University Improves Playoff Chances With Win

University improved its playoff chances Thursday night with a 48-12 rout of Estancia in a Pacific Coast League game at University.

“Who would have figured?” said University Coach Mark Cunningham, whose team would gain the league’s third-place playoff spot over the Estancia should Costa Mesa beat league-leading Corona del Mar tonight.

If Corona del Mar wins, Estancia, Costa Mesa and University would form a three-way tie for second place, necessitating a postgame coin flip, or flips, to determine the league’s No. 2 and No. 3 representatives in Division IX.

Should Estancia or Costa Mesa be the loser in such a scenario, it could reach the postseason only by receiving the division’s lone at-large berth.

Estancia (6-4, 2-2) failed to make much of a case for an at-large bid Thursday, incurring a 34-0 halftime deficit that became 41-0 four plays into the third quarter.

University (4-6, 2-2), which had lost four of its previous five games, scored on six straight possessions.

“Everything went our way,” said Cunningham, whose team can’t get an at-large berth due to its sub-.500 record.

“I’ve got to figure this one out,” Estancia Coach Dave Perkins told his dejected team afterward. “I take full responsibility for this one.”

University running back Colin Cavanaugh ran for 135 yards on 15 carries and his teammate Jacque Newsome had 153 yards on 12 attempts. Cavanaugh added 60 yards on two receptions, as University senior quarterback Pat Josten threw for 152 yards to break the school single-season passing mark.