Dream Team

Barry Faulkner

In his ancestral Samoan language, his first name means “new

beginning.” But it was where Costa Mesa High senior Keola Asuega

finished a vast number of his carries that separated him from the

rest of his Newport-Mesa football peers.

The Newport-Mesa career touchdown leader with 49, the 6-foot-1,

200-pound package of speed, power and elusiveness found the end zone

21 times this fall, leading the Mustangs to the school’s first

perfect league season and only the second outright league crown in

the program’s 43 varsity seasons.

Alternating between fullback and tailback, Asuega carried 253

times for 2,023 yards in 10 games, amassing 20 rushing TDs and adding

another on a 65-yard kickoff return. He also caught 13 passes for 103

yards and occasionally contributed on defense, to help Mesa finish

8-3.

For his efforts, Asuega is the Most Valuable Player on the 2002

Daily Pilot All-Newport-Mesa Dream Team.

Newport Harbor High senior tailback Dartangan Johnson, who became

the school’s all-time leading rusher this season, is the Offensive

Player of the Year.

Corona del Mar High outside linebacker Kris Cooper is the

Defensive Player of the Year, as the aforementioned trio tops the

25-player squad that includes 11 Sailors, eight Mustangs and six Sea

Kings.

Asuega, who missed one game and was slowed in the season opener by

a hamstring injury, rushed for at least 100 yards in his final nine

contests this season, culminating in a surprising first-round CIF

Southern Section Division VII playoff loss to Gabrielino.

Included in that run were five games of at least 200 yards,

including a career-high 284-yard output in the league title-clinching

victory over Santa Ana.

Asuega’s career total of 3,932 yards on 253 carries ranks second

on the all-time Newport-Mesa list behind former Mustang Binh Tran,

who ran for 4,333 yards from 1991-93. Asuega’s 49 TDs, however, are

unmatched in Newport-Mesa annals, topping the previous career record

of 45 set by Newport Harbor running back Steve Brazas in 1982-83.

This year’s Golden West League MVP, who was also a Dream Team

honoree as a junior, recorded 19 games of at least 100 rushing yards

and he scored at least one touchdown in 24 of the 28 games in which

he had a carry. He compiled 13 multiple-TD games in a three-year

varsity career.

“He was a money guy for us all season,” said Costa Mesa Coach Dave

Perkins, who noted Asuega will soon make recruiting visits to Idaho,

Wyoming and Idaho State. “He has some huge games for us and, had he

not missed some games due to injury (he missed four in his career),

he would have broken Tran’s record. I’m going to miss him, but I’m

also looking forward to watching his college career.”

Perkins, who coached the Mustangs to an unbeaten Golden West

League championship season, is the Coach of the Year.

Johnson capped a distinguished career of his own by rushing for

1,392 yards and 19 TDs on 220 carries and adding another 167 yards

and two TDs on 13 receptions. He posted at least 100 rushing yards

his final nine games and his 18 career single-game outputs of at

least 100 is a school record.

The 6-0, 195-pounder’s 3,397 career rushing yards on 560 carries

are also a school record and he finished with 37 career TDs, 35

rushing. A determined, powerful runner with enough speed to break

away from defenders, Johnson, a repeat Dream Team selection, also

started all season at cornerback for the Tars. His assistance on both

sides of the ball helped Harbor finish tied for second in the rugged

Sea View League and post a 7-4 record, including a first-round upset

by Valencia in the CIF Division VI Playoffs.

Cooper, a 6-2, 215-pound outside linebacker, led the Sea Kings in

tackles with 83, including 53 solo stops. He intercepted one pass,

caused three fumbles, deflected nine passes and blocked a punt out of

the end zone for a safety. He also stripped the ball on a quarterback

sack against Calvary Chapel and returned the fumble 45 yards for a

touchdown to accentuate one of CdM’s best defensive performances of

the year.

The Georgetown-bound standout was a constant in a defensive unit

kept in virtually constant flux by a string of injuries.

Cooper also started at tight end, catching four passes for 51

yards while bolstering the running game as one of the team’s top

blockers.

Cooper’s contributions were even more impressive, considering he

was seldom able to complete a practice due to lingering soreness in a

knee in which he tore ligaments during his junior season.

The Dream Team offense also includes Newport Harbor senior

quarterback Michael McDonald, who completed 121 of 217 of his passes (55.8%) for 1,820 yards and 15 TDs, with only four interceptions.

McDonald also rushed for 212 yards and four TDs, helping the Sailors

achieve a virtual balance between rushing (1,959) and passing (1,940)

yards.

McDonald threw for a career-high 239 yards in the playoff loss,

but may have had his best game in a Week 9 league victory against

Woodbridge. He threw for 139 yards and two TDs, while rushing for 104

yards and two TDs in a 35-14 triumph.

