Bargas debuts for Estancia

Since he became football coach at Estancia High, Mike Bargas has been chanting the same mantra as the season opener has drawn closer and closer.

“I just hope we line up properly.”

He was still saying it this week in anticipation of tonight’s game, a 7 against Aquinas of San Bernardino.

Bargas said he’s been nervous since he has no video on the team, but he’s been scouting it through the Internet instead.

“We know they’re mostly a running team with a four-four defense,” he said. Last year the team’s offense was centered around the performance of All-CIF running back Chike Amajoyi, and Bargas is expecting the run to be just as significant this year.

Last season, Aquinas lost to undefeated Big Bear in the CIF Southern Section East Valley Division semifinals, 28-24. Aquinas finished 4-1 in the Christian League and 9-4 overall, and posted four shutouts, including a 58-0 walloping at Arrowhead Christian.

The Falcons had four first-team All-CIF players including Amajoyi, but, among those, only offensive lineman Blake Kruk returned.

“I think our guys realize we’re not playing some team that’s going to sit down and lay down for us,” Bargas said, also stressing that Aquinas, like most of the programs the Eagles will face, is one built on tradition.

He and Principal Phil D’Agostino are hoping to start new traditions with a new era of Bargas football, and D’Agostino has helped by ushering in the start of Principals’ Tailgate.

D’Agostino and TeWinkle Principal Kirk Bauermeister will host a tailgate party at Estancia for each home game this year. The players don’t get to enjoy it, but it’s meant to drum up fan and community support for the team.

Bargas said that, as expected, he will start with a simple playbook from the new offense he has been installing all summer.

He was confident that the offense, which usually takes longer to gel, is at about the same progress level as the defense.

“The goal is to stay balanced, he said. “If the run’s going smoothly, we’ll probably stay run, but the original intent is to stay even.”

Senior starting quarterback Mike Morley returns. Having seniors Eddie Tomasek and Ryan Redding start at receiver has reduced the learning curve on offense as well.

What Bargas hasn’t thought about much is playing at the field of the school where he was a coach for 22 years. Earlier this week, he drove past Newport Harbor and his old classroom there.

“I’m on to the next phase of my life,” Bargas said. “I think there will be a lot of memories welling up in me but it’s time to move on. I’ll be worried about too many other things to sweat on the ghosts of Newport Harbor past.”

Estancia is coming off a 7-4 campaign in which it made its second straight trip to the CIF playoffs and scored a school-record 361 points.