Football: Mesa shuts out CdM, 17-0

Richard Dunn

COSTA MESA - If there was a right time for the football to bounce

Costa Mesa High’s way, it was Friday night against Pacific Coast League

and Newport-Mesa District rival Corona del Mar at Orange Coast College.

The host Sea Kings, ranked No. 8 in CIF Southern Section Division IX,

lost two crucial fumbles and the Mustangs took advantage of opportunities

as Costa Mesa earned a 17-0 victory in a game with playoff implications.

“We’re in the playoffs,” said Mesa Coach Dave Perkins, whose team

(7-2, 3-1 in the PCL) faces University next week in a regular-season

finale to decide second place.

For the Mustangs, it was their first shutout since a 52-0 win over

Bolsa Grande last year in Week 2. For the Sea Kings, it was their first

time being held scoreless since Costa Mesa blanked them, 14-0, in Week 10 of the 1999 campaign.

“They beat us up front,” CdM Coach Dick Freeman said of the Mustangs,

whose inspired offensive line opened the way for senior wingback Nick

Cabico (120 yards rushing on 16 carries) and junior fullback Keola

Asuega, who carried 16 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

Early in the third quarter, with Costa Mesa leading, 14-0, Corona del Mar’s offense found its gear behind junior running back Mark Cianciulli

on the Sea Kings’ first series of the second half.

The Sea Kings ate up 62 yards on 12 plays and 5:29 on the clock, but

they fumbled at the Costa Mesa 10-yard line -- their deepest penetration

of the game -- and Cabico returned the fumble recovery 62 yards to thwart

an impressive CdM drive and put a stake in the Sea Kings’ heart.

“I saw the ball come loose and two guys on my team were trying to pick

it up,” Cabico said of the game’s biggest play. “They tried to grab it,

but couldn’t, and the ball popped out. It slipped out right to me.”

Cabico, who enjoyed a fine game on both sides of the ball, reached the

end zone on his fumble recovery, but his 90-yard return was nullified

because of clipping on Costa Mesa.

But, with CdM’s offense knocking on the door in a tight game, the play

was “huge” for the Mesa defense, according to Perkins.

Mesa, instead, took over at the CdM 43 with 4:34 to play in the third

quarter and capped a time-consuming drive (4:13) with a 22-yard field

goal by Bryce Sheridan.

On Corona del Mar’s ensuing series, Costa Mesa strong safety Freddy

Rodriguez intercepted a pass from quarterback Dylan Hendy on the first

play, a flea flicker with Steven Ward the intended deep receiver. Cabico,

the free safety, and Rodriguez had Ward covered.

Costa Mesa’s defense allowed CdM only five pass completions for 43

yards in 16 attempts, with backup quarterback Jonathan Hubbard completing

3 of 6 throws for 38 yards.

“We’ve just been playing better in the secondary,” Perkins said. “Nick

Cabico and Freddy Rodriguez are doing an excellent job, and our

cornerbacks, Omar Ruiz and Luis Gonzalez, are playing great. We’re not

making mistakes. They are playing where they should be ... we took (CdM’s

passing game) away.”

Costa Mesa scored on its first possession, with Asuega capping an

eight-play, 65-yard drive with a 21-yard touchdown run off right tackle

James Paulsen. Asuega made three cuts to the right side and reached the

end zone untouched. Sheridan’s extra-point kick gave the Mustangs a 7-0

edge.

Early in the second quarter, Asuega downed Sheridan’s 37-yard punt for

the Mustangs on the CdM 1-yard line. And, with the Sea Kings pinned deep

in their own territory, they fumbled on their first play and Mesa’s Tyler

Waldron recovered at the 4.

After Perkins called timeout to calm his fired-up team and set up a

play, Asuega scored on a 4-yard touchdown run and Sheridan’s kick made it

14-0.

“That was a complete football game,” said Perkins, whose team enjoyed

a two-touchdown advantage at halftime, while amassing 182 ground yards on

21 carries in the opening 24 minutes.

“We did some things right,” Freeman said, “but not enough. We still

have a young football team and a lot of guys coming back (next year). A

lot of people forget about that. But, in the first half, we just couldn’t

get anything going.”