Football: Colby seriously hurt in Mesa’s win

Richard Dunn

WESTMINSTER - Amid a solemn victory for Costa Mesa High, there were

prayers and tears on the football field Friday night.

And, today, the Mustangs are hoping for a miracle.

Shortly after the visiting Mustangs’ 53-12 nonleague win over Ocean

View at Westminster High, it was learned that Costa Mesa senior Matt

Colby, a 6-foot, 185-pound defensive end, was placed on a life-support

system at UCI Trauma Center in Orange, after a head injury in which a CAT

scan indicated “no brain activity,” Costa Mesa Athletic Director Kirk

Bauermeister said Friday night.

In the first quarter, Colby was involved in an offensive play and,

after returning to the sideline, collapsed. He was taken to UCI Trauma

Center by ambulance.

“He got hit and lost consciousness,” Costa Mesa Coach Dave Perkins

said.

Bauermeister said Colby “got his heartbeat back, but he still was not

breathing on his own” when the player was taken to the trauma center.

The Costa Mesa players, who kneel in prayer after every game, said a

special one on this night.

“The team meets here at 11 a.m. (today), just like they do every

Saturday,” Bauermeister said. “Hopefully we’ll have a miracle by then.”

On the field, the Mustangs (3-1) gained 417 rushing yards on 42

carries, led by junior Keola Asuega.

Asuega carried 14 times for 163 yards and four touchdowns, while

senior Nick Cabico had 114 yards and one TD on 11 carries. Freddy

Rodriguez (5-81 and one TD) and Omar Ruiz (5-30 and one TD) also reached

paydirt for the Mustangs.

“It was a pretty good night for us. We ran the ball down their

throats,” Perkins said. “But I was very distracted as soon as Matt went

out.”

Cabico, who didn’t play last week because of an injury, scored on a

43-yard run in the second quarter to give Costa Mesa a 33-6 lead, and,

essentially, turn matters into a rout.

“It was fun,” Cabico said. “I was just hiding behind my blockers and

saw an open field (on the TD).”

Ocean View (1-3) took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards, all on

the ground, to score early.

But Asuega returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards and Mustangs

quarterback A.J. Perkins took his first snap from center Brett Via at the

Seahawk 10.

Two plays later, Asuega scored on a 3-yard run and Danny Krikorian

added the extra-point as Mesa went up for good, 7-6, with 7:22 to play in

the first.

After an Ocean View punt snap touched the ground, Mesa had great field

position again, this time on the Seahawk 11. On the next play, Perkins

connected with John Garcia on a touchdown pass.

Mesa scored on seven of its first eight possessions. The only series

in which the visitors didn’t score came during Colby’s injury.