Santa Ana Valley Wins When Estancia Has No Final Kick

Estancia kicker John Aldrete didn’t get the call Thursday night, and a missed two-point conversion late in the game came back to haunt the Eagles as Santa Ana Valley defeated them, 21-20, in a nonleague game at Orange Coast College.

After a one-yard touchdown by quarterback Jeremy Valdes, Eagle Coach Dave Perkins chose to give the ball to running back Marshall Hendricks, whose extra-point pass attempt fell incomplete with 6 minutes 51 seconds left in the game.

“That’s just something we do,” said Perkins, whose team converted one of three two-point conversions. “I wasn’t concerned when we missed, because I knew we’d get the ball back.”

Estancia (3-2) did get the ball back, but after advancing to the Falcon 42-yard line, running back Andy Romo, who had carried the ball only five times in the game, fumbled a handoff and Falcon defensive back Jesse Vega fell on the ball with 3:14 remaining.

The Falcons (4-1) were then able to run out the clock.

Santa Ana Valley wide receiver Aaron Barragan had two spectacular touchdown runs.

After Hendricks gave Estancia a 6-0 lead with a 71-yard run on the second play of the game, Eliu Fatu put the Falcons up 7-6 with a 20-yard run, capping a seven-play, 68-yard drive.

Barragan then put the Falcons up 14-6 with 2:04 left in the half. Taking a pitch from sophomore quarterback James Burgueno, who replaced injured Miguel Guerrero, Barragan took the ball right, broke two tackles, reversed field and broke two more tackles on his way to a 48-yard touchdown.

Estancia rallied with a 25-yard interception return and two-point conversion by Hendricks, who rushed for 223 yards in 30 carries.

However, on the ensuing kickoff Fatu caught the ball on the 10-yard line and pitched it back to Barragan, who, with Fatu leading the way, went 95 yards for the score.

“I just decided to give it to him and start blocking,” said Fatu, who led the Falcons with 12 tackles. “I’m a bulldozer, that’s what I do.”