Estancia Beats University, Hopes for Wild-Card Spot

James Dawkins scored a 53-yard touchdown late in the third quarter and Estancia went on to a 20-13 Pacific Coast League victory over University Friday night at Irvine High School.

The victory kept Estancia (7-3, 2-3 in league) in the running for a Division VIII wild-card berth. The Eagles finished fourth in league.

Dawkins, a junior, rushed for 121 yards in 17 carries for Estancia. Estancia senior Chris Mokede rushed for 147 yards in 21 carries.

With 39 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Dawkins scored and Mokede ran for a two-point conversion to make it 20-13.

University (3-7, 1-4) went ahead, 13-12, on a one-yard touchdown run by Kelvin Murray with 4 minutes 13 seconds left in the third quarter. The Trojans failed on a two-point conversion try. The touchdown finished an eight-play, 80-yard drive.

University took a 7-0 lead on a 27-yard touchdown run by Blair Illingworth with 7:36 remaining in the first quarter.

University got the ball on the Estancia 39-yard line when the Eagles fumbled the punt by Illingworth.

Estancia cut the lead to 7-6 when Takeni Tanielu scored on a nine-yard touchdown run with 3:16 remaining in the first quarter. The kick failed.

Estancia then took 12-7 lead on Mokede’s 14-yard touchdown run with 6:12 remaining in the second quarter. The two-point conversion failed.