Run game sparks win

COSTA MESA — Nothing seemed to be working through the air.

Passes were too short, too long, or just dropped by the Estancia High football team during Friday night’s nonleague game against Buena Park.

No problem for the Eagles. Senior quarterback Radames Gutierrez took matters into his own hands.

Gutierrez scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, helping Estancia come from behind for a 21-6 victory.

“They were more physical than us the first half, then we got the run going there,” Coach Mike Bargas said. “That’s what we want to establish ourselves as, a running team.”

Senior Carlos Mendez added 130 rushing yards and a score for the Eagles (2-1), his third straight game of 100 or more yards to open the season.

But the Eagles weren’t able to run right over the Coyotes, at least not early. It was Buena Park (1-2) that jumped on the scoreboard first, when Cain Flores took a screen pass from quarterback Dylan Brazil and rumbled 49 yards for the score late in the first quarter.

Estancia senior Jose Padilla blocked the extra-point attempt, keeping the score at 6-0. Estancia, meanwhile, managed only two first downs in the first half, but made them count.

After a poor punt from Buena Park, one that Estancia sophomore defensive end Omar Gutierrez nearly blocked, the Eagles got the ball at the Buena Park 43. Three plays later, Gutierrez scampered toward the right side of the field before cutting back for a 27-yard score.

Estancia led, 7-6, at halftime despite gaining just 60 yards to that point. In the Eagles’ second series of the second half, Bargas temporarily benched Gutierrez and brought in junior Alek Kirshner at quarterback.

“We just were really flat,” Bargas said. “We didn’t come out hitting, and they came out hitting. They were more physical than us the first half ... My hat’s off to Buena Park. They came out ready to play football. We’re lucky we came out with a victory. We made some adjustments. They were stuffing us a little bit in the middle, [but] Carlos finds a way to make holes. If there’s a little leak in there some place, he’ll sniff it out.”

That’s what Mendez did in the second half, when he bounced out to the right and broke several tackles for a 26-yard score, giving Estancia a 14-6 lead with 1:05 left in the third quarter.

Gutierrez added his second score from eight yards out midway through the fourth quarter, finding the end zone after a big block from sophomore receiver Matt Carlyle. It was the culmination of another short drive, set up when Estancia senior Freddy Garcia recovered a fumble at the Buena Park 18.

The Coyotes, who played the final 15 minutes without Brazil (leg injury), put the ball on the ground three times in the second half. Eagles junior linebacker Josh Dominguez also recovered a fumble, and senior cornerback Jason Moreno intercepted a pass.

Flores, who had scored six touchdowns in two previous Buena Park games, finished with the receiving score and a game-high 164 yards rushing. However, he had no runs longer than 10 yards in the second half.

“We just really started focusing,” Gutierrez said. “We were having great defensive series, and that just really sparked something in us. Carlos’ touchdown, my second touchdown, they just really brought up the team. After that, we just really felt like we could do it.”