Prep football: Green with envy

Barry Faulkner

“Life can be so sweet, on the sunny side of the street,”

-- Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh

COSTA MESA - Coach Dave Perkins clearly wasn’t the only one who heard

an alluring “pitter-pat” across town at Costa Mesa High. Having taken

over the Mustangs’ football program after three years at crosstown rival

Estancia, the Newport Harbor High graduate enters his 19th season as a head coach with what most believe is a brighter path to potential

postseason success.

Among the rovers who crossed over with Perkins from Estancia to Costa

Mesa are six former Eagle coaches, as well as five senior players, all of

whom started for him last fall.

Add that to a healthy crop of indigenous talent and Pacific Coast

League title contention becomes a realistic goal for a program that

missed the CIF Southern Section playoffs for the first time in five years

last season.

“I think there is more expectation to win (at Mesa),” said Perkins,

who guided his senior-laden Estancia team to a 7-4 record and the

program’s first playoff appearance since 1995 last season. “(The

Mustangs) have been winning the last six or seven years (a winning record

in seven of their last eight seasons, after producing just four winning

campaigns in their first 33), they’ve been ranked high in the (CIF

divisional) rankings (as high as No. 1 last fall), and they’ve won a few

championships (outright PCL champions in ’93 and league tri-champions in

‘99).”

Another PCL crown could be in the offing if this year’s squad can find

answers to question marks on the offensive line and the former rivals can

continue to bond. The latter issue should not be a problem, according to

Perkins.

“We couldn’t have had a better transition if we would have planned

it,” Perkins said of the integration of the former Estancia standouts.

“The kids have worked hard to be accepted and they never asked for any

favors. They’ve done the things they’ve needed to do to become a part of

this football program.”

Flanker-safety Freddy Rodriguez, inside linebacker Bobby Arroyo,

quarterback A.J. Perkins, fullback-defensive end Jesse Cardenas and

outside linebacker Matt Colby should indeed be a big part of this group.

Arroyo was a first-team all-league selection last year, while Colby

and Rodriguez earned second-team recognition on defense.

Yet another key addition from the transfer pool is former Calvary

Chapel standout John Garcia. Perkins expects the 6-foot-2, 225-pound

senior to start at tight end and play at inside linebacker, after having

earned second-team All-Olympic League honors the last two years at

defensive end.

The influx of transfers helps offset the loss of Jason Hurley, a

two-way starter last year as a sophomore, who transferred to Canyon High.

There was, however, plenty of talent already in place. Senior Nick

Cabico, who saw varsity action as a freshman, returns at flanker and

cornerback after earning second-team All-PCL laurels and producing 996

yards of offense (rushing and receiving) on 71 offensive touches,

including 54 carries.

Factoring in junior tailback Keola Asuega, who missed significant time

due to injuries last season but still rushed for 834 yards, the

Cabico-Asuega duo produced nearly 53% of the team’s 3,494 offensive yards

last fall. The tandem also amassed 23 of the team’s 41 touchdowns and Cabico tied for the team lead with three interceptions.

With Rodriguez (140 yards and two TDs last season) and sophomore Omar

Ruiz, who rolled up big yardage leading last year’s freshman team, as

well as a well-schooled Perkins to the backfield and the Mustangs are not

short on offensive weapons.

That weaponry will be unleashed in what the elder Perkins describes as

a combination wing T and fly schemes, which he has nicknamed the Pegasus

offense.

With Dave Perkins calling the plays for Estancia last year, the Eagles

rolled up 4,071 yards and set a school single-season scoring record with

312 points.

“The fly (based on long motion by a flanker, who arrives near the

quarterback at the snap, so he may take an immediate handoff and attack

the corner at full speed) puts a lot of pressure on the perimeter

defense. And we’ll also be adding some option stuff,” Perkins said. “The

wing T already requires discipline from a defense and adding the fly

should make it doubly tough. We’ll force defenses to play disciplined,

stay-at-home football. If they stop reading their keys or make a mistake,

they could be in trouble.”

The added danger of option pitches, however, won’t do much to reverse

a minus-eight turnover ratio last season, a contributing factor to the

Mustangs’ failure to advance to the playoffs, despite a 6-4 record.

A.J. Perkins threw just eight passes as an Estancia backup last year,

completing three for 28 yards and one touchdown. But he has made great

strides, his dad believes, thanks to a full offseason of work at a

passing school led by Mission Viejo Coach Bob Johnson. The younger

Perkins should also benefit from the presence of quarterback coach Bill

Lux, who polished Kenny Valbuena at Estancia last year, but returns to

the school for which he starred as a quarterback.

Defensively, Assistant Head Coach Bob Brockie will implement the the

double flex he coordinated for Perkins at Estancia, while Perkins is

optimistic that his speedy stable of talent will give the Mustangs’

special teams an element of explosiveness.

“We have a lot of linebacker-type kids who can run, so we could make a

lot of big plays on special teams,” said Perkins, who is known for his

willingness to gamble in the kicking game (executing fakes from punt

formation).”

Another plus is the luxury of several sophomores who should make an

impact. Three products of last year’s solid freshman unit are slated to

start, including Junior Espenesa at middle linebacker, and four others

are either in a projected rotation at their positions, or will be key

backups.

The schedule Perkins inherited from from predecessor Jerry Howell is

bolstered somewhat from last year, with Golden West League playoff teams

Saddleback (the opener Sept. 7), Westminster and Ocean View joining

Centennial of Coquitlam (a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

and Whittier Christian. Perkins hopes to use this lineup to prepare for

the PCL opener against Northwood, which some view as a potential playoff

team this fall.

Oh, by the way, the Mustangs host Estancia Oct. 26 at Orange Coast

College.