Abalos injured in Estancia defeat

COSTA MESA — Record-setting Estancia High senior tailback Alex Abalos reversed field twice after taking a toss to the left late in the first half of the Eagles’ nonleague game with visiting Ocean View Friday night.

And while the serpentine run produced a one-yard gain, its ultimate result might have reversed field on the promise the Eagles had shown while compiling a four-game winning streak coming in.

Ocean View (3-2) scored 20 straight points to overcome a 3-0 first-quarter deficit and post a 20-10 win that featured a precise performance by junior quarterback Nolan Tippy.

But it was the left knee injury to Abalos, sustained on the aforementioned run, that was at least as responsible for deflating the Estancia momentum, and possibly its future, as it prepares for the Orange Coast League-opening Battle for the Bell against crosstown rival Costa Mesa Friday night.

The Eagles entered Friday ranked No. 10 in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division.

Abalos said an Ocean View player struck the outside of his left knee and it buckled inward on the play. The 5-foot-5 dynamo, who set a school single-game record with 324 rushing yards Oct. 2 against La Quinta and whose 66 yards on 12 carries Friday upped his season total to 1,011 yards, must now await medical word on the extent of the injury.

Abalos was limping noticeably after coming out of the halftime locker room and spent much of the final two periods resting on crutches. He said he did not hear anything pop on the fateful hit and said it felt more bruised than stiff, as he left the field.

But he also said that with his slashing running style, he knew even attempting to play after halftime would have been futile.

Without Abalos, Estancia (4-2) had just six running plays for three yards in the final two quarters.

Senior quarterback Alek Kirshner completed six of nine passes after halftime for 66 yards and a touchdown, but could not match the passing prowess of Tippy.

After the Ocean View signal caller misfired on four of his first seven pass attempts and was six for his first 12, he connected on his final toss of the first half, and all 11 in the second half. His perfect second half, exclusively on flair passes or short out routs, produced just 58 yards. But it was enough to seal the victory.

Tippy followed a 45-yard bomb to Blake Walker on the final play of the first quarter with a 16-yard scoring pass to Walker two plays later to put Ocean View ahead for good, 7-3.

An eight-yard Estancia punt and an interception led to Brian Hernandez field goals to pad the lead and Ocean View upped its lead with a nine-play, 60-yard touchdown drive finalized with 9:58 left in the game.

Tippy finished 19 of 24 for 194 passing yards.

Ocean View 20, Estancia 10

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Ocean View 0-13-0-7--20

Estancia  3-0-0-7--10

FIRST QUARTER

Est – Diego 40 FG, 5:58.

SECOND QUARTER

OV – Walker 16 pass from Tippy (Hernandez kick), 11:13.

OV – Hernandez 30 FG, 2:46.

OV – Hernandez 39 FG, 0:00.

FOURTH QUARTER

OV – Robinson 2 run (Hernandez kick), 9:58.

Est – Bennett 17 pass from A. Kirshner (Diego kick), 6:09. 

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

OV – Robinson, 16-70, 1 TD; Tippy, Buckels, 3-6; Team, 1-minus 1.

Est – Abalos, 12-66; G. De La Torre, 1-13; Davis, 3-4; A. Kirshner, 4-2; Carlyle, 1-2.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

OV – Tippy, 19-24-0, 194, 1 TD.

Est – A. Kirshner, 8-15-1, 77, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

OV – Walker, 6-89, 1 TD; Clay, 6-66; Anwell, 3-25; Robinosn, 3-6; Hernandez, 1-8.

Est – Calabrese, 3-28; Carlyle, 2-7; Davis, 1-20; Bennett, 1-17, 1 TD; De La Torre, 1-5.