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.