Mesa sends Calvary Chapel packing

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - For Coach Jerry Howell and his Costa Mesa High

football team, Saturday’s preseason scrimmage with visiting Calvary

Chapel was fun while it lasted.

The Mustangs, however, may have been having a little too much fun,

particularly on defense, for their own good.

With Calvary Chapel junior quarterback Luke Garner being peppered from

stem to sternum with black Mesa helmets, first-year Calvary Chapel Coach

Jay Johnson elected to waive the final 24 plays.

“Our quarterback was taking a beating, because we weren’t prepared for

(Mesa’s) eight- and nine-man rush,” Johnson said. “I thought cutting it

short was to the benefit of our team. We don’t have a lot of numbers.

(The decision) was not meant to be unsportsmanlike.”

The statistical numbers were encouraging for the hosts, who found the end

zone three times through the air. Mesa also scored once on the ground

during a pair of 12-play series, with additional work on special teams.

And, defensively, the Mustangs were even more impressive, allowing only

one touchdown on a goal-line situation from their own 6-yard line. The

play appeared to be nullified when a flag fell near a pursuing Costa Mesa

defender, who had been tackled from behind near the ballcarrier. But

officials waived off the flag, allowing Calvary Chapel’s biggest

highlight to count.

“Our defense, when we do a little fine-tuning, will be as good as ever,”

Howell said of a unit which intercepted two passes, recovered two fumbles

and helped shade Garner’s white jersey green with grass stains.

Senior linebackers Dave Weir, Jason Rankin and Shaun Ferryman spent

plenty of time in the Calvary backfield. Weir sacked Garner for a 17-yard

loss, then, on the next snap, blew up a reverse for another 15-yard loss.

Rankin had an interception and a fumble recovery, while senior cornerback

Jake Cleveland added the other interception, returning it 48 yards deep

into Calvary territory.

Howell also liked the performance of quarterbacks Weir and Patrick

Hulliger, as well as the running of junior Arizona transfer C.J. Zuniga.

Weir, the incumbent, was 3 of 7 for 28 passing yards and two touchdowns

(including a scoring pass on a fake field goal). He also scrambled for 17

yards on his only carry.

Hulliger, a junior left-hander, completed 3 of 5 for 33 yards and a TD.

Zuniga, who did not open at tailback, carrief eight times for 51 yards,

displaying power and quickness between the tackles.

“Zuniga looks like a running back,” Howell said with a smile.

Ferryman, having moved from tight end to receiver, made a diving catch

on a 7-yard TD toss from Weir and junior wideout Louis Day went high in

the air to bring down a 14-yard Hulliger TD pass.

Returning All-Newport-Mesa kicker Luis Avalos was also impressive,

booming a 33-yard field goal dead center, about 20 yards beyond crossbar.

Mesa fumbled twice, however, and did show some first-outing flaws.

“The scrimmage was good for us, because we made a lot of mistakes,”

Howell said. “We had 24 more plays scheduled and I would have liked to

have used them.”

The Mustangs, who escaped injury-free, will get one more week of practice

to iron those out, before opening the season Friday at Orange Coast

College against Saddleback.