Eagles prepare in new home

COSTA MESA — The ground is assuredly more stable this year for the Estancia High football team during spring practices.

That’s what getting a new on-campus, artificial field-turf stadium can do for a team. Jim Scott Stadium is also going to be the home for the Costa Mesa High football team, but the Eagles are the ones who are getting to practice in it right now.

“It’s way better,” said Estancia’s Radames Gutierrez, who will be a senior in the fall and is a leading contender to be the team’s starting quarterback. Gutierrez started six games at quarterback last season after Mike Morley was sidelined with an elbow injury.

“Before, we just practiced on basically grass patches and mostly dirt,” Gutierrez said. “Everybody likes the turf a lot better. We look forward to coming to practice out on the field.”

But the new turf is only part of the team’s stability. Coach Mike Bargas is back for his second year, which also lends stability to the program, which began spring practices May 27 and will conclude them with a night practice on June 12.

“The kids have some continuity,” said Bargas, a former assistant coach at Newport Harbor. “I tell people jokingly, ‘I’m tenured already.’ This will be my second season here, and most guys go two or less around here. I think the kids will work hard when they realize you’ll actually be back the next season. It’s nice to have a full year with these guys. Last year, I came in here and had about two months [before spring practice]. Everything was kind of chaotic.”

Dave Holland, the former head man at Corona del Mar who was defensive coordinator at Long Beach Wilson the last two years, has also stepped in as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator.

“What an honor to have a guy like him out there,” Bargas said. “He’s got a rich history in the county, and we’re privileged to have him out here ... This is his 51st season [coaching], I believe, and he’s like a 16-year-old out here. There’s good energy out here.”

Estancia is also looking to build good linemen. The Eagles lost virtually all of their offensive and defensive linemen from last year’s team, which went 5-6, finished as Orange Coast League co-champions and lost in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs to Irvine.

Stalwarts like Connor McKendry, Sean Ulrich and Alex Machuca will have graduated. Now, Bargas said, seniors-to-be like Jose Padilla, Steve Culbertson and Heraldo Marquez should contribute.

Estancia does have key returners on offense like tight end/kicker Eli Diego and receiver Jason Moreno, who will both be seniors. Alek Kirshner, who will be a junior, may battle Gutierrez for the starting quarterback spot.

Either way, a primary goal on offense will be to continue to open holes for senior-to-be Carlos Mendez. The Orange Coast League co-MVP, Mendez rushed for a school-record 1,530 yards in 2007. Even some freshmen and sophomores may step into significant roles on the line.

“They’ve just got to work hard,” Padilla said. “We’ve got to get this thing going. We need to get yards for Carlos, and I think we can. We’re capable of doing that.”

Mendez, for his part, said he thinks the Eagles’ spring practices have been going well.

“We have more guys than we did last year,” Mendez said. “We’ve just got to work harder, to take the positions that the seniors left last year. I think we’re going to be a pretty good, decent football team.

“I want to keep up the hard work that I had last year, and just run my butt off. Even though we don’t have the same line as last year, I’m just going to do the same. [I hope to] even break my own record from last year. I have to work harder.”

Bargas likes the hard work at spring practice. He noted that with 75 kids out, there’s not a lot of standing around.

“We’re utilizing all the varsity coaches, and we’ve got a couple freshmen coaches helping out,” Bargas said. “It’s a good problem to have, because it also raises the level of competition, and that’s what you need to do to get better.”

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at [email protected].