The quick and the dead

Barry Faulkner

WESTMINSTER - The bigger they are ... the easier it is to run

around them to the quarterback.

That’s the philosophy the Costa Mesa High defense pins its hopes to when

the Mustangs visit Westminster Friday at 7 p.m. for a nonleague football

contest.

The Lions (1-1) boast a pair of hefty offensive tackles, including

6-foot-7, 345-pound senior Soli Letuli. With junior Mark Gallardo (6-1,

265) on the other side, Westminster’s two tackles have 65 pounds on the

combined weight of their two guards o7 andf7 center.

Mesa Coach Jerry Howell, however, looks at these ponderous dimensions and

sees opportunity.

“(The Lions) have some pretty good athletes, but I think their one

weakness is that their offensive line isn’t very quick,” Howell said. “I

don’t know how they’re going to pick us up.”

Picking up the eight defenders the Mustangs (2-0 and ranked No. 3 in CIF

Southern Section Division IX) bombard their opponent with on every snap,

has been problematic for their first two foes.

Mesa has amassed 12 quarterback sacks in successive victories over

Saddleback and Bolsa Grande and defensive coordinator Tom Baldwin will be

scheming to similarly harass All-Golden West League quarterback Kelly

Coburn.

Coburn, a senior, threw for nearly 2,293 yards and 20 touchdowns as a

junior and is the featured offensive weapon for third-year coach Ted

McMillen.

The 6-2, 200-pounder has thrown for 370 yards and three TDs this fall (22

of 52), but was intercepted four times by Estancia in last week’s 20-7

loss to the Eagles.

Westminster also relies heavily on 5-6, 150-pound darter Vince Laurel,

who has 155 receiving yards and two TDs on seven catches and has rushed

15 times for 76 yards and a TD.

Junior Christian Chamberlain is the team’s leading rusher (86 yards and a

TD on 14 attempts), but sophomore Jared Jenkins, a former national Punt

Pass and Kick champion, could get increased opportunities after showing

well off the bench last week (21 yards on five carries).

The Mustangs have shown plenty of offense thus far, with junior C.J.

Zuniga spearheading the ground game and senior quarterback Dave Weir

triggering an enhanced passing attack.

Zuniga has 290 yards and six touchdowns on 34 carries, while Weir has

thrown for 222 yards (11 of 21).

Weir lofted three TD tosses last week, the biggest single-game output by

a Mesa quarterback in 100 games, dating back to Ryan McEvoy’s four TD

passes in the 1990 season-opening win over Twentynine Palms.

A greater willingness to pass this season, has helped create the Mustangs

minus-two turnover ratio, which includes three interceptions. So, Howell

is hoping for better efficiency.

“We threw the ball better last week than we have since I’ve been here

(five seasons),” Howell said. “But we need to throw more consistently.”

Senior wideout Shaun Ferryman (five catches for 91 yards), senior tight

end Willy Franco (three for 69) and junior receiver Louis Day (three for

38) are Weir’s primary targets.

Defensively, inside linebackers Ferryman and Jason Rankin, outside

‘backers Weir and Patrick Hulliger, and a front four led by senior end

Todd Duddridge, have been superior.

Antony Grubisich and Fernando Aronna have also played well up front and

senior Robert Hulliger, who left the team in the summer, will start at

end after making up lost practice time. Robert Hulliger, who started 11

games as a junior, saw his first action in last week’s 47-0 trouncing of

Bolsa Grande.

Mesa is attempting to become only the fourth team to open 3-0 in the

school’s 40-year history, and also cut into Westminster’s 4-1 series

lead.

The Lions overcame 17 penalties and seven fumbles to defeat Bolsa, 33-14,

before being surprised by Estancia.