Ocean View High football, sans coach, rushes to victory over Estancia

Friday Night Lights were back for the first time in more than a year.

All that was missing for the Ocean View High School football team was its head coach.

Luis Nuñez said in a text message that he tested positive for COVID-19 on March 6, six days before the Seahawks were to begin their season at home against Estancia. None of the players tested positive, Nuñez said, though offensive coordinator Steve Burke also was absent this week due to close contact with Nuñez.

Neither of the coaches attended Friday night’s game. They could still be proud that Ocean View ran its new Wing-T offense to perfection.

Senior Jonathan Gonzalez and junior Anthony Ramirez both ran for more than 200 yards as the Seahawks earned a 32-16 victory.

Ramirez had 24 carries for 247 yards and four touchdowns, while Gonzalez totaled 27 carries for 217 yards and a score. Ocean View, which attempted just one pass, had 488 total rushing yards.

“I feel like we had more confidence than we really thought we did,” Ramirez said. “We just really stepped up to play tonight. [The offensive line] has confidence, we have confidence. As a unit, we just attacked and came up with the win.”

The Seahawks, who changed from a spread offense they ran last year, did damage behind an offensive line of senior left tackle Alexis Torres, senior left guard Joseph Espinoza, senior center Connor Knobbe, senior right guard Jeffrey Garcia and junior right tackle Jason Cervantes. Junior tight end Luke Crabtree also aided the cause.

“We really counted on them,” said Peter Kim, the Ocean View offensive line and linebackers coach who served as acting head coach Friday night. “Especially changing our offense, they were going to be the anchors … We wanted to run the ball, focus on that and we wanted to win that game for coach.”

Ocean View High running back Anthony Ramirez runs to the outside for a big gain against Estancia.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Estancia took the early lead on its opening drive, aided by an Ocean View personal foul penalty on the kickoff. Lucas Pacheco had a 22-yard touchdown run.

Pacheco, a strong safety on defense who also recovered a fumble, scored another rushing touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. In between, Ocean View dominated.

Senior quarterback Hunter Arce, who handed the ball off to Ramirez and Gonzalez all night long, also had an interception on defense for the winners.

“They ran the heck out of the ball,” Estancia coach Mike Bargas said. “In the first half, we only had 19 plays. They controlled the ball on offense and we didn’t. We’re pretty rusty, too. We must have missed 100 tackles tonight. We’ve got to get down to some fundamental football and try to get better.”

Ocean View, which led 12-9 at halftime, went on a long drive to start the third quarter. A fumbled snap was recovered by the Eagles’ Noah Aires, giving Estancia the ball back at its own 32-yard-line.

Estancia’s Lucas Pacheco breaks through the defense for a big gain.

(Don Leach/Daily PIlot)

On the next play, however, an Ocean View defender stripped Estancia quarterback Cameron Knickerbocker of the ball, and Garcia recovered the fumble.

Just two plays later, Ramirez found the end zone from 25 yards out for an 18-9 lead. Ramirez would score two more rushing touchdowns for the hosts.

During the game, Nuñez shared a text message that he sent Ramirez, who the team calls “Chino,” earlier in the week. It said the team needed him to score four touchdowns.

Mission accomplished.

“After I scored [the last one], I just really thought about the head coach, what he said,” Ramirez said. “I gave him that promise, and just did what I had to do tonight.”

Ocean View has a short week and hosts Marina on Wednesday. Nuñez said he hopes to return for that game.

Estancia hosts St. Margaret’s on Friday.

Ocean View running back Jonathan Gonzalez celebrates a touchdown in the first quarter on Friday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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Nonleague

Ocean View 32, Estancia 16

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Estancia 6 – 3 – 0 – 7 — 16

Ocean View 6 – 6 – 6 – 14 —32

FIRST QUARTER

E - Pacheco 22 run (kick failed), 9:43.

OV - Gonzalez 11 run (run failed), 4:05.

SECOND QUARTER

E - Guzman 32 FG, 11:15.

OV - Ramirez 5 run (run failed), 4:24.

THIRD QUARTER

OV - Ramirez 25 run (pass failed), 4:53.

FOURTH QUARTER

OV - Ramirez 6 run (Ramirez run), 10:27.

E - Pacheco 13 run (Guzman kick), 5:15.

OV - Ramirez 40 run (run failed), 0:48.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

OV – Ramirez, 25-247, 4 TDs.

E – Pacheco, 11-103, 2 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

OV– Arce, 0-1-0.

E – Knickerbocker, 7-11-1, 62.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

OV – None.

E – Burns, 1-25.

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