Prep football: Eagles pounded

Barry Faulkner

IRVINE - The final encounter Estancia High quarterback Lewis

Bradshaw had with a representative of the University High football team

was considerably more pleasant than the more than two dozen that preceded

it Thursday night at Irvine High.

For, after Trojan defenders turned his once-white road jersey into an

almost total rendering of earth tone -- the blended browns and greens

which well-used stadium turf features this time of year -- Uni Coach Mark

Cunningham trotted 15 yards out of his way to salute the Eagles’

courageous junior.

“Where’s No. 12, that kid is a heck of a football player,” Cunningham

said as the teams worked their way through the postgame handshakes and

Estancia began trudging to the bus in the aftermath of the Trojans’ 40-13

Pacific Coast League victory.

Cunningham then, as many of his defenders had the previous 2 1/2 hours

had, caught up to Bradshaw to deliver a handshake and some well-deserved

praise.

Bradshaw earned the kind words by rushing for a single-season high 48

yards on 17 carries, and completing 10 of 21 passes for another 72 yards.

For the fourth time in four league games, he was also directly

responsible for his team’s touchdowns, including a 69-yard third-quarter

option keep in which he outran the secondary pursuit, though at least one

Trojan appeared to have an angle.

Bradshaw also made several tackles from his free safety spot, punted

and held on conversion attempts.

Conversion was a key concept in this one, as the host Trojans (6-2,

3-1 in league), ranked No. 6 in CIF Southern Section Division IX,

converted its role as heavy favorite into oppressor with a 21-0

first-quarter roll.

“We thought if we didn’t do anything stupid, we would have a very good

chance to control this game,” said Cunningham, who can lock up its fourth

straight postseason berth with a win Thursday over Costa Mesa at Orange

Coast College.

If the Trojans get some help -- either Laguna Beach (tonight) or

Corona del Mar Thursday beating Northwood -- they may even salvage at

least a share of their second consecutive PCL crown.

The Trojans needed little help early, but cashed in some charitable

field position, created by Estancia fumbles, to put the game away in the

third quarter.

Uni drove 60 yards on five plays with the opening kickoff, then, after

Estancia cornerback Jermaine Snell intercepted in his own end zone to

thwart a second scoring opportunity, took an Eagle punt and went 61 yards

on eight plays to lead, 14-0.

Senior running back Scott Pickett capped both scoring drives with TD

runs of 1 and 2 yards, then returned a punt 35 yards to the Estancia 19

to set up his team’s third first-quarter TD.

Pickett went 4 yards off right tackle on the aforementioned five-play

drive, which, thanks to the third of Chris Sprague’s conversion kicks,

made it 21-0 as the first quarter expired.

With Bradshaw leading the veer option, which seven times set him up to

be swarmed either at or behind the line of scrimmage, the Eagles (0-8,

0-4) utilized a 48-yard fake punt pass from backup quarterback Jason

Johnston to Junior Tanielu, to move to the Uni 12-yard line.

But a sack, a penalty and an incompletion allowed Uni to keep the

Eagles scoreless.

Trailing, 24-0, Estancia junior defensive end Eric Anderson recovered

an errant option pitch to set up an eight-play, 35-yard touchdown drive

late in the first half.

Bradshaw’s option keeper on fourth-and-inches gave Estancia

first-and-goal at the 1 and he pushed the ball over the goal line on the

next snap to put the Eagles on the board.

Peter Baker lined a 25-yard conversion kick just over the crossbar

after an Estancia penalty.

Estancia fumbled on two of its first three second-half possessions,

with Bradshaw’s long TD run in between, and Uni turned its two recoveries

into 10 points to put the game away.

The Trojans finalized the scoring on a 48-yard run early in the fourth

quarter, after an Estancia possession that reached the hosts’ 3 fizzled

with another lost fumble on an option pitch.

The Eagles lost four of their five fumbles, but came out even in the

turnover department, thanks to additional recoveries by Johnston and

Tanielu.

Johnston wrapped up Pickett for a 3-yard loss to drop the Trojan

standout back under the 100-yard rushing mark, as he finished with 98

yards on 13 carries.

Estancia Coach Jay Noonan said his team made progress,

“We played better this week than we did against Costa Mesa, which is

what you’re looking for.”

Cunningham also had praise for all the Eagles afterward.

“Our kids were saying at halftime how good their sportsmanship was,

and our kids haven’t said that about any other teams this year,”

Cunningham said.