Mustangs grab crown

Steve Virgen

Five, 10 years from now, players from the 2002 Costa Mesa High

football team will most likely say something like this.

“Remember when we played against Santa Ana in the rain? We hit

those guys hard.”

“Remember when we celebrated in the mud and sang our fight song

because we won the Golden West League championship?

“Remember Keola Asuega?”

Asuega, the Costa Mesa senior running back, rushed for 284 yards

and three touchdowns on 23 carries, leading the Mustangs to a 36-7

over Santa Ana Friday night at Orange Coast College. Costa Mesa

clinched at least a share of the Golden West League title by winning

the battle of league unbeatens.

Aseuga now has 45 touchdowns while at Mesa, which ties Newport

Harbor running back Steve Brazas (45 in 1982-83) for the most TDs in

the Newport-Mesa record book. Asuega scored on touchdown runs of 34,

75 and 67, as Costa Mesa built a 36-0 with 9:37 remaining.

“This was a big win for us,” Asuega said. “I haven’t won league

yet since I’ve been in high school. This year, it’s my senior year,

why shouldn’t I be happy? I still think if it wasn’t raining, we

would still beat (Santa Ana).”

As for memories, Costa Mesa plans to make more, Mustang Coach Dave

Perkins said.

“I don’t think this football team is done” Perkins said. “We have

more games to play. It’s nice to win the championship and it’s nice

to enjoy it. But we need to win next week to keep the momentum

going.”

The Mustangs created extreme momentum in the second half. After

Asuega scored his 34-yard touchdown and after Nate Hunter nailed a

25-yard field goal in the second quarter, Costa Mesa opened the

second half with fervor and intensity.

The Mustangs (7-2, 5-0 in league) scored on their first five

possessions, extending their lead to 36-0 on the strength of their

vaunted rushing attack. Costa Mesa attempted only three passes, but

that hardly mattered, as the front line of tackles James Paulsen and

Rodrigo Gutierrez, guards Andrew Carich and Brett Via, as well as

center Luke Sapolu and utility man Paul Martin were opening gaping

holes all night.

“We’ll definitely remember this game the most, so far,” Carich

said. “Just because our team played great tonight. I was kind of

sketchy when we first came out because we weren’t prepared. But once

we got into it, we sure played great.”

On Costa Mesa’s first offensive play of the third quarter, Asegua

went off right tackle and through the Santa Ana defense for a 75-yard

TD run. He ran practically neck-and-neck with Santa Ana’s Rene

Candelas near midfield, but Asuega found an extra gear and outran the

defense.

After the Costa Mesa defense sent Santa Ana three and out, the

Mustangs needed to travel only 31 yards for the next touchdown, which

was scored by junior Omar Ruiz, who ran in from 15 yards out on a

counter play.

Costa Mesa, again, forced the Saints to punt and set up on offense

at its own 33. One play later, Asuega bolted for his 67-yard TD run.

Before the third quarter ended, the Costa Mesa defense, led by

junior Cole Edwards, senior Chris Reed and Hunter, caused Santa Ana

to go three and out again. The Mustangs held the Saints to 20 total

yards in the third quarter, and while on offense Costa Mesa used

seven straight running plays to score three touchdowns. And, on their

final scoring drive, in the fourth quarter, the Mustangs ran the ball

nine straight times, which resulted in a 59-yard drive, capped by

Junior Epenesa’s 5-yard rush up the middle.

“We’ve gotten better every week,” Perkins said. “We finally have

all of our guys healthy. But, I think the biggest thing is that these

kids have been playing with a heart of a champion all year long and

in every big game they have risen to the occasion.

“We’ve worked so hard during the off-season and so hard during the

season,” Perkins continued. “Our kids just believe that no one can

beat them in the second half because of our conditioning. We are in

such great shape we just come after people and they can’t stay with

us.”

The Saints (7-2, 4-1 in league) were without senior quarterback

Omar Carrasco, who has thrown for more than 65% of their 2,364 yards.

Instead, Chris Rodriguez guided the offense and served up 57 passing

yards. Santa Ana scored on a seven-play, 79-yard drive that was aided

by a roughing-the-passer penalty and trick play, a halfback pass that

went for 36 yards.