One last hope

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - The Timberwolves aren’t out of the woods yet and the

Costa Mesa High football team wants to make sure Northwood’s initial

varsity season in the Pacific Coast League finishes without a win when

the two teams square off tonight at 7 o’clock at Orange Coast College.

The Mustangs (5-4, 1-3 in league) are also playing for a potential

at-large berth into the CIF Southern Section Division IX playoffs.

A Mustang win would give them a winning record, and they also have the

stature of having been ranked in the Division IX Top 10 the first seven

weeks, including the No. 1 spot after Week 3.

Should Troy beat Freeway League rival Buena Park tonight and Baldwin

Park handle Valle Vista League foe Bonita tonight, the Mustangs would be

the division’s only at-large candidate with six wins.

“Hopefully, our kids want to play another game,” Howell said of the

playoff possibilities. “If we win, we’ll be 6-4 and that may be good

enough. We’d like to extend our streak of going to the CIF playoffs to

five straight years.”

But the Mustangs have won only two of their last six and might need to

win impressively to convince the CIF powers that be they’re worthy of a

playoff bid.

But Northwood (2-7, 0-4) has been anything but a senior-less patsy

this fall. Until losing quarterback Dam Tomcheck to a knee injury during

the University game Oct. 27, they boasted a formidable offense.

Sophomore Kyle Harper has taken over under center, but junior running

back Andy Meyer is now the leading weapon.

Meyer has compiled 569 of his 793 rushing yards in league, and all

four of his PCL touchdowns have come from long distance (34, 54, 56 and

65 yards).

Harper completed 10 of 21 for 115 yards, with two TDs and three

interceptions in his first start last week, a 31-21 loss to Laguna Beach.

His favorite targets will be juniors Steve Lucas (35 catches for 396

yards) and Bryan Bentrott (28 for 521).

Mesa, which has been outscored, 127-65, in league, will try to counter

with a defense led by senior inside linebackers Louis Day and Antony

Grubisich.

Offensively, the Mustangs will be led by sophomore tailback Keola

Asuega, who rolled up 136 rushing yards and a touchdown in last week’s

42-14 loss to league-leading University, despite still nursing a damaged

nerve in his foot.

“He’s still about 80%,” Mesa Coach Jerry Howell said of Asuega, who

has 726 yards and 10 TDs on 139 carries this fall.

Mesa quarterback Patrick Hulliger has completed 57 of 122 passes for

734 yards and six TDs, utilizing wideouts Nick Cabico and Lenny Lukela,

as well as Day at tight end.

Cabico has 15 receptions for 323 yards and four TDs and has also

rushed for 286 yards and two TDs on 42 carries.

Lukela has a team-high 19 receptions for 234 yards and Day has nine

catches for 163.

“The advantage we have is maturity,” Howell said. “This will be a

character test for us. We can finish strongly or give up on it.”