High school football: Eagles’ chins up

Steve Virgen

NEWPORT BEACH - After a tumultuous season that included the death

of Matt Colby, his friend and former teammate, nine losses without a win

and aches that go beyond postgame soreness, Estancia High senior Junior

Tanielu was still able to smile as the Pacific Coast League season ended

Thursday.

Even after Tanielu saw the final loss slip away because of four

fumbles, which led to a 17-6 Laguna Beach win at Newport Harbor High, he

said he enjoyed the season and he scoffed at regret.

“It was one of the hardest things for me to do,” Tanielu said of his

decision to stay an Eagle rather than transfer with some of his teammates

to Costa Mesa. “All of my friends who went over there wanted me to

transfer with them so I could start at wide receiver for them. But, my

family has been dedicated to Estancia High and (Estancia) football and

that’s the only reason I stayed. I don’t regret (staying). The players

who transferred could have stayed and I think we could have won some

games.”

Tanielu, who ran for 77 yards on 14 carries, completed a dazzling

touchdown run against the Artists (6-4, 1-4 in the PCL). On

fourth-and-four from the Laguna 17 with 1:17 left in the first half,

Tanielu took an option pitch from Lewis Bradshaw and bounced off two

tacklers, spinning into the clear then running untouched to put the

Eagles within, 7-6.

“It was a lot of fun,” Tanielu said of the winless season, the second

in the school’s 37-year varsity history. “The coach (Jay Noonan) was

great. Hopefully, (players) come back next year and I hope they just keep

getting better.”

One of those players coming back is Bradshaw, a junior transfer from

Newport Harbor who said he had no regret about being an Eagle rather than

a Sailor.

“I’m definitely optimistic about the future,” said Bradshaw, who threw

for 115 yards, completing 14 of 25 passes. “We are improving. We have so

many guys who want to play.

“We’re a family now,” he continued. “We’ve gone up and down throughout

the season with fights, but we’re a family now. This week we had such a

great time. We came together.”

The Eagles showed unity after the loss, as several players posed for

pictures together and shared hugs. They endured yet another game of

turnovers. But the Estancia defense also caused turnovers.

Estancia sophomore Jason Johnston, senior Nick Razo and sophomore

Landon Pullizi each recovered a fumble.

Also, down at halftime, 10-6, the Eagles opened the second half with a

successful onside kick. Estancia senior Marco Montez booted a high,

looping ball that caught the Artists off guard and junior Louis Valdes

recovered. But an Estancia fumble ended the ensuing drive on the Laguna

21. That’s when Artists’ running back Donelle Darling went to work. He

dashed for a 9-yard run, and, on the next play, broke off a 56-yard run

that ended when Nic Koreerat made a touchdown-saving tackle. But, Darling

finished off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run.

“It completely covered the full gamut of emotions,” Noonan said of his

first season. “I can’t think of a year where I’ve been more stretched and

pulled in my life, in just a range of emotions. Any distraction that

could have occurred to us, did. We’re not mature enough yet. I would’ve

liked to have seen the kids get one win. Now we have to buckle down and

get to work.”