Coyotes control Estancia

NEWPORT BEACH — The Estancia High football team has experienced this empty feeling before, just not this season.

What was supposed to be a defining, breakout game for the Eagles, turned into a 29-7 nonleague loss to visiting Buena Park on Friday at Newport Harbor High.

Estancia (2-1) had outscored its previous two opponents — Mark Keppel and Bolsa Grande — by a combined 100-7.

Buena Park entered with a six-game losing streak dating back to last season.

All the pieces were in place for Estancia to redefine itself and run away from its modest recent history.

Instead, the Eagles ran into a a swarm of green Coyote helmets, totaling eight rushing yards on 18 carries.

The rushing woes of last season surfaced again, but at least one positive was taken away near the end.

Senior backup running back Edgar Vargas entered the game with less than two minutes remaining and boosted the Eagles into positive rushing yardage.

The 5-foot-6, 160-pound back carried three straight times for 34 yards and a touchdown, wiping the shutout off the books.

Vargas also picked off a pass to stop a Buena Park drive.

“We learned a lot tonight,” Estancia Coach Brian Barnes said. “We may have a new running back. He’s a shifty kid and he sees the field well. Edgar does a lot of good things. He sees things that you’ve got to be a football player to see. A lot of kids just don’t see the holes the way he does.”

Unfortunately for the Eagles, Vargas entered with his team trailing, 29-0, with not enough time to mount a legitimate comeback.

“I think we have to play together, and stop believing we’re that good — because we’re not,” Vargas said. “We have to concentrate in practice and do our assignments right on defense and offense.

“We lost pretty big. We thought we had this game when we came here, but I guess not. It turned out like last year.”

Last year, Barnes said the team came into the game against Buena Park overconfident. The Eagles lost, 17-8.

After winning its first two games this season following a 2-9 season in 2005, there had been a noticeable buzz surrounding the program.

But Friday’s loss to a team that opened its season with a 42-0 loss to Fountain Valley put things in perspective for the Eagles.

“Buena Park’s a very physical football team,” Barnes said. “We were a little complacent and we’re still not used to winning, and [the coaching staff] needs to teach them that. But that will come with time. But we saw some things that will hopefully help us throughout the year.”

Junior quarterback Mike Morley completed eight passes for 75 yards.

Senior receiver Matt Redding head two catches for 25 yards, while junior Eddie Tomasek added five catches for 21 yards.