Prep football: Bravehearts, CdM D-Line: Performing in a pinch

Corona del Mar High football coach Dick Freeman, also the Sea Kings

defensive coordinator, spent extra hours last week plotting and scheming

several ways to stop Costa Mesa’s vaunted rushing attack. But, as it

turned out, his time may have been better used cleaning out the garage.

“We had a couple contingency plans, but we didn’t need them,” said

Freeman, who credited the work of his front four for keeping the Mustangs

30 points below their scoring average in CdM’s 37-7 Pacific Coast

League-opening win Friday at Orange Coast College.

With ends Justin Wald and Steve Shipman, as well as tackles Peter

Skoutelas and Jayson Skalla, carrying out their assignments, the Mesa

offense was limited to about half the productivity it had shown in five

preleague games.

Mesa came in averaging 285 rushing yards and 393 yards total offense,

but emerged with just 137 and 201, respectively, against the Sea Kings.

“The biggest thing was, we wanted our ends to come down hard and meet

the fullback as far inside as possible,” Freeman said. “(The Mustangs)

like to bring most of their team, and the band, through the hole. But we

wanted to pinch their fullback inside, so the blockers behind him had

nowhere to go. For the most part, our guys did the job.”

Costa Mesa Coach Jerry Howell also credited Wald and Shipman for

mucking up his team’s blocking scheme, though Skoutelas and Skalla also

held their own inside.

This foursome, which averages 6-foot-1 and 218 pounds, smallish by

today’s standards, has emerged from a revolving-door rotation Freeman

utilized early in the season. None of the current front wall started on

defense last fall, but they’re quickly maturing into their roles this

year.

Wald (6-1, 225), a junior, is the group’s best athlete. He also plays

fullback. He had one of CdM’s two sacks against Mesa.

Shipman (6-3, 216), also a junior, has “done some amazing things,”

according to Freeman, who believes Skoutelas (6-1, 230), the group’s only

senior, is its strongest member. Skoutelas had the other sack against

Mesa to up his team-leading total to three.

Skalla (5-9, 200) is only a sophomore, but Freeman especially likes

his tenacity.

“He’s a fighter and he’s improving all the time.”

-- by Barry Faulkner