Mustangs seeking change of pace

Rick Devereux

When things are going rough for a football team, everything seems to

go wrong.

“When you’re winning good things happen,” Costa Mesa High Coach

Tom Baldwin said. “When you’re losing bad things happen. It’s called

momentum. Losing teams find a way to lose. Winning teams that need a

fumble or interception late in a game seem to get it. Winning teams

open up league against the worst team in the league. We’re playing

the best team in the league. That’s what happens when you’re losing,

even the schedule is against you.”

The Mustangs (0-4) start Golden West League play Friday at

Westminster (2-2). The Lions were last year’s league runner-up and

have a, 42-7, blowout win over CIF Southern Section Division VII

runner-up San Gabriel this year.

Westminster runs an I-formation offense that includes double tight

ends and three wide out sets, but tailback Carlos Brooks remains the

main threat. Brooks has rushed close to 2,000 yards the past two

seasons, but has gotten off to a slow start by his standards,

averaging less than 90 rushing yards a game with only three

touchdowns.

“He’s been their No. back for three years now,” Baldwin said. “We

have to contain him. He has speed we haven’t seen before.”

The task of bottling up the elusive Brooks will fall upon a

defensive line that did not look impressive against either Laguna

Beach or Huntington Beach.

“Our D-line played poorly,” Baldwin said. “As a team, we didn’t

play poorly. The kids that are playing well are the same ones every

week.”

Baldwin singled out cornerbacks Tony Krikorian and Evan Hunter and

outside linebackers Jeff Waldron and Jasbir Seewat as consistently

playing strong.

Westminster has used various defensive schemes throughout the

year, so Baldwin and his staff have had to prepare for multiple

looks.

“Early in year they played a four-three, then went to a four-four

with a rover,” Baldwin said. “Against San Gabriel [in the third

game], the defense was more like what Laguna Beach runs with two down

linemen and a lot of blitzing.”

Baldwin said if the Lions stack the line against the run, Mesa

needs to achieve some sort of passing game to soften the linebackers

off the line of scrimmage. The key to both running and passing the

ball well, as well as getting the team in the “W” column, lies with

the front five.

“We need to improve on the offensive line blocking,” Baldwin said.

“Any yards gained were from effort, because we weren’t blocking

anybody. We need to block better to break this bad momentum.”