Prep football: Making the scene

Barry Faulkner

CERRITOS - Though the Costa Mesa High football team will open the

CIF Southern Section Division IX playoffs on the road against Garden

Grove League champion Los Amigos, Friday’s first-round game may not

involve much of a commute.

“We might end up playing at Orange Coast (College),” Perkins said

Sunday night, after learning that Los Amigos was encountering problems

securing Garden Grove High’s stadium and was not particularly eager to

host the game at Bolsa Grande High. The site and time are expected to be

finalized today.

“I’m just glad not to have a two-hour bus ride,” said Perkins, whose

Estancia team’s first-round loss to Fullerton last year came after his

bus was late arriving to Fullerton High, due to severe traffic

congestion.

Perkins had no qualms about his first-round matchup, the winner of

which figures to meet top-seeded defending champion South Hills (9-1) in

a Nov. 23 quarterfinal.

“Every team we played in the preseason is in the playoffs and the

other two teams from our league are seeded No. 3 (Northwood) and No. 4

(University),” Perkins said. “We’ve played pretty good people and we’ve

dealt with a lot of adversity to get here. I think our kids are real

excited about playing in the playoffs. “Sometimes, at this time of year,

you wonder about your team tanking. But, with all the stuff we’ve been

through mentally, I don’t think I have to worry about that from this

group. And, when we found out we weren’t going 1,000 miles away, I think

we got even more excited.”

Perkins also noted a first-round victory could create a home game

against South Hills.

The Mustangs (7-3), who lost Thursday’s regular-season finale to

University, 37-13, should also be bolstered by the expected return of

junior fullback Keola Asuega.

Asuega sat out the Uni game with a strained hamstring, but Perkins

expects the team’s leading rusher (940 yards) and scorer (14 touchdowns)

to be ready to roll against the Lobos.

Los Amigos, which won its final five games to wrap up its second

league title in the last four seasons, will provide a formidable

challenge.

The Lobos, coached by Roger Takahashi, who guided La Quinta High to

the Division VI title game won by Corona del Mar in 1989, are seeking to

end a streak of five straight first-round losses.

The Mustangs, who missed the playoffs for the first time in five years

last fall, have won just two first-round contests the last 21 seasons.

Los Amigos was eliminated last year by the same University squad that

took advantage of a huge momentum swing to close out the Mustangs

Thursday at OCC.

“The big play was the penalty call,” Perkins said of an illegal fair

catch violation, which he is not sure was administered properly.

The penalty, which followed what would have been a three-and-out by

the Trojans on the first series of second half -- after Mesa’s Bryce

Sheridan boomed a 53-yard field goal to bring his team to within 17-13 as

the first half expired -- gave the Trojans a first down. Six plays later,

the visitors scored and their lead was never threatened again.

“They way I read the rule book, we should have kept possession of the

ball there,” Perkins said.

The Northwood rematch Perkins clamored for after protesting a late

touchdown pass during the Timberwolves’ 31-6 PCL-opening win Oct. 11,

would only materialize if both teams reached the title game.

Brea Olinda (9-0) is the No. 2 seed and would face Northwood (10-0) in

a Dec. 1 semifinal, should both teams win twice.