Mesa plays smashmouth

Barry Faulkner

If ever a football game deserved a little blood on it, Costa Mesa

High’s 27-21 smashmouth victory over Golden West League rival Orange,

Friday night at Orange Coast College was it.

So, some may have thought it fitting when, Mustangs’ two-way

senior standout Nate Hunter, while leaving the field late in the

fourth quarter, stopped inside the hash marks, leaned over and spit

out some blood that had collected in his mouth after being slammed to

the turf while carrying the ball.

“We like to come after people,” Costa Mesa Coach Dave Perkins said

of his team’s physical style of play, which was represented on the

stat sheet in the form of 318 rushing yards on an oppressive 61

attempts. It was the most rushing plays by a Mesa team in 39 games,

dating back the 1988 regular-season finale, when the Mustangs had 70.

The Mustangs (4-2, 2-0 in league), ranked No. 9 in CIF Southern

Section Division VII, had touchdown drives of 14 and 11 plays, though both covered just 55 yards.

Costa Mesa completed just two passes, one on a fake field goal for

a touchdown, and churned out 29:31 in time of possession in the

48-minute contest.

“Everybody likes to play the team we played the week before,

because they’re usually a little beaten up,” Perkins said. “We just

made a commitment to run inside the tackles and run right at them,

run the clock and keep the ball out of their hands.”

Orange didn’t exactly opt for finesse, as the Panthers (3-3, 2-1)

slammed away from their double-wing set, collecting all 369 of their

yards on the ground. Washington-bound senior star Durrell Moss rushed

for 234 yards, the majority of those coming on touchdown runs of 80

and 77 yards in his first three carries. The 80-yarder came on the

first snap of the game, while the second came three plays after

Mesa’s first possession ended in a punt.

Down, 14-0, however, the Mustangs were undeterred.

“The best part about it was the way the kids stayed calm and

focused,” Perkins said. “Nobody got rattled and there was no panic.

They just went about their business and did a great job.”

Mesa’s ability to move the chains centered on an offensive line

that, at various times, included James Paulsen, Luke Sapolu, David

Vernotico, Brett Via, Rodrigo Gutierrez and Paul Martin, as well as

first-year offensive coordinator Jeremy Osso’s ability to spread the

ball around to four ball carriers.

Hunter, the starting receiver, got the call on the Mustangs’ fly

sweeps, while senior Keola Asuega was the primary dive back and also

got some carries as a tailback in the I-formation. Junior tailback

Omar Ruiz and senior wingback Tyler Waldron also contributed, mostly

on off-tackle plays and toss sweeps.

Many of Asuega’s 220 rushing yards came on a counter play off the

fly sweep action, in which Hunter goes in motion. With Hunter

approaching the quarterback at full speed near the snap of the ball,

the defense must anticipate a sweep in the direction he’s heading.

With Orange’s defense flowing to the perimeter to contain Hunter,

quarterback Tim Iller frequently handed the ball to Asuega, heading

in the other direction behind a pulling guard. This play created two

of Asuega’s three touchdowns, including a 39-yard scamper in which

Asuega hurdled the safety on the way to the end zone.

“We want to spread the ball out, so people can’t key on Keola,”

Perkins said. “And, this way, more people feel like they are

contributing to the team’s success.”

That success includes three straight wins and apparent possession

of the inside track toward a potential league crown.

But Perkins said his team, borrowing from the one-game-at-a-time

approach Mike Scioscia has utilized so successfully with the Anaheim

Angels, won’t get caught up in anything but the next opponent. This

week’s opponent is crosstown rival Estancia, which the Mustangs will

duel Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Newport Harbor.

“We’re taking the Angels’ mantra,” Perkins said. “Each week, we

post the date and time of that week’s game and the opponent. A

testament to the way the kids are thinking one game at a time is that

no one last week even mentioned Estancia. Usually, kids start talking

about the Battle for the Bell at least two weeks ahead of time.”

Estancia Coach Jay Noonan boldly predicted after last year’s 21-6

loss to Mesa that the Mustangs had better enjoy it, because the

Eagles would be claiming the perpetual Bell trophy for the next three

seasons. Perkins hasn’t forgotten.

“I don’t know why we’re even bothering to show up (Friday),”

Perkins quipped. “But I guess we’ll have to, since it’s on our

schedule.”