Eagles

LA VERNE — The Estancia High boys' water polo team finished the season in the same fashion it did a year ago. The Eagles lost in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs. Second-seeded Damien of La Verne eliminated the Eagles with a 20-9 home victory Wednesday. "Eight guys on their team scored," said Estancia Coach John Carpenter, adding that his team fell behind the Spartans, 15-4, at halftime. "They have a lot of depth. " Senior Charlie Umansky led Estancia with eight goals.

SOFTBALL Godinez 11, Estancia 10 SANTA ANA — The Eagles nearly completed a rally from a 9-2 deficit, but the Grizzlies scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to win the Orange Coast League game Thursday. Estancia (3-14, 0-2 in league) scored three in the sixth inning to pull within, 9-5. In the seventh with two outs, Maliah Murtha singled in a run to make it 9-7. Later with the bases loaded, Rachelle Reynolds delivered a three-run triple, giving the Eagles a 10-9 lead.

MEN'S BASKETBALL Concordia 94, Vanguard 69 COSTA MESA — Cameron Nettles had 15 points to lead the host Lions in the Golden State Athletic Conference game Tuesday. Taylor Kelly (12), Christopher Kupets (11) and Chris Pynch (11) also scored in doube figures for the Lions (11-6, 3-3 in conference). No. 6-ranked Concordia (14-2, 4-2) shot 53.8% from the field and posted a 50-25 rebounding advantage to overcome 21 turnovers, eight more than the Lions. Vanguard visits Fresno Pacific on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Rashad Davis makes the Estancia High boys' basketball team look big. At 6-foot-7, Davis is big, but the Eagles' roster lacks size. Eight players are all the Eagles suit up. Only five get to play at one time on the court, but eight is a small number for a varsity team. Depth has been issue after the Eagles lost four players, three of which they counted upon for minutes this season. Coach Agustin Heredia said Matt Jarmacz, Kevin Carvajal, Levi Stillman and Jazz Hill are no longer on the team.

COSTA MESA — Someone from the stands must have tossed a penny on to the basketball court at Estancia High. Players do not carry change during games. Coach Agustin Heredia picked up the penny, and was about to keep it, possibly for good luck. He tossed the penny behind the bench. Heredia did not need any luck. His boys' basketball team was 99 seconds away from knocking off rival Costa Mesa Wednesday. The Eagles took care of business in the first Battle for the Bell game, picking up a 50-38 victory to help them move into a first-place tie in the Orange Coast League.

NEWPORT BEACH — Estancia High seniors Sean Ulrich and Connor McKendry have never known a time when the bell didn’t belong to Estancia. Ever since the two defensive ends were freshmen, they’ve always heard the bell clanging and crowd roaring after the annual cross-town rivalry game and known that they’d be the ones eating at Newport Rib Company afterward. Why stop now? “This is our biggest game by far,” said McKendry, who forced a fumble to give the Eagles (5-4, 2-0 in the Orange Coast League)

BOYS' BASKETBALL Estancia 44, Anaheim 27 ANAHEIM - Senior Rashad Davis had 13 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Eagles, who opened their season in the first round of pool play at the Godinez Invitational at Loara High on Tuesday. Chad Fackler added four points and six assists for the Eagles, who play Wednesday against Irvine at Loara at 7:45 p.m. * Costa Mesa 62, Pacifica 40 WESTMINSTER - Senior guard Jordan Walden finished with 18 points in the Mustangs' game in the consolation bracket at the La Quinta Shootout on Tuesday.

COSTA MESA — Teammates and runners from rival schools alike were happy to meet Fernando Orozco’s post-race smile with a high-five and well-wishes Thursday afternoon at Fairview Park. Virtually no sooner than he had officially put the field behind him at the Orange Coast League cross country finals, the Estancia High senior was eager to engage in the friendly exchanges, accepting congratulations and offering same with a sincerity as genuine as his running talent. “It’s fun,” said Orozco, who helped lead the Eagles to the boys’ team title.

GIRLS' SOCCER Estancia 2, Huntington Beach 1 HUNTINGTON BEACH — Heather Flores and Jackie Freiberger helped the Eagles score a come-from-behind nonleague victory Thursday. Flores and Freiberger both had a goal and an assist for Estancia (3-2-2). The Oilers scored on a penalty kick in the 12th minute. But Estancia answered in the 30th minute with the Flores-Freiberger duo. Freiberger scored off an assist from Flores. Then in the 38th minute, Flores scored the game-winner, finishing an assist from Freiberger.

RIVERSIDE - The heat never subsided at the Victoria Country Club in Riverside on Monday. It was difficult for Jake Knapp to also shake away the pain in his right shoulder. The nagging ache challenged the Estancia High senior. He responded with some great shots but couldn't get several putts to drop. He didn't do enough to finish among the top 28 at the CIF Southern Section individual final. Knapp's high school season surprisingly ended after he was eliminated among an 11-man playoff on the first playoff hole.

ANAHEIM - Compared to the beginning of last season's CIF Southern Section Division 4 baseball playoffs, Estancia High made a nice improvement, playing in the first round this season as opposed to the wild-card round. But unlike last season's team, which won, 5-3, at Anaheim High, the Eagles ran into a buzzsaw known as Savanna left-handed senior starting pitcher Ryan Hartman, in a 7-0 loss Thursday at Savanna. Hartman (10-2) used his high fastball and sharp, breaking curve on his way to allowing just two hits in six innings, striking out six, as the Rebels won their ninth straight game.

Coach John Emme said his Corona del Mar High baseball team could make a run at a CIF Southern Section Division 3 title. The Sea Kings will have to start early. Their road in the playoffs begins in the wild-card round, surprising Emme on Monday, when he learned of the section playoff pairings. "There is one third-place team that isn't playing a wild-card game," said Emme, referring to Paramount of the San Gabriel Valley League. "Since we were ranked 10th in the [final]

SAN CLEMENTE — Corona del Mar High can add another CIF Southern Section championship banner inside its gym full with section titles. The latest will be for boys' golf. The Sea Kings' perfect season keeps getting sweeter as they claimed the CIF Southern Section South Coast Team Divisional title on Monday, shooting a three-over-par 363 at Talega Golf Club. Coach Mike Starkweather said the section crown is the boys' golf program's first since 1967. "When you look at the gym at Corona del Mar, where they don't acknowledge league championships like they do at most high schools, you can only get a banner up for winning a section, state or national championship," Starkweather said.

There is a definite home-field advantage for Estancia High junior Rachelle Reynolds in softball. The Eagles moved varsity fields this year. They now play their games closer to Jim Scott Stadium, right next to the school weight room. More people can see the Eagles' games now. One of them is Rachelle's mother, Raquel. Her father, Steven, is able to drive the family van all the way up to right behind the backstop. It's special for Rachelle Reynolds, who everyone knows as "Ray," to have her mother in attendance.

COSTA MESA - Paul Muñoz threw his roster in the trash when he completed his third season as coach of the Estancia High boys' volleyball team. The season was not a waste, though. The Eagles closed things out at home Wednesday with a 19-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-19 victory against cross-town rival Costa Mesa. The win allowed Estancia to split the two-match series with the Mustangs in Orange Coast League play. Neither team is moving on to the CIF Southern Section playoffs next week, but this season they each showed signs of getting there in the future.

COSTA MESA - By the time the third round rolled around, the Estancia High boys' tennis team had already clinched Friday's Orange Coast League match against rival Costa Mesa. The teenagers' interest was quickly diverted. A small, bright yellow bird followed Eagles junior Robert Marrone off the courts. Players and fans took turns admiring the bird and picking it up. Estancia Coach Carlos Beltran made a joke about feeding it to his cat. In the rivalry match at home, his Eagles devoured the competition.

COSTA MESA - There was a revolving gate on the Vanguard University bullpen Tuesday, but the reasons behind the multitude of pitching changes had nothing to do with an inability to get outs. None of the seven Vanguard pitchers struggled in the hosts' 8-1 nonconference baseball win over a beleaguered La Sierra University program. Freshman Spencer Moran, who made his first collegiate start and only his third appearance of the season, went the first three innings to earn the victory.

Jake Knapp hasn't made it to all of the matches for the Estancia High boys' golf team this season because another event kept him away. The ones he has played in his senior year with the Eagles, he's made the most of them. Thirteen times he's earned the medalist honor. Only once has he not finished on top. Coach Art Perry called it Knapp's lone bad round, an eight-over-par 80 two weeks ago at the Shark Invitational at the Golf Club at Glen Ivy. "We had to wake him up early, because he had shot a six-under-par 30 the day before at Mesa Verde Country Club, where we played Long Beach Wilson," Perry said of Knapp.

COSTA MESA - Nate Goellrich experienced the Battle for the Bell rivalry for the first time in the other dugout. A fan yelled "Traitor!" when Goellrich returned to Costa Mesa High on Friday coaching the rival school. Goellrich said he never heard the heckler. He only cared about what happened to his new team, Estancia, between the lines. "The fans can say what they want," Goellrich said. "I'm happy. " Goellrich left the field, where he spent the previous four seasons as an assistant, with a big smile.