Prep football: Playing from the heart

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Believing it is honoring the wishes of its late

teammate, Matt Colby, the Costa Mesa High football team will host

Whittier Christian Friday at 7 p.m. in a nonleague game at Newport Harbor

High.

Costa Mesa Coach Dave Perkins said the Colby family, after thoughtful

discussion among family members, conveyed to him that Colby, a

17-year-old senior who collapsed at Friday’s game with Ocean View and

died Saturday, would have wanted the Mustangs to play on.

The team voted, 42-7, Monday to play its scheduled homecoming game,

though Mesa Principal Diana Carey had announced Saturday she would

postpone homecoming activities, including a dance, a rally and the

traditional halftime ceremonies to crown a queen.

Perkins said most of his players practiced well Monday and Tuesday,

but that some may elect not to play for personal reasons. Anyone not up

to playing would be encouraged to sit out, Costa Mesa Athletic Director

Kirk Bauermeister said.

As of Wednesday, Costa Mesa players had elected not to speak publicly

about feelings and emotions prompted by the tragedy, for which no

official medical explanation has been given.

Emotions, however, figure to be running high Friday. The Mustangs will

wear football-shaped patches on their jerseys that feature Colby’s name

and the Nos. 9 and 56, which he wore at Costa Mesa and Estancia,

respectively. Colby, an All-Pacific Coast League outside linebacker who

made his first start at end last week in the Mustangs’ reconfigured

four-three scheme, attended Estancia for three years before transferring

to Mesa last summer.

Still grieving, and with a memorial service for Colby scheduled Monday

night at Orange Coast College, Perkins said it would be difficult to

anticipate the frame of mind his players would be in Friday night.

“Considering everything, the kids have done a good job of focusing on

the game plan,” Perkins said. “But whatever they can give us (coaches)

will be fine.”

On the field, the Mustangs (3-1) will face a Whittier Christian team

that has lost two straight after opening with three consecutive

victories.

Coach Mike Roark’s Heralds, who compete in the Olympic League, lost

last week to Western Christian, 31-7, after falling, 24-21, to Brethren

Christian Sept. 21.

Included among Whittier Christian’s victories is a 38-3 triumph over

Ocean View, which the Mustangs defeated, 53-12, last week.

“They impress me as a very disciplined team,” said Perkins, who

indicated the recent losing streak may have had to do with roster

depletion.

“When we saw them play earlier in the year, they had 30-something

kids,” Perkins said. “But they only had 23 kids (against Western

Christian) and five or six kids were playing both ways.”

Costa Mesa could be without two-way starter Jesse Cardenas, a senior

wingback and defensive end who is recovering from a shoulder injury.

Senior middle linebacker Bobby Arroyo, one of six Mesa players who

played with Colby at Estancia last year, had indicated to Perkins earlier

in the week that he would not be ready to play Friday.

A.J. Perkins, Colby’s best friend and another Estancia transfer, will

start at quarterback, triggering an offense that also features junior

fullback Keola Asuega and senior tailback Nick Cabico.

Asuega has rushed for 448 yards and eight touchdowns on 50 carries,

while Cabico has collected 282 yards and three TDs on 33 attempts. Cabico

has also caught two of A.J. Perkins’ six TD passes.

A.J. Perkins has completed 24 of 59 for 306 yards, with only one

interception. Senior tight end John Garcia has five catches for 91 yards

and two TDs.

Combined with a 58-20 win over Centennial of Canada Sept. 21, the

Mustangs’ 111 points in back-to-back games is second-best in school

history. The record is 119 points, established by the 1994 squad coached

by Myron Miller.

It’s the final preleague game for Costa Mesa, which opens Pacific

Coast League play Oct. 12 against Northwood.