PREP FRIDAY: SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Division VI : Estancia’s Resurgence Continues With First Playoff Berth Since ’81

The first thing John Liebengood did when he became Estancia High School football coach was give the program a face lift.

His first day on the job somebody handed him a roll sheet with 10 names on it and said, “There’s the varsity, coach.”

It was hardly what Liebengood, who was an assistant at Lynwood for 8 seasons before coming to Estancia in 1986, was accustomed to.

Liebengood figured the only way to attract suitable numbers to the program was to make it seem as attractive as possible.

After all, the Eagles’ record sure wasn’t going to do it. The team hadn’t advanced to the playoffs since 1981.

So, he had a spiffy new weight room built and filled with the latest equipment just for the football program.

He ordered new uniforms for all three levels of the program. He gave out T-shirts to motivate his players to run farther, lift more and work harder in practice.

“This weight room, this facility showed the kids that we were really interested in turning the program around,” Liebengood said.

“Winning is key. Estancia was so used to losing, it was hard to turn it around.”

It took a little while for the seeds of his work to bloom, but after going 0-10 in 1986 and 2-8 last year, Estancia is back in the playoffs.

The Eagles (7-2-1) play Kennedy (7-2-1) in the opening round of the Southern Section Division VI playoffs at 7:30 tonight at Western High.

Kennedy, too, is undergoing a resurgence. The Fighting Irish had not been to the playoffs since 1982 and 2 years ago also were 0-10.

“Normally, we have 28-30 (players) on the team,” said Liebengood, who has 47 on this season’s team. “Everybody here wants to know, ‘What have you done?’ The kids see a successful program and want to be a part of it.”

Estancia started this season in uncharacteristic fashion--with victories. Costa Mesa, Laguna Hills, Los Amigos, Laguna Beach and Orange all fell to the rejuvenated Eagles.

Even a 13-13 tie with Tustin in the Sea View League opener couldn’t dampen Estancia’s spirits. When you haven’t won a league game in more than 2 years, you find victories when you can get them, even when they’re ties. Two weeks later, the Eagles did break their streak with a 14-9 victory over University.

And with players such as running back Josh Wojtkiewicz leading the way, Estancia finished with a 2-2-1 record and is the league’s No. 2 representative.

Wojtkiewicz, a junior, has rushed for a team-leading 956 yards in 170 carries to lead a team dominated by underclassmen. The Eagles have only 10 seniors, 5 of whom start.

And that makes the team’s turnaround all the more remarkable.

“It was rough when you go 0-10,” Liebengood said. “It was sad. It really was. People picked on us. Playing Estancia was like a week off.”

No more, though. Liebengood would like to see the Eagles’ post-season appearances become an annual event.

“We want to do well for the school and for the league,” he said. “We want to be a good representative. We want to show we’ve got a good football team.”

In other first-round Division VI games:

Los Amigos (4-5-1) at Valencia (9-0-1)--Can Los Amigos effectively deal with Valencia’s superior size and the Tigers’ physical style of play? Probably not.

Few have this season and that’s why the Tigers are the top-seeded team in the division. Quarterback Tracy Garrett has completed 57% of his passes for more than 1,094 yards and 16 touchdowns. Running back Keef Leasure has rushed for 999 yards. The defense has allowed 41 points and has 4 shutouts.

Bellflower (8-2) vs. Sunny Hills (8-2) at Buena Park--This is the best matchup in the division’s first round. Bellflower lost both its games when a key player was out with minor injuries. It lost to La Mirada with running back Shawn Jones sidelined and lost to Artesia with quarterback Mike Simmons out. Jones has rushed for 945 yards and caught passes for 561 yards. Simmons has passed for 1,465 yards. Bellflower has averaged 30 points a game. Sunny Hills offers a similar high-scoring offense. Brian Pizula leads the Lancers’ ground game with 881 yards.

Fullerton (5-4-1) at La Mirada (7-3)--La Mirada has a defense to match Valencia’s. The Matadores give up an average of 4.1 points a game. La Mirada has 4 shutouts this season. It should be a good test for Fullerton running back Steve DePhillips, who is third in Orange County with 1,199 yards. La Mirada counters with running back John Jones, who has gained 1,014 yards, and quarterback Chad Drown, who has passed for 1,044 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Troy (6-3-1) vs. Corona del Mar (8-0-2) at Newport Harbor--Troy started the season with a bang, going 4-0-1 in nonleague play. But the Warriors struggled home in fourth place in the Freeway League and earned an at-large playoff bid. Corona del Mar won its second consecutive Sea View League title. Yet both teams feature hard-hitting defenses. Brian Lucas, a junior running back for Corona del Mar, has gained 460 yards.

Artesia (8-1-1) vs. Anaheim (6-4) at Glover Stadium--A rematch of the opening-round game last season when Anaheim beat Artesia, 20-16. Artesia has a rugged defense and is run-oriented. Mike Peters is the Pioneers’ leading rusher with 729 yards. Anaheim, too, relies heavily on the run. John Mountain gained 913 yards to lead the Colonists.

Saddleback (3-6-1) at La Habra (6-3-1)--Somehow, someway, Saddleback got into the playoffs as the No. 3 team from the Sea View League. The Roadrunners face an almost impossible task of upseting La Habra. The Highlanders’ Mark Brown, younger brother of Servite’s Derek Brown, has rushed for 629 yards.

Western (4-6) vs. Pacifica (8-1-1) at Bolsa Grande High School-- Two physical, run-right-at-’em teams meet in the first round. Pacifica, seeded second, is a little tougher and a little more talented. Chris Shockley, a junior running back, has carried the weight of Pacifica’s running game this season with 980 yards. Western quarterback Miles Roberson has thrown for 1,059 yards.