Sweet home opener

COSTA MESA — It’s always a thrill for any high school football player to score a touchdown.

It’s more special to do it in front of the man largely responsible and whose name is on the new Jim Scott Stadium.

Carlos Mendez scored the first touchdown.

Jason Moreno found the end zone three times.

It turned out to be a scoring frenzy for Estancia High. The Eagles opened their new $9.5 million state-of-the-art facility with a 41-26 nonleague victory over Bolsa Grande Friday night.

Jim Scott Sr., wearing a No. 12 throwback Estancia jersey, sat in his wheelchair overlooking the red zone area. He saw little action until Mendez’s second carry of the night.

The 5-foot-7, 162-pound senior running back ran right, broke a couple of tackles, and shifted left for a 54-yard touchdown with 3:23 left in the first quarter.

The packed home crowd erupted. Through it all, Scott Sr. just soaked in the atmosphere.

At 82, Scott Sr. never moved much and that’s due to a stroke he suffered two years ago.

But he touched the Eagles (1-1), especially Mendez.

Mendez was on pace at halftime to breaking the school’s single-game rushing record of 299 yards, which he set last year. He finished with 236 yards on 21 carries.

“It was pretty special,” said Mendez of recording the first touchdown at Jim Scott Stadium. “We couldn’t wait to play. Now, that we got the chance, we had to dominate.”

The Eagles controlled the line of scrimmage, opening it up for the passing game.

This is where Moreno flourished. Three of his five receptions went for touchdowns. Quarterback Radames Gutierrez hit the senior for scores of 64, 20 and 10 yards.

Moreno’s performance, totaling 137 yards, was a turnaround from the one he had in the Eagles’ 35-13 season-opening loss at Aquinas of San Bernardino.

“Last week, I [caught] only one ball for [eight] yards,” Moreno said. “I stepped up this week. I told my team, ‘I got your back and I’m going to get you guys a victory.’ ”

Whenever the Matadors scored in the second and third quarters, the Eagles responded.

They didn’t always have answers for running back Mikhail Lowery, who finished with 149 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries.

The junior still gave credit to the Eagles.

“They came out prepared,” he said. “We were prepared, too. But they were a little more prepared.”

The Eagles had one game under their belts. This was the Matadors’ season opener.

Gutierrez played a vital role in making Bolsa Grande pay for stacking the box against Mendez. He made sure Estancia got revenge after falling to the Matadors, 13-6, last season.

After not completing a pass in his first three attempts, Gutierrez finished nine for 14 for 179 yards the rest of the way. The senior also scored on a one-yard sneak late in the first half to give Estancia a 20-6 lead at halftime.

“This is how we want to start it off on this new field,” Estancia Coach Mike Bargas said. “We haven’t seen a victory [since beating Costa Mesa, 41-13, last Nov. 2.] These guys were pretty hungry.

“I told the kids, ‘We’re going to make history, whether we win or lose, by being the first team to use this place.’”

Jim Scott Jr. is happy his alma mater won with his father in attendance.

“It feels almost surreal,” Jim Scott Jr. said. “I’m really excited that the stadium is packed and all the kids are having a good time.

“It’s really a good thing for the community.”

The Eagles thanked Jim Scott Sr. with a victory.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].