Estancia raises the bar

COSTA MESA — The goal with the Estancia High football program is to raise the bar.

Players can now lift it in more ideal conditions.

A newly renovated training center is one tool the Eagles plan to use to return to championship form on the field.

The program opened its doors to the public Thursday night, unveiling an outdoor weight training facility, an office space and a conference room.

Through a rod-iron gated door with the letter “E” in the middle, people peaked through, trying to get a look inside. What they saw was the head coach of the program.

Mike Bargas looked like a kid on Christmas.

“They did it in 30 days in what I thought was going to take 30 years to [remodel],” Bargas said of the Estancia Football Booster Club.

“It’s a great day to be an Estancia Eagle.”

More than 100 people turned out for the event. Bargas spoke and alumni, fans, school officials, politicians, players, family, friends, and future prospects cheered as if he called the right play on a game-winning drive.

The season starts Sept. 3 at home against Trabuco Hills at Jim Scott Stadium. Bargas believes the facilities are now up to par with the state-of-the-art stadium, which opened its doors last season.

People toured the facilities. Many came away believing they are the finest among the five high schools in the Newport-Mesa area.

“A lot of teams before us have been waiting for this,” said Alek Kirshner, the senior starting quarterback. “This team is very fortunate to have this.”

Before players entered the door, some came over to thank the man who spearheaded the renovations.

Steve Mensinger, the president of the booster club, turned Bargas’ dream into reality. He said the total cost is approximately $100,000, all worth it.

Mensinger said without the support from Costa Mesa United, the booster club and school officials, this would not be possible.

“It started 35 days ago and we wrapped up [Thursday] at 4 p.m.,” Mensinger said of the project. “It marks the turning point for the program. In order to have a great football team, you have to have a great coach, a great facility and a great community. We have a great community. We have a great coach. We just needed the facility.

“This is how you attract players.”

Bargas agreed. The third-year coach looked around before anyone on Thursday marveled at the changes.

Bargas liked what he saw.

When anyone enters, the Latin words “In Hoc Signo Vinces” greet you below a circle on the ground.

The phrase means, “in this sign you will conquer.”

The sign in the circle is a huge “E”.

The Eagles are coming off a trying season in which they finished 3-7 and missed the CIF Southern Section playoffs. Estancia wants to return to its first year under Bargas in 2007, when it won a share of the Orange Coast League title.

The new additions can only help bolster Estancia’s chances.

Inside the office, the air conditioner now works. The walls are an off-white color and there’s a new merlot-colored carpet. Each of Bargas’ eight assistants has a station at which to work near his office.

A coach could live in the coaching quarters if he wanted to. There’s a refrigerator, a microwave, a coffee maker, a computer, and a 42-inch LCD flat screen TV, all the essentials for a coach to survive for three days straight.

“My wife would kill me,” Bargas said if he tried to live at work.

The place even has an alarm system, equipped with security cameras.

The outdoor facility has 12 Olympic workout stations, 17 different isolation stations, four squat stations, and more than 90 different plates to lift.

Canopies provide shade while players exercise outside, a big difference from seasons past.

“A couple of times we got caught in the rain, and there were potholes, and you can blow an ankle just walking in the area,” Bargas said. “This place will be lit like a Christmas tree at night. We could actually work out when [it gets dark]. Before, there was no light.

“This is going to allow us to be more efficient with what we do. It’s going to allow us to equip more kids, and every year we keep adding players. The biggest thing is that this is something to be proud of here on the Westside. It’s going to raise the bar for everybody.”