Boys soccer: Estancia primed for CIF final

Barry Faulkner

LA MIRADA - Ever-confident coach Steve Crenshaw believes neither

rain, top-seeded Bishop Montgomery, nor a less-than-ideal playing

surface, can keep his Estancia High boys soccer team from its appointed

goal: a CIF Southern Section Division IV championship.

However, before the second-seeded Eagles (19-1-1) square off with the Del

Rey League champion Knights (21-2-3), Saturday at 10 a.m. at La Mirada

High, Crenshaw voiced his objection to the venue.

“I’m not happy with it,” Crenshaw said of the La Mirada football field,

which is crowned and an estimated 10 yards narrower and shorter than the

Eagles’ flat home field. Estancia is one of two boys title games not

played at Cal State Fullerton, which hosts three championship boys

contests Saturday.

“Because we’re a smaller school, they shove us over to a football field

and I think it’s cheap.”

The Eagles bring a wealth of talent and confidence into their first title

game since winning the section 2-A crown in 1985.

Estancia has outscored opponents, 117-12, including a 24-3 edge in four

playoff games, and has won its last 16 games.

Senior forwards Esaul Mendoza (nine of his 43 goals in the playoffs,

including two hat tricks) and Cesar Terrones (four of his 33 in the last

three games) key an attack fueled by speed, skill and unselfishness.

Senior Eagles’ goalie Hilario Arriaga and the all-senior back line of

sweeper Edson Anaya, stopper Omar Navarrete, as well as fullbacks

Fernando Medina and John Alderete, have combined to post 13 shutouts.

Bishop Montgomery has survived one-goal verdicts in the quarterfinals and

semifinals to earn a shot at its second section crown. The Knights won

the 2-A title in 1983.

“Our guys have said they want to go take care of business Saturday,”

Crenshaw said. “Their attitude is ‘Let’s just go win the the thing.’ ”