Estancia Wins; Hopes to Get Playoff Bid

NEWPORT BEACH — Estancia kept its playoff hopes alive Friday by defeating Costa Mesa, 31-22, in a Pacific Coast League game at Newport Harbor High.

The Eagles must wait for Sunday’s Division VIII playoff pairings to see if they will receive an at-large berth.

Estancia Coach John Liebengood said after Friday’s victory he believes his team has played well enough to earn a playoff spot. “We beat the No. 1 team in our league (Century), and this is a tough league,” he said. “I pray someone is watching out for us and gives this team a second chance next week.”

Cody Charlie led the Eagles attack, gaining 136 yards rushing and scoring a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 66 yards, including touchdowns of 42 and 18 yards. The senior running back added a pair of scoring runs for two-point conversions.

Estancia (5-5, 3-2 in league) trailed its cross-town rival after the Mustangs’ Binh Tran scored on a four-yard first-quarter run. Costa Mesa (3-7,1-4) scored again on its next possession, as Jeff Niebling connected with Matt Harber for a 13-yard touchdown pass.

The Eagle defense held Tran, one of the county’s leading rushers, to a relatively modest performance. Tran gained 81 yards in 28 carries. However, midway through the second quarter, Tran surprised Estancia defenders by lofting a 22-yard scoring pass to James Vega for a 22-8 lead. Costa Mesa did not score the rest of the game.

Liebengood said he was pleased with his defensive unit’s performance.

“Anytime you hold a back as talented as Tran to under 100 yards, you’ve done your job,” he said.