Prep football: Mustangs get defensive

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - Though there is no contact allowed, the Costa Mesa

High football team is undergoing a bit of a crash course, as spring

drills continue through June 7.

The Mustangs, enjoying a greater comfort zone under second-year head

man Dave Perkins, are learning on both sides of the ball, but focusing

primarily on a return to the flex defense, which the team abandoned early

in last year’s 7-4 season.

Perkins said the change fits next season’s personnel and he plans to

utilize the spring to refamiliarize his players on the intricacies of the

scheme.

“We have a lot more emphasis on defense in the spring, learning

alignments and techniques,” Perkins said. “It’s more like 12 solid days

of defense.”

The Mustangs, however, are not ignoring the offense.

“We’re still throwing a lot of things at them,” Perkins said of the

multiple wing T he utilized last season. “We want to put in as much as we

can, then fine tune the rest of the summer. We’ve put in seven running

plays and eight passing plays (the first week), which is a lot in four

days.”

Perkins and his staff, which loses quarterback coach Bill Lux and adds

D.J. Jett, who will coach receivers and the secondary, are conducting

four practices a week, taking Fridays off. They are on the field from 3

p.m. until 5:20, but Perkins said that time is supplemented on Tuesdays

and Thursdays, when sixth period is also utilized for instruction.

“We’re going about 12 days, but that’s plenty,” Perkins said. “Since

we’re running the same stuff on offense, it makes it pretty simple.”

Perkins is particularly pleased with the senior leadership this

spring, and he has also been encouraged by the ability displayed by some

new faces.

Among the newcomers who have impressed is Riverside transfer Daniel

Cheeseboro, who played at King High last fall as a sophomore. He could

become an impact player in the backfield and could also contribute in the

secondary, Perkins said.

Perkins also praised the efforts of future sophomores Jameson Morris

(a wingback and cornerback), as well as linemen Joe Ortiz and Rodrigo

Gutierrez.

Perkins, however, reported the absence of Zenri Kato, who as a

6-foot-1, 250-pound sophomore was a starter on the offensive line last

fall.

“He decided he didn’t want to play football anymore,” Perkins said.

Perkins believes the 61 players out this spring have a differing view,

spearheaded by a trio of returning standouts who will be seniors.

“Nate Hunter is doing great things,” Perkins said of his projected

receiver and outside linebacker. “Keola (Asuega) and Andrew (Carich) have

also given us better leadership than we had last year.”

Asuega, who rushed for 1,047 yards and scored 15 touchdowns as a

junior, is healthy and ready to assume a featured role on both sides of

the ball. Perkins said Asuega, who is already receiving recruiting

interest from at least half of the Pac 10, figures to play outside

linebacker in the flex.

The Mustangs will conclude spring practice June 7 with a

seven-on-seven scrimmage. The linemen will compete that day in a team

lineman competition in San Marcos, Perkins said.