The Dream Team backfield includes repeat selections Mark

Cianciulli and Matt Cooper, both CdM seniors, though Matt Cooper,

Kris’ twin brother who will also continue at Georgetown, was honored

in 2001 as an inside linebacker.

Cianculli rushed for 1,252 yards and 14 TDs on 221 carries this

fall, adding 120 yards and one TD on 11 receptions. His career

numbers include 2,601 rushing yards on 440 carries, 28 rushing TDs

and 29 total TDs.

Matt Cooper, an imposing 6-2, 225-pound fullback, made his

reputation as a devastating lead blocker. He carried 23 times for 58

yards and one TD, but was most often clearing the way for Cianciulli,

who frequently praised Cooper’s blocking ability as one of the

reasons for his success.

The receiving corps includes sophomores Spencer Link (Newport

Harbor) and Kevin Welch (CdM). Both proved to be dangerous deep

threats for their respective teams.

Link, who got a taste of varsity competition as a freshman kick

returner in the 2001 playoffs, led Newport-Mesa pass catchers with 42

receptions for 691 yards (16.4 per catch) and nine TDs. He also

returned a punt 57 yards for a TD and his TD receptions included

gains of 71, 60, 49, 45 and 29 yards.

Welch amassed 646 yards on 27 catches, (nearly 24 yards per

reception) and his seven TDs included gains of 87, 70, 50, 45, 34 and

25 yards.

Costa Mesa senior Nate Hunter, who started at receiver and outside

linebacker and also was the Mustangs’ kicker, is an all-purpose

choice. He had 14 receptions for 191 yards and one TD, rushed 24

times for 131 yards, kicked five field goals, 17 PATs and also had a

two-point conversion run. His 37-yard field goal with 1:59 left was

the difference in Mesa’s 27-24 nonleague win at Chaminade in Week 2

and he kicked a 26-yard field goal with 11 seconds left to complete

an 11-10 league win at Westminster in Week 8.

The offensive line includes repeat selection Andrew Carich, a

Costa Mesa High senior guard, Newport Harbor senior tackles A.J.

Slater and Chris Badorek, CdM senior guard/tackle John Daley and Mesa

junior center Luke Sapolu.

Carich (6-0, 260) and Sapolu (5-11, 220) helped the Mustangs roll

up just more than 86% of their 3,582 offensive yards on the ground.

Slater (6-5, 270) and Badorek (6-4, 290) were two-year starters

for the Sailors. Slater is receiving recruiting interest from schools

including Colorado State and New Mexico State.

Daley (6-1, 235), who spent time at guard and tackle and also

played extensively on the defensive line, was the Sea Kings’ most

consistently effective trench warrior.

Sapolu, the son of former San Francisco 49ers All-Pro center Jesse

Sapolu, transferred to Mesa from Moreno Valley last summer. His

maturation was a big reason the Mustangs concluded the regular season

with a seven-game winning streak.

The Dream Team defense includes just one returner, Newport Harbor

junior outside linebacker Matt Encinias, who along with senior middle

linebacker Fernando Castorena were the Tars’ top tacklers.

The linebacking corps also includes Costa Mesa’s Junior Epenesa, a

junior middle ‘backer, and Costa Mesa senior inside ‘backer Chris

Reed.

Epenesa had a team-leading 84 tackles, including 11 sacks, while

Reed, a first-year starter in the Mustangs’ double-flex scheme, had

78 tackles, including seven sacks.

Costa Mesa senior Borotha Pov, a 5-11, 315-pound noseguard who

earned Golden West League Defensive Player of the Year laurels,

anchors the defensive line. Sixteen of his 47 tackles produced

losses, including eight sacks and he was also credited with 11

quarterback hurries. Pov’s leading contribution, however, may have

been as a blocker magnet. Perkins said he was consistently double-

and triple-teamed, limiting the blockers available to intercept

Mustang linebackers.

Senior end Mac Posey (seven sacks) and senior tackle Chase Brawner

round out the defensive line. The tandem’s presence up front helped

the Tars hold five opponents to less than 85 rushing yards, including

a low of 33 by Dana Hills.

The secondary is paced by Newport Harbor senior Ben Soza, who led

Newport-Mesa defenders with five interceptions. The lone cornerback

afforded Dream Team recognition, Soza’s biggest plays may have come

in the Sailors’ 28-26 league triumph over Laguna Hills. After the

Hawks had scored to close to within two with 5:58 left, Soza broke up

a two-point conversion pass in the end zone to help protect the lead.

Then, after Laguna Hills recovered the ensuing onside kick, Soza

intercepted at his own 18 with 4:25 left and the Sailors ran out the

clock.

Soza also caught 17 passes for 261 yards as a backup receiver.

Costa Mesa senior safety Tyler Waldron led the Mustangs with three

interceptions, while CdM senior safety K.C. Rawlins and Newport

Harbor junior strong safety Warren Junowich, both two-year starters,

were most prominent with their run support.