Laguna Hills Beats Up on Estancia, 62-8

Laguna Hills intercepted four passes and recovered a fumble for a touchdown in a 62-8 rout of Estancia in a Pacific Coast League game Thursday night at Newport Harbor High.

Derek Stevens, Jay Dale, Andrew Johnson and Ryan Kiley each intercepted a pass thrown by Estancia quarterback Kenny Valbuena, who completed 15 of 30 passes for 204 yards.

Norris Dixon opened the game for Laguna Hills (2-8, 2-3) with a fumble recovery in the end zone. Laguna Hills scored 56 points before Estancia (1-9, 0-5) scored its only touchdown on a 19-yard pass from Valbuena to Manu Tanielu, who caught 13 passes for 169 yards.

Jeff Fischer scored two touchdowns, one a 69-yard punt return and the other on a nine-yard pass play from Brandon Champlin. Champlin completed four of eight passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns.

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The Laguna Hills football team will have its case against the Southern Section heard this afternoon in Orange County Superior Court. David Shores, an Irvine attorney representing parents of Laguna Hills football players, is seeking a temporary restraining order that would allow Laguna Hills to compete in the section playoffs.

The section ruled last week that Laguna Hills must forfeit five victories for using an ineligible player. Laguna Hills appealed that ruling to the section Wednesday, but that appeal was turned down.

Later tonight in Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills principal Wayne Mickaelian will take his case to Pacific Coast League principals. He will try to persuade the other principals that his team deserves to be taken into the playoffs as the league’s third-place team.