Monday Morning Quarterback:

It might not be unfamiliar to Estancia High Coach Mike Bargas, but for the rest of the school, the scenario is older than some of the players on the Eagles’ football team.

With one game to play in the regular season, the Eagles are squarely in the drivers’ seat when it comes to their destiny, and for the first time since 1989, they will have at least a share of a league title.

A win over Laguna Beach Friday would make Estancia the outright Orange Coast League champions, and give the Eagles an undefeated league record.

If Estancia loses, it would share the title with either Costa Mesa or Calvary Chapel.

By beating Costa Mesa 41-13, the Eagles already claimed the No. 1 playoff berth in league.

For Bargas, a former assistant at Newport Harbor, which, before last year, made the playoffs seven straight times, the feeling isn’t totally foreign, but for the rest of the Eagles(5-4, 2-0), this type of success feels brand new.

“In order to prove ourselves to the rest of the league, we need to go out and beat Laguna Beach,” Bargas said. “It’d be shame to lose to Laguna Beach after three great football games. Like I told the kids, we expect to play five more weeks. These guys haven’t won a league title since 1989. I think they’re believing in the system.”

NEWPORT HARBOR (7-2, 3-1):

Getting back into the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 playoffs after missing them last year isn’t enough for the Newport Harbor football team.

Last year’s absence came after seven straight appearances, but with one game left in the regular season, the Sailors aren’t content with just making it to the playoffs.

“It’s a good felling, and we’re happy that the kids have a chance to keep playing,” said Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley. “We want to finish this thing out. We can be league champions. If we win next week, we can be co-champs, so it’s not over in terms of what we’re trying to get accomplished.”

Assuming Newport defeats Edison Friday, and Esperanza loses to Fountain Valley, the Sailors could conceivably be champions of the Sunset League with a 4-1 record. If Esperanza and Newport Harbor both win, the Tars could be co-champions.

“We’re looking at this game the way Edison’s looking at this game,” Brinkley said. “Edison’s playing for a championship, so that’s the way we’ve got to approach it.”

Newport had just three passes in its biggest offensive output of the year against Marina, where the Tars won 42-7.

“We’ve shown that we can run and throw, and that night we were able to run it,” Brinkley said. “It was nice because we were able to play everybody on our team.”

SAGE HILL (7-2, 1-1):

Sage Hill Coach Pete Anderson couldn’t think of a time when Sage Hill’s playoff hopes rested on a tie-breaker, so he’s hoping it doesn’t start this year.

The Lightning face Capistrano Valley Christian in the last week of Academy League play, and the Lightning haven’t lost to the Eagles (4-5, 0-2) once in the past three years.

However, if Sage Hill loses and first-place St. Margaret’s beats Brethren Christian, it could create a three-way logjam for second place, since all three teams would be 1-2 in league.

Anderson would rather avoid the messiness altogether and beat Capistrano Valley.

“We know if we win, then we’re in,” Anderson said. “Actually, for us, the playoffs started last week. If we lost that game against Brethren, we would have been out for sure, because Brethren would have taken second place.”

Max Torres had 19 carries for 116 yards and one touchdown in Sage Hill’s 37-28 win over Brethren Christian, one of the biggest running games of the season for the pass-happy Lightning.

CORONA DEL MAR (3-6, 1-2):

Because Corona del Mar has a bye this week, the Sea Kings have to sit on their hands for another four days to find out their playoff fate.

The team had a day off Saturday, since there was no game to prepare for, no film to study.

“We’ll spend time working on fundamentals,” said Corona del Mar Coach Dick Freeman. “We still have a lot to work on.”

They’ll practice this week with helmets, but no shoulder pads, then hold their breath Friday to see if Laguna Hills beats Irvine. CdM lost Thursday, 27-20, to University in its most spirited game of the season.

University and Laguna Hills are currently tied for first place in the Pacific Coast League at 2-0. A loss to Laguna Hills would tie Irvine with CdM, and the owner of the third-place playoff berth would be decided by a coin flip.

Ordinarily, it would have been decided by the CdM-Irvine game, which was canceled because of the Southern California wildfires. If University and Laguna Hills remain tied for first place, the second-place team will be decided by a coin-flip as well.

COSTA MESA (2-7, 1-1)

Because of Friday night’s 41-13 loss to Estancia in the Battle for the Bell, Friday night’s game against Calvary Chapel is a must-win for Costa Mesa.

The two schools are tied for second place in the Orange Coast League, with league records of 1-1. To advance to the playoffs, something the Mustangs haven’t done in five years, they have to beat Calvary.

“You play a hard preseason to try to prepare you for league,” said Costa Mesa coach Jeremy Osso. “Whether we finish first or we finish second, or we finish third, the whole idea is to prepare us for league.”

Costa Mesa was 1-8, but won the Rancho Alamitos on a forfeit because Rancho Alamitos used an ineligible player.

Osso said Calvary will be looking for running back Antwon Byrd, who finished the Estancia game with 189 all-purpose yards on 15 carries and four catches.

“Without a doubt, he’s the fastest guy in our league,” Osso said.

SORAYA NADIA McDONALD may be reached at (714) 966-4613 or at [email protected].