Full speed ahead for Bargas’ Eagles

COSTA MESA — There is no walking on Mike Bargas’ practice field.

That’s because this year at Estancia High, the clock is no one’s friend. So everyone jogs.

That wasn’t always the case, according to starting quarterback and rising senior Mike Morley. It’s an issue of discipline, and there’s no lack of it under the Bargas regime.

“Last year, we’d just squeeze everything in, like ‘Oh, it’s five o’clock, time to go,’ ” Morley said. “Now, you leave when you get it done. We could be here ‘til eight o’clock if we keep messing around.”

Bargas, Estancia’s new head football coach, was just happy to have a practice clock. It’s exactly like the one he used as an assistant at Newport Harbor, and it’s one tool he’s used to run efficient practices. Bargas came to Estancia after coaching and teaching at Newport Harbor for 15 years. He’s Estancia’s third coach in four seasons, and has pledged to bring stability to the program.

Last year’s coach, Brian Barnes, accepted a job at Tesoro after two years with the Eagles.

“It’s all about intensity and tempo,” Morley said. “Practice is much quicker. Everything is more upbeat. There’s no five-minute water break between each station. If you’re moving, you get water in your free time, and then you keep moving.”

Practices have been running close to four hours lately, wrapping around 6 p.m. Most of the assistants don’t arrive until 3:45, so the players lift weights and run from the end of school until it’s time to take the field.

“After going to school all day, you come out here for four hours,” Morley said. “But that’s what you’ve got to do to get better. It’s the hardest part, but it’s also the best part, because you can see yourself getting better.”

It’s a grueling process, having a four-hour workout five days a week, but Bargas thinks the extra conditioning will pay off. He said the Eagles could have won a couple of close games last season if the team hadn’t run out of gas in the fourth quarter.

Estancia lost to Laguna Beach 21-14 last season, a result that helped cost them the Orange Coast League championship. Morley recalled last year’s playoff loss to Corona del Mar.

“If we were in better shape, I think we could have won that game,” Morley said.

The Eagles will look to be in better shape when they open their season against Aquinas, August 31 at Davidson Field at Newport Harbor.

Until then, there’s at least one way to escape your repetitions, although it requires swallowing a little dignity.

Poor Brian Valencia had a dentist appointment, but it was obvious that Valencia would have preferred to stay at football practice.

He was running drills with the receivers and tight ends when his mother came walking across the field.

“Brian! Briaaaaaaaaaaaaan,” she shouted.

Valencia sheepishly lumbered across the field to inform Bargas he had to leave so he could let someone poke their fingers in his mouth.

As Valencia jogged away, Bargas smiled. “That’s punishment enough, having your mom come out to the field,” he said, chuckling.

“You can’t fight a mom.”

SORAYA NADIA McDONALD may be reached at (714) 966-4613 or at soraya.mcdonald@latimes.com.