Estancia seizes initial win

BUENA PARK — Moments after the air horn went off, singling the end of the game, Estancia High’s football team was the picture of civility.

The Eagles went to the middle of the field.

They shook the hands of the players from Buena Park.

And then, there was a revelation: a 21-16 win over Buena Park (0-2) didn’t just mean that the team had won its first game of the season, and it didn’t just mean that Mike Bargas had won his first game as a head coach, either.

A circle of players, led by senior two-way lineman Conner McKendry, began to form a ring around offensive line coach Lance Chavez.

“CHAVEZ, CHAVEZ, CHAVEZ,” they chanted, their voices full of glee as they jumped up and down.

It wasn’t because any particular football brilliance from Chavez had propelled the Eagles to victory.

It was because they knew at practice Monday, he would be running every sprint, every 40-yard dash, with them.

That was the deal.

If the Eagles won Friday, the 5-foot-10, 300-pound Chavez would be lifting his knees with the rest of the team Monday. Surrounded by a gaggle of overjoyed players, Chavez just grinned.

“He’ll be right next to us,” said senior quarterback Mike Morley.

Bargas simply beamed, enjoying a moment of happiness while already thinking ahead to Estancia’s next game against JSerra.

“We’re going to have to coach our guys up and have them play hard and eliminate a lot of the mistakes,” Bargas said.

Even after Buena Park put nine straight points on board in the first half, Estancia would not be discouraged. The Eagles surrendered a safety after fumbling in the end zone, and a gave up a touchdown thanks to sure and steady performances from Buena Park’s Eddie Molina and Justin Blackburn.

“These guys have never given up,” Bargas said. “Every week’s going to be a battle for us. But I told them, ‘You guys have got to hang in there and be disciplined and do the right things.’ We had a good week of practice and we pulled it off when we needed to.

“I’m happy for them. Now there’s a little bit of relief and we’ll play with some confidence.”

Just as Bargas predicted, the defense kept the Eagles (1-2) in the game, along with a huge rushing effort from Carlos Mendez.

“We ran the same play every time,” Bargas said. “We ran an option and I told our offensive coordinator, ‘We worked on it all week, now’s the time to put it in.’ That was huge.”

The option became Mendez’s favorite play in the second quarter, and he picked up gains of 10, 12, and 13 yards like a freight train plowing through the Coyotes’ defensive line. He finished with 211 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries.

It was met with boos, but it was a touchdown all the same, and that was all that mattered when Mendez produced Estancia’s first score of the evening on a five-yard run.

After not being able to complete a pass for the Eagles’ first two offensive series, Morley completed two for 23 yards to Jason Moreno in Estancia’s 80-yard touchdown drive.

Morley kept the drive alive, staying cool when Roderick Johnigarn came hurtling toward him for a sack.

Morley managed to get a pass off to Moreno and the gain created third-and-two instead of third and long. Mendez carried the remaining 20 yards for the score.

“Our offense was just waiting to get something going and Carlos did an amazing job,” Morley said. “Our line did an amazing job. It makes it easy for everyone else when the linemen do good and you run the ball.”

ESTANCIA 21, BUENA PARK 16

FIRST QUARTER

BP – Safety, Estancia fumbles in end zone, 3:44.

SECOND QUARTER

BP – Blackburn 3 run (Rivera kick), 8:29.

E – Mendez 5 run (Diego kick), 0:54.

THIRD QUARTER

E – Mellin 1 run (Diego kick), 8:28.

FOURTH QUARTER

E – Mendez 2 run (Diego kick), 7:49.

BP – Blackburn 1 run (Rivera kick), 3:22.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

E – Mendez, 29-211, 2 TDs; Morley, 1-16; Mellin, 2-7, 1 TD.

BP – Molina, 21-101; Blackburn, 11-59, 1 TD; Monje, 4-38; Brazil, 4-24.INDIVIDUAL PASSING

E – Morley, 2-7-0, 23.

BP – Brazil, 5-10-0, 103.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

E – Moreno, 2-23.

BP – Molina, 2-38; Alvarez, 1-36.