Battle for the Bell

Hatfields and McCoys.

Yes, there are league championships, berths in the CIF Playoffs and

the ultimate quest, the CIF championship, but when you get right down to

it, in sheer terms of nuts and bolts, there’s nothing better than the

backyard quarrel.

And that’s the Costa Mesa Mustangs and Estancia Eagles, crosstown

rivals since Estancia tackled the Mustangs in 1966.

The Eagles have a few legs up with a 19-13-1 edge, but it’s been Costa

Mesa which has applied some of the major hits, ala the 1994 matchup when

the Mustangs rolled to a 55-12 victory and their coach, Myron Miller,

exclaimed before the kickoff, “We’ll win, 100-0, if we get the chance ...

I’m not holding anything back.”

From a series which began with a 14-13 Estancia victory, followed by a

scoreless tie, then a 21-20 Costa Mesa victory, it’s one which has seen

huge upsets, nail-biters and blowouts.

Here’s a capsule look at 33 collisions:

1966 - Estancia, 14-13: Tom Meekins and Bill Schilling ran for

touchdowns and Phil Davis toed the two PATs for the winners, who held off

Mesa, which had a 34-yard TD run by Ramon Ricardo and a short TD run by

Dave Sobolewski. The first PAT attempt was wide and there was no

two-point option.

1967 - 0-0: On the game’s last play, Sobolewski, the Mesa quarterback,

escaped a near-safety by just getting out to his own 1-yard line to avoid

a 2-0 defeat. Both teams wasted scoring opportunities in a penalty-filled

game. Estancia fumbled the ball away at the Mesa 1 and 7, and Mesa’s

Hoppy Bielous had a 20-yard dash to the end zone nullified by a flag.

1968 - Costa Mesa, 21-20: Steve Van Walkenburg’s 47-yard run was the

key in a 77-yard drive, capped by Gary Steele’s 2-yard plunge with 4:59

left. Cal Shores booted his third PAT for the decisive margin. Paul Joyce

threw two TD passes for Estancia and Steve Griffitts had a short TD run.

Mesa’s other two TDs were a Skip Pike 8-yard run and a fumble recovery in

the end zone by Steele after Dave Gleason blocked a punt.

1969 - Costa Mesa, 31-7: Quarterback Kim Wolf ran for 125 yards on 9

carries to pace Mesa. Dave Johnson’s 80-yard kickoff return for Estancia

pulled the Eagles to within a 17-7 count, but Mesa responded with two

more TDs to put it away. John Manix (10-yard run), Wolf (74-yard run),

Jerry Reilly (1-yard run), Frank Kelly (30-yard pass from Robin Senik)

and Benny Ricardo’s 27-yard field goal and four PATs rounded out the

scoring.

1970 - Estancia, 18-16: The Eagles rallied behind quarterback Curt

Thomas, who scored from inches out to overcome a 16-12 deficit in the

fourth quarter. A fourth-and-11 23-yard pass from Thomas to Kevin Brown

was the play of the game to keep the winning drive alive. Mesa’s punch

was supplied by TD passes (Flip Darnell to Frank Kelly and Robin Senik to

Bob Bomboy) and a 26-yard field goal by Benny Ricardo.

1971 - Estancia, 14-7: Dan Princeotto ran for 184 yards on 27 carries

and a 7-yard TD as the Eagles crunched out the victory with just two pass

attempts (both incomplete). Mesa’s ground game was held to a minus 12

yards. John Dixon scored Estancia’s other TD from a yard out. Mesa’s only

TD was Pat Kalama’s 77-yard runt return.

1972 - Estancia, 32-20: The Eagles scored 25 unanswered points in the

second half to overcome Mesa’s Wayne Vering (two rushing TDs). Dan

Princeotto (213 yards on 29 carries) ran for a 25-yard TD to get Estancia

within range (20-19), then quarterback Mike Magner threw two TD passes to

Dave Gibbs in the final 8:07 to pull it out.

1973 - Costa Mesa, 23-2: Steve Sharp threw two touchdown passes and

Rod Figgatt intercepted two passes. Dennis Delany scored Mesa’s first TD

on a 16-yard run, and scored on a 51-yard pass play from Sharp. Dave

Gaudry had a 27-yard field goal after Steve Teregis’ 42-yard interception

return. Figgatt caught the other TD pass from 9 yards out.

1974 - Costa Mesa, 21-14: Doug Stewart had three of Mesa’s four

interceptions to key the win. After a 14-14 tie at half, Mesa’s Tim

Rosaver threw a 48-yard scoring pass to Rod Figgatt, then held off

Estancia with two interceptions. Steve Teregis scored twice on short

runs, and Estancia’s scores came on a Larry Hall sneak and a short pass

from Hall to Buddy Lorton.

1975 - Estancia, 6-0: Toby O’Brien’s field goals 30 and 40 yards were

the only scores of the night after the two came in with high-scoring

reputations. Mesa was held to 20 yards rushing, but got 202 yards from

Tim Rosaver’s passing game, but two interceptions and a key sack with

under three minutes to go turned it around for Estancia’s defense.

1976 - No game. Costa Mesa went to the eight-team South Coast League

and Estancia remained in the eight-team Century League in a schedule

which had just nine weeks, leaving room for just two nonleague games and

committed schedules. They got it straightened out and resumed the

following year.

1977 - Estancia, 21-0: Seven Costa Mesa turnovers and a 49-yard dash

up the middle at the start of the second half by quarterback Dave Jeranko

and a subsequent two-point pass to Jerry Hopkins gave Estancia a 14-0

lead. Jeranko also passed to Mike Camp for a 30-yard TD, the two scoring

plays coming in a span of 76 seconds.

1978 - Costa Mesa 27-13: Quarterback Bill Lux connected on 13 of 23

passes for 123 yards to pace the Mustangs. Each of Lux’s first seven

completions was for a first down and the eighth was a TD pass. Mesa

tailback Mike Teregis ran for 128 yards on 26 carries and scored on TD

runs of 2 and 3 yards. Rob Urmson had an 83-yard run to set up a 5-yard

TD run by Randy Brower for Estancia, but five turnovers killed the Eagles

in the first Sea View League season.

1979 - Estancia, 23-12: Guy Olguin’s 22-yard fumble return expanded a

9-6 lead to 16-6 at halftime and the Eagles put it out of reach on

sophomore Jim McCahill’s 11-yard TD pass to Rich Amaral in the third

quarter. Estancia led, 9-0, on a safety and Bob Urmson’s 41-yard scoring

run in a first quarter which saw Mesa saddled with 87 yards of penalties

on nine flags. Mesa had 158 yards in penalties overall.

1980 - Estancia, 35-15: The running of John Lamberton and Bob Urmson

and Jim McCahill’s passing, as well as a heads-up defense, turned it

around for the Eagles, who watched Mesa fumble away two scoring

opportunites in the early going. Three of Mesa’s six turnovers led to

three Estancia touchdowns in the third quarter.

1981 - Estancia, 21-7: Mesa’s Brian Head ran a fumble back 65 yards

for a TD, but the Eagles responded with a 75-yard drive, the key a

49-yard run by Chris Crandall on third-and-1 at the Estancia 34. Alex

Shively tied the game with a 1-yard burst. Shively scored again from a

yard out, then a 25-yard pass from Jim McCahill to Abel Cachola on

third-and-goal was the clincher. It was McCahill’s third victory in the

series.

1982 - Estancia, 22-17: Scott Davis of Estancia was near unstoppable

as he completed 21 of 33 passes for 327 yards - 233 in the first half,

for three touchdowns, twice to Steve Mikulich (10 and 14 yards) and once

to Pat Guyot from five yards out. Mesa scored first on Pete Schurb’s

24-yard field goal, and Scot Hagey threw a 7-yard TD pass to Jeff English

and ran one in from four yards out, but it was the Scott Davis Show.

1983 - Estancia, 30-21: Jeff Graham of Estancia completed 14 of 18 for

232 yards and two touchdowns to pace the winners. Scot Hagey tried to

answer with 14 of 25 for 208 yards and one TD. Graham also picked off a

pair of interceptions, which were converted into a TD and a Keith Hodge

field goal. The Eagles led at halftime, 23-7.

1984 - Estancia, 14-0: Mike Sherrard ran 40 yards for a touchdown on

the Eagles’ first possession and finished with 145 yards on 29 carries.

Defenders Scott Lane and Craig Conte each picked off a pass and the

Eagles recovered a pair of fumbles as Costa Mesa, in the midst of an

0-9-1 season, was unable to turn it around.

1985 - Estancia, 40-7: Brian Sherrard scored four touchdowns and

reserve tailback Ian McDonald ran for 104 yards as the Eagles took

advantage of a depleted Mesa squad. Sherrard scored from 20, 14, 5 and 9

yards out. Costa Mesa had eight turnovers. Estancia’s offensive line was

stocked with Curt Crandall, Casey Swanson and Adam Walburger, among

others.

1986 - Costa Mesa, 26-6: Tyler Riddell ran for four touchdowns and

ended a seven-year Mesa drought in the series. He ran for 176 yards on 20

rushes, with payoffs from 3, 8, 20 and 44 yards out. He also caught three

passes for 38 yards. Seth Kolasinki had a 21-yard TD reception for

Estancia.

1987 - Costa Mesa, 31-8: It was Estancia’s 11th straight loss as Mesa

dominated throughout. Manny Bonilla started it with a 35-yard TD return

with an interception. Mesa quarterback Rick Schones hit David Salladay

with a 72-yard TD pass, Terry Bryant rushed for 151 yards on 17 carries,

including an 81-yard burst and the Mesa defense limited Estancia to 11

yards rushing.

1988 - Estancia, 23-13: Estancia took advantage of a plus-six in the

turnover ratio. Mark Hartley caught a 37-yard TD pass from quarterback

Dan Ucker with 0:32 left in the third quarter to up the lead to 16-7. Dan

Petrone produced the clincher when he ran an interception back 38 yards

for a touchdown.

1989 - Estancia, 31-0: The Eagles had a 24-0 halftime lead and coasted

the rest of the way. Mesa had no yards passing and never got past its own

45. Josh Wojtkiewicz and Danny Ucker had 1-yard TD runs, and Alex Vazquez

had a 25-yard field goal, all in the first quarter. Ucker passed to Mike

Aulet for a 13-yard TD before halftime.

1990 - Costa Mesa, 26-3: Jermaine Jackson ran for 113 yards on 16

carries, including a 3-yard TD run. Amr Hegazi had 34-yard field goal for

Estancia for a 3-2 lead, but that was it for the Eagles. Costa Mesa

quarterback Ryan McEvoy threw a 32-yard scoring pass to Duby Ospina and

McEvoy scored on a 1-yard plunge.

1991 - Estancia, 10-7: Mike Smith’s 30-yard field goal with 0:17 left

snapped the standoff in a defensive battle which featured Mesa linebacker

Bryan Luxembourger and Estancia quarterback Matt Johner. Johner completed

three passes to Jeff Chamberlain and a 7-yard fourth-down pass to Robert

Rimi in the final 72-yard march, culminated with Smith’s field goal.

1992 - Estancia, 31-22: Costa Mesa jumped to a 15-0 lead, but fell

victim to the Matt Johner-Cody Charley combination. Johner hit Charley

with scoring passes of 38 and 167 yards. . Charley tore up Mesa’s defense

on the ground, running for 137 yards on 21 carries. Costa Mesa was shut

out in the second half.

1993 - Costa Mesa, 35-7: Myron Miller’s smashmouth offense resulted in

a 429-129 edge in total yardage. Binh Tran ran for touchdowns of 52, 3

and 3 yards from an offense which ran up 332 yards rushing. Costa Mesa

(4-0-1) clinched the league championship and burst into the CIF Playoffs.

Estancia finished the season 1-9, 0-5.

1994 - Costa Mesa, 55-12: Ray Ohrel piled over from 4 yards out with

0:04 left to complete the slaughter. Charles Chatman ran for 249 yards on

27 carries and four touchdowns, including a 65-yard scoring dash on

Mesa’s first snap. Ryan Taylor hit Brian Reeves with TD passes covering

32 and 30 yards. Mesa led in total yardage, 476-211.

1995 - Estancia, 42-18: Still stinging from the ’94 humiliation, the

Eagles bounced back behind Bachy Gonzalez, who ran for 138 yards on 15

carries, including a 23-yard TD. Costa Mesa transfer Chris Mokede hit 10

of 24 for 184 yards passing for the Eagles and Chris Felix had TD runs of

15 and 67 yards in the second half. A goal-line stand, John Romm’s

48-yard return with an interception and four sacks by the Estancia

defense were big keys.

1996 - Costa Mesa, 17-0: Steve Herzog ran for two 1-yard touchdowns

and a nine-man front shut Estancia’s running game off. After building a

10-0 lead at halftime, the Mustangs put it on ice with 5:32 left on

Herzog’s second score. Estancia was held to just 162 yards overall, Costa

Mesa had just 178 in the hard-hitting defensive struggle.

1997 - Costa Mesa, 29-13: Manu Tanielu of Estancia ran the opening

kickoff back 79 yards for a touchdown, but Costa Mesa had all the answers

with a rushing game which netted 368 yards. Steve Herzog rushed for 314

yards on 31 carries and scored three touchdowns. James Dawkins had a

93-yard TD run for Estancia.

1998 - Costa Mesa, 52-0: Jimmy Herzog ran for 118 yards on 21 carries

and two touchdowns, and Dave Weir passed for two touchdowns as Costa Mesa

blitzed Estancia in the statistical department, rolling up a 430-12

advantage in total yardage. A 24-point third quarter helped turn it into

the second-highest score of the series.

1999 - Estancia, 34-14: Marshall Hendricks ran for 340 yards on 25

carries and three touchdowns. He ran 41 yards for a TD early in the

second half, then after Mesa was denied at the Estancia 11, he took off

on an 89-yard touchdown run to seal it. C.J. Zuniga had 203 yards on 14

carries and two touchdowns for Costa Mesa.