COSTA MESA – Bryan Ibarra is listed as the quarterback for the Godinez football team, but that doesn’t begin to tell how important he is to the Grizzlies success.
Ibarra can throw it, sure, but he runs, he dives and he even punts and kicks.
But most important of all, his teammates follow his lead.
The junior put all of his electric talent on display Friday night, rushing for a career-high 265 yards and five touchdowns, while passing for 86 yards and two more scores, leading Godinez to victory over Estancia, 49-21, in an Orange Coast League game at Estancia.
“He’s just a good football player,” Godinez coach Michael Echaves said. “He’s got an amazing charisma, and when he decides to turn it on, guys get behind him and follow.”
Godinez (5-4, 3-1), which moved into second-place in league, needed Ibarra to provide that spark after it fell behind Estancia, 14-0, in the first quarter.
Eagles quarterback Connor Brown threw two first quarter touchdown passes – one to Alejandro Mondragon and the other to Konrad O’Daly – helping Estancia (3-6, 2-2) to the early lead.
But that lead disappeared quickly as Ibarra “turned it on” like his coach said, breaking off a 90-yard touchdown run with 55 seconds left in the first quarter.
Godinez proceeded to run off 35 consecutive points, helped along by three interceptions by the defense – two from Luis Chavez and one from Larry Perea – to give the Grizzles a 35-14 lead late in the third quarter before a 9-yard touchdown run from Tyler Ross late in the third quarter ended the Estancia scoring drought.
