Watson’s will a key element for Eagles

Estancia High senior Ryan Watson spent so much of himself during the

Eagles’ 20-14 football win over rival Costa Mesa in the annual Battle

for the Bell Friday night, he almost had nothing left for the

celebration.

Watson, who starred on offense, defense and special teams, most

notably at quarterback for the Eagles, bailed on the bus ride back to

campus from Orange Coast College, following the hard-fought win.

It seems that after throwing for two touchdowns, running for

another, completing a two-point conversion pass, playing most of the

game in the secondary and even recovering a Costa Mesa onside kick,

what Watson needed most was a cold shower.

“I had a mini heat stroke,” said Watson, who delayed his arrival

to the team’s postgame feast at the Newport Rib Company, until he

could cool off and simmer down. “After I rang the Bell [the perpetual

trophy awarded to the annual winner in the crosstown rivalry], I got

really dizzy. I started drinking a bunch of water and I didn’t go

home on the bus. I went right home and took a cold shower.”

Watson did get to the postgame meal, but he said he was too

nauseous to fully savor the spread.

“I only had about four ribs, because I was worried about keeping

them down,” he said. “It did taste good, but the thing I remember

most about the meal was that everyone was smiling.”

Watson helped plaster grins on Estancia players, coaches and fans

with a sterling individual effort against the Mustangs.

He completed touchdown passes of 23 and 59 yards, to Matt Redding

and Ezequiel Villalvazo, respectively.

His team-high 64 rushing yards on 21 carries also included a

1-yard scoring sneak.

Defensively, he broke up a pass in the end zone, launched a Mesa

receiver out of bounds after a completion, and added strong run

support after coming on early at free safety when Redding was

sidelined by a knee injury.

“I was so sore all weekend, I could barely walk,” he said. “But,

man, it was worth it. I have bragging rights for he rest of my life.

We beat Costa Mesa my two varsity seasons, but I played receiver last

year. It was always my dream to be the quarterback and lead my team

to victory.”

Estancia Coach Brian Barnes said following Watson has become the

norm for the Eagles.

“He has been our leader all year,” Barnes said. “At the end of

spring practice, he was not the starting quarterback. But he told me

he would do anything it took to win the job. He worked his tail off

over the summer, won the job and has done an amazing job for us. I

really believe if he were at another school, he might be one of the

bigger names in Orange County high school football.”

Watson’s ability to scramble and find running room in designed

runs out of the shotgun spread allowed Estancia to protect its lead

Friday.

His rushing performance also gave him 36 yards for the season and

pushed the Eagles’ team total to 18 yards on the ground this fall.

Watson has thrown for 465 yards and four TDs and has had a hand in

all five of his team’s offensive TDs this fall. He has completed 33

of 65 and has thrown just one interception. And his leadership has

extended beyond the huddle.

“He’s the man,” Barnes said of Watson after Friday’s win. “He has

been carrying us all year.”

Watson, like the rest of his teammates, was disappointed by the

team’s 0-3 start. But, he believes, the win over Costa Mesa could

trigger a turnaround. He hopes more victories will be in his team’s

future.

“This jump-starts our whole season,” he said. “This lets us know

we can win and proves we know how to win. This gives us tons of

confidence.”

RYAN WATSON

Born: Sept. 24, 1987

Hometown: Costa Mesa

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 185

Sport: Football

Positions: Quarterback, free safety

Coach: Brian Barnes

Favorite food: Lasagna

Favorite movie: “Endless Summer II”

Favorite athletic moment: “It had to be beating Costa Mesa [a

20-14 win Friday]. It was one of the best games of my life.”

Week in review: The senior quarterback threw for 103 yards and two

touchdowns and ran for 64 yards and one TD to help the Eagles win the

Battle for the Bell, 20-14, against Costa Mesa Friday night at Orange

Coast College. He also played nearly the whole game at free safety.

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