Grove pulls away to beat Eagles

The Estancia High football team pulled out all the stops to lead for

most of the first half of Thursday’s nonleague clash with Garden

Grove at Newport Harbor High.

But the Eagles couldn’t come up with any many defensive stops the

final 26 minutes to drop a 40-19 decision to the visiting Argonauts.

The Eagles scored on the first offensive play of the game and

exploded for 240 yards of offense before the homecoming intermission.

But an eight-play, 68-yard scoring drive to end the half salvaged

the momentum for Garden Grove, which then expanded its 20-19 halftime

advantage to improve to 5-1. The Argonauts are ranked No. 7 in CIF

Southern Section Division IX.

Estancia (1-5) seized the early lead when Ryan Watson flipped a

lateral pass to sophomore backup quarterback Mike Morley in the right

flat. Morley then threw a perfect strike to Matt Redding, who was

alone behind the secondary to complete a 74-yard touchdown play.

“We tried to run that double pass the first play against Costa

Mesa [a 20-14 Golden West League win for the Eagles on Sept. 23], but

it didn’t work out,� Estancia Coach Brian Barnes said.

Connor McKendry added the Eagles’ first conversion kick of the

season to follow the trick play with just 15 seconds elapsed.

The Eagles also executed a successful fake punt on

fourth-and-seven from their own 35 to extend another first-quarter

possession.

That march, however, fizzled and Garden Grove went 46 yards on

just two plays to claim its first lead.

Keith Hurley, the Argonauts’ junior quarterback, sprinted 37 yards

on an option keep to put the visitors on the scoreboard, though a

failed conversion kick allowed the Eagles to keep the lead.

Estancia, which has struggled offensively all season, marched 81

yards for a touchdown on 12 plays after the Argonauts’ first score,

with Morley starting the drive in relief of Watson.

Watson, however, returned three plays into the procession and

capped it with a 3-yard pass to Edgar Vargas with 10:03 left to make

it 13-6.

It didn’t stay that way too long as Grove went 67 yards on seven

plays to knot the score with 7:12 left in the first half.

The Eagles, who had just one three-and-out in the first two

periods, scored again with a big play when Watson lofted the ball to

Redding, who caught it with his back to a defender near the sideline.

Redding pulled away from the would-be tackler to cover the remaining

32 yards of the 60-yard connection.

But Grove, which hurt the Eagles all night with its option attack,

mixed the run and the pass with some solid clock management to wisk

its way down the field and regain the lead.

Hurley, who ran for 142 yards and four touchdowns and threw for 97

yards and one TD, hit Chris Hernandez for a 22-yard gain to the

Estancia 1-yard line with five seconds left in the half.

Hurley then scored on a sneak to force the Eagles to leave the

field disappointed, and trailing, 20-19.

“That definitely hurt us,� Barnes said of the TD on the final play

of the half.

It was clear the disappointment carried over to the second half

for the hosts.

“I think we started great in the first half, but we just ran out

of juice,� Barnes said.

The Eagles managed just 45 yards and two first downs after

intermission, though they trailed only 27-19 until the Argos added

two scores in 64 seconds early in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

Hurley capped a six-play, 36-yard touchdown drive with a 2-yard

run then, after linebacker Jack McCullough returned an interception 8

yards to the Estancia 22, the visitors scored on a two-play drive.

Watson, who once again was forced to scramble to deliver most of

his 29 pass attempts, completed 14 for 158 yards.

Watson also rushed for 34 yards on 12 carries as the Eagles’ 51

rushing yards was a single-game high this season. Estancia now has 98

yards rushing for the season.

Morley also completed a second pass to finish 2 for 2 for 76

yards.

Redding, a senior who has battled injuries that cost him playing

time the last two games, finished with five receptions for 160 yards

and two TDs for the Eagles.

With Hurley triggering the offense, Garden Grove produced 20 first

downs and 420 of the game’s combined 705 yards.

Barnes said he continues to be pleased by his team’s improvement.

The Eagles return to league play Oct. 21 at Ocean View.

Garden Grove 40, Estancia 19

SCORE BY QUARTERS

*--*

Garden Grove 6 14 7 13 - 40 Estancia 7 12 0 0 - 19 *--*

FIRST QUARTER

Est -- Redding 74 pass from M. Morley (McKendry kick), 11:45.

GG -- Hurley 37 run (kick failed), 3:06.

SECOND QUARTER

GG -- Bowen 20 pass from Hurley (Pines kick), 7:12.

Est -- Redding 60 pass from Watson (kick blocked), 1:42.

GG -- Hurley 1 run (Pines kick), 0:00.

THIRD QUARTER

GG -- Hurley 7 run (Pines kick), 8:00.

FOURTH QUARTER

GG -- Hurley 2 run (Pines kick), 9:45.

GG -- Amouta 14 run (kick failed), 8:41.

A -- 900 (est.)

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

GG -- Hurley, 23-142, 4 TDs; Robles, 7-52;Tubbs, 4-44; Amouta,

6-42, 1 TD; McCullough, 4-14; Bowen, 2-18; Alonso, 1-11.

Est -- Watson, 12-34, 1 TD; Bannon, 4-11; Vargas, 4-7; Orozco,

1-1; Mills, 3-minus-2.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

GG -- Hurley, 7-16-0, 97, 1 TD.

Est -- Watson, 14-29-1, 158, 2 TDs; M. Morley, 2-2-0, 76, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

GG -- Hernandez, 3-29; Bowen, 2-22, 1 TD; Tubbs, 1-31; Vineyard,

1-15.

Est -- Redding, 5-160, 2 TDs; Henrikson, 3-37; Vargas, 3-17; Hart,

3-13; LaGrand, 1-6; Mills, 1-1.

GAME STATISTICS

*--*

GG Est

First downs 20 13

Rushes-yardage 47-323 24-51

Passing yardage 97 234

Passing 7-16-0 16-31-1

Net return yards* 22 0

Sacks-yardage 1-6 3-20

Net yardage 442 285

Punts 3-32.7 5-27.4

Fumbles-fumbles lost 2-1 0-0

Flags-net yardage 6-70 5-30

Time of possession 26:43 21:17

*Punt returns, interceptions, fumble returns

*--*