Estancia boys' basketball beats Santa Ana to clinch share of first league title since 2005

Estancia’s Bo Graham (10) drives to the basket between Santa Ana's Kristian Soto (55) and Armando Ruvalcaba (2) during an Orange Coast League game on Wednesday in Costa Mesa.

By Matt SzaboStaff Writer

Jan. 29, 2020 10:39 PM PT

The banner in the southwest corner of the Estancia High gym highlights the proud tradition of the Eagles boys’ basketball program.

Estancia has won 12 league titles, but no one has had to update the banner in a while.

That changed Wednesday night.

Senior guard Brandon Pearson scored 19 points and senior center Jake Covey added 18 points and 12 rebounds, helping the Eagles beat Santa Ana 51-34 at home, clinching at least a share of the Orange Coast League title. It’s the program’s first league championship since the 2004-05 season.

Estancia (22-3, 7-0 in league) can clinch the outright league crown with a win at last-place Orange on Friday.

Estancia’s Brandon Pearson (22) sinks a long jumper during an Orange Coast League game against Santa Ana on Wednesday.

The Eagles, who have won 14 straight games and are ranked No. 2 in the CIF Southern Section Division 5AA poll, have a shot at the school’s single-season wins record if they can finish league strong and make a deep run in the playoffs. The 1990-91 team, which won the CIF State Division III title, went 29-5.

Those early 1990s teams featured star players like point guard Agustin Heredia, who led the Eagles to the CIF Southern Section Division 3-AA title as a senior in 1989-90 and was present Wednesday, and Matt Fuerbringer. Coach Xavier Castellano’s current squad may lack a true superstar, but it relies on team play to get the job done.

“You can’t compare us,” said Castellano, who made sure that Estancia announcer Brad Hartwell made note of the league title after the final whistle. “That’s a different time, that’s a different team. They had D1 [college] guys. It’s just different ... We dream big, but honestly, we want to win on Friday so we don’t have to share [the league title] with anyone. That’s what we’re focused on.

“These kids have worked really hard, one through 12. They all show up to practice on time; no one’s ever late. They like each other, they respect each other and they want to win. Today, they were happy, but they know the job’s not done.”

Estancia's Franky DeBrum (20) shoots a pull-up jumper as Santa Ana's Deaven Perez (30) attempts to block it during an Orange Coast League game on Wednesday.

Senior guard Marvin Harry added seven points off the bench for the Eagles. Junior guard Franky DeBrum scored four points and junior forward Bo Graham helped lead the defensive effort with three blocked shots.

Castellano, in his sixth season in charge of his alma mater, said a different player can step up each night for Estancia. Senior guard Cameron Khoury had 31 points and 10 three-pointers the first time the Eagles played Orange in league, a 103-62 win on Jan. 17.

Overall, Estancia has dominated the league. Each of the seven league wins have been by double digits.

“We’re going to be on that banner now,” said Pearson, who made five three-pointers on Wednesday. “We’ve been working hard all year. The last three years, even. We just knew we could do it this year. We’re really close. I mean, we say ‘family’ every time we break huddles. We all can play and we’re all good at basketball. We all know what we’re doing.”

Xavier Valdovinos led Santa Ana (11-12, 3-4) with 12 points. The Saints were tied at 18-18 midway through the second quarter, but a Pearson three-pointer sparked an Estancia 11-0 run that stretched into the second half.

Covey, the Eagles’ most consistent player, also helped lead the Estancia baseball team to its first league title in nine years last spring as a pitcher. He said he won’t be satisfied until the boys’ basketball title also has that “outright” label.

“It’s great and all, but we’re not done yet,” Covey said. “I’m selfish. I want [the league title] just to be us.”