Eagles in deep with Laguna’s ‘Breakers’

Roger Carlson

Preseason scrimmages in high school football are meant for just

one purpose: Find the flaws in order to make the necessary

corrections for the season opener a week hence.

Estancia High’s Eagles did not disappoint in that respect as they

toiled against a familiar nemesis, the Laguna Beach High Breakers in

a controlled scrimmage Friday afternoon at Estancia.

While Laguna Beach has a new nickname, no longer the Artists, it

also has some familiar faces, as in Coach Dave Holland and his top

runner, senior Donelle Darling, a 5-foot-7, 170-pound dart who

penetrated the Eagles’ defense twice for breakaway touchdown runs and

added a goal-line score.

There is no score kept in scrimmages, but Laguna Beach found the

end zone five times. Estancia did not.

Darling, an All-Pacific Coast League selection as a junior, dashed

to paydirt from 60 and 38 yards out and went over from short yardage

in the goal-line drill.

Quarterback Alex Wilson threw a scoring pass and the Breakers

finished the one-hour, 45-minute scrimmage when Brett O’Connor tipped

an Eagles’ pass attempt into the air at the line of scrimmage, caught

it, then rambled 98 yards to the end zone.

Estancia Coach Jay Noonan was obviously a little disappointed in

his team’s overall performance, but felt many of the mistakes were

not beyond solution. He also said many of his players were playing in

different spots for different reasons.

“We will be prepared and healthy for Magnolia,” said Noonan,

referring to his team’s nonleague season opener at La Palma Park in

Anaheim on Friday.

“They’ve got a back who is similar to (Darling),” so this

(experience) will help,” said the second-year Eagles coach.

Holland, in his 42nd year of coaching and 27th as head coach (20

at Corona del Mar) as he prepares for his seventh campaign at Laguna

Beach, displayed a starting unit which was smooth and hard-hitting.

In terms of smooth, Estancia backup quarterback Brad Young, a

junior transfer from Fountain Valley, displayed a sharp and accurate

touch, completing 4 of 5 pass attempts for 42 yards in a

seven-on-seven drill before the conventional scrimmage.

“We could have prepped on their front a little,” allowed Noonan,

“but, overall, I thought we improved a lot in terms of last year.”

The only portion of his game, however, which was not given that

“Noonan look” was the Eagles’ linebackers.

“The effort was there,” I saw some good drive and contact,”

conceded Noonan. “We need to improve on our tackling, but we

definitely can play better than this.”

Injuries were not a factor for either team.