Conditioned response

Barry Faulkner

An offseason emphasis on conditioning appears to be paying off for

the Costa Mesa High football team, which continued a trend of

second-half success in Friday’s 26-7 victory over Ocean View in the

Golden West League opener at Westminster High.

The Mustangs (2-2), who scored 24 second-half points to claim a

27-24 nonleague win at Chaminade Sept. 20, held the Seahawks

scoreless for nearly the final 31 minutes Friday, scoring 12

fourth-quarter points of their own to ensure the victory.

In addition, Costa Mesa outscored Corona del Mar, 8-7, after

halftime in a 35-15 season-opening loss and collected 187 of its 302

rushing yards after intermission in a 14-7 loss to Laguna Beach Sept.

26.

Coach Dave Perkins said conditioning was a major issue heading

into this season and it appears obvious his players have been willing

to pay the price to become more fit.

The Mustangs also took steps to end a negative trend Friday, as

they earned their first halftime lead, 14-7.

Costa Mesa came in having been outscored by its first three

opponents, 38-10, with its lone pre-halftime touchdown a 40-yard pass

from quarterback Tim Iller to Tyler Waldron against CdM.

Perkins said he wanted his team to make something good happen

early against Ocean View and senior Keola Asuega obliged, finding the

end zone on a 1-yard run midway through the second quarter, capping a

75-yard drive that began when Al Rodriguez blocked a 22-yard

field-goal try on the second play of the second quarter.

Costa Mesa also turned the Seahawks away with an impressive

goal-line stand in the opening quarter.

After Ocean View created a first-and-goal at the Mesa 5-yard line,

the Mesa defense stopped a first-down run just shy of the end zone. A

second-down pass fell incomplete and linebacker Chris Reed then

stuffed a running play at the 1 for no gain.

Electing to bypass the field-goal try proved costly for Ocean

View, as Asuega led a group of tacklers to stop the fourth-down run

for a 6-yard loss.

Ocean View rallied to take a 7-6 lead, but Costa Mesa junior Omar

Ruiz capped a 41-yard drive with a 1-yard scoring run of his own with

44 seconds left in the half and Iller completed the two-point

conversion pass to tight end Gary Gonzales for a 14-7 cushion.

Asuega continues to key the Mesa offense. He collected 140 yards

and two touchdowns on 18 carries to bring his season total to 696

yards. His production Friday upped his career rushing total to 2,677,

moving him ahead of Steve Herzog (2,586), into third on the Mustangs’

career list. He needs 182 yards to surpass Charles Chatman and become

the school’s second-leading rusher, behind Binh “Runaway” Tran, who

amassed a Newport-Mesa District-record 4,333 yards from 1991-93.

Ruiz, however, is becoming a more potent backfield compliment to

Asuega. Ruiz earned 72 yards and the aforementioned TD in 18 carries

Friday and now has 245 yards on 52 attempts this fall.

Iller made a big step forward in the passing department against

Ocean View, completing 7 of 12 for 79 yards, without an interception.

Iller had been 7 of 27 for 111 yards, with one TD and three

interceptions, his first three games.

Costa Mesa, which shares the Golden West League lead with

Westminster and Orange, will now take a break from league action,

when it visits Santiago Thursday at Garden Grove High for a nonleague

contest at 7 p.m.

It’s the Mustangs’ turn to sit out in a seven-team league schedule

Perkins said has more positives than negatives.

“I’ve always thought it was a big advantage to have more league

games,” Perkins said. “In a six-team league, you have five games, so

if you stumble once, you’re pretty much out of the league title race.

Now, if you stumble once, you’re still in contention for a league

title or at least a CIF playoff spot.”