Method to the madness

Barry Faulkner

After his team failed to upset crosstown rival Costa Mesa, favored

by three touchdowns and an eventual 41-0 winner in the 36th edition

of the Battle for the Bell Friday night, Estancia High football coach

Jay Noonan explained the reasoning behind his pregame predictions of

victory.

“The method to my madness is to support my team,” said Noonan, who

declared his Eagles (1-6, 0-4 in the Golden West League) the better

team in the week that led to Friday’s drubbing and had predicted his

team would reclaim the perpetual Bell trophy this season, immediately

following last year’s 21-6 loss to the Mustangs. “If that means being

bold and making bold statements that support my kids, then I’ll be

guilty of being bold.”

Noonan said his comments were not intended to reflect negatively

on Costa Mesa.

“I’m the messenger for my program and I’m trying to reinforce to

my players, my team and my school, that though times may be tough

right now, we aren’t giving up or quitting. If I come off bold, it’s

because I believe in the kids and the program and I think it’s

important for me to support our community. If that means making

statements that may be above and beyond when the odds are not in our

favor, who else is going to step up for us? I want our kids to always

fight the battle and I expect nothing less from anyone who competes

on or off the field. I tell my kids in class that they can and will

achieve an A on a test if they put forth the effort. Does that

guarantee them an A? No, but it lets them know I believe they can do

it.

“The things we ask for kids to play this game require sacrifices,

so you want your kids to know you believe in them. Win or lose, the

coaches better be the ones supporting them.”

Noonan acknowledged Costa Mesa’s superiority Friday night.

“We played a better team,” he said.

Noonan inserted senior Lewis Bradshaw, who had been playing

receiver since injuring his nonthrowing shoulder the first play of

the third game, at quarterback after Costa Mesa took a 20-0 lead with

6:46 left in the first half.

Bradshaw completed six passes for 77 yards and had a 12-yard

keeper, one of only three Estancia rushing attempts to gain more than

10 yards.

“We thought Lewis would enable us to run the option a little

better,” Noonan said. “But it didn’t seem to matter who was in when

we tried to throw, because Costa Mesa’s pass rush and defensive line

were very good.”

Bradshaw was sacked twice for 38 yards in losses, while starter

Brad Young, who returned to action in the fourth quarter, was sacked

three times for minus-22 yards.

No less than 11 Estancia running plays were stopped at or behind

the line and Mesa benefited from two breakdowns on would-be punts,

which resulted in 46 yards of losses and both set up short touchdown

marches.

Noonan was pleased that his team committed only one of the game’s

four penalties, after averaging nine penalties the previous four

games. Estancia was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty,

but Noonan said that was for a muscle-flexing gesture after a tackle,

not verbally baiting the opponent.

“It was a very clean game,” Noonan said.

Noonan was also pleased by his defense’s goal-line stand early in

the fourth quarter, which began when a Costa Mesa running back,

running alone toward the end zone, deliberately slid down at the 1 to

set the table for one of his offensive linemen to get a rushing

touchdown.

A penalty backed Mesa up to the 6 and four successive running

plays gained only 5 yards.

Noonan had plenty of praise for Costa Mesa running back Keola

Asuega, who had four TDs by halftime and finished with 177 rushing

yards.

“Asuega is a very tough runner,” Noonan said. “Costa Mesa makes no

secret of what they’re going to do on offense, but they make it tough

to stop them. Asuega is probably the hardest runner in our league.

The difference between Asuega and Durrell Moss (whom the Eagles will

try to stop Friday when they meet Orange) is like the difference

between a bull and a deer. We saw the bull last week and this week,

we get the deer.”