Mesa eyes showdown with the Panthers

Barry Faulkner

Barely past the halfway point in its regular season, the Costa

Mesa High football team faces a crossroads Friday at Orange Coast

College.

Whether the Mustangs continue on the path toward a potential

Golden West League championship, or divert onto a less glorious side

road toward the postseason, will depend on whether they are able to

defeat the talented Orange Panthers.

“This is a huge game, absolutely,” Mesa Coach Dave Perkins said.

“One of the steps to a championship goes through Orange. We’ve been

talking about what a big game this is going to be for a while now.”

The Mustangs (3-2, 1-0 in league), ranked No. 9 in CIF Southern

Section Division VII, used last week’s 26-6 nonleague triumph over

Santiago to prepare for Orange’s double-wing offense, the same scheme

used by the Cavaliers.

“A lot of the things we did last week were to get ready for

Orange,” Perkins said. “It’s so different to play against that

offense, because of the way it tries to block you. It not only

creates a physical battle, but a mental one, as well. Whoever is

tougher mentally, usually comes out on top.”

Orange (3-2, 2-0) would be on a four-game winning streak, had it

not forfeited a Week 2 win over Sunny Hills. Instead, the Panthers’

three straight wins have already matched the total number of

victories the program earned the previous three seasons combined.

And it is clear second-year coach Greg Gibson, a former standout

defensive lineman at Orange Coast College, has toughened up a program

eager to return to the CIF Playoffs for the first time since 1992.

“They come off the ball very quickly and they’re very aggressive

with their blocks,” Perkins said of the Orange offensive line. “When

they block you, you tend to stay blocked. It’s going to be a

challenge trying to find the cracks in their armor, but we’re going

to have to create running lanes for our linebackers to make tackles.”

Also looking for running lanes will be the league’s two most

talented backs.

Costa Mesa senior Keola Asuega should continue his rise up the

school’s career rushing list, after resting a tender hamstring last

week. Asuega has rushed for 696 yards and six touchdowns on 86

carries this year, upping his career rushing total to 2,677 yards,

third-most in school history.

Orange, meanwhile, features senior Durrell Moss, who with 775

rushing yards and 12 TDs on 126 attempts this fall, has 2,557 yards

and 24 rushing TDs the last two seasons. Moss, whose TD runs include

bursts of 80, 67 and 59 yards this season, has also thrown for a

touchdown.

“Speed is his biggest asset,” Perkins said of the 6-foot-1,

190-pound standout. “Once he turns the corner, he’s hard to catch.”

Moss, however, won’t be the only challenge for a Mesa defense

surrendering 250 yards and 17 points per game.

“People talk about Moss, Moss, Moss, but (5-9, 170-pound junior Justin) Jones is another very good running back,” Perkins said. “If

you’re too busy keying on Moss, Jones will hurt you. And their

quarterback (6-2 junior Mitch Eaton ) can also throw the ball. If

(Eaton) finds someone open, he’s going to him them.”

Jones has collected 315 rushing yards and four TDs this fall, and

has scored two more TDs on six receptions for 154 yards.

Eaton has completed just 15 of 30. But his six TD passes have

covered 265 of his 386 passing yards and he has thrown just two

interceptions.

The Panthers’ 162 points are the seventh-most in Orange County

this season.

While Orange has produced close to 77% of its total offensive

yards on the ground, Costa Mesa’s are skewed even more heavily toward

the run. The Mustangs have 1,230 yards via the run and just 311

through the air, meaning 79.8% of their attack is generated by an

offensive line that could welcome back senior starters Paul Martin

and Andrew Carich.

Martin (6-3, 280) and Carich (6-0, 260) have missed the last two

weeks with minor knee injuries. Martin, however, is slated to start

at left guard and Carich may be well enough to contribute on either

offense or defense.

Mesa senior quarterback Tim Iller, who sat out last week with a

thigh bruise, also returns. He has thrown for 190 yards and one TD in

four starts.