Quality over quantity for Mustang football

Rick Devereux

Costa Mesa High football coach Dave Perkins didn’t want to hear any

complaining from his players during spring practice regarding the

amount of running the team had to endure.

Perkins expects to use a lot of two-way players in the fall, which

will require players to be in top condition.

“My philosophy is kids in basketball have to go both ways and play

both offense and defense, so why not in football,” Perkins said. “We

will have a lot of kids going both ways. I anticipate seven to eight

kids.”

Perkins had 52 players come out for spring football, which

concluded Friday, but the number of athletes isn’t important to him.

“You can’t really do a whole lot in the spring,” he said. “Our

goal is to really focus on doing a few things well. We’re stressing

quality over quantity.”

Perkins said the team practiced a few run plays on offense until

they were performed to perfection. The Mustangs will employ more

single-back formations on offense this fall as opposed to the

I-formation it featured last year.

The offensive plan last year was a steady dose of Omar Ruiz, the

senior running back who amassed 1,708 all-purpose yards, which was

over 41% of the Mustangs’ total offense. Perkins said there are still

players jostling for the starting running back job.

“We’re blessed because it seems that someone steps up every year

to replace someone who has left,” he said. “We find the kids who do

the job.”

Ryan French is slated to start at quarterback. The junior-to-be

started the last game of the season.

Bryce Carich and Rodrigo Guiterrez will anchor the offensive line.

Both players were selected to the Daily Pilot Dream Team as juniors

and are expected to be leaders as seniors.

Perkins said Juan Diaz has surprised the coaches and could land a

starting spot as a tackle or guard on the offensive line.

Defensively, Jeff Waldron will once again lead the

three-five-three alignment Coach Bob Brockie utilizes. Perkins said

Waldron, the Daily Pilot Defensive Player of the Year as a junior

outside linebacker, is being recruited by Pac-10 teams, as well as by

LSU. Waldron, who also plays tight end, will be used in a variety of

ways on defense.