Estancia misses out on championship

COSTA MESA — Tears flowed down one of the senior’s eyes.

No one bounced a ball, yet the emotions kicked in before the Estancia High girls’ basketball game against Calvary Chapel started.

Tuesday was senior night and it offered the home Eagles a chance to honor their veterans and also live up to their slogan, “Worst to first.”

Estancia fell short of the ultimate turnaround in the Orange Coast League. And it ended the way it began, dramatically.

Calvary Chapel won, 40-37, allowing the visiting Eagles to fly out of the gym on a high in the regular-season finale.

Instead of Estancia winning its first league championship since the 2002-03 season, Calvary Chapel wound up splitting the league title with Godinez. Both teams finished 6-2 in league play.

Estancia (14-10, 5-3 in league) let the crown get away, dropping its final two league contests. Estancia will now receive the league’s third playoff berth, instead of the top one.

Calvary Chapel gave Estancia opportunities late to possibly tie the game and keep Estancia’s hope alive of winning league after going 3-23, 0-9 last season.

In the last 14 seconds, Calvary Chapel kept shooting, even though it didn’t need to after getting to offensive rebounds.

Estancia was never able to get a shot off. Estancia committed a turnover with one second left.

A strange ending, as Estancia could’ve called a timeout after mad scrambles for the ball.

Calvary Chapel players caused them by firing shots as if they were trying to win a contest for a stuffed animal at the fair.

Calvary Chapel ended up with the ultimate prize, a league title. Even though Calvary Chapel is sharing it with a first-year varsity program in Godinez, Coach Lindsey Richelli looked almost as thrilled as relieved.

The chaotic ending could’ve given the first-year coach a heart attack.

Richelli gave her Eagles some advice during a timeout before Calvary Chapel’s inbound pass with one second left.

“Just for security sake in future games, if you ever touch the ball with that little time left, just hold it,” Richelli said to her players. “The worst thing it’s going to do is the game will be over, or maybe they’ll foul.”

Estancia ran out of time.

The inbound was a success for Calvary Chapel. Richelli was just glad none of her players took another shot.

Time expired. Estancia’s consolation prize was pizza. Two boxes went straight to Estancia’s locker room.

When they arrived, first-year co-coach Xavier Castellano walked out of the room.

“I don’t think I’m going to eat for a couple of days,” he said before co-coach Judd Fryslie opened the door and asked Castellano outside what he wanted him to do next.

“Just talk to them,” said Castellano, knowing all too well what his players did wrong against Calvary Chapel down the stretch.

Twice in the fourth quarter, Estancia’s two leads were a result of three-pointers. Brenda Soto, who finished with 16 points, nailed one early on and Kassie Stratton hit one midway through the quarter.

The next two attempts hurt Estancia. Castellano called them “ill-advised” threes.

Calvary Chapel took advantage, using some size and resiliency to put Estancia in a hole during a 7-0 run. Amanda Souder, the guard Estancia focused on slowing down, never scored during the spurt.

The senior, considered by Richelli to be one of Calvary Chapel’s best players of all time, watched her teammates give Calvary Chapel a 40-34 lead with 64 seconds left.

Six seconds later, Castellano called a timeout. He saw enough.

Priscilla Curran devastated Estancia in the second half with four offensive rebounds, three leading to field goals. The senior center had 11 points, all coming in the second half.

Things looked bleak for Estancia.

“We just kind of panicked for the last two minutes,” said Castellano, whose team will learn who it will play in the playoffs as the CIF Southern Section Division IV-A pairings are released Sunday. “A lot of that is I think, I hate saying it, is the fact that we’re young and inexperienced.

“I told the girls, ‘Something that we do lack at times is mental toughness. Hopefully this year you’re going to get it back.’ ”

Estancia has come a long way since last season.

The program is young with five sophomores and three juniors. Only two seniors are on the team. For that, Castellano is disappointed they couldn’t go out with a league championship.

“Winning league would’ve been great,” Castellano said. “We had it. We were right there That’s what hurts.”

Castellano saw the tears in his players’ eyes at the end of the game. They were definitely flowing faster down their cheeks than in the beginning.

Orange Coast League

Calvary Chapel 40, Estancia 37

SCORE BY QUARTERS

CC – Curran 11, Souder 9, Gooch 9, C. Desmond 6, Haynam 5.

3-pt. goals – Haynam 1, Souder 1.

Technicals – None.

E – B. Soto 16, Maldonado 10, Stratton 8, Asher 2, E. Soto 1.

3-pt. goals – B. Soto 4, Stratton 2, Maldonado 1.