Valbuena scrambles Mesa’s defense on final drive

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - Few on the Estancia High football sideline had ever

seen anything like it.

Capping a remarkable come-from-behind victory against crosstown rival

Costa Mesa, Estancia senior quarterback Kenny Valbuena engineered a

74-yard, game-winning drive with some fancy footwork.

“In practice, it’s real fun to watch (Valbuena), but in a game we

never really see him run too often,” said Estancia fullback Fahad Jahid,

referring to his quarterback’s four scrambles in the final drive.

In a pulsating finish, Valbuena led the Eagles’ charge with carries

for 10 and 16 yards, setting up senior Andy Romo’s 3-yard touchdown run

with 0:21 on the clock, as the Eagles won the Battle for the Bell with a

thrilling 34-27 Pacific Coast League triumph over the Mustangs Friday

night before an estimated 3,700 fans at Newport Harbor High.

“That was the best drive ever against Costa Mesa,” Valbuena said of

the 10-play series, which started on the Eagles’ 26-yard line with 2:33

to play.

“I think our linemen were hungry for ribs,” Valbuena added, referring

to the traditional rib feast for the winning team.

After Estancia (5-3, 2-1 in PCL) rallied from a 20-0 deficit to take a

27-20 lead in the fourth quarter, Costa Mesa (5-3, 1-2) tied the game.

But the Eagles, who have dedicated the season to their late assistant

coach, Paul Troxel, gained some inspiration with thoughts of their fallen

friend in the huddle to start the game-clinching drive.

“I heard the crowd, and I just told the guys we’ve got to do this for

Trox,” Valbuena said. “It was weird (in the huddle). I can’t really

describe it. But it was a great feeling at the end.”

Valbuena connected with Danny Valbuena on a 5-yard pass to open the

memorable drive, then hooked up with senior tight end David Stoddard on a

19-yard pass over the middle to the 50.

On first down, Valbuena scrambled for seven to the 43, then earned

three more for another first down.

That’s when Estancia Coach Dave Perkins called timeout with 1:14 to

play, and Valbuena came out firing again, hitting Romo on an 11-yard pass

play, Romo’s first catch of the game.

At the Mesa 29-yard line, Valbuena threw two incomplete passes, but on

third down he scrambled away from Mesa defenders to the 19 and picked up another first down.

Perkins called timeout again with 0:36 on the clock. Most in the crowd

were on their feet.

With the ball at the 19, Valbuena went to pass again, but found

everyone covered. So he took off up the middle and earned 16 yards on

perhaps the greatest scramble of his career, setting up the game-winning

touchdown.

“Those were the two biggest runs of my whole life, because that’s when

we needed them the most,” Valbuena said.

“(The Mustangs) knew we were going to pass in that situation. The

middle of the field was wide open (to run) and I knew we had to score. I

went right up the middle because I saw nobody open. I just took off. I

looked to pass first, but I had to do what I had to do to get the ball

(close) to the goal line.”

One sideline observer, Estancia Athletic Director Tim Parsel, said:

“All of the sudden, Kenny looks like Dante Culpepper.”

Estancia senior right guard Cesar Romero, among other Eagles, had

confidence in Valbuena.

“I remember telling Kenny in practice that if he gets in trouble in a

game to scramble, because he can run and get some extra yards,” Romero

said. “Our whole offensive line, we knew we could do it. We just believed

in ourselves.

“It was desperation, actually, because we came back from a 20-point

deficit. In the second half, we came out knocking some people down and we

knew we could score.”

Valbuena finished completing 7 of 15 passes for 107 yards and one

touchdown with no interceptions. He rushed for 32 yards on seven carries.

“Kenny was a stud,” Perkins said. “He took the game in his own hands

and won the game. He made great decisions when to run, he made great

decisions when to throw the football and he made great decisions when to

throw the football away.”