Boys soccer: Estancia seeking glory days

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - Patience will be key for the Estancia High boys soccer

team as it prepares to make its move back to championship status. Last

year, the defending CIF Southern Section Division IV champions were

expected to be inconsistent because of their youth. But with a year of

varsity experience under the returners’ collective belts, Estancia has no

excuses this year.

However, three games into the season, it seems the Eagles need a few

more games to gain team chemistry and confidence.

“We just need to get settled in,” Estancia Coach Steve Crenshaw said

after the Eagles’ 1-0 victory over visiting Newport Harbor Wednesday. “At

this point, they realize what they have to do and when they do it, it

works. Bottom line: We just have to keep playing hard and we’ll outlast

teams. They have to understand all they have to do is touch the ball. If

we keep touching the ball, it wears the other team down. That’s typically

what our style does. Other teams can hang with us for a little while, but

after a while those teams run out of steam and they can’t keep up with

that ball movement.”

The Eagles (1-2) receive ball movement from sophomore forward Noe

Martinez, who led the freshman team in scoring last season. In addition,

junior Nikolai Doudtchenko is back with a renewed desire to score. He has

two goals this season and has been the reason for two penalty kicks that

were made by Martinez.

Estancia junior Javier Millan has enough speed to fill the shoes of

the departed Armando Ortiz, who was last year’s Pacific Coast League’s

co-Most Valuable Player. Ortiz, who was on the 2000 CIF championship

team, is the assistant coach, while Esaul Mendoza, another member of the

title-winning squad, coaches the junior varsity.

On defense, the Eagles are led by senior sweeper Rolando Vivar, the

team captain who earned second-team All-PCL status last year when

Estancia ended its season with a 1-0 loss to Diamond Ranch in the second

round of the Division IV playoffs.

Senior goalkeeper Giovanni Gonzalez, also a team captain, supports the

defense with Vivar.

“This is a very good team,” Crenshaw said. “The team we had last year

was good and we were young. When we played that second round of playoffs

against Diamond Ranch, I think it gave them a taste of what varsity

soccer is all about. This year, they can do nothing but build on that.”

However, as of now, the Eagles are searching for a spark.

“We had a scrimmage with Mater Dei,” Crenshaw said. “We didn’t come

out ready to play. We looked like we were nervous and scared. A lot of

these guys are still young. They’re a good team, but they still have to

come into their own and realize how good they are and just start

playing.”

After a 4-1 loss at Servite Friday, the Eagles are focused on

improving so that they will peak when the PCL season begins, especially

when they take on crosstown rival and league favorite Costa Mesa, Jan. 16

at home, and Feb. 1 at Mesa.

ESTANCIA HIGH BOYS SOCCER

Giovanni Gonzalez Sr. GK

Aaron Van Geem Jr.

Sergio Vivar Jr.

Rolando Vivar Sr.

Ismael Sandoval So.

Ricardo Avila Jr.

Eli Navarrete Jr.

Nikolai Doudtchenko Jr.

Javier Millan Jr.

Javier Ramirez Jr.

Edgar Garcia Sr.

Chris Cacho Sr.

Noe Martinez So.

Sergio Madrigal Sr.

Juan Rodriguez Sr.

Abdul Kaiyum Jr.

Rodrigo Duarte Sr.

Victor Cervantes Sr.

Erik Lopez Sr.

Geo Macias Fr.

Fidel Gomez Jr.

Coach: Steve Crenshaw