Eagles knocked back

MISSION VIEJO — Eleven yards away from a score, but too far away from making a comeback.

With time running out, Estancia High quarterback Mike Morley took off for the end zone, trying to squeeze through an array of JSerra defenders.

Bam. The senior’s helmet came flying out of the pile, a tell-tale sign that the quarterback’s Friday night was over.

So was Estancia’s. Time to go home, even though Morley managed to score two plays later with no time left. It didn’t matter. The Lions, under new Coach Jim Hartigan won, 35-19, at Saddleback College.

JSerra’s players called it the first real win under the former successful Clovis West and Santa Margarita coach. The school, after losing its season opener, was awarded a win after the team it played forfeited later due to using an ineligible player.

The young Lions’ program earned the fourth varsity win in school history. How did it happen? Estancia Coach Mike Bargas explained it well.

“They just played harder than us,” said the first-year head coach, whose only bright spots were running back Carlos Mendez and Morley combining for 190 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. “We knew what they were going to do and we couldn’t stop it. I’d keep running the same play as well. They ran a dive keep.”

Sam Inman executed the spread offense to perfection, eliminating any chance Bargas would win his second straight after picking up his first career victory last week.

Estancia (1-3) saw the quarterback wear out its defense, as he ran for a career-high 163 yards and two touchdowns and also threw for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

No. 7 looked like Michael Vick during his Virginia Tech days, alluding defenders with his legs and keeping the ball away from Estancia’s offense. An Inman run here, a pass there, mixed in with some handoffs, and the drives were prolonged.

Can’t do much without the ball. Just watch it. The Lions (2-1) in the first half kept it twice for long stretches, both ending with touchdowns. On their first possession, 7 minutes, 5 seconds ran off the clock before going up, 7-0, on wide receiver Bobby Brown’s five-yard diving catch.

Before going all out for the ball, the defense allowed JSerra to go all over the field, forward, back, you name it. Penalties and all, two holds and one false start, and the Lions continued to march. Inman created ways.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].

FIRST QUARTER

JS – Brown 5 pass from Inman (Clayton kick), 3:26.

SECOND QUARTER

JS – Butler 1 run (Clayton kick), 3:25.

E – Tomasek 20 pass from Morley (Diego kick), 0:21.

THIRD QUARTER

JS – Brown 9 pass from Inman (Clayton kick), 7:25.

JS – Inman 61 run (Clayton kick), 6:27.

FOURTH QUARTER

JS – Inman 5 run (Clayton kick), 11:05.

E – Mendez 7 run (kick blocked), 6:47.

E – Morley 5 run (no kick), 0:00.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

E – Mendez, 19-99, 1 TD; Morley, 14-91, 1 TD; Moreno, 1-5; Mellin, 1-0.

JS – Inman, 15-163, 2 TDs; Butler, 12-54; Abufarie, 4-18; Madden, 1-14; Shirozano, 1-6; Team, 1-minus-1; Lemos, 3-minus-7.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

E – Morley, 12-24-0, 149, 1 TD.

JS – Inman, 10-15-0, 110, 2 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

E – Tomasek, 6-76, 1 TD; Redding, 3-44; Diego, 2-14; Moreno, 1-15.

JS – Keller, 3-28; Brown, 3-26, 2 TDs; Thomas, 1-27; Otto, 1-20; Butler, 2-14.