University Looks to Turn Back Clock

The last time University won a league title on the field, “Happy Days” was broadcast on network TV and no one was cooler than The Fonz.

Happy days might be here again for University, and nobody’s cooler than Jay Nichols.

Nichols threw for two touchdown passes and ran for two more, and University defeated Estancia, 42-21, Friday at Orange Coast College.

University improved to 5-2 overall, 2-0 in the Pacific Coast League. Estancia fell to 4-3, 1-1.

The Trojans backed into a share of the Pacific Coast League title in 1998 when Laguna Hills was made to forfeit its victories, but the last time University won by virtue of its on-field accomplishments was in 1974, when it shared the South Coast League title with El Toro.

Nichols completed nine of 16 passes for 184 yards and connected on touchdown passes of 42 yards to Scott Pickett and 23 yards to Zack Sherwood. Nichols also scored on a 26-yard bootleg for a 14-7 lead and a one-yard sneak for the final margin.

Nephi Wheeler carried nine times for 81 yards and scored from 18 yards on his team’s second play and from 61 yards in the fourth quarter to provide the Trojans with a 34-14 advantage.

University had scoring drives of 97 and 94 yards.

“This is one step closer to our PCL championship,” said Nichols, who also rushed 11 times for 85 yards. “We all had confidence in ourselves. It’s just proving it to the rest of the league and the rest of the county.

“The nickname here is ‘Puny Uni,’ and we’re knocking people around.”

That was the case against Estancia. University held Estancia to 313 yards--199 fewer than Estancia gained in its league-opening victory over Northwood. University’s 5-foot-7 defensive tackle, Craig Campbell, had two sacks and 168-pound linebacker Ryan Schulte had another.

Offensively, University had only three plays for negative yardage, two in the fourth quarter.

Estancia’s Kenny Valbuena completed 11 of 14 passes for 136 yards and an 18-yard touchdown. Fahad Jahid rushed 14 times for 14 yards, and Andy Romo 14 for 63 and two touchdowns of one yard.

But Nichols was the game’s key offensive element.

“Jay’s the catalyst,” Cunningham said, “and we’re lucky to have some people he can do something with.”