High School Football: Estancia finishes strong in league opener

For the second straight week, Estancia High Coach Mike Bargas gambled on the football field in the second half. While the fake punt failed to move the chains with Estancia up a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, the play didn’t cost Bargas’ team.

Ninety seconds later, Estancia managed to stop a fake punt by host Calvary Chapel, and it iced the game with Christopher Moya’s third field-goal try on Thursday night. Moya hit a 43-yard field goal with less than 2 minutes to go, allowing Estancia to open Orange Coast League play with a 30-20 win at Jim Scott Stadium.

Moya’s right foot made a difference for Estancia (4-2, 1-0 in league), ranked No. 6 in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division poll. He made a 25-yard field goal with no time left in the first half and a 38-yard field goal late in the third quarter. Estancia could count on Moya, and it relied heavily on the Laurent brothers, Dylan and Christian.

Dylan rushed 20 times for 121 yards and two touchdowns, and Christian rushed 29 times for 128 yards. Dylan also finished with five catches for 49 yards, and as a cornerback, the sophomore intercepted a pass.

The pick proved to be a big one, resulting in Moya’s first field goal, coming at the end of the first half.

For most of the first half, Estancia controlled the action. Estancia collected 17 first downs, 10 in the second quarter. Almost half of the first downs in the second quarter came on the final drive before halftime.

Estancia moved fast during its two-minute drill, covering 60 yards in 13 plays. Helping the cause was a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty on Calvary Chapel, saving Estancia from turning the ball over on the opponent’s six.

Estancia almost went ahead by two touchdowns, but wide receiver Devon Jackson dropped quarterback Connor Brown’s pass in the end zone with three seconds to go in the first half. The offense settled for a 25-yard field goal by Moya, giving Estancia a 17-7 lead.

Calvary Chapel (2-4, 0-1) managed little in the first half, 52 passing yards and 27 rushing yards. The team’s lone score came off a turnover in which linebacker Andrew Axtell picked off a batted pass, returning it 27 yards to Estancia’s 33. Six plays later, quarterback Patrick Glasgow floated a pass to a wide-open Josh Debernarde near the sideline, resulting in a 21-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 midway through the second quarter.

Estancia answered, marching 85 yards in 10 plays. The offense converted three key first downs, twice on third down and once on fourth down. Brown connected with Dylan on a 29-yard pass on third-and-14, leaving Estancia on the opponent’s 40-yard line. Five plays later, Brown saw receiver Dalton O’Daly get behind the defense in the end zone, hitting the senior for a 15-yard touchdown. Estancia took a 14-7 lead.

Calvary Chapel found itself down a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Glasgow rushed for his second touchdown. But after the nine-yard score, 57 seconds into the fourth quarter, Estancia blocked the extra-point attempt. Calvary Chapel trailed Estancia, 27-20.

Estancia tried to chew time off the clock on the ensuing drive. The offense ran off almost four minutes, before turning the ball over on downs on a fake punt. On fourth-and-10, Estancia snapped the ball to Tyler Thomas, and he fell on Calvary Chapel’s 35-yard line, four yards short of a first down.

Thomas would make a huge stop on a third-and-two situation. The linebacker stuffed Calvary Chapel tailback Braden Stack for a three-yard loss. Calvary Chapel tried to run Stack, who rushed 23 times for 135 yards, again on a fake punt. O’Daly, a cornerback, brought him down after a two-yard gain, giving Estancia the ball back on Calvary Chapel’s 42 with 5:39 left.

Almost four minutes later, Moya sealed Estancia’s third straight win, and the team felt right at home.

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Estancia 30, Calvary Chapel 20

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Estancia 7 – 10 – 10 – 3 — 30

Calvary 0 – 7 – 7 – 6 — 20

FIRST QUARTER

E – D. Laurent 2 run (Perez kick), 6:05.

SECOND QUARTER

CC – Debernarde 21 pass from Glasgow (Serrato kick), 7:27.

E – O’Daly 15 pass from Brown (Perez kick), 2:46.

E – Moya 25 FG, :00.

THIRD QUARTER

E – D. Laurent 9 run (Perez kick), 9:12.

CC – Glasgow 1 run (Serrato kick), 6:23.

E – Moya 38 FG, 1:57.

FOURTH QUARTER

CC – Glasgow 9 run (kick blocked), 11:03.

E – Moya 43 FG, 1:50.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

E – C. Laurent, 29-128.

CC – Stack, 23-135.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

E – Brown, 9-21-1, 118, 1 TD.

CC – Glasgow, 18-35-1, 170, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

E – D. Laurent, 5-49.

CC – Cox, 7-76.