Heredia hopes to restore tradition

There aren’t too many coaches who would call taking over a 2-24 basketball team their dream job.

But that’s what the Estancia High boys’ job is to Agustin Heredia. So much so that Heredia is willing to commute 140 miles from Fallbrook to steer the Eagles in the right direction after an abysmal season.

As a proud alumnus, Heredia said he has no other choice. The 1990 graduate said he has big plans in store in his first year as a varsity coach.

“Last year was just a complete down year. Not the norm,” Heredia said. “I don’t want to go into what happened last year. We’re hoping to restore the Estancia tradition.”

Heredia tried helping Estancia out last season as an assistant under Scott Kahawai. But losing the final 20 games of the season put a toll on the program. In the offseason, Kahawai stepped down because of it.

One year is how long Kahawai lasted. Heredia, a teacher at TeWinkle Intermediate, plans to stick around for however long it takes to turn around a once-proud program.

The current players have the ideal coach to inform them of the past. Heredia played an instrumental role in Estancia claiming the CIF Southern Section Division 3-AA title in the 1989-90 season. But Heredia said he still hasn’t talked much of his senior year in which included being named MVP as a point guard.

One thing the current Estancia guards have learned, though, is that Heredia is tougher on them than the rest of the players. They’re the key to Estancia competing in the Orange Coast League after going 0-9 last year.

Only one starter returns off that team in shooting guard Troy McClanahan. The junior was one of two Eagles earning second-team all-league recognition, the other was his brother, Taylor, who graduated.

McClanahan will be the team’s main scorer, with his ability to shoot from behind the three-point line. He averaged nine points per game and made 43 three-pointers, ranking in the top five in league.

The three point guards battling for the starting job are senior Mark Allred and sophomores Kevin Thomas and Jesus Antonio.

“We’re going to try to push it whenever we can, play smart basketball, and try to create on the defensive end,” Heredia said. “We are young and inexperienced. But I see a lot of great kids this year that are very coachable and they’re willing to learn and basically run into a wall for you.”

That wasn’t the case last year, with players bickering and talking back to coaches.

This year with Laguna Beach as the favorite to repeat as league champion, second place and the league’s only other guaranteed playoff berth is wide open. Cross-town rival Costa Mesa graduated its entire starting five and Calvary Chapel lost a lot.

The Estancia Eagles will be small again. Ryan Knapp, a 6-foot-4 junior, will start at center and potential starters at forward include sophomore Kohl Jones (6-2), senior Barry Fryslie (6-0) and junior Tim Neumann (6-2).

The size isn’t daunting, but Heredia said the Eagles have to build somewhere, just like former coach Tim O’Brien did in leading the school to the CIF State Division III title in 1990-91.

“The year before he got here, [Estancia] didn’t even make the playoffs,” said Heredia of O’Brien, who started at Estancia in 1987 and led the program to a section title and two section runner-up finishes before leaving in five years with a 110-42 record. “It’s a process. Each year we have to get better. I know people dream of their big job being somewhere else. But I always envisioned coaching at Estancia High.”

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at david.carrillo@latimes.com.