Fertig vows to return
Patrick Laverty
Prior to taking the Estancia High football coaching position, Craig
Fertig threw the idea out to some of his peers.
According to the former USC quarterback, Myron Miller, the former
Costa Mesa High coach and current leader at Tustin High, told him, “I
don’t worry about you coaching football again. I worry about you
getting frustrated, especially that first year.”
Though there were obvious frustrations, including Thursday’s
season-ending 61-7 loss to Pacifica at Newport Harbor High, Fertig is
planning on continuing to do what he knows best.
The Eagles coach said after Estancia’s sixth consecutive loss that
he would be back for the 2004 season.
“Oh, for sure,” Fertig said. “Once I commit to something ...
that’s what I want my players to do. We’re going to have a meeting
Monday and get ready for next year.”
Despite the losing streak to end the season, which included the
final three games by a combined score of 150-7 and allowing 61 points
to the Mariners (7-3), the second-highest total allowed in school
history, Estancia (3-7) did show improvement.
Under Fertig, a former head coach at Oregon State who has also
worked as an assistant at USC and as a scout for the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers, Estancia won three of its first four games. In the two
previous seasons combined, the Eagles had won one game.
“We’re trying to build a program and you can’t do it overnight,”
Fertig said.
But they can take lessons from teams like Pacifica, which
dominated from the opening kickoff. The Mariners, headed to the CIF
Southern Section Division IX playoffs as the Garden Grove League’s
No. 2 team, scored on all six possessions in the first half and
needed just 20 plays to score six touchdowns and take a 41-0 lead.
Pacifica averaged 12.3 yards per play in the first half. Senior
tailback Jaymes Franco rushed for 108 yards on eight carries and
scored three touchdowns and senior quarterback Brandon Harper
completed 8 of 10 passes for 118 yards and threw for two scores. Both
players did not return to the field in the second half.
The Eagles had just 79 yards of offense in the first half and
fumbled twice, both of which led to Mariners’ touchdowns.
Estancia finally broke through when junior Geo Macias took off
down the right sideline on a fake punt on fourth-and-two from
Estancia’s 24-yard line. Macias ran 76 yards for a touchdown with
3:43 remaining in the third quarter, breaking a scoreless drought of
more than 11 quarters for the Eagles.
Earlier in the game, Macias threw a pass to senior Kendall
Meissner for a 21-yard gain on another fake punt. The two fake punts
were the longest gains of the night for Estancia.
“I think I’ve learned something,” Fertig said with a smile. “We’re
going to lineup in punt formation on every down.”
The entire 2003 season has been a learning experience for both
Fertig and his players. Coaching high school for the first time has
been a challenge.
“A lot of these guys, their dads don’t trust them with the car
keys,” Fertig said. “It’s a whole lot different from college and the
pros.”
A large majority of those guys will be graduating and played their
final game Thursday. Fullback Bubba Kapko finished with 14 yards on
six carries. Tailback Mike Cahill added 31 yards on 10 carries.
Quarterback Brad Young completed 13 of 21 passes for 75 yards.
Receiver Noe Martinez caught two passes and returned two kickoffs
for more than 30 yards. Tight end Cullen Crom added three receptions
for 19 yards. Linemen Gary Jones, Landon Pulizzi, Yousif Muradian and
Chad Sherrell also played their final game.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.