Second-half surge carries Costa Mesa

Bryce Alderton

The Costa Mesa High football team was pushed nearly to the brink by

halftime in its Golden West League football game against host Ocean

View Friday night.

The Mustangs trailed, 22-8, with only 24 minutes remaining. No

problem.

Mesa limited the Seahawks to just 52 yards of total offense and no

points in the final two quarters while orchestrating the game’s final

13 points to post a 25-22 victory that keeps their CIF Southern

Section Division VII playoff hopes alive.

The Mustangs (2-6, 2-2 in league) crept into a tie with Saddleback

for third place in league with two games remaining for each team.

Mesa junior tailback Tyler Legg scored on touchdown runs of 3 and

4 yards nearly a minute apart in the third quarter while Ryan Bagwell

added a 21-yard field goal to cap the second-half scoring.

Legg carried 27 times for 102 yards, his third straight game of at

least 100 yards.

But it was Mesa’s defense that came up with the big plays when it

had to, including Ocean View’s final possession.

On third-and-five with the Seahawks on Mesa’s 35-yard line,

Mustangs’ junior cornerback Tony Krikorian, who had earlier recovered

a fumble, stepped in front of a receiver running a crossing route for

the interception.

Mesa took over with 2:04 showing and Legg ran three straight

times, picking up a first down to seal the victory.

“To get a win near the end of the season is crucial for us having

a chance at making the playoffs,” said Mesa senior receiver Jeff

Waldron, who had four of his five catches and 75 of his 107 receiving

yards in the second half.

Three of the four second-half catches came on third down and each

gave Mesa one of its 15 first downs.

“We throw to [Waldron] every time we’re in trouble,” Mesa Coach

Tom Baldwin said. “I don’t know why [the Seahawks] didn’t have four

guys on him. I would.”

Bagwell’s field goal capped a 15-play drive that consumed 6:05 of

the fourth quarter. The Mustangs might have only tallied four plays

had an Ocean View player not roughed Mesa punter Ryan Bagwell, which

resulted in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down. Legg later

burst through the middle for a 6-yard gain on fourth-and-two at the

Ocean View 15 to keep the drive alive.

Legg’s 3-yard TD run and a Bagwell extra point cut Ocean View’s

lead to 22-15 with 8:12 left in the third quarter.

A Seahawk fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Mesa’s Andrew Sanford

recovered, giving Mesa a first down at the Ocean View 23. Three plays

later, Legg ran off right guard for the 4-yard score.

Ocean View scored on its first two possessions to take a 15-0

lead.

On the game’s fifth play, Seahawks’ quarterback Aaron Valenzuela

ran a bootleg off right tackle and scampered 67 yards for the TD.

After a Mesa punt, the Seahawks needed four plays to go 67 yards,

capped by Valenzuela’s 61-yard TD toss to Justin Gieber. A successful

two-point conversion upped the lead to 15-0.

Ocean View junior Reice Hamel intercepted a pass on Mesa’s ensuing

possession, but Mesa returned the favor on the next play.

Senior outside linebacker Jasbir Seewat returned an interception

67 yards, cutting to the middle of the field and stiff arming a

defender along the way to the end zone.

Each team committed four turnovers -- two fumbles and two

interceptions apiece.

The Mustangs committed 11 penalties for 90 yards. Baldwin said the

Mustangs didn’t change much on defense in the final 24 minutes.

“We tackled better,” Baldwin said.

Mesa quarterback Ryan French completed 6 of 16 passes for 114

yards.