COSTA MESA — Estancia recovered from a slow start to defeat Loara, 17-0, in the 2012 season-opener Friday at Jim Scott Stadium.

Loara, unranked in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division, held its own against the fourth-ranked Eagles in the scoreless first half. The Saxons, 3-7 last season, kept Estancia pinned inside its 30 and had the only first-half scoring opportunity, a missed 36-yard field goal attempt.

But Estancia took control after halftime. The Eagle defense stiffened and Loara never came close to scoring again. Contained in the first half, Robert Murtha, Estancia’s record-breaking senior running back, found some running room, setting up the game’s first points, a 27-yard field goal by senior kicker Dan Cabrera. Murtha, who finished with 166 yards in 23 carries, scored on a 46-yard run at the end of the third quarter for a 10-0 lead.

DeionTe Haywood scored the Eagles’ other touchdown on a four-yard interception return. Cabrera, who also plays on the defensive line, pressured the Loara quarterback in the end zone, forcing an up-for-grabs pass that Haywood caught and stepped into the end zone.

“It was an ugly win,” Coach Mike Bargas told the Daily Pilot. “I thought we played sloppy. ‘Disorganized’ is what word comes to my mind. We didn’t pay attention to the fine details, and that might bite us in the butt if we don’t clean that up. We didn’t have all our regular personnel in there, but that’s no excuse.”

Read more in the Daily Pilot: Eagles wake up in time