX) would clinch at least a share of its first league

crown since winning the Sea View in 1989. The Eagles have just two league

titles in their previous 34 seasons.

“It’s a real big game and I’ve thought all season it was going to be a

real big game,” Estancia Coach Dave Perkins said.

CdM (1-6, 1-0) would leapfrog ahead of the Eagles to the top of the

league standings with a victory, putting Coach Dick Freeman’s Sea Kings

in position to seize their first league championship since 1987.

“If we win this one, we’re the front-runner,” Freeman said. “But there’s

a lot of equality in this league and we’ll still have two very good teams

to play (University and Costa Mesa).”

Both teams have battled inconsistency and featured the running game. But

Estancia, with an impressive win over preseason league favorite Costa

Mesa, as well as a 20-7 triumph over a Westminster squad which topped

CdM, 21-14, earns the favorite’s tag.

The Eagles are fueled by senior two-way standout Marshall Hendricks, who

has rushed for 1,084 yards and collected seven interceptions.

“He’s as fast as anyone we’ve played and speed has given us problems,”

Freeman said of Hendricks. “We have to make it tougher for him to get

outside.”

Estancia fullbacks Matt Mueller and Fahad Jahid have also combined or 541

rushing yards and six touchdowns.

The Sea Kings running game has been paced by senior tailback Grant

Estabrook (590 yards on 159 carries), but senior Blake Hacker, who missed

several games with an ankle injury, could also be a factor. Hacker led

the Sea Kings with 58 yards on six carries in last week’s 24-7 nonleague

loss to Woodbridge, including an impressive 47-yard touchdown run.

Both teams are still searching for efficiency in their passing attack.

The Eagles’ two junior quarterbacks have just 21 combined completions (in

69 attempts). The Eagles have just one touchdown pass.

CdM, which lost starting quarterback Matt Moore for the season in Week 3,

has seen continued improvement from junior Evan Burden. Burden is 21 of

44 for 269 yards and two TDs in four starts.

“If you let them get their running game going, it opens up their

play-action passes and (Burden) isn’t going to miss open receivers,”

Perkins said.

The Eagles, however, have handled the pass, netting 15 interceptions to

fuel their plus-13 turnover ratio.

In addition to the opportunistic secondary of cornerbacks Hendricks and

John Alderete, as well as safety Freddy Rodriguez, the Eagles are keyed

defensively by end Kyle Westman and linebackers Mueller, Jahid and Cesar

Romero.

The Sea Kings’ defense has seldom featured the same lineup, due to

injuries. Senior middle linebacker Brandon Johnson sat out last week, but

is expected to return to help anchor the unit which also features senior

safety Adam Cooper and senior end Jay Bottom.

The Sea Kings have a minus-one turnover ratio and have had five

touchdowns nullified by penalties.

CdM leads the series, 14-9-3.