Strong defensive effort helps lead Heritage into Menifee Bowl

Heritage defensive players Jesse Estrada (5), Carlos Ruelas (20), Kervin Jones (58) and Blake Devore (80) were ready to apply pressure in last Friday's game, a 60-7 rout of Temescal Canyon. Photo by Amber Garcia

For a team that lost its defensive coordinator, Heritage High School hasn’t done too bad in stopping opposing teams.

In nine games, the Patriots have allowed just 107 points. Of that total, 50 points were allowed against Redlands East Valley and Orange Lutheran in a tough nonleague schedule. In four Sunbelt League games, Heritage has allowed just 27 points total.

Thus even with former defensive coordinator Tom Tello now the head coach at Paloma Valley, it’s been business as usual with the Heritage defensive unit. That defense has played a big role in the success of the Patriots, who are 8-1 overall heading into Friday night’s Menifee Bowl game against Paloma Valley for the Sunbelt League title.

Heritage head coach Kraig Broach gives a lot of credit to Adam Contreras, who took over for Tello as defensive coordinator this season.

“It’s his third year on the varsity staff and his first time calling the defense,” Broach said about Contreras. “When the time comes, he’s going to be a great head coach. He was thrown into it too, just like Tom was at Paloma.”

Of course, a coach is only as good as his players, and the Heritage defensive players have proven themselves up to the task. Key players include senior linebacker Jesse Estrada, one of several players who have made big contributions to the defense while playing both ways.

“It’s been fun, growing and getting better with the whole team,” Estrada said this week. “We all help each other.

“The keys to defense for me are just that you’ve got to make tackles when they’re there. It’s all about lining up correctly. If I don’t do that, something bad could go wrong. But everybody’s working together and doing their jobs.”

Estrada isn’t the only one making big contributions on defense. Junior Ika Tuatala, another linebacker, has come up big in several games. So have Sherod White at safety and James Phillips at cornerback. All four also alternate at running back.

“Besides Jesse, Ika has really been a force,” Broach said. “Sherod and James have played very well, and the defensive line has done a wonderful job. Every week, they just do their job.”

On offense, White has rushed for 778 yards and 10 touchdowns to lead the team. These numbers and those of other starters are impressive, especially considering the Patriots have won so many blowout games, the starters often sit out the entire second half.

“The last couple games, we’ve been out in the second quarter,” Estrada said. “I feel like we haven’t been at the top of our game. It will be good to be back in the whole game.”

That will almost certainly the case against Paloma in a game that figures to be the Patriots’ most competitive league game by far.