Ready for ‘Golden’ opportunity

Barry Faulkner

The motto this season for the Costa Mesa High football team is

“Pepare to perform,” though some convenient scheduling last season

may have gone a long way toward doing just that.

Poised for their first season in the Golden West League after 16

years in the Pacific Coast League, Coach Dave Perkins’ Mustangs

already have a pretty good feel for Golden West rivals Ocean View,

Westminster, Saddleback, Estancia and Orange, having either played or

scrimmaged them in 2001. Only Santa Ana, loser of its last nine

league games on the field (one defeat last year was later reversed by

forfeit) is a mystery to Mesa coaches and players. Further,

Westminster was the lone Golden West representative to defeat the

Mustangs last fall.

Beyond scouting, however, preparation for 2002, which kicks off

Sept. 13 against former PCL foe Corona del Mar, has included an

emphasis on conditioning, as well as a renewed determination to

advance past the first round of the CIF Southern Section Playoffs.

Such postseason success has occurred just once in the program’s last

six trips to the postseason, spanning the last eight seasons.

“(Going deeper in the playoffs) has come up,” Perkins said. “Our

kids have talked about being tired of just going to the playoffs,

They want to get past the first round. In years past, we’ve talked

about setting a goal of practicing on Thanksgiving (which required

reaching at least the quarterfinals). Because the season starts a

week later this year, we’ll do that if we just make the playoffs,

because Thanksgiving will be the week of the first round. But we’re

really focused on getting to the second round.”

Such an accomplishment would come in Division VII, also new

territory for the former Division IX entry. The familiarity the

Mustangs enjoy in league will be lost against Division VII playoff

foes, which will come from the Almont, Del Rio, Mission Valley and

San Antonio leagues. Those leagues are largely unknown to Orange

County football aficionados.

At least getting to the postseason appears to be a strong bet for

the Mustangs, whom, many believe, have potential to challenge for the

league title.

The return of All-PCL and All-Newport-Mesa running back Keola

Asuega is among the foremost reasons for optimism, despite the loss

of several standouts to graduation and several other would-be

returners to myriad issues.

Zenri Kato and James Paulsen (offensive tackles), Alan and Bryan

Raynor (defensive linemen), and Dicky Pulu (outside linebacker) are

no longer in uniform, after playing large roles in last year’s 7-4

campaign.

The Mustangs, however, have added talented transfers Luke Sapolu,

a 5-11, 220-pound junior from Moreno Valley expected to start on both

offensive and defense lines, and Daniel Cheeseboro, a speedy junior

from Rialto who should contribute on both sides of the ball.

Other standout returners include Andrew Carich, a 6-0, 260-pound

offensive guard who was all-league and all-district as a junior,

offensive tackle Paul Martin (6-3, 280), starting receivers Nate

Hunter and Tyler Waldron, both seniors, starting cornerbacks Luis

Gonzalez, a senior, and Omar Ruiz, a junior, as well as senior

defensive tackle Borotha Pov (5-11, 315) and junior center Brett Via

(6-0, 210).

Asuega, who battled nagging injuries his first two varsity

seasons, still managed to rush for 1,047 yards and 15 touchdowns on 147 carries last fall, split between time at tailback and fullback in

the Mustangs’ combination Wing T and Fly offensive scheme. With 1,881

career rushing yards -- as well as 28 varsity TDs -- Asuega has

already attracted recruiting interest from some Pac 10 schools, as

well as Hawaii and Fresno State.

“Keola is the guy who is going to make us go,” said Perkins, who

with untested quarterback candidates Brian Knox and Tim Iller manning

the controls, will eschew any thoughts of offensive balance.

“We’re going to run the ball,” Perkins said.

Neither Knox, a junior, nor Iller, a senior, have thrown a pass in

a varsity game, though both have shown flashes of being able to keep

defenses honest. Perkins said a starter will emerge from the first

two weeks or practice, as well as the Sept. 6 scrimmage against both

La Quinta and Magnolia.

In addition to some new faces up front, another offensive change

will involve Perkins passing the play-calling chores to assistant

Jeremy Osso.

Defensively, the combination of Asuega and Hunter outside, as well

as Via and Junior Epenesa inside, gives Perkins what he believes may

be the best linebacking corps he has ever coached.

Perkins and veteran defensive coordinator Bob Brockie have also

reinstalled their trusted double flex scheme, which they elected to

abandon last year in order to better utilize their personnel.

“We’ll blitz more, because we have very good athletes,” Perkins

said.

In addition to the X’s and O’s Perkins believes senior leadership

and overall team maturity have been byproducts of a tumultuous ’01

campaign that included the death of senior linebacker Matt Colby, who

collapsed after leaving a preleague game.

He never regained consciousness, and was later ruled to have died

from head trauma sustained while playing.

“Our kids dealt with so much last year, I think they just have a

more mature approach to things,” Perkins said. “There seems to be a

seriousness about the kids, which has translated into us getting much

more done in practice.”

Perkins said his players carry the spirit of Colby, whose name the

team often chants during windsprints and team huddles, onto the field

each time they compete.