Zuniga finds a home

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - Three weeks ago to the day, C.J. Zuniga showed up at

Costa Mesa High, an unknown transfer from Prescott, Ariz. with a Grand

Canyon full of potential.

It’s safe to say, after rushing for 171 yards and four touchdowns in the

Mustangs’ 28-19 nonleague season-opening victory over Saddleback Friday

at Orange Coast College, there are few who still do not know the new man

on campus.

“My teammates welcomed me with open arms,” said the 5-foot-10, 185-pound

junior tailback, who began his prep career as a freshman on the Rosemead

High varsity, before starting at defensive end for Prescott’s varsity

last fall. “That’s never happened to me, before.”

The Mesa offensive line made sure Zuniga felt welcome in the open areas

of the Roadrunner defense, helping him earn at least 5 yards on half of

his 22 carries. He also totaled 76 yards on kick returns to finish with

247 all-purpose yards.

“What can you say about him?,” Mesa Coach Jerry Howell said of his latest

thoroughbred. “He did everything we could have asked of him.”

The same could be said of several Mustangs, including senior quarterback

Dave Weir, who completed four of his first six passes for 95 yards to

help the hosts earn a 21-6 halftime lead.

“We were throwing the ball very well, but the coaches got cautious -- too

cautious -- after halftime,” Howell said.

Senior tight end Willy Franco caught back-to-back Weir aerials for 30 and

31 yards to set up the final touchdown of the first half.

Mesa’s special teams made a large contribution as Jason Rankin’s blocked

punt set up a four-play, 23-yard drive which Zuniga capped with a 5-yard

TD to open the scoring midway through the first quarter.

Defensively, Mesa piled up five sacks for 36 yards, made five additional

stops behind the line and limited Saddleback ballcarriers to 2 yards or

less nine more times.

Howell, however, was quick to stifle any euphoria over his team’s third

straight opening win.

“It’s nice to get a win against a very good football team,” Howell said.

“But we have a lot of work to do on things like conditioning and tackling

and keeping contain on defense.”

Saddleback junior tailback Joel Gonzalez rushed for 166 yards and a TD in

20 carries and talented senior quarterback Victor Ortiz had a pair of

touchdown strikes, including a 38-yard bomb with six seconds left.

But Zuniga was the toughest player on the field to contain. He had three

TDs and 86 yards in the opening half, most of which came on Mesa’s

familiar “slam” play, a toss off tackle held over from the former

smashmouth double wing. At least a handful of carries, Zuniga cruised

untouched past the neutral zone and into the secondary.

“That’s my offensive line,” said Zuniga, increasing his popularity

quotient with every self-effacing quote. “I love being here and I feel

good about our team all the way around.”

Making sure Ortiz felt no such bliss were five players who shared the six

sacks. Junior end Daniel Hunter combined with junior outside linebacker

Patrick Hulliger for one, and each of them had their own solo collars.

Rankin and end Todd Duddridge rounded out the sack pack and Duddridge

blew up a two-point conversion try in the fourth quarter by pounding

Ortiz in the pocket.

Shaun Ferryman, Weir, Franco, Jake Cleveland, Antony Grubisich, Fernando

Aronna, and Greg Stewart also did their defensive share. Stewart

displayed his Pacific Coast League champion sprinter speed to make a

come-from-behind tackle which prolonged Saddleback’s first TD drive.

Gonzalez bolted 63 yards to the Mesa 13 on the second play of the

visitors’ second possession and Ortiz eventually capped the five-play

march with a 10-yard fade pass to Emmanuel Pedroza.

The conversion kick, however sailed wide left and that was as close as

Coach Jerry Witte’s Roadrunners got.

Zuniga carried seven times on the subsequent nine-play, 65-yard touchdown

procession. Luis Avalos’ second of four perfect PATs made it 14-6 six

seconds into the second quarter.

The Mustangs, with solid work up front by Charlie Amburgey, Eliseo

Martinez, Scott Schepens, Luther Mitchell, Eric Connaty and Franco,

scored on three of their first four possessions.

After Saddleback closed to within 21-12 with 8:41 left, Zuniga burst 56

yards for the clinching TD with 1:55 remaining.