Boys soccer: Estancia gets second life

Barry Faulkner

CERRITOS - While the Costa Mesa High boys soccer team is still

enjoying what is believed to be the school’s first league championship,

Estancia cashed in the benefits of winning the CIF Southern Section

Division IV crown last season, when this year’s playoff pairings were

released Monday at the section office.

The Eagles (9-4-5), who tied for third in the Pacific Coast League,

but lost the tiebreaker to Northwood for the league’s third guaranteed

playoff spot, practiced Monday, instead of turning it their gear.

“I tried not to think about it all weekend,” said Estancia Coach Steve

Crenshaw, whose team will visit Valley Christian (16-3-4) Saturday in a

first-round game tentatively slated for 3 p.m. “But do we feel fortunate?

Yeah.”

Costa Mesa (13-5-1), which won the outright PCL title with a 7-2-1

league record, hosts Azusa, the No. 3 representative from the Montview

League in Saturday’s first round. Game time will be set at the discretion

of both schools.

Little is known about Azusa, which didn’t even report its overall

record to the section office. The Aztecs went 5-4-1 against league competition.

Coach Eugene Day’s Costa Mesa squad put up seven shutouts in its 10

league games to advance to the playoffs for the first time since 1991.

With a first-round victory, the Mustangs would meet either Bishop

Montgomery (14-7-1) or South El Monte (14-2-5) in the second round,

scheduled Feb. 21. Bishop Montgomery, the Del Rey League champion, lost

in last year’s Division IV title game to Estancia, 5-2.

Valley Christian, champion of the Olympic League, fell to Bishop

Montgomery, 1-0, in last year’s Division IV semifinals to finish 23-3-2.

Crenshaw was at that semifinal game, but believes the key players from

last year’s Valley Christian team have graduated.

So, too, have most of the contributors to Estancia’s second section

title. But, a strong cast of newcomers helped the Eagles extend their

postseason streak to six straight years.

Mesa, with Day guiding his first varsity team after coaching the

school’s frosh-soph the previous five years, hopes this year is the start

of its perennial parade into the postseason. And, Day hopes, the Mustangs

are around long enough to savor the experience this year.

“I don’t think it will be a big problem getting the kids refocused,”

said Day, who will take advantage of the long practice week to shore up

conditioning and individual skills.

“There was some excitement Friday (when most of the team was on hand

to witness University’s tie with Northwood that clinched the outright

title for the Mustangs),” Day said. “But I’m still kind of a

straightforward guy and my emphasis has always been on what’s next. I

think the kids realize this and they’ll be able to stay focused.”

Mesa’s focus has been on the defensive end, where senior sweeper Marco

Santangelo, senior Chasen Marshall, junior Stephen Thomas and sophomore

Zack Powell have provided a formidable back wall for junior goalie Bryce

Sheridan.

“I’d say defense has the edge on our team, when you talk about

strengths,” Day said.

Mesa’s offense and midfield, however, have also been solid, according

to Day.

Senior forward Trinidad Hernandez leads the Mustangs with 10 goals,

while senior Bernardo Falci and junior Eli Solis have also been

consistent scoring threats.

Senior Louis Day and junior Michael Gardiner, whom Eugene Day calls

the “Twin Towers,” operate primarily at midfield, though both are good in

the air and have scored goals.

Ricardo Luna, a junior who focuses on defense, as well as junior Irwin

Salas, were also singled out for their contributions in the midfield.

Eugene Day, who substitutes freely, also singled out senior Michael

Armstrong for the consistent energy he provides as the leader of the

reserves.

“(Armstrong) can run all day, so whenever the other team looks a

little tired, I put him in for about five or 10 minutes. He always does

his job.”

The field general for Estancia has been senior center midfielder

Armando Ortiz, a returning starter from last year’s CIF and PCL champion.

“Armando has been the best player on the field, every game we’ve

played,” Crenshaw said.

Sophomore forward Javier Millan leads Estancia goal scorers with

eight, while Ortiz and senior Juan Zarate have six apiece.

Crenshaw has also been pleased with the play of his back line, where

junior sweeper Rolando Vivar and senior stopper Alfredo Murillo hold

things down. Crenshaw also credited the defensive work of sophomore

fullback Abdul Kaiyum.

Despite being the only at-large entry in the section’s top four

divisions (five teams received at-large berths in Division V), Crenshaw

thinks his team can make the most of its new life.

“Maybe this will light a fire under our guys,” Crenshaw said. “We can

play with any of these teams and I think we have a shot at it. We’ve just

got to be ready to play and ready to pull the trigger. Our biggest

problem all year has been that we just don’t take enough shots.”

Crenshaw also said having five practice days before Saturday’s opener

would allow his team to get stronger. He said his team felt the effects

of team-wide illness throughout the regular season.