EAGLES ESCAPE

Barry Faulkner

After a nearly unfathomable comeback and the resulting early

celebratory outburst that went with Estancia High’s 35-30 Golden West

League-opening football victory at Ocean View Friday night, Estancia

senior Cullen Crom walked up to first-year coach Craig Fertig and

hugged him from behind.

It may have been the Eagles’ collective willingness to cling to

Fertig’s halftime reassurance, however, that proved the difference in

a game that had too many big plays to determine a singular catalytic

moment.

“I told them at halftime we hadn’t played our game,” Fertig said

after Ocean View (1-3) turned three early Estancia miscues into a

20-0 lead and took a 23-7 edge into intermission. “I knew our guys

wouldn’t quit and I told them ‘I’m betting on ya.’ That’s why we went

with an onside kick [to start the third quarter]”.

Ocean View recovered, however, as it did two more onside kickoffs

in the second half, the last occurring after Estancia cut the lead to

30-28 with 2:02 left.

But the Eagles (3-1), who scored three TDs in the final 4:23 to

end a school-record 11-game league losing streak, weren’t about to

let a little special teams futility deter them from a vital victory.

“I’m so proud of the kids,” Fertig added. “They didn’t give up and

they made the big plays at the end. Now, I better go see the team

doctor, because I don’t know if I can take too many of these.”

The game was there for the taking for the inspired Seahawks, who,

despite playing without third-year starting quarterback Alex

Hickerson and veteran senior two-way starter Ryan Morejon, were both

opportunistic and tenacious.

But with Fertig, a longtime USC assistant and former head coach at

Oregon State spreading optimism in ample sideline doses, it

apparently takes more than a little misfortune to keep the Eagles

down this fall.

“Of the wins so far, this one is the best,” said senior Bubba

Kapko, whose three-year varsity career now consists of a whopping

four wins.

Kapko was one of several heroes for the visitors. He plowed

through the Seahawks on scoring runs of 4, 8 and 2 yards, the final

TD coming wth 17 seconds left to cap a comeback that may never be

forgotten by those who witnessed it.

After Kapko’s second TD run pulled the Eagles to within eight with

4:23 left, Ocean View ate more than two minutes off the clock, before

punting the ball to the Estancia 22-yard line.

On the ensuing snap, Estancia senior quarterback Brad Young threw

deep to Geo Macias, who appeared to be covered by two Seahawks. But

Macias caught the ball on his chest at the Ocean View 39 and spun

away as the Ocean View tacklers collided and fell away.

“I was really surprised to turn and see nothing but green grass in

front of me,” Macias said. “After that touchdown, I think our

confidence was sky high.”

The momentum swung back to Ocean View on the two-point conversion

try as the Seahawks stuffed a run up the middle for no gain to

preserve their 30-28 lead.

Ocean View sighed further relief when it recovered the ensuing

onside kickoff. But on third-and-19 with 1:12 remaining, the ball was

fumbled on a would-be handoff and Estancia linebacker Mike Softa

scooped it up and returned it 7 yards to the Seahawks’ 25.

Mike Cahill barged 7 yards on first down, then Young threw to Ryan

Sanford for 16 yards over the middle to the 2 with 28 seconds left. A

first-down spike stopped the clock at 0:22 and Kapko, behind a strong

push from his linemen, pounded into the end zone on the next snap for

the go-ahead score.

“I just wasn’t going to lose to Ocean View,” Kapko said.

Ocean View bobbled, then fumbled the ensuing squib kickoff out of

bounds at its 10 and two incomplete passes ran out the clock,

sparking an emotional outburst by Estancia players, before they

settled down to shake hands with the stunned Seahawks.