Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now
Orange County’s list of undefeated football teams entering Week 5 offers a wide range of profiles.
From traditional powerhouses to emerging forces to small school wonders, the spectrum appears vast.
Estancia is right in the mix.
Often overshadowed by the high-profile programs in their school district, the Eagles are 4-0 for the first time under coach Mike Bargas, who is in his 19th year. The last time Estancia started this well was 1996.
Estancia enters its nonleague game at Artesia (2-3) on Friday bonded by the qualities that Bargas has instilled since his arrival from Newport Harbor in 2007.
With their enrollment of about 980 students and an old-school philosophy about transfers, the Eagles cling to their close-knit chemistry and toughness.
“It’s a great place to be,” Bargas said of Estancia, which struggled with coaching turnover before he took the helm. “We’re so small (enrollment-wise) and we play with our neighborhood kids. Everyone who plays on the team lives in the neighborhood. I don’t have imports. I try to keep kids from exporting out of here.”
“Our kids grind,” the coach added. “Everybody kind of knows each other here. Once people experience the Estancia experience, they rarely leave. I just think its kind of got a little bit of a muddied history (in football).”
Bargas, 53, has injected the program with stability.
He joins La Habra’s Frank Mazzotta (28th year) and Rancho Alamitos’ Mike Enright (26th) among the longest tenured, active coaches at the same school in Orange County.
The on-field results appear to be trending upward.
After reaching the CIF-SS Division 12 quarterfinals last season, Estancia is following the lead of several seniors and a new quarterback.
Running back Jeff Brown, wide receiver Bennett Molica and Bargas’ son Kai at quarterback have paced the Eagles’ West Coast, multiple offense.
Brown, a senior, has rushed for 566 yards, including three consecutive 100-yard games.
Molica, a senior who suffered an early-season shoulder injury last fall, leads the team with 15 receptions for 293 yards and three TDs.
Kai Bargas, a first-year starter as a junior, has completed 60 percent of his passes for 542 yards and six TDs.
Ethan Mataia, a 6-foot-4, 335-pound senior, anchors the offensive line at left tackle.
“This year, I think we can be a little more balanced (on offense),” coach Bargas said. “We’ve had some success this year early because if (opponents) try to clog up the run game then we’ve got the pass available.”
The defense, a 3-4 scheme coordinated by Bargas’ brother Chris, has allowed only 31 points (7.8 points per game).
Brady Macphee, a linebacker, leads the team in total tackles with 29. He’s a returning senior who moved to the county last year from New Brunswick, Canada.
The Eagles’ defense has paired Molica at cornerback with Sean Sweeney, a senior who has a team-high four interceptions.
In the spring, Sweeney helped Estancia’s baseball team win CIF-SS Division 6.
Brandon Bettinghausen is another key player in the secondary. The senior safety ranks second in tackles with 26.
Estancia has started fast despite an injury to All-CIF defensive end/tight end Roy Brown, the twin brother of Jeff.
The Eagles hope the two-way player can return for the Sigma League, which again looks competitive. Calvary Chapel (4-0), Ocean View (4-1) and defending champion Los Amigos (3-1) are a combined 11-2.
Bargas’ excitement for the future includes the coming addition of an on-campus football facility that will have a weight room and locker rooms.
“People think that you can’t win with the kids that we have here,” said Bargas, whose record at Estancia is 96-91. “I came here to change that. With the boosters and community around me, we’ve rallied.”
UNDEFEATED TEAMS
The county’s other undefeated teams are Los Alamitos (6-0), Crean Lutheran (5-0), Corona del Mar (4-0), Dana Hills (5-0), Laguna Beach (4-0) and Calvary Chapel (4-0).
OFFICIALS GOT THE CALL RIGHT
The final play of the Leuzinger-JSerra game Friday received plenty of video review. The visiting Olympians almost completed a Hail Mary in the back of the end zone but the pass was ruled incomplete.
“The officials ruled that they saw the ball out when (the receiver) came in contact with the ground,” said Paul Caldera, Orange County’s referee liaison with the CIF-SS and assignor.
“There is a term called ‘completing the catch.’ This means that the receiver must survive the ground when making a catch. … This play was ruled correctly.”
SHORT ROUTES
Costa Mesa junior Gavin Garza ranks third in the county in rushing with 819 yards. Garden Grove’s Quentin Pacelli (1,162) and Troy’s Ethan Mundt (858) rank first and second, respectively. …
Costa Mesa senior Yosgart Munoz and Laguna Beach junior Xavier Brooks are tied for the county lead in sacks with seven. Laguna Beach has allowed only 36 points. …
Trabuco Hills quarterback Tristan Zale has committed to San Diego. …
Capistrano Valley Christian defeated St. Margaret’s 21-16 last week for its first win against the Tartans since 2004.