Mesa on the brink
Patrick Laverty
Unlike Corona del Mar High, which can assure itself of a playoff spot
with a victory, and Newport Harbor, which can virtually do the same,
even a victory over Santa Ana Friday at the Santa Ana Bowl at 7 p.m.
would leave the Costa Mesa Mustangs on the brink of elimination.
Costa Mesa (5-4, 2-3 in the Golden West League), ranked No. 9 in
CIF Southern Section Division VII, has just one hope to reach the
playoffs: the division’s one at-large berth. But the Mustangs will
likely have to battle La Serna (7-2) for that spot. La Serna, ranked
sixth, plays No. 1 Santa Fe this week.
Mustangs Coach Dave Perkins, however, believes Costa Mesa has a
strong chance of gaining that at-large berth because a La Serna loss
would be its third straight and how a team finishes the season helps
determine its playoff fate.
“I’m just happy to be in the position to get into the playoffs,”
Perkins said. “There’s a whole lot of teams that wish they were in
our position.”
Santa Ana (4-5, 1-4) is one of those teams. But instead of the
playoffs, the Saints will attempt to salvage their season by ending
Mesa’s.
It would be sweet redemption for Santa Ana, which was knocked out
of last season’s league championship picture by the Mustangs.
“Last year, we knocked them off for the league championship,”
Perkins said. “Now they have a chance to get us back and knock us out
of the playoffs.”
The Saints will do it without quarterback Felix Munoz, who had to
undergo surgery to remove a blood clot on his brain after he
collapsed during a game against Westminster earlier this season. The
team rallied behind the junior, who has since been released from the
hospital. One week after the injury, the Saints came from behind to
beat Estancia, 26-20.
Alex Gober has taken over at quarterback and thrown for 759 yards
and nine touchdowns.
“They’re down to the No. 3 quarterback and that [Gober] kid is a
heck of an athlete,” Perkins said. “He makes plays when they need him
to make plays.”
Mesa’s playmaker has been senior tailback Omar Ruiz, who has
rushed for 1,311 yards this season.
But he was held to 66 yards last week and the Mustangs will need
to get their ground game back in order against Santa Ana.
Ruiz and fellow running backs Junior Epenesa and Qualic Vargas
should see the end zone a few times as the Mustangs attempt to post a
victory that impresses the playoff committee and helps earn Costa
Mesa an at-large berth.
“I’m not happy with our situation, but the kids have played hard
and we’ve hung tough against some good teams,” Perkins said.
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