Estancia silences Coyotes

Bryce Alderton

At times it wasn’t pretty, but the final score, 19-0, provided all

the affirmation the Estancia High football team needed following its

first shutout in nearly four years Saturday night at Newport Harbor

High.

The Eagles’ defense bent, but never broke against nonleague foe

Buena Park, which ran an option style similar to Estancia.

The Eagles, fittingly, capped their scoring on defense, when

seniors Ryan Sanford and Ricky Montgomery rushed into the backfield

to sack Buena Park’s third quarterback of the night near the goal

line for a 14-yard loss and safety with 31 seconds left in the fourth

quarter.

Estancia Coach Craig Fertig wryly shook his head and mustered a

slight grin following the win.

“I’m an old pitcher, so anytime you can get a shutout, it’s

impressive,” Fertig said. “I was pleased with how our defense played

tonight. We tackled well and hit well.”

A 43-0 victory over Orange in Week 5 of the 2000 season, a span of

38 games, was the last time the Eagles secured a shutout.

This time, the Eagles (2-1) knocked two Buena Park quarterbacks

out of the game and held the visitors to four first downs in the

second half. The Coyotes (0-2) amassed 13 in the first half.

Estancia mixed up its offense, balancing both its passing and

running games.

Senior tailback Bryce McKendry ran for 96 yards on 20 carries

while catching two passes for 61 yards.

McKendry put Estancia up, 6-0, late in the first quarter after he

took a short toss from junior quarterback Ryan Watson on the second

play of the drive and sprinted 57-yards down the west sideline,

stiff-arming two defenders en route.

The Eagles missed the extra point.

The drive was set up when senior linebacker David Moreno stripped

a Buena Park ball carrier, allowing senior teammate Alex Sotomayor to

pounce on the loose ball at the Estancia 43-yard line.

Senior Geo Macias upped Estancia’s lead on a 27-yard strike from

Watson, capping a five-play, 52-yard drive. Macias caught the ball at

the 5, then drag a defender with him into the end zone. Watson then

ran into the end zone for the two-point conversion and a 14-0 lead

with 8:30 left in the first half.

On the Coyotes’ next offensive possession, a sea of Eagles’

engulfed the ballcarrier, wringing the ball loose and Estancia’s

lineman Ivan Izar made the recovery.

Macias’ 34-yard field goal capped a seven-play drive that consumed

2:31 and the Eagles led, 17-0.

Both teams hurt themselves, combining for 16 penalties totaling

108 yards.”The penalties, penalties, we are killing ourselves,”

Fertig said. “But this team has heart. They are going to blow on your

necks a little bit.”

Watson completed 3 of 4 passes for 96 yards while senior Nick Cox

was 5 of 10 for 31 yards.

Macias caught three balls for 47 yards and averaged 42.2 yards on

five punts, including a 57-yard boot.

“I love my Geo,” Fertig said.