Two-minute drill

Costa Mesa High moved one step closer to winning its first outright league football championship since 2002.

The Mustangs beat Calvary Chapel, 35-7, at Estancia High Saturday to improve to 3-0 in the Orange Coast League. They also clinched one of the league’s three automatic CIF Southern Section playoff berths.

Costa Mesa takes a four-game winning streak into this week’s bye week. The Mustangs will wait and see what will be at stake in their regular-season finale at home against Laguna Beach on Nov. 14.

The Breakers (2-0 in league) play host to Estancia (1-1 in league) Friday.

“If Estancia beats them, then we clinch a share,” Costa Mesa Coach Jeremy Osso said. “If [the Eagles] don’t beat them, then we go and play [the Breakers] for the title.”

Costa Mesa shared the 2007 league crown with crosstown rival Estancia.

• In a must-win game, Newport Harbor High fell behind when Esperanza scored on the opening drive.

But the Sailors rallied to win, 35-6, Friday and earn their first Sunset League victory this season.

“That just fired us up,” Newport Harbor junior linebacker Cecil Whiteside said of the Aztecs’ touchdown.

The Sailors (5-3, 1-2 in league) are no longer in last place in league. Only Marina is winless at 0-3 and Newport Harbor plays host to the Vikings Friday.

It’s another must-win situation for Newport Harbor if it plans to advance to the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs for the second straight season.

The Sailors close out the regular season against Los Alamitos (7-1, 2-1 in league), ranked No. 5 in the Pac-5 Division.

The Griffins were upset by Fountain Valley, 21-14, in overtime Friday. The Barons also upset the Sailors, 22-21, on Oct. 23.

“It was a tough loss for us,” Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley said of the Fountain Valley game. “I like the way [my players] responded. They showed me something.”

• Estancia ended a four-game losing streak with a 41-7 rout of Godinez at home Friday, helping the Eagles earn their first Orange Coast League win of the season.

The Eagles (3-5, 1-1 in league) will be hard-pressed to repeat as league champions, but they’re in place to secure one the league’s three automatic playoff berths with Calvary Chapel dropping to 0-2 in league.

In order for Estancia to have a chance to share the league crown again, it has to win at Laguna Beach Friday, beat Calvary Chapel at Orange Coast College on Nov. 13, and hope the Breakers beat Costa Mesa the following day in the regular-season finale.

If it plays out that way, Estancia would share the title with Costa Mesa and Laguna Beach as each would finish with a 3-1 record in league.

• Sage Hill School’s 14-7 halftime lead in its 34-19 Academy League win over Capistrano Valley Christian High Friday at San Clemente High had a lot to do with fourth-down execution on offense, defense and special teams.

The Lightning (2-6, 1-0 in league) converted once on fourth down in each of their first-half touchdown drives.

The latter possession began when junior Taylor Ross recovered a muffed punt reception by the Eagles, on fourth down.

Defensively, Sage reversed the momentum by holding on fourth-and-one from its own 41 after CVC, then leading, 7-0, had gained possession by recovering a fumble.

• Corona del Mar High senior quarterback Mitch Sands has been playing well lately. His stats don’t lie.

Sands set the CdM regular-season record for touchdown passes in Friday night’s 49-7 win over University. Sands’ four touchdowns against Uni give him 18 on the season, surpassing Taylor Hughes’ previous record of 15 set during the 2006 regular season.

Hughes, who now plays at Orange Coast College, still holds the CdM single-season record, including playoffs, of 22 touchdown passes.

Sands has now passed for 1,042 yards this season, with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. His 280 yards passing against Uni was easily a season-high.

• Estancia senior Carlos Mendez recorded his seventh 100-yard rushing game of the season.

Mendez said he owes it to quarterback Alek Kirshner’s ability to keep Godinez honest.

Kirshner completed six of eight passes for 43 yards. His throws allowed Mendez some breathing room.

“We’ve got the quarterback now,” said Mendez, who finished with 142 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries.

Coach Mike Bargas said Kirshner stepped in for Radames Gutierrez against Ocean View on Oct. 10. It has taken Kirshner a game to adjust since Bargas said he inserted the junior for good.

“Without a doubt” we can throw the ball, Kirshner said.

• Newport Harbor quarterback Andrew McDonald was superb against Esperanza Friday.

The senior was 15 for 22 passing for 180 yards and two touchdowns.

The numbers were much better than in the Sailors’ 28-7 loss to Esperanza last year, when McDonald completed six of 18 passes for 73 yards and threw an interception.

“Their blitzes are tough to pick up,” said McDonald, who has thrown for 1,209 yards and 11 touchdowns, and only five interceptions this season. “They have guys jumping all over the place.”

• The Sea Kings (7-2, 2-1 in the Pacific Coast League) knew beating the Trojans would be important, especially with a bye looming next week.

CdM now has to beat Beckman in its regular-season finale on Nov. 14 at Newport Harbor, which would ensure the Sea Kings at least a second-place finish in league.

Last year, CdM missed the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

“We wanted to control our own destiny,” senior receiver-cornerback Dillon Norton said. “If we can get a win against Beckman, we can go in second place in league and hopefully get maybe a home game in playoffs to start it off.”

• The bye will help the Mustangs recover.

Osso expects junior quarterback Todd Davis and senior kicker/punter Hector Solis to return from injuries by the time Costa Mesa plays Laguna Beach.

Osso said Davis was out nursing a left hip injury and Solis was out with a leg injury against Calvary Chapel.

Osso said Davis got hurt in the Mustangs’ 27-14 win against Godinez on Oct. 23, and Solis took a helmet to his kicking leg on an extra-point attempt the week before in the Mustangs’ 14-7 win against Estancia.

• The Capo Valley Christian homecoming queen Friday was Michelle Orgill, the daughter of former Estancia High and Orange Coast College basketball star Ray Orgill.

Ray Orgill, All-CIF at Estancia and the MVP of the Pirates’ state championship team in 1979, lives in San Juan Capistrano.

• Brinkley said backup junior guard Brandon Coffey might be out for the season after he injured a knee on special teams early against Esperanza.

“His knee is pretty bad,” Brinkley said.

Brinkley had planned to use Coffey against the Aztecs to rest left tackle Scott Ward.

Brinkley said Coffey did a commendable job when left guard Peter Kinney was out earlier in the year with a knee problem.

Kinney was going to move to Ward’s spot during the game until Coffey went down.

• Although CdM’s victory over Uni was lopsided, University Coach Mark Cunningham pointed to a play near the end of the first quarter as one that was crucial.

With CdM facing a fourth-and-nine at the University 30, the Sea Kings elected to go for it. Sands’ pass appeared to be nearly intercepted by University’s Bronson Taylor, but instead went through his hands and into the hands of senior receiver Max Haase for an 18-yard gain.

Three plays later, J.D. Abbott scored on a seven-yard run, giving CdM a 14-0 lead.

— From staff reports