Pinto absent in Estancia loss

COSTA MESA — Estancia High’s turbulent boys’ basketball season just got more tumultuous as leading scorer Blake Pinto is no longer on the team. He has been off the Eagles for about a week now, Coach Scott Kahawai said.

“It was an internal matter,” Kahawai said. “It was my coaching decision in terms of whether or not he was going to play. Currently, no [Pinto isn’t on the team].”

The first-year coach was much more eager to talk about the game. But the game, an Orange Coast League-opening 60-36 loss to Calvary Chapel on Friday, and Estancia could have used Pinto’s scoring punch.

Estancia (2-16, 0-1 in league), which has lost 12 consecutive games, was outscored in every quarter.

“Our problem right now is implementing what we do in practice,” said senior Taylor McClanahan, who had five points for Estancia. “We practice hard, and it doesn’t get implemented. The league is totally up for grabs, it’s just if we can do what we do in practice in the games. That’s what our season rests on.”

Calvary Chapel (11-6, 1-0) rests much of its success on 6-foot-6 forward Caleb Burgess, who had a game-high 16 points. Four of the baskets came off Burgess’ offensive rebounds, which was an Estancia problem all game long.

Less than a minute into the game, Calvary Chapel had five consecutive offensive rebounds before Estancia’s Ian Castellanos could finally grab the ball.

Both Kahawai and McClanahan said that Estancia, which hadn’t played since Jan. 3, had a great week of practice leading up to the game. But Calvary Chapel’s size proved tough to overcome.

“We’ve just got to get that game to get us going,” said Castellanos, who had 12 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks for Estancia. “It’s going to happen soon.”

Calvary Chapel took control early. With the score tied at 2-2, Calvary Chapel went on an 8-0 run, keyed by four Estancia turnovers.

“Their half-court trap bothered us a little bit, but a few of [the turnovers] were careless and things we could definitely fix,” Kahawai said.

Up by nine at halftime, Calvary Chapel proceeded to go on an 11-2 run, stretching its lead to 37-19 before back-to-back layups by Estancia’s Trevor McDonald.

McDonald, a senior, finished with eight points and six rebounds off the bench.

Taylor McClanahan said he didn’t think Pinto would be off the team for the rest of the year.

“But, it’s definitely an adjustment,” he said. “It’s tough to lose a point guard.”

Orange Coast League

Calvary Chapel 60, Estancia 36

Score by Quarters

Calvary Chapel

15

11

18

16

—

60

Estancia

9

8

8

11

—

36

Calvary Chapel -- Burgess 16, Goodfriend 11, Morphis 10, Trodahl 5, Jones 5, Richie 3, Steinhaus 2, Klubnikin 2, Goodwin 2, Sherman 2, De Luca 2.

3-pt. goals -- Goodfriend 2.

Fouled out -- None.

Estancia -- Castellanos 12, McDonald 8, Tr. McClanahan 6, Ta. McClanahan 5, Hart 5.

3-pt. goals -- Hart 1, Ta. McClanahan 1.

Fouled out -- McDonald.