Victory sweet for Estancia

COSTA MESA — The snack spread for the Estancia High girls tennis team appeared to be the same.

There were grapes, Cheez-It crackers and granola bars. But, just near the water cooler was the grand treat of them all — and it also proved to be a reminder of what Tuesday was all about for the Eagles.

Nestled in a bright, red box was a big cookie, about the size of a large pizza with red and gold frosting, spelling out the words: Beat Mesa.

And, so it seems true about what’s been said. To the victor go the spoils.

The win also meant more than a glorified snack. That’s because after Estancia’s 14-4 Orange Coast League victory, the Eagles are now one win away from sweeping their cross-town rival, Costa Mesa, for the fourth-straight year.

That’s a lot of cookies, although this is the first time the Eagles had the big snack with the motivating lettering on top.

Estancia senior Sara Stratton, one of two team captains, came up with the idea, but she didn’t tell anyone of the giant chocolate chip cookie until it was seen Tuesday.

“It was a surprise, a very good surprise,” said a content Ellie Edles, the Eagles’ No. 1 singles player who ate the first piece.

The sophomore swept her sets without dropping a game.

“I didn’t want to give up a point,” she said. “I always want to be the first one done.”

Edles wasn’t the only one with a goal in mind Tuesday. The rest of the Eagles were concentrating on playing better than they had against the Mustangs on Oct. 5. That’s when Estancia defeated Mesa, 11-7, and when the Eagles swept in singles and won two in doubles.

This time, Estancia swept again in singles and won five in doubles. Kendra Fisher and Stratton swept in singles. Jennifer Johnston and Abby Koff, Estancia’s No. 1 doubles team, scored three wins in doubles, and the No. 2 doubles tandem of Erin Rodman and Maggie Kawano collected two wins.

In the end, they all took in a piece of that cookie.

“We wanted that home-court spirit,” said Stratton, a four-year varsity player for the Eagles. “We wanted to make something special.”

Costa Mesa Coach Sean Lance didn’t mind Estancia’s cookie and its words of “Beat Mesa” on it. He said it was in good fun.

Lance said he worked his team a bit harder through drills this week and reminded them that the Mustangs had not beaten the Eagles in four years.

However, with just one player — senior Jasmine Mathieson — with more than two years playing experience, he knew the odds were stacked against Mesa.

Still, he encouraged his team about the future.

“Now it’s on to the next time,” Lance said. “We’ll play it at home (Oct. 26) and we’ll have a chance to get our own cookie.”

Normally, the teams play each other twice in a season, but because there are four teams in the Orange Coast League the rivals collide three times.

The Eagles (9-3, 3-1 in league) will remain plenty motivated. After winning the Golden West League three years in a row, they are trying to finish second in the Orange Coast to earn a playoff spot in CIF Division I.

Laguna Beach, which plays host to Corona del Mar in a nonleague match today, is on pace to win the league title.

Orange Coast League

Estancia 14, Costa Mesa 4 Singles -- Edles (E) def. Courtney, 6-0, def. (sub) Sullivan, 6-0, def. Saculles, 6-0; Fisher (E) won, 6-1, def. Le, 6-0, won, 6-0; Stratton (E) won, 6-2, 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles -- Johnston-Koff (E) def. Mathieson-Garcia, 6-4, def. Hoang-Im, 6-4, def. Levanas-Patelski, 6-3; Rodman-Kawano (E), lost, 0-6, won, 6-4, 6-4; (sub) Espinoza-Plascencia (E) lost 0-6, (sub) Plascencia-O’Toole (E) lost, 4-6, Corona/Radmath-Maharaj (E) lost, 4-6.