Eagles open eyes in season debut

What a difference an offseason makes.

That was the message Estancia High football coach Brian Barnes believes his team’s 44-7 season-opening win over Mark Keppel on Friday delivered to his players and, perhaps more importantly, to the community.

“Last year, I was having some trouble getting people I ran into around town to believe in the system,” said Barnes, whose Eagles went 2-9 in his first season last year. “I kept trying to get them to understand that lifting weights and hard work will bring success.”

With the most points in an opening game in school history, as well as the biggest margin of victory in an opener in the Eagles’ 42 varsity seasons, Barnes said the proof was on the scoreboard.

“I think we opened some people’s eyes,” Barnes said. “I think we showed what good hard work and an offseason can do for a team. But we still have a long way to go.”

For while there was plenty to feel good about, there were the typical first-game kinks Barnes and his staff will look to work out before the Eagles face Bolsa Grande (0-0) on Friday at Orange Coast College.

“Friday night was a great start,” Barnes said. “But it wasn’t the kind of effort that will win the [Orange Coast League] championship toward the end of the year. We’re just trying to improve each week.”

Barnes said one substantial improvement on last season was the play of the special teams.

Diego Carrasco made four conversion kicks, Matt Redding returned the opening kickoff 68 yards and Redding also made a two-point conversion run after the Eagles’ first touchdown.

“Our special teams were the highlight of the night,” Barnes said. “We hired a special teams coordinator this year, Brad DeSoto, who has done a spectacular job. He and myself spent time over the summer putting together a special teams package. And we’ve worked hard on putting it in place and executing.”

The Eagles were just one for seven on conversion kicks last season, before Carrasco was enlisted to boot the only PAT in their CIF Southern Section Division VII first-round playoff loss to Santa Fe.

Barnes had praise for his defense, which did not let the Aztecs cross midfield for more than the first 37 minutes of the 48-minute game.

Barnes said defensive tackle Junior Contreras, a 5-10, 262-pound junior, was particularly impressive.

“He came out of nowhere,” said Barnes, who also credited senior end Dion Dumurat and senior outside linebacker Tim Morley for their work on defense.

Barnes was also very pleased with the play of junior quarterback Mike Morley, who threw for 259 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for two touchdowns.

Mike Morley’s numbers improved when it was revealed that a 54-yard touchdown shovel pass to Matt Redding was incorrectly credited as a rush in newspaper accounts of the game.

Here’s a look at other Newport-Mesa schools:

Whether or not he would be eligible to play, however, was not determined until Friday afternoon, CdM Coach Dick Freeman said.

“We had him get here at 1 p.m. Friday, an hour before the rest of the team, because we thought we were going to have to have him sign some paperwork and fax it to the CIF office,” Freeman said. “But it turned out that since he moved [transfers who have a change of residence are routinely cleared to play, while players who change schools while living in the same house need to receive a waiver to compete at their new school], we were able to get it cleared up without him signing anything.”

Freeman said there were plenty of positive signs on the field Friday, including the play of the offensive line and the work put in by the Sea Kings’ defense.

Freeman singled out the play of junior inside linebacker Kevin Rask, junior noseguard Steve Deverian and senior triple threat Charlie Albright (a starter at safety, who plays receiver and kicks).

Albright made four conversion kicks and two 28-yard field goals.

Rask, the twin brother of tailback-linebacker Erik Rask, who earned All-Newport-Mesa honors on defense last season, began making a name for himself, Freeman said.

“He’s about the same size as his twin brother, he just hasn’t had the same kind of [publicity], because he broke his wrist last year and didn’t play much,” Freeman said of Kevin Rask.

Freeman said Erik Rask, who led all rushers with 96 yards on 12 carries, suffered a thigh contusion that will be monitored.

The Sea Kings play El Toro (0-0) on Friday at Newport Harbor.

Tom Multari procured two meaningful turnovers from St. Genevieve in the final 1:22, the first a fumble recovery that set up the go-ahead touchdown.

Junior quarterback Jamie McGee threw to senior Braden Ross for a 40-yard TD with 1:03 left to erase a 13-10 Sage Hill deficit.

Multari then intercepted to halt the Valiants’ comeback effort. He returned the ball to the one-yard line, before fumbling into the end zone, where Lightning linebacker Max Torres recovered for the final points with 44 seconds left.

It was the only one of the six fumbles in the game that was recovered the by same team that coughed it up.

Last year, the Mustangs lost quarterback Ryan French and running backs Tyler Legg and Ivan Ruiz in either preseason practice or the first two games, and only Ruiz returned to play.

Before the Mustangs even took the field for a 55-7 loss to Savanna Friday at La Palma Park, they were without running back-linebacker Cody De La Mater (torn knee cartilage), as well as projected starting offensive tackles Eddie Rodriguez (knee) and Jorge Sandoval (back).

First-year coach Jeremy Osso said the status of De La Mater and Rodriguez may be known as early as Tuesday.

One highlight Friday was the play of senior tailback D.J. Lepper, who rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries.

“He had a lot of those yards after contact, which made it even more impressive,” Osso said.

The Mustangs will attempt to rebound Thursday at 7 p.m. against Rancho Alamitos (0-0) at Bolsa Grande High.

Coach Jeff Brinkley said the battle for the starting nod at quarterback between seniors Kevin Williams and Stephen Peterson would carry into practice this week.