Battle for the Bell

Barry Faulkner

If loose lips sink ships, the Estancia High football team may be

manning the lifeboats Friday night.

For long before the Battle for the Bell between the Eagles and

crosstown as well as Golden West League rival Costa Mesa kicks off at

7:30 p.m. at Newport Harbor High, the Mustangs appear to be the clear

winner in the battle of the bulletin board.

It was largely a victory by default, however, as second-year

Estancia Coach Jay Noonan held little back when given the opportunity

to fire up his intracity foe.

“I don’t care if it’s bulletin board material or not, I think

we’re a better team,” Noonan declared Sunday, continuing a burst of

bravado that began immediately following Costa Mesa’s 21-6 triumph

last season, in a contest wrought with emotion weeks after the death

of Matt Colby, who played for both programs before succumbing to head

injuries sustained on the field.

“We’ll win next year’s game,” Noonan said after last year’s loss,

when he made additional statements that irked Costa Mesa Coach Dave

Perkins, who guided Estancia to consecutive Battle for the Bell

victories in 1999 and 2000, before accepting the job across town.

“We have a couple things on the bulletin board,” said Perkins,

whose team (4-2, 2-0 in league), ranked No. 10 in CIF Southern

Section Division VII, will be a prohibitive favorite over the Eagles

(1-5, 0-3).

“I think there were a lot of different sentiments surrounding last

year’s game, but I think this year, we’re back to the rivalry with

nothing extra involved. This year, we’re just trying to beat each

other.”

Noonan acknowledges his team is the underdog, but refuses to sell

his players short.

“It’s ridiculous for me to assume we can’t beat this (Costa Mesa)

team,” Noonan said. (The Mustangs) are 4-2 and on a little bit of a

roll. We’re not looking to end their roll as much as we are to begin

one of our own. If we don’t make mistakes, we’re a better team and I

think we win the game.”

Noonan, 1-14 at Estancia, also said this may be his team’s

championship game.

“This is a way for us to salvage a little pride and recapture some

bragging rights,” Noonan said. “Costa Mesa is looking for a league

title and moving on to the playoffs, but this is for our city

championship. I think the pressure is on them, but we also have to

step up and perform ourselves.”

The Eagles have performed sporadically this fall, flashing

positives on offense and defense, only to see mistakes compromise

their ability to compete on the scoreboard.

Perkins, only two seasons removed from guiding the Estancia

program to the playoffs, still sees some potential in this year’s

Eagles.

“They’re probably the biggest team we’ve played,” Perkins said.

“They’ve struggled maintaining any kind of continuity. Just when they

seem to get something going, they put the ball on the ground. But I’m

sure they’ll play their best game against us. We’re going to have to

stop them, rather than assume they’ll stop themselves.”

Costa Mesa has pounded opponents with a physical ground game and

has shown steady improvement on defense.

The Mustangs outmuscled a quality Orange squad last week, winning,

27-21, after surrendering two long touchdown runs that created a 14-0

deficit midway through the opening quarter.

Mesa’s ground-oriented attack is keyed by senior fullback Keola

Asuega, who has accumulated 986 yards and nine TDs on 119 carries,

despite missing one game with a tender hamstring. Asuega’s 2,897

career rushing yards place him at No. 2 on the school’s all-time list

and he is only 199 yards from moving into the top four in

Newport-Mesa annals. Former Mustang Binh Tran is No. 1 on both lists

with 4,333 yards from 1991-93.

Asuega rolled up 220 yards and three TDs against Orange and he

went for 157 yards and one TD in last year’s Battle for the Bell.

He’ll operate behind an offensive line that continues to jell and

welcomes the return of three-year starter Andrew Carich, an

all-league and All-Newport-Mesa guard last season who has missed the

last three games with a knee injury.

Noonan believes stopping the run, particularly up the middle, has

become his team’s forte.

“I like our chances when it comes to stopping them at what they do

best,” Noonan said. “They didn’t beat us with the sweep last year and

they didn’t beat us throwing the ball. They beat us running up the

middle and we’re much stronger there this year. Our primary task this

week will be stopping Asuega.”

Estancia is without an offensive workhorse, though junior

quarterback Brad Young has emerged as the Eagles’ most productive

weapon. The Fountain Valley transfer, getting his first taste of this

rivalry, has thrown for 530 yards since taking over for returning

starter Lewis Bradshaw in the third game. He has completed 52 of 97

with four interceptions and is improving as the trigger man in the

veer option.

Junior Bubba Kapko leads Estancia ground gainers with 232 yards

and four TDs on 47 attempts, but senior Bobby Estrada, making his

second start after missing the first four games with a broken

collarbone, is poised, Noonan believes, to fulfill his preseason

promise. Estrada has just 35 yards on 14 carries so far.

Bradshaw, who has missed time with a shoulder ailment, has 10

receptions for 160 yards, while senior wideout Javy Ramirez has a

team-high 14 catches for 190 yards.

Louis Valdes Jr. and Jermaine Young also have 10 receptions apiece

for the Eagles, who have produced nearly 55% of their 1,246 offensive

yards with the pass.

Costa Mesa has earned 82% of its 1,884 offensive yards on the

ground, but senior quarterback Tim Iller has thrown for 201 yards and

one TD, completing 15 of 44 with three interceptions.

Senior Nate Hunter, who also stars defensively at outside

linebacker, is the Mustangs’ leading receiver with nine catches for

132 yards and one TD.

Estancia is minus-14 in the turnover department and had a would-be

touchdown called back by a clipping penalty in last week’s 38-0 loss

to Santa Ana. Having been shut out twice, the Eagles’ 47 points are

the fourth-fewest in Orange County this season.

By collecting four Orange turnovers and committing none last week,

Costa Mesa is now plus-six in turnover ratio.

This is the 36th edition of the Battle for the Bell, the winner of

which is also treated to a celebratory rib dinner immediately

following the game.

Estancia leads the series, 20-14-1.