Estancia

Estancia (1-0) vs. Buena Park (2-0) When/Where: Friday, 7 p.m. at Buena Park High Key Eagles: Jr. RB Robert Murtha (92 yards rushing, two TDs); Jr. WR-DB Ben Beck (131 yards receiving, three TDs; one punt return for TD); Jr. QB Brad Wilson (147 yards passing, four TDs). Key Coyotes: Sr. WR-DB Kameron Taylor (230 yards receiving, four TDs); Jr. RB-DB Hakeem Williams (three total TDs); Sr. QB J.J. Christy (426 yards passing, six TDs, one INT). Breakdown: Estancia is ranked No. 5 in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division poll, the Eagles' highest ranking in Coach Mike Bargas' five years at the helm … Bargas said the Eagles will be without junior tight end/linebacker Colby Koste, who suffered a high ankle sprain in the season-opening 56-0 victory over Bolsa Grande.

COSTA MESA — Well into the boys' volleyball season, Estancia High Coach Mark Cygan thinks his team is getting better with every match. But, on a team with no returning varsity players, progress is relative. And the Eagles will take a moral victory if they can get one. So, though Estancia suffered a 25-8, 25-9, 25-16 sweep to visiting Calvary Chapel in an Orange Coast League match Tuesday night, the third game was impressive. Estancia (3-12, 0-4 in league) battled back from an 11-3 deficit in Game 3, pulling within 15-12 on a service ace from freshman Kyle Prevel.

LAGUNA BEACH — The Estancia High pitching staff combined to walk eight batters and hit two on Tuesday. Half of those runners found their way home at Laguna Beach. Six games into Orange Coast League play, the Breakers appear as if they are going to walk away with the league title. They sure walked past the defending league champion Eagles, staying perfect in league with a 9-6 victory. Laguna Beach was due for a win after losing its first two games of the season last week while in nonleague action.

BOYS' VOLLEYBALL Estancia def. Segerstrom COSTA MESA - Middle blocker Christian Aguilar had seven kills and four blocks in the Eagles' 25-22, 25-14, 25-11 nonleague sweep on Thursday. Lucas Perreira contributed nine kills for Estancia. The Eagles (2-5) open Orange Coast League play at Laguna Beach on Tuesday at 6 p.m. * BOYS' GOLF Estancia 200, Lakewood 208 COSTA MESA - Senior Jake Knapp shot a two-under-par 33 to earn medalist honors in the Eagles' nonleague match Costa Mesa Mesa Linda Golf Course on Thursday.

Re. "School Flight," Sept. 4, 6, 7: The fact that many (it used to be about 50%) Westside Costa Mesa kids go to Newport Harbor High School is an important piece of the total Costa Mesa schools issue, in my opinion, when analyzing white flight from Mesa Verde and where we go from here. For many years, NHHS and Ensign Intermediate School have been raising the bar with high expectations for all students regardless of race or if they live in Costa Mesa. NHHS parents have been digging in, donating and helping where needed with the NHHS well-funded foundation for years.

BOYS' BASKETBALL Estancia 54, Calvary Chapel 27 COSTA MESA - Senior center Rashad Davis had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Eagles in the Orange Coast League game Friday night at Estancia. Junior guard Chad Fackler added six points and 10 rebounds for Estancia (12-9, 3-1 in league). Senior forward Lucas Pereira had nine points and eight rebounds, and sophomore guard Martin Harry added seven points. Estancia moves into a second place tie in league with Costa Mesa, and the rivals play in the first Battle for the Bell game Wednesday night at Costa Mesa.

COSTA MESA — Estancia High Boys' Athletic Director Tim Parsel doesn't expect his head coaches to stick around for much longer than five years, and the ones that do are more exception than rule. It's part of the ebb and flow of high school athletics, he said Wednesday afternoon during the first freshman football practice of the season. Still, coaching turnover for boys' sports has been markedly high at Estancia lately, and the school's Bermuda triangle of unlucky circumstances are partially to blame.

Marcus Franco might find himself next school year teaching the same students he will coach against. Two years after turning Costa Mesa High into a respectable softball program, Franco said Tuesday he was let go as coach due to a philosophical difference with Principal Edward Wong on what an athletic program is supposed to offer students. It didn’t take Franco long to find another coaching job. Costa Mesa’s loss is its rival’s gain, the 42-year-old said he is now a co-coach at Estancia with Judd Fryslie.

COSTA MESA — After pleading for a timeout from the sideline with less than three minutes left in the first half, Costa Mesa High Coach Bryan Rice got it a little too late. Rice yelled toward the referees when Estancia took a two-point lead. No one heard him. The lead then grew into double digits in just 43 seconds. The whistle finally blew for Rice. The Mustangs never recovered and it cost them a share of second place in the Orange Coast League and the Battle for the Bell.

In Newport-Mesa, the Sea Kings are, well, the kings of college-preparedness, according to the Washington Post. The newspaper has ranked Corona del Mar High School the highest in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District and placed it nearly 100 spots above the best-ranked Irvine Unified High School. "For the first time any of us can ever remember, Newport-Mesa outranked Irvine this year," Assistant Supt. Charles Hinman said during Tuesday's school board meeting to applause.

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.

Jake Knapp's phenomenal week has caused a busy upcoming schedule to become practically chaotic. The Estancia High senior golfer, bound for UCLA, will need to improvise and adhere to a strict itinerary in the weeks ahead as he competes in CIF, U.S. Open  qualifying and big-time amateur events. Knapp won the CIF Southern Section Southern Individual Regional title on Monday at Skylinks Golf Course in Long Beach. That means he'll play in the CIF Southern Section Individual Final this Monday at Victoria Country Club in Riverside.

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.

NEWPORT BEACH - To say Jake Knapp is in a groove is like saying Jack Nicklaus was and is a successful golfer. Both are understatements. The Estancia High senior has more work to do to reach "Golden Bear" status, but Knapp is proving he can score with the game's best. Knapp shot 10-under-par 61 Wednesday in U.S. Openlocal qualifying at Newport Beach Country Club, site of the annual Toshiba Classic senior pro golf tournament. His 61 was one stroke shy of the course record, shared by Nick Price (2011)

Estancia High softball coach Marcus Franco resigned Monday, school Principal Kirk Bauermeister announced. The Eagles finished 9-18, 4-6 in the Orange Coast League and did not make the CIF Southern Section playoffs in Franco's only season at the helm. Franco said he wanted to spend more time with his family. — From staff reports Hammel gets award UC Irvine senior Stephanie Hammel won the Southwest Region ITA/Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. Hammel's four-year career included a Big West Conference title and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010.

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]

LONG BEACH — Estancia High senior boys' golfer Jake Knapp shot six-under-par 66 to earn medalist honors Monday at the CIF Southern Section Southern Individual Regional at Skylinks Golf Course. Knapp, bound for UCLA, carded six birdies and 12 pars to edge the runner-up by one stroke. One of three regional champions, Knapp advances to the CIF individual finals, scheduled for Monday at Victoria Club in Riverside. "He did not hit an errant shot," Estancia Coach Art Perry said of Knapp, who is scheduled to receive the Mayor's Award at the Costa Mesa City Council meeting on Tuesday and compete in a U.S. Open qualifying tournament on Wednesday.

No. 2 is where the Corona del Mar High boys' tennis team has been for most of the season, in Pacific Coast League play and in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 poll. It was no surprise to Coach Brian Ricker that his Sea Kings earned the No. 2 seed in the playoffs on Monday, when the section announced its playoff pairings. The Sea Kings are one of five area programs making the playoffs, the only one seeded. The other local teams are Newport Harbor in Division 1, Sage Hill School in Division 3 and Estancia is Division 4. Of the locals, the Lightning are the lone defending champions and they have to play the earliest.

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.