Prep football: Eagles fly past Artists

Barry Faulkner

LAGUNA BEACH - The Estancia High football team pulled out all the

stops in Thursday night’s Pacific Coast League finale at Laguna Beach.

And, as it turned out, the Artists’ defense had very few of its own.

The Eagles scored on nine of their first 10 possessions to earn an

oppressive 62-23 victory, which, according to Coach Dave Perkins, puts

them where they need to be heading into the CIF Southern Section Division

IX playoffs.

“We wanted to continue on a roll,” said Perkins, whose third straight

win put the Eagles in position to gain a share of the PCL crown, pending

tonight’s Corona del Mar-University clash at Orange Coast College.

If CdM wins, Estancia joins the Sea Kings and Trojans in a three-way

tie for first, with a coin flip deciding which teams represent the league

as first-, second- and third-place entries.

If University wins, the Eagles would move past CdM into sole

possession of second place. And, at 7-3, 4-1 in league and ranked No. 10

in CIF Division IX, the Eagles may open their first postseason since 1995

with a home game.

“We didn’t think about that,” Perkins said, denying any notion he

wanted a big score to impress those who draw up the playoff bracket,

announced Sunday. “We just came out and did our thing. Our kids are just

getting very good at running this offense.”

Perkins also had praise for the defense, which posted a season-high

five sacks (for 36 yards in losses), and largely contained the Artists

(2-8, 1-4).

“Our defense played real well tonight,” Perkins said. “We did what we

had to do,”

The second-highest scoring output in Estancia’s 36 varsity seasons (it

dropped a 63-21 drubbing on Ocean View in 1996), had an inauspicious

beginning.

The Eagles tried an onside kick to open the game and Laguna recovered

and drove to the 1, before settling for a 25-yard Todd Merz field goal.

From there, Estancia pretty much had its way, as 14 different Eagles

carried the ball, three threw passes and six scored touchdowns.

In all, Estancia amassed 541 yards total offense, while upping its

2000 scoring total to a school single-season record 305 points.

Senior fullback Fahad Jahid rushed for 105 yards and two TDs on seven

carries, while senior backfield mate Andy Romo chalked up 88 yards and

two TDs on 12 rushing attempts.

Romo (now 988 yards) and Jahid (919) hope to both surpass the

1,000-yard plateau in the postseason.

Freddy Rodriguez also rolled up 90 yards and a pair of TDs on five

carries, while Jesse Cardenas, a starting defensive end, cashed in his

only carry for a 1-yard touchdown to cap the Estancia scoring.

Quarterback Kenny Valbuena completed 7 of 8 passes for 178 yards and

one TD, while backup A.J. Perkins completed his only pass to Danny

Valbuena for a 1-yard TD.

Senior tight end David Stoddard caught three passes for 125 yards,

including a 55-yard touchdown on the first play of the Eagles’ second

possession.

Estancia scoring drives went nine, one, five, 10, four, two, six,

three and two plays. Only two TD drives started in Laguna Beach

territory.

Richie Berame returned the second-half kickoff 71 yards to the Laguna

28 to set up one quick strike and Bobby Arroyo recovered a fumble at the

Artists’ 26 for the other, late in the final period.

The Estancia defense, led by ends David Rodriguez and Cardenas,

hounded Laguna quarterbacks all night. Rodriguez was in on three sacks

and had several other pressures, while Cardenas joined Rodriguez as

literal thorns in quarterback Merz’s side.

Merz was helped from the field after being drilled in the ribs in the

third quarter, then left the game for good after an apparent blow to the

head left him woozy with 5:09 left in the third.

The Eagle secondary, which included contributions from Romo and Javier

Ramirez (one interception apiece), as well as Jeremy Valdes, A.J. Perkins

and Freddy Rodriguez, also did its job.

Laguna’s standout senior receiver Will Blodgett caught five passes for

52 yards and two TDs, but came up short of the 11 receptions he needed to

break the school single-season record. Blodgett, who also threw a TD pass

and picked up 23 yards on a reverse, finished with 51 catches in his swan

song.