Familiar face takes charge

Rick Devereux

The Costa Mesa High football program had a rough end to its summer,

and it had nothing to do with wind sprints, seven-on-seven drills,

lifting weights or hitting the blocking sled. Dave Perkins was fired

as the football coach July 23, just six weeks prior to the opening

game against Brea Olinda, Thursday at Newport Harbor High.

The firing forced the team to cancel its seven-on-seven session

against Mater Dei July 27 and the rest of its summer practices. But

assistant Tom Baldwin was elevated to the head spot Aug. 11.

Baldwin, 72, has began coaching high school football in 1959 and

was in charge of the Mustangs’ program from 1984 to ‘91, guiding the

team to two postseason appearances over that time. He was an

assistant with Mesa from 1996-2000, and again for the past two years

as the outside linebackers and receivers coach.

Aside from Perkins’ departure, five other coaches left the

program. Former defensive coordinator Bob Brockie, offensive line

coach Jesse Sapolu, and quarterback coaches A.J. Perkins, Dave’s son,

and Bill Lux are gone.

D.J. Jett, who will remain the secondary coach, is the new

defensive coordinator, and Al Dies, who helped coach the offensive

and defensive lines, will take control of the offensive line. Nick

Romo will continue to coach the defensive line.

Raymond Romua, who used to work with the junior varsity team, is

the new running backs coach, former Mustang signal caller Ronny

Lievanos, Baldwin’s grandson, will handle the quarterbacks, and Eddie

Steward, the former head coach at Santa Ana Valley, is the receivers

and linebackers coach.

Despite what some might call a tumultuous summer, Baldwin said the

coaching changes have had little effect on the team.

“Everything is going fine because the kids are familiar with most

of the coaches and there are only a couple of new ones,” Baldwin

said. “There’s not going to be much of a transition period because

we’re going to be running basically the same offense as last year.”

That offense, a multiple wing-T formation, scored 302 points last

season. The only Golden West League team to score more points was

champion Orange (378).

The Mustangs had the third-best scoring defense in the league,

allowing 191 points, behind Orange (111) and runner-up Westminster

(96). But Costa Mesa finished 5-5, 2-4 in league last year, only good

enough for tie for fourth with Santa Ana.

“I thought we were much better than our record and should have

been at least 8-2,” Baldwin said.

Four of the five losses were by less than a touchdown and the Week

9 loss to Westminster was a 20-6 setback, so, the Mustangs had a

chance to win every game. Baldwin said a perfect season is always the

preseason goal.

“We’re going into every game trying to win and I’m disappointed if

we don’t win. [An undefeated season] has never happened in the

history of Costa Mesa, but I go into every year believing we can.”

The changes in the coaching staff overshadow the changes in the

lineup. All-league center Luke Sapolu, running back Omar Ruiz and

defensive end Marc Daniels all graduated and only five offensive and

three defensive starters return.

“Our weakness is that we are inexperienced,” Baldwin said. “Our

first couple of games are against teams that are really real good.”

Brea Olinda finished third in the Century League last year with a

high-powered passing attack. A senior-loaded Corona del Mar team will

visit Sept. 10, followed by Division I opponent Huntington Beach

Sept. 16. The nonleague schedule concludes with Laguna Beach Sept.

23.

The Mustangs open up Golden West League play against Westminster

Oct. 1. The Lions gained 304 yards of total offense against Costa

Mesa last year.

Costa Mesa is scheduled to be the first high school to play at

renovated LeBard Stadium at Orange Coast College Oct. 8 against Santa

Ana. Jason Oliveras scored a touchdown with 1:42 left in the game to

give the Saints the 33-27 victory last fall.

The Mustangs battle Saddleback at the Santa Ana Bowl Oct. 15. A

two-point conversion lifted the Roadrunners to a 29-28 overtime

victory over Mesa last year.

Costa Mesa travels to Ocean View Oct. 22. The Seahawks were

outscored by an average of 41-14 last season, including a 53-19

drubbing by Mesa.

Following a bye week, the Mustangs play defending champion Orange

at OCC Nov. 5. The Panthers advanced to the semifinals of the CIF

Southern Section Division VII playoffs last year before losing to

eventual champion South Hills.

The Battle for the Bell against crosstown rival Estancia is Nov.

12 at OCC. The Eagles have won 21 of the rivalry 37 games, but the

record is 8-8 with Baldwin as either a head or assistant coach at

Mesa. The Mustangs have won the past three meetings.