PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE FOOTBALL : Orange Rips Costa Mesa, 35-20, but Coach Meiss Isn’t Happy

Despite the fact that his team compiled 420 yards of total offense in defeating Costa Mesa High School, 35-20, Thursday night at Newport Harbor High School, Orange Coach Tom Meiss was not a happy fellow.

Or at least that’s what he wants his team to think.

“I wasn’t happy with the way we played at all,” Meiss said gloomily. “I just didn’t like anything about it.”

Perhaps Meiss wasn’t satisfied that his team scored on its first four possessions--each of its possessions in the first half, actually--to take a 28-0 lead at halftime.

Or, perhaps Meiss would like to see a better performance from quarterback Chris Thompson, who completed 10 of 14 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns before being replaced early in the third quarter.

And, perhaps Meiss would like to trade places with Costa Mesa Coach Tom Baldwin, who watched his team fall to 0-8 overall, 0-3 in league play.

“I’m just upset when we put our reserves in early in the third quarter, they didn’t do a good job,” Meiss said. “I don’t like that. It hurts the starters’ pride. . . . It leaves a sour taste in my mouth.”

By halftime, Orange had outgained Costa Mesa in total offense, 260 yards to 7.

But when Orange began to send in its reserves in the third quarter, Costa Mesa scored its first touchdown moments later on a 51-yard touchdown pass from Mike Cutler to Duby Ospina.

Orange reserve quarterback Jason Loertscher nearly matched that play in the fourth quarter when he hit Randy Salazar with a 43-yard touchdown pass to give Orange a 35-6 lead.

That only seemed to inspire Costa Mesa further, though, as the Mustangs came back with two quick scoring drives. Cutler scored on a one-yard dive and then hit Tony Hover with a five-yard pass in the end zone to cut the deficit to 35-20 with less than a minute remaining in the game.