Estancia rallies for win over Seahawks

Barry Faulkner

Sometimes life lessons come with a happy ending. That was the case

for the Estancia High football team in its 21-14 Golden West League

victory Friday night over visiting Ocean View at Newport Harbor High.

The Eagles (3-3, 1-1 in league), playing without two-way standouts

Bryce McKendry and Geo Macias the first half, as the duo sat out as

punishment for breaking what Coach Craig Fertig called an unspecified

team rule, found themselves down, 14-0, early in the second period.

But senior Daniel Cheesboro broke off an impressive 75-yard

touchdown run to halve the deficit 15 seconds later to keep the

Eagles within striking distance.

Macias, who typically starts at receiver and cornerback, also

punts and kicks for the Eagles.

McKendry, the team’s leading rusher, normally starts at tailback

and inside linebacker. He also is the team’s long snapper.

The duo was missed more on special teams than offense or defense

in the opening half, as Estancia’s two attempts to punt before

intermission had disastrous outcomes.

The first miscue, a snap that deflected off a player streaking

from the sideline to the far side of the formation, produced a

20-yard loss, but no points for the Seahawks.

The second mistake, however, a dropped long snap that Ocean View

recovered on the Eagles’ 2-yard line, led to the Seahawks’ second

touchdown.

Still, Fertig, refused to bend on his disciplinary action, and

Macias and McKendry sat out until starting the third quarter.

“I don’t have many rules, but they broke one,” Fertig said after

his team broke a six-game league losing streak. “They are two key

ingredients, so it was tough to have them out of the game. But I

thought it was important for our kids to learn a lesson in life. I

think I learned one too.”

Macias, who was named Homecoming king at halftime, made his

presence felt on the field late in the third quarter. He caught a

quick hitch from quarterback Nick Cox, spun to avoid one defender,

stiff-armed another and sprinted 55 yards down the sideline for a

touchdown. Macias kicked the conversion to tie the game with 1:57

left in the third period.

An Estancia defense that buckled down after allowing two long runs

on Ocean View’s opening touchdown drive, sacked Seahawks quarterback

Aaron Valenzuela twice after the ensuing kickoff and Macias returned

the eventual punt 4 yards to his own 49.

After an 11-yard Cox pass to McKendry and an incomplete pass, Cox,

a senior whose 210 passing yards far surpassed his previous

single-game high of 87, hit Ryan Watson 10 yards down the field.

Watson’s spin toward the goal line prompted a defender to dive at his

feet. Watson, however, had already vacated the spot and ran untouched

for the game-winning 40-yard touchdown.

Ocean View, which surrendered a 30-7 third-quarter lead in last

year’s 35-30 loss to Estancia, never advanced past its own 44 on its

three final possessions to fall to 1-5, 0-2.

Cheesboro made the most of his extra carries, compiling 177

rushing yards on 15 attempts.

Cox completed 11 of 21, including some athletic throws while

rolling out. But his best work came when he threw short to his

receivers, who abused the Ocean View secondary for large gains after

the catch.

“We wanted to take what they were giving us,” Fertig said of the

second-half emphasis on short passes.

Watson finished with 80 yards on three receptions, while senior

Ryan Sanford collected 56 yards on five catches.

McKendry added 19 yards on his two receptions and also chipped in

28 rushing yards on nine carries.

Six Eagles were in on five quarterback sacks and Dave Moreno also

recovered a fumble for the winners.