Morley, Estancia dominate Aztecs

COSTA MESA — With a 44-0 lead at halftime, the Estancia High football team didn’t really need to score more points.

But even in a scoreless second half, almost everything went right for the Eagles in their 44-7 nonleague season-opening win over Mark Keppel on Friday night at Orange Coast College.

Estancia Coach Brian Barnes said he was very happy with the way his second-string defense played in the second half, allowing just one fourth-quarter touchdown on a one-yard quarterback sneak.

“Our defense just played great tonight,” Barnes said. “The score [Mark Keppel] had was on our frosh-soph kids; seven out of those 11 kids played in the frosh-soph game [Thursday]. And they hung in there; they kept them from scoring for almost a quarter-and-a-half.”

To be sure, Estancia had plenty of offensive highlights, most of them orchestrated by junior quarterback Mikey Morley.

Morley, in his first varsity start, threw three touchdown passes, one each to Matt Redding, Tim Morley and Eddie Tomasek.

He also ran for two more, accounting for all five Eagles touchdowns.

“He came out and played pretty well,” Barnes said. “In the first quarter, he got the jitters out. He’s a smart kid, knows the game really well and knows who to throw to. I was pleased with his effort.”

Redding returned the opening kickoff 68 yards to the Aztecs’ 23-yard line.

The Aztecs held the Eagles on that possession, but the return set the tempo early.

“We had been planning something like that for a long time, and it definitely got us pumped up,” Redding said.

But it was a defensive play that got Estancia on the board first.

Midway through the first quarter, senior defensive end Dion Domurat read a reverse to Keppel running back Erik Jimenez perfectly.

Domurat wrapped up Jimenez well into the end zone for a safety, giving Estancia the early 2-0 lead.

“It was just awesome,” Domurat said. “It was great to score the first points of the game on defense. I just wanted to help the team and keep it rolling.”

Near the end of the quarter, Redding took a pitch, broke two tackles and was gone down the sideline for a 54-yard touchdown run to give Estancia a 10-0 lead.

The Eagles really poured it on in the second quarter.

Morley scored on a quarterback sneak.

Then, after a Mark Keppel three-and-out, he did it again, giving Estancia a 24-0 lead after pounding it in from five yards out.

“Mikey’s been lifting with me, and he got a lot of experience last year from [former Estancia quarterback] Ryan Watson,” Redding said. “He should do pretty well this year as a junior.”

On Keppel’s next play from scrimmage, Estancia lineman Junior Contreras recovered a fumble.

The Eagles again made the Aztecs pay, as Morley hooked up with Tomasek on a 17-yard touchdown pass to push the score to 31-0.

Redding and Tim Morley added touchdown catches before the half was through.

The Keppel offense was also dominated in the first half. The Aztecs had just one first down and failed to cross midfield.

Estancia’s starting defensive line of Connor McKendry, Alex Machuca, Contreras and Domurat held Keppel running back Jimenez to 13 yards on 10 first-half carries, including just four carries that gained yards.