High hopes for Mustangs

Rick Devereux

Despite only winning one football game this season, the Costa Mesa

High football team believes it can make the playoffs.

“We are capable of winning the next three games,” Coach Tom

Baldwin said. “We totally dominated our last two opponents.”

The Mustangs (1-6, 1-2 in the Golden West League) were able to

beat Santa Ana Oct. 8, but lost to Saddleback last Friday.

Before Mesa can ride off into the playoffs, it must first get past

host Ocean View (1-5, 0-2) at 7 p.m. Friday. Baldwin feels confident

in getting the victory because the Seahawks lost to Saddleback, 29-0,

whereas Mesa played well in its, 27-14, loss to the Roadrunners. The

overriding factor in the game was Mesa’s 18 penalties for 130 yards.

“It’s a crying shame we lost that game,” Baldwin said. “Saddleback

was not better than us in any phase of the game.”

Baldwin believes that if those mistakes are eliminated, the

Mustangs should beat Ocean View.

“[The Seahawks] are a very improved team compared to last season,”

Baldwin said. “But they weren’t very good [last] week against

Estancia.”

The Mustangs will try to duplicate the game plan they used against

Santa Ana and Saddleback, which was a heavy dose of running back

Tyler Legg.

The junior gained 323 of his 685 rushing yards against Santa Ana

and Saddleback. He reached the 100-yard rushing mark in one game all

year, then rattled off an 184-yard game against Santa Ana and 139

yards against Saddleback. Legg said a slight adjustment by his

coaches helped him have a break through performance against Santa

Ana.

“Now I’m lining up further back,” Legg said. “I’m giving the line

more time to make their blocks.”

The increased presence of a rushing attack has diminished the role

of star tight end Jeff Waldron. Waldron, the only Mesa player with a

catch in every game, only caught one ball against Saddleback, but it

was an 18-yard touchdown.

“We didn’t throw to him because we didn’t need to throw the ball

at all in that game,” Baldwin said. “[Saddleback] was double and

triple covering him and we were gaining 8, 9, 10 yards on every

play.”

Waldron leads all Newport-Mesa schools with 30 receptions for 519

yards and two touchdowns. The entire Estancia team has 28 receptions

for 368 yards and three touchdowns.