Mesa rolls

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH -- With members of its starting backfield in street

clothes Friday night, Costa Mesa High’s three-way controlled football

scrimmage against Magnolia and La Quinta turned out to be an

impressive exhibition of backup ballcarriers trying to open Coach

Dave Perkins’ eyes at Newport Harbor High.

“We have some kids who can run a little,” Perkins said, following

his offensive unit’s solid ground game of 256 rushing yards on 24

carries, including five touchdowns.

Costa Mesa, which allowed no touchdowns on defense, pushed around

both Magnolia and La Quinta as junior running back Daniel Cheeseboro

led the Mustangs with 78 rushing yards on four carries, including

touchdown runs of 44 and 10 yards.

Sophomore fullback Jorge Quiroz carried five times for 77 yards,

including a 44-yard touchdown scamper, while junior running back Luis

Gonzalez gained 54 yards on eight attempts.

“We had to have some depth, because we were missing two starting

offensive linemen and two starters in the backfield -- (senior

fullback) Keola Asuega and (junior tailback) Omar Ruiz -- because of

nagging injuries,” said Perkins.

Nate Hunter, a senior wide receiver and outside linebacker, booted

one 32-yard field goal for Costa Mesa in three tries, and Tyler

Waldron uncorked a 36-yard punt to start matters in the late

afternoon sunshine.

Costa Mesa’s offense didn’t score on its first possession against

La Quinta, but probably could have if given enough snaps (the number

of plays and starting point on the field were controlled in each

series). Cheeseboro ended the series with a 13-yard run on a counter

behind Costa Mesa senior offensive lineman Paul Martin.

After a short rest, the Mustangs’ defense faced Magnolia with a

bright sun in their collective faces, but turned the Sentinels away

without a threat. After a 21-yard gain by Magnolia -- the longest

play from scrimmage the Mustangs allowed -- Costa Mesa stopped the

Sentinels’ penetration, giving up no more than five yards on any

play.

On a second-down pass play, Costa Mesa junior inside linebacker

Cole Edwards, who later sprained his ankle but returned to the field,

applied heavy pressure on Magnolia quarterback Radu Birle to force an

incomplete pass, then inside ‘backer Gary Gonzalez was credited with

a sack on the ensuing play. Outside ‘backer Daniel Cooper added a

tackle for no gain.

After a series of punts, Mesa took on La Quinta’s offense and gave

up just one first down. Mesa sophomore outside ‘backer Jeff Waldron

sparked the defense with a shoestring tackle for no gain, which was

followed by Chris Reed’s quarterback sack for a 5-yard loss.

The Mustangs, who open the regular season next Friday against

Corona del Mar in a nonleague game at Newport Harbor at 7 p.m.,

scored the first touchdown of the scrimmage on their next offensive

series, which began at their own 35.

Keyed by Luis Gonzalez’s 16-yard run and a 9-yard gain by Reed (18

rushing yards on three carries), Costa Mesa moved the ball to the

Magnolia 20-yard line. Gonzalez carried 11 yards to put the Mustangs

inside the 10-yard line, then two plays later junior running back

Chris Johnson scored on a 2-yard touchdown run.

On Mesa’s next offensive series against La Quinta -- starting at

midfield -- the Mustangs needed only two plays to score as Cheeseboro

sprinted down the left side on a reverse, reaching paydirt in 44

yards.

Starting from the 50-yard line again, the Mustangs scored on

another 44-yard run (by Quiroz), this time on a trap play up the

middle.

With the Mustangs switching to defense, they stuffed Magnolia.

Cooper provided a stop for a 2-yard loss, and Martin and senior

defensive lineman Andrew Carich combined for a quarterback pressure

on a deep pass that fell incomplete. Luis Gonzalez ended the

defensive series with a recovered fumble.

In Costa Mesa’s following possession against Magnolia (beginning

from the Sentinels’ 25-yard line), the Mustangs scored on four plays,

capped by Cheeseboro’s 10-yard touchdown run off left tackle. The

score was set up by Quiroz’s 9-yard gain.

Still facing Magnolia, Costa Mesa scored on the final play of the

scrimmage as Reed bolted into the end zone from the 2-yard line,

which was set up by Hunter’s diving catch on a 14-yard pass play from

Brian Knox.