Prep football: Eagles outmuscle Sea Kings

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - The Estancia High offensive line picked up more

than flu symptoms this week. The Eagle blockers also collected enough

confidence to fuel a 27-24 Pacific Coast League football upset of host

Corona del Mar Friday night at Newport Harbor High.

The victory clinches a CIF Southern Section Division IX playoff berth

for the Eagles (6-3, 3-1 in league), their first postseason date since

1995. It also propels them into the PCL title picture with one game left.

The Eagles, who finish up Thursday at Laguna Beach, now must win and

hope CdM (5-4, 3-1) can knock off University Friday to force a three-way

tie for the title.

“We love the Sea Kings right now,” quipped Estancia Coach Dave Perkins

after his team simply outmuscled them. The Eagles ended CdM’s five-game

winning streak and earned their second come-from-behind triumph in as

many weeks.

“Our offensive line was puking all this week,” Perkins said. “They

were sicker than a dog, but they came out and executed tonight. They won

the game for us.”

The offensive front of tackles Sergio Perez and Rene Duarte, guards

Robert Aguilera and Cesar Romero and center Tim Valdez, helped the Eagles

amass 381 yards on the ground, including 11 second-half first downs.

“We told them we weren’t going to make an adjustment,” Perkins said of

his halftime speech, after CdM claimed a 10-6 lead on Blake Hacker’s

1-yard touchdown run 26 seconds before intermission. “We told them the

game was going to be won on the line of scrimmage and that if they would

execute and block, we would win the football game.”

Eagle running backs Andy Romo and Fahad Jahid, as well as quarterback

Kenny Valbuena took full advantage.

Romo, who opened the scoring with an 80-yard touchdown run with 10:17

left in the first half, finished with 176 yards on 18 carries.

Jahid, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound fullback, bulled his way for 117 yards on

18 carries, including 82 yards in the final two quarters.

Valbuena, who completed just 4 of 12 passes for 37 yards and threw

only his second interception of the season on a desperation pass before

halftime, rushed 13 times for 76 yards, including some clutch scrambles

to move the chains.

“Our offense is hard to stop,” said Perkins, whose Eagles matched

their season-scoring average and improved their total offense average to

368 yards.

Estancia’s defense also chipped in, forcing two key third-quarter

turnovers, which led to 14 points and an insurmountable 20-10 lead.

CdM scored twice to cut the deficit to three, but its final drive,

stalled on fourth-and-four at the Estancia 27, ended with a missed

45-yard field-goal attempt with 4:16 left.

Estancia then got two first downs and ran out the clock.

Hacker finished with 162 yards on 22 carries and Joe Barber threw for

153 yards and two TDs for CdM.