El Dorado seeking to add to its success

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It’s very easy to define the moment El Dorado crossed over, when it went from being a 5-5 team to one that would no longer be pushed around.

Since Sept. 23, 2005 -- the last time it lost to Placentia Valencia --El Dorado has won 21 of 25 games, including 15 of its last 16. Among them, a victory over Charter Oak in the 2006 Southwest Division championship game.

Two losses were to Esperanza, 16-3 this season and 32-14 last year when Espy was a first-round loser in the Pac-5 playoffs. El Dorado’s other two losses were to Newport Harbor, 32-31, in the 2005 Division VI championship game, and Brea Olinda, 35-30, in a Century League game prior to that.

Surprisingly, El Dorado’s string of successes were preceded by consecutive losses to open the season against Dana Hills, 24-0, Northwood, 21-20, and Valencia, 17-16. All told, that’s three one-point losses (and another by five points) among the seven losses that have occurred in the past three seasons under Jeff Bailey, who is now in his fourth season as coach.

But how good is El Dorado, really? Brent McKee, the coach at Anaheim Canyon, says they’re good. And have been good.

‘Last year they could have competed in the Pac-5,’ McKee said. ‘They were big on both sides of the ball. Their defense was just phenomenal. They wouldn’t have gone 13-1. But if we go Pac-5, we go 0-5. They would have won one or two.’

That defense may be even better behind lineman Anthony Laurenzi and linebacker Scott Galvan. It has back-to-back shutouts going into its game Friday at Placentia Valencia.

The cross-town rivalry pits El Dorado’s defense against Placentia’s running back, Wes Fletcher (YouTube video below), who has five touchdowns and is averaging 173 yards a game. Fletcher rushed for 2,074 yards and 25 touchdowns last season.

The likelihood, though, is that El Dorado will continue adding to its recent successes despite Fletcher’s best efforts.

- Martin Henderson