Estancia football exits against Wilson in CIF Division 12 playoffs
HACIENDA HEIGHTS — Estancia couldn’t extend its best season in more than a decade, as Dominic Ezeonye of Hacienda Heights Wilson added to a sensational senior campaign in bringing about the Eagles’ demise.
Ezeonye rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns, and Estancia fell to Wilson 27-12 on Friday in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 12 football playoffs on Friday at Los Altos High.
“Dom is a generational talent, one we haven’t had here in a very long time, but we go where he leads us,” Wilson coach Charles Lewis said of Ezeonye, who topped 200 rushing yards for the fifth time this season. “We ride him. Our guys feed off his energy and his power, so we love having him.”
Wilson (11-1) remains at home to face Rialto Carter (8-3) on Friday in the semifinals, a round Estancia (9-3) last reached in 2011.
Estancia’s nine wins are the most in a single season for the program since that season, when the Eagles went 10-3. Additionally, the Eagles’ win at Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World in the first round was their first playoff win since that campaign.
“It’s going to be one for the memories,” Estancia coach Mike Bargas said. “For us to have that many wins in a season is pretty impressive, so the key is to build off this. We’re going to enjoy it now.”
The offenses clicked at the start, Estancia furnishing a 10-play drive to reach the brink of the red zone before a fake punt rushing attempt was stopped.
Wilson responded with its own 10-play drive, which concluded with a 20-yard rumble around the left edge by Ezeonye to open the scoring.
Estancia’s answer came in just over two minutes. Wide receiver Brandon Bettinghausen’s high-arching pass to Joseth Zarate Groth went for 40 yards down to the Wildcats’ 4-yard line, and running back Jeff Brown crossed the goal line on the next play.
Ezeonye received the handoff on six of eight plays on the Wildcats’ next possession, which ended with his second rushing touchdown. A deep ball from Joaquin Villalobos to Brian Silva for 37 yards on a third-and-14 helped extend the drive.
After a three-and-out forced a punt from the Eagles, they were in good position to get a defensive stop of their own, but the big play burned them once more.
Villalobos lofted a screen pass over the middle to Sean Lawson, who burst through the secondary for a 70-yard touchdown.
“The thing about Sean is if you give him the ball, he catches it and he takes off,” Ezeonye said. “No one’s catching him. He was one of the fastest. He made it to CIF for track.”
Estancia had only 71 seconds left in the half to cut into the deficit, and it was able to do so. Heriberto Sanchez Martinez connected with Zarate Groth on a 16-yard grab, the latter getting out of bounds at the 18-yard line to set up a field goal. Steve Sanchez’s 35-yard kick was good, making the halftime score 21-10 in favor of Wilson at the break.
Defense and special teams got the Eagles closer out of the locker room. Estancia started the half with two three-and-out defensive series, the second coming after Noel Moreno rolled a punt out of bounds at the Wilson 7-yard line.
Brady MacPhee brought pressure on the ensuing punt and blocked the kick. The ball went out of the end zone for a safety.
“That was just pure effort,” Bargas said of MacPhee. “That was huge. That was a big momentum shift.”
Estancia got the ball down to the 18-yard line on its next possession, but a fumble as the ball was pitched to Brown derailed the drive and the Eagles turned the ball over on downs.
The Eagles also threw two interceptions in the second half, the first resulting in a 26-yard return for a touchdown by Alex Han.
“We were in it up until that last interception for the touchdown,” Bargas said. “We had some chances. I’m proud of these guys because they played hard. Just too many mistakes, and we had to wrap up on [Ezeonye].
“I thought the defense played a much better second half, and we had some opportunities to score, but we didn’t, so that’s why we’re going home.”
CIF Southern Section Division 12 playoffs
Wilson 27, Estancia 12
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Estancia 0 - 10 - 2 - 0 — 12
Wilson 7 - 14 - 6 - 0 — 27
FIRST QUARTER
W — Ezeonye 20 run (Zavala kick), 1:15.
SECOND QUARTER
E — J. Brown 4 run (Sanchez kick), 10:49.
W — Ezeonye 15 run (Zavala kick), 5:08.
W — Lawson 70 pass from Villalobos (Zavala kick), 1:15.
E — Sanchez 35 FG, 0:00.
THIRD QUARTER
E — Safety (MacPhee Punt Block)
W — Han 26 interception return (Zavala kick failed), 2:35.
FOURTH QUARTER
None.
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
E — J. Brown, 19-82, 1 TD.
W — Ezeonye, 26-204, 2 TDs.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
E — Sanchez Martinez, 10-26-2, 107; Bettinghausen, 1-1-0, 40.
W — Villalobos, 8-8-0, 155, 1 TD.
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
E — Zarate Groth, 6-107.
W — Lawson, 1-70, 1 TD.
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