In end it’s all good for Estancia

COSTA MESA — With time for one last drive before the end of regulation, it was time to forget for Eli Diego and the Estancia High football team.

For the Eagles, it was time to forget the numerous drives — seven in all — that had ended with no points.

For Diego, it was time to forget a missed field goal earlier in the second half that would have given his team the lead.

Time to forget, but also a drive to remember for Estancia, which watched Diego kick a 31-yard field goal as time expired to lift Estancia to a 10-7 victory over Calvary Chapel Monday night at Orange Coast College in both teams’ Orange Coast League opener.

Diego, a junior who had a 43-yard attempt barely reach the end zone late in the third quarter, said he was just thankful for another chance.

“[The game-winner] felt good all the way,” Diego said. “After the first one, I got a little down on myself, but the coaches always tell me to have a short memory. I just got over it, and when they called my name again I was ready. I just did what I had to do, to get us the win.”

The winning drive started at the Estancia 13-yard line with 2 minutes, 23 seconds left in the game. Junior running back Carlos Mendez, who Coach Mike Bargas said had been fighting leg cramps in the second half, carried five times on the drive, the last giving Estancia a first-and-goal at the Calvary seven-yard line with 31 seconds remaining.

After a holding call, junior quarterback Radames Gutierrez fired twice to the same part of the end zone, but neither receivers Eddie Tomasek nor Ryan Redding could quite complete the reception.

Diego then calmly came onto the field with three seconds left and nailed the game-winning field goal, right down the middle.

“They showed a lot of character tonight,” said Bargas of his team (4-4, 1-0 in league), which fought off a determined effort by a Calvary Chapel (0-8, 0-1) team seeking its first win. “We’ve had some games this season where we’ve doubted our abilities. We could have easily given up on Eli, and Eli’s the guy who ends up winning the football game for us.”

Calvary Chapel scored on the third play from scrimmage, when quarterback Tikey Mahlow found Brandon Snook on a swing pass to the left. Snook did the rest, running through the Estancia secondary for a 53-yard touchdown catch less than two minutes into the game.

Estancia, however, would immediately respond, marching 68 yards down the field on its opening possession. A 30-yard run by Mendez brought the ball to the Calvary Chapel 18, and on the next play, Gutierrez found Tomasek in the end zone.

After Diego’s point-after touchdown kick, the score was tied at 7-7 with just under five minutes gone off the clock.

But neither team would score again until Diego’s game-winning field goal.

On the opening drive of the second half, Estancia got the ball to the Calvary Chapel nine, but a fumbled snap on fourth-and-one gave the visitors — playing in their home stadium — the ball back.

Calvary Chapel then got the ball to the Estancia 11 on the subsequent drive, but Estancia defensive tackle Junior Contreras stopped Snook for no gain on fourth-and-one to end the threat.

“We played a terrible first half,” Bargas said.

“I don’t think we could have played a worse half, especially this late in the season. But the kids stepped up huge. It was huge of them to play hard like they did. Toward the end they believed in themselves, and I think the stamina and the [weight] lifting paid off. They thought they could do it, and they did it.”

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at matthew.szabo@latimes.com.

FIRST QUARTER

CC – Snook 53 pass from Mahlow (Schick kick), 10:34.

E – Tomasek 18 pass from Gutierrez (Diego kick), 7:22.

FOURTH QUARTER

E – Diego 31 FG, 0:00.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

CC – Snook, 21-180; Trujillo, 4-11; Martin, 2-4; Matsuda, 1-3; Mahlow, 3-minus-6.

E – Mendez, 30-207; Moreno, 4-32; Redding, 3-13; Gutierrez, 3-minus-16.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

CC – Mahlow, 5-8-0, 66, 1 TD.

E – Gutierrez, 7-16-0, 88, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

CC – Snook, 2-65, 1 TD; Reynolds, 2-5; Love, 1-minus-4.

E – Tomasek, 5-41, 1 TD; Redding, 1-39, Moreno, 1-8.