Prep football: Eagles seek a fresh start

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Clearly, after last week’s 24-7 loss to Canyon

High, this Estancia team will not post the school’s first unbeaten season

in the school’s 41-year football history.

But, as Coach Dave Perkins fervently believes, that doesn’t mean the

Eagles (2-1) can’t reach some of the lofty expectations set for this

senior-dominated unit.

Thus, when Santa Ana Valley visits Newport Harbor High for Saturday’s

7 p.m. nonleague game with the Eagles, Perkins is hoping for a new

beginning to the first season of the new millennium.

“Last week was absolutely a wake-up call, which proved we have a tough

time dealing with success,” Perkins said of the Canyon setback, which

knocked the Eagles out of the CIF Southern Section Division IX Top-10

poll they had just fought their way into at No. 10.

“(The loss) was a major frustration for the coaching staff and our

kids. We all believe we didn’t have a good week of practice and we

weren’t mentally focused. The coaches can preach it, but until the kids

see something like this happen ... I don’t think we’ll have a problem

getting their minds back on what they’re supposed to be doing.”

In this case, the Eagles are supposed to hand the pass-happy Falcons

their third defeat of the season.

Valley, coached by Eddie Stewart, has had difficulty stopping the run

in back-to-back losses to Fullerton and Saddleback. It has also had

little ground game of its own to speak of. The Century League

representative, which surprised favored Estancia last season with a 21-20

upset, does, however, have a dangerous passing attack, which Perkins said

will test the Eagles’ talented secondary.

“They’re basically a four-wideout team with a single back and they

throw the ball around,” Perkins said. “Their quarterback is very good and

they have a couple good receivers. If our secondary and linebackers stay

with people and are disciplined in our zone coverage, we should be OK.

But if we find ourselves chasing people around the secondary, we could be

in big trouble.”

Senior quarterback James Burgueno has thrown for 641 yards and three

TDs, completing 50 of 101 with two interceptions. His favorite targets

are Robert George (14 catches for 258 yards) and Lance Johnson (15 for

228), while Maurice Dunning has nine catches.

Johnson’s three touchdown receptions (he has also scored on rushing

TD) have covered 61, 30 and 25 yards, while Robert’s lone score was a

61-yard connection with Burgueno.

The Falcons scored 35 of their 58 points in a second-quarter blitz of

Santiago, which they handled, 42-7, in the season opener.

Estancia’s defense has allowed only a 31% completion rate thus far (17

of 55), good for only 188 aerial yards. The Eagles have two

interceptions, but have only two sacks.

Estancia, which has shown run-pass balance, is led offensively by the

productive senior trio of Andy Romo, Fahad Jahid and Kenny Valbuena.

Romo, who began the season at receiver, but has switched to tailback,

has rushed for 208 yards and one TD on 36 carries. He also leads the team

with 11 receptions for 135 yards and two TDs.

Jahid, a powerful 6-foot-2, 235-pound fullback, has 289 rushing yards

and one TD on 53 carries, while Valbuena, a 6-5, 220-pound quarterback,

has completed 19 of 13 for 291 yards and a pair of TDs, with only one

interception.

Perkins said both teams have moved the ball well, but both have had

trouble navigating through the red zone.