New faces abundant for Eagles

Barry Faulkner

With five new members of the seven-man coaching staff and 37 of

the 55-player roster either having come up from the freshman team,

transferred in, returned to the program after at least a year off, or

come out for the first time, the new faces more than double the old

for the Estancia High football team this year.

But, after a painful 0-9 campaign, in which the Eagles were

outscored by more than three touchdowns per game, a makeover is,

perhaps, just the thing to restore optimism entering the Sept. 13

opener against Magnolia. Even the uniforms have changed with a return

to the traditional cardinal and gold color scheme.

Yet another cause for hope is a shift from the Pacific Coast

League to the Golden West, where five of six league rivals --

Westminster, Ocean View, Saddleback, Santa Ana and Orange -- combined

to average just three wins in 2001. Cross-town rival Costa Mesa, 7-4

last fall, also shifts from the PCL to the Golden West, but the

Mustangs’ 15-point margin of victory over the Eagles last season was

barely enough to ring the Bell about.

Also helping settle the Eagles’ collective stomach is the presence

of senior returner Lewis Bradshaw, who by throwing for 788 yards and

rushing for another 171, accounted for nearly 54% of the Eagles’

total offense from his quarterback spot last year. Additionally,

Bradshaw, a 6-foot-3, 183-pound college prospect who will also start

at free safety, had a hand in 63.6% of the Eagles 22 touchdowns last

season (rushing for six TDs and throwing for eight).

Noonan, who faced last year’s schedule with neither a spring

practice, nor a single returning starter, believes this year’s unit

is miles ahead of the 2001 squad. But he is cautious about predicting

when the current 10-game losing streak, just one shy of equaling the

37-year-old program’s longest (established in 1986-87), will end.

“We were better after our spring game this year than we were at

any point last season,” said Noonan, who returns four starters on

offense and four on defense, including first-team All-PCL offensive

lineman Matt Morrell, a 6-foot-3, 265-pound senior. “We’re bigger,

faster, stronger and more talented than last year in almost every

area. But just how that translates into wins and losses is yet to be

seen.”

Noonan’s six assistants all have on-campus jobs (five teachers and

a security guard), a boon long fought for but never realized by

previous head coaches over nearly the last two decades. This will,

Noonan believes, help attract the school’s athletes to the program

and improve the level of instruction available to those who compete.

“I really believe we’ve upgraded the staff,” said Noonan who

coached previously with most of his current assistants at Capistrano

Valley High.

The new staff, including offensive coordinator Ernie Bucher and

spirited offensive line coach Phil Fogelsong, will need to impart

wholesale improvement in several areas, especially on defense, where

a cornerback (graduated Jermaine Snell) and a safety (Bradshaw) were

the top two tacklers last season.

“When you have a cornerback break the school single-season tackle

record, it obviously isn’t going to spell success for your football

team,” Noonan said.

Other ignominious numbers from last year include 41 fumbles (just

more than half of which were lost), 19 quarterback sacks allowed,

converting just 5 of 18 conversions, including 1 of 8 two-point tries, giving up more than 358 yards per game to opposing offenses

and surrendering a school single-season worst 35.8 points per game.

The Eagles, however, were never shut out and, with 20 take-aways,

wound up only minus-five in turnover ratio. More importantly, Noonan

said his overmatched players never stopped battling.

“(Last season) is not a dirty word around here,” Noonan said. “If

anything, I think it can be a really good motivation for us. Our kids

have waited a long time to get another shot at playing and showing

who we are. That being said, we’re not talented enough to overcome

the kinds of mistakes we made last year, or take plays off.”

Noonan believes an offensive line that averages 6-1 1/2 and 270

pounds from tackle to tackle, including returning starters Morrell,

Gary Strawn (6-1, 280) and Joseph Hernandez (6-0, 250) is the team’s

strongest unit.

Bradshaw is the only other returning starter on offense, where

Kyle Allen, a junior from Newport Harbor, and Bobby Estrada, a senior

from Saddleback still recovering from a broken collarbone suffered

during the summer, are expected to carry the rushing load. Besides

Bradshaw, the Eagles have no one back who carried the ball. There are

also no returners who caught a pass last season.

Senior tackle Gary Jones (6-0, 260), junior inside linebacker

Bubba Kapko (5-10, 195) and senior Erik Andersen, who shifts from

defensive end to outside linebacker, join Bradshaw as returning

starters on defense. Also, newcomer Jermaine Young, a 6-4, 225-pound

end, has generated strong praise from Noonan.

Getting off to a good start will be critical, Noonan believes,

and, with the Eagles’ first three opponents (Magnolia, Century and

Katella) having posted a collective 7-20 record last season, the

possibility exists.