Prep football: Eagles rally rings a Bell

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - The New York Yankees added to their trophy case

this week, but it was a quote from an infamous pinstriper the Estancia

High football team made everyone recall Friday night at Newport Harbor

High.

The hardhearted Eagles, many of whose seniors took part in a 52-0

drubbing by cross-town rival Costa Mesa as sophomore varsity newcomers,

rallied from a 20-0 deficit to claim a 34-27 Pacific Coast League triumph

that will go down as a Battle for the Bell classic.

It was colorful Yogi Berra who noted “It’s not over till it’s over,”

But Estancia Coach Dave Perkins put another spin on the subject, after

the dramatic win, which puts the Eagles (5-2, 2-1 in league) in position

to earn their first trip to the CIF Southern Section Division IX playoffs

since 1995.

“How many quarters do you have to play?” Perkins bellowed to his

jubilant players in the same end zone senior Andy Romo swept into to cap

a 10-play, 74-yard drive that broke a 27-27 tie with 21 seconds left.

“Four!” shouted the troops, whom Perkins later said simply refused to

lose.

“We just told ourselves we weren’t going to lose this game,” Romo, who

rushed for 125 yards and scored his team’s final two TDs. “It was about

steppin’ up.”

The Eagles stood down early, as the Mustangs (5-3, 1-2 and ranked No.

8 in CIF Division IX) appeared intent on reclaiming the perpetual Bell

trophy Estancia won last year, 34-14.

Two Luis Avalos field goals and a pair of long touchdown plays by Nick

Cabico gave the visitors the 20-point cushion with 5:45 left before the

half.

But from there, Estancia’s defense dug in and its offense quit

stopping itself with mistakes.

“(Perkins) told us we had to be more emotional,” Estancia senior

defensive end David Rodriguez said.

A 22-yard touchdown pass from Kenny Valbuena to David Stoddard with

4:08 left in the first half helped the Eagles’ mood.

And a pair of Mesa miscues helped turn the tide in the third quarter.

After Estancia’s first second-half possession ended in a punt, Mesa

took over at its own 17. On the first play, a fumble on a handoff bounded

backward into the end zone, where Estancia senior outside linebacker Matt

Colby won the chase to close the gap to 20-13.

After a Mesa punt, senior fullback Fahad Jahid broke 38 yards to the

Mesa 12 and, seven plays later, plowed in on fourth-and-goal from inside

the 1. Javier Ramirez’s conversion kick tied the score.

Mesa’s subsequent possession ended when the punter knelt to field the

snap, downing the ball on his own 8.

Romo swept the left side for the touchdown on the next snap and the

Eagle rooters had their long-awaited helping of “Mesa meat,” as well as a

27-20 lead.

Mesa, however, took advantage of two big Estancia penalties to march

63 yards for the equalizer, accomplished when Patrick Hulliger hit Cabico

on a 13-yard play-action pass for the TD. Luis Avalos toed the PAT and

the stage was set.

Valbuena completed three passes and scrambled four times for 36 yards,

the finally sprint from the pocket to the Mesa 3 with 25 ticks remaining.

Romo did the rest and three Mesa plays after the kickoff produced just

5 yards.

“I don’t know what happened,” said slack-jawed Costa Mesa Coach Jerry

Howell. “I thought we were in control. But the momentum went their way

and we never got it back.”

Cabico had 87 receiving yards, 53 more rushing and scored three TDs,

while Alvin Nguyen carried 13 times for 112 yards for the Mustangs.

Valbuena finished with 107 yards passing and 32 rushing, while Jahid

added 77 yards to Romo’s rushing heroics.

“You guys played with such heart and courage,” Perkins told his

players. “You guys make me so proud.”