Rick Costello : There’s No Debate: Mission Viejo Center Stands Out Whether It’s in the Classroom or on Football Field

For Rick Costello, honor student, debate team member and captain of the football team at Mission Viejo High School, it was almost too much to take.

Costello, who had served as junior class vice president, was running against Dave Bramwell for senior class president. The campaign climaxed with an assembly in which the candidates would debate the issues.

The assembly would serve as the platform for Costello, a member of the Junior Statesmen of America, to win over the voters. But little did he know that his opponent planned to sway the student body with a nightclub act.

Bramwell’s speech was textbook Rich Little. He did impersonations of Jimmy Durante and Mr. T as the students roared with laughter. Bramwell was a hit, and won the election.

“It was tough to take,” Costello said. “I got beat by a comedian.”

The election resulted in one of the few times Costello has met with failure at Mission Viejo. He has earned straight A’s for four years, and will serve as the school’s valedictorian for the Class of 1986.

Also, Costello has been a two-year starter at center for the Diablos’ run-oriented offense and was selected to The Times’ All-Orange County football team. On Saturday night, he will lead Mission Viejo into the Southern Conference championship game against Santa Ana in Orange Coast College’s LeBard Stadium.

Costello hasn’t earned less than an A since sixth grade. He said he he got a B in a math class because he was bored.

“I had taken the same class in the fifth grade and got an ‘A’ ” Costello said. “Math has always been my best subject. I just got bored.”

Costello completed every math course at Mission Viejo by the end of his junior year. He recently scored 780 points on the math portion of the SAT test, missing just two questions. He scored 1,500 out of a possible 1,600.

“I’ve been lucky,” Costello said. “I’ve never really had to work hard in school. I studied a little for the verbal part of the SAT, but all the math was everything I’ve learned.

“I was happy with the score, especially after watching some guys here take the test two or three times.”

Costello, 6-feet 4-inches and 235 pounds, is considered a major college prospect. Costello, who is planning to visit Harvard, Cal and Colorado, is a leading candidate for the National Football League Foundation’s scholar-athlete award.

Costello, however, was too big to play organized football as a youngster. So, he played soccer, baseball and basketball before high school.

“I was always one of the biggest kids in the class,” he said. A college football scholarship was something I always wanted to shoot for.”

Costello plans to major in either economics or political science. He eventually plans to attend law school.

“He’ll probably end up being a congressman or a senator,” said Bill Crow, Mission Viejo coach. “He’s certainly the most intelligent kid I’ve ever coached.

“I asked him once how he managed to get such good grades and spend so much time playing football. He told me he retains nearly everything he reads.”

He also budgets his time well. When Costello isn’t studying or playing football, he’s busy working on a 1965 Mustang that he restored. He also works as a tutor for the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, assisting other students in math and chemistry.

Costello has a reputation of being the team’s comedian. Crow said he keeps his teammates laughing in practice and isn’t afraid to laugh at himself.

Costello admitted his valedictorian speech won’t be filled with the cliche promises for the future and tearful farewell to school lines.

“My speech won’t be straight,” he said. “I’ll tell it like it is and, hopefully, give the senior class some laughs.”

Perhaps then, Costello will earn a vote of confidence from his peers.

The Game

The Teams: Mission Viejo vs. Santa Ana

What: CIF Southern Conference Championship.

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Where: Orange Coast College.