Prep football: Mesa misfires badly

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - After beating itself for three quarters, the Costa

Mesa High football team appeared happy to hand the chore to visiting

Ocean View, which gladly finished the job for a 29-7 nonleague upset of

the No. 1-ranked team in CIF Southern Section Division IX Friday at

Newport Harbor High.

Borrowing from the theme from a halftime “Mission Impossible” skit,

the Mustangs (3-1) seemingly self-destructed close to every 30 seconds,

or 30 yards, at least, committing seven turnovers.

Mesa’s generosity sabotaged its chance for the second 4-0 start in

school history.

Mission impossible, indeed.

Mesa dominated early, as sophomore Keola Asuega rolled for 111 yards

before intermission and the hosts bettered the 3-1 Seahawks in total

offense, 145-83, at the break.

But, three lost fumbles and an interception helped keep Ocean View in

the hunt, until the visitors finally found the trail to victory.

That trail was shortened even more in the second half by continued

Mesa miscues. A fumble on the Mustangs’ first third-quarter play set up

the Seahawks at the Mesa 19.

Five plays later, sophomore Rick Sweetin booted a 25-yard field goal

and the Mustangs never sniffed the lead again.

The Seahawks first touchdown was also set up by a fumble recovery,

this time on a muffed punt reception at the Mustangs’ 36.

“We were up, 7-0, but then we made a lot of silly, silly, mistakes,”

Mesa Coach Jerry Howell said. “The turnovers took us out of position to

do what we do best and Ocean View took it to us.”

Howell also acknowledged his team “faded a little bit,” in the fourth

quarter, when Ocean View ignited its dormant running game, began stuffing

Mesa’s trademark off-tackle slam play and even openly taunted the Mesa

sideline after two of its final three touchdowns.

“We’ve been on the other end of it, too,” Ocean View Coach Harold

Eggers said of the plus-six turnover windfall. “We’ve shot ourselves in

the foot, at times, this year, so we know what it feels like.”

Eggers told his team afterward the second-half effort was the

Seahawks’ best half of the campaign.

The opposite was likely true for the homecoming hosts, who managed

just 62 rushing yards and 47 passing yards the final two periods.

Meanwhile, Ocean View senior tailback Jason Rhoads, who, after a a

14-yard gain on his first carry, netted minus-3 on his next seven

(including six for no gain), began finding running room.

On the last play of the third quarter, he burst off right tackle for

the first of back-to-back 22-yard rumbles. He eventually capped the

eight-play, 65-yard touchdown drive with a 1-yard plunge to put the

visitors on top, 17-7, with 9:19 left in the game.

After Mesa turned the ball over on downs for a second straight

possession, Seahawk quarterback Patrick Campbell connected with Phillip

Smith for a 14-yard scoring pass for the clincher with 2:38 remaining.

Campbell added frosting with a 60-yard interception return, leaving

Mesa its final nonleague game (Oct. 7 against Brethren Christian) to find

its rhythm before entering Pacific Coast League play Oct. 13 against

Corona del Mar.

Asuega, who capped the Mustangs’ 15-play, 80-yard scoring drive with a

1-yard slam, finished with 138 yards on 29 attempts.

Louis Day intercepted a pass at the Ocean View 26 midway through the

second quarter, but the subsequent celebration penalty became yet another

way for Mesa to impede its own progress.

Campbell’s first interception ended the threat and Mesa never again

penetrated the Ocean View 35.

Tackle Antony Grubisich and inside linebackers Day and Robert McQueen

were defensive standouts for the Mustangs, but Campbell, Smith (10

catches for 138 yards and two TDs) and Rhoads eventually got the best of

things.

“Costa Mesa is a good football team and we’re hoping this is a step in

the right direction for us,” Eggers said